Aphasia and the Holidays
Supporting Communication During Busy Times
While the holidays offer wonderful communication opportunities for those with aphasia, they can also be challenging. Read below for tips to navigate holiday festivities and help your loved one communicate to the fullest. For a printable handout with all of this information, click here.
Choose activities with less language demand. Think about family activities like singing together, cooking, looking at old photos, or putting up decorations. These allow individuals with aphasia to be more involved.
Modify the environment. Keep the environment festive, but extra noises like the TV in the background will make it more challenging for people with aphasia to communicate. They will also do best sitting in smaller groups or 1:1 for conversation.
Keep language supports handy. Make sure all of the same strategies are still available! Paper/pencil for writing key words and photos to use for pointing are examples of ways to provide support.
Help less familiar visitors understand aphasia. Educate visiting family members on aphasia. People with aphasia know what they want to say, but may need more time to say it!
Encourage time for everyone to rest. Individuals may become more easily overwhelmed and will benefit from rest breaks--but they don't want to miss out! So it can be helpful for everyone to take time for rest and quiet.
Take care of yourself. Ask for help. As a caregiver, remember to also care for yourself.