Make Your Own Aphagia Communication Board

What is APHAGIA?

Aphagia is a broad term for communication difficulties which often have a sudden onset, such as from a stroke or brain injury or disease affecting one or more of the language processing centers of the brain. Being suddenly (or gradually) unable to express one’s thoughts through the communication of language can be very challenging.

What is a communication board?

A communications board is one of the most basic supports that someone with aphagia can use to communicate when words are hard. It contains simple phrases and words, and sometimes simple pictures, which a person can point to in order to have an interactive conversation.

You will likely create a more personalized, custom version of a communication board over time, one that best meets your needs. But to start out, here is our free, downloadable aphagia communication board pdf file which you can print to use today.

Remember, a communication board gives options. These are not reminders for the person with aphagia (i.e. this is not the place for your messages to them). This is for their messages to you, in order to facilitate the giving and receiving of information between you despite their aphagia.

It’s not easy, and what works today might not work tomorrow. Be patient and kind, and be an expert listener. Aphagia can be extremely frustrating to the one experiencing it and their loved ones.