Aphasia is a communication impairment that can result in difficulties speaking, understanding what someone is saying and difficulties with reading and writing.

Aphasia usually occurs following brain damage but can also occur from things such as, degenerative diseases and brain tumors. The severity of aphasia will depend on the size and location of the brain damage, tumor or degeneration.

Are there different types of Aphasia?

There are different types of Aphasia. The type of Aphasia that may be occurring can be determined by a Speech Pathologist and include the following:

Broca Aphasia – also known as nonfluent Aphasia. People who struggle with Broca Aphasia have difficulty expressing the correct words and may speak in short sentences.
Wernicke Aphasia – also known as fluent Aphasia. People who struggle with Wernicke Aphasia will speak easily, using long sentences but what they are saying does not make any sense.
Global Aphasia – People who struggle with global aphasia will have difficulties in understanding what people have said and also have difficulty speaking and getting their message across.

What difficulties are associated with Aphasia?

There are many difficulties associated with Aphasia. Someone who has Aphasia may struggle with one or more of the following:

Saying the correct word (e.g. may say ‘dog’ when they meant ‘horse’)
Putting together sentences
Putting words in the right order
Use unrecognizable words (made-up words)
Understanding what someone has said
Articulating long sentences that make no sense
Reading
Writing
Slurring their words

How can a Speech Pathologist help with Aphasia?

A Speech Pathologist will be able to diagnose the type of Aphasia and pinpoint the main difficulties.

Following this, the Speech Pathologist will be able to provide direct therapy targeting these difficulties and provide strategies to assist when interacting with others across settings.

Training of the clients’ significant other will also be a focus so that therapy can continue in the home environment outside of therapy appointments.

What will the appointments involve?

Initial appointments will involve the therapist gaining as much information as possible about the client and the type of difficulties the client is presenting with.

Direct assessment tasks will then be implemented to identify the specific areas of difficulty and strength. From these initial appointments, specific functional goals can be created and individualised therapy targeting these goals can begin.

Contact Harrison Speech Pathology if you would like any further information about aphasia or would like to make an initial appointment.

How to recognise and help a fussy eater

Having a fussy eater can be a daunting and frustrating experience – we’ll explain what to do and how we can help you.

What is fussy eating?

There are a number of factors that define a child as being a fussy eater.

The range of foods that a fussy eater will accept to eat is restricted in number. Some children will be happy to touch a new food but not eat it, others may completely refuse to have a new food close enough to be able to smell or see it.

Fussy eaters may refuse foods based on their texture or type. They may refuse purée consistency foods or fruit, they may eat only a very small number of meats, vegetables or foods that require a lot of chewing.

Most fussy eaters will eat a different meal or modified dinner when compared to the rest of the family. Some children will tolerate eating at the same table as the rest of the family but others cannot cope with the sensory demands of sitting at the same table as everyone else in the family.

Fussy eaters typically take a long time to add new foods to their diet and may burn-out eating favourite foods that they have eaten a lot.

How can I help a fussy eater?

If you have a fussy eater, it is important to consistently provide them with opportunities to engage with a variety of foods. Offer what the rest of the family is eating each meal time, even if you know your child is not likely to have any, but do not force them to eat it. This will allow them to experience the food in a safe environment.

Encourage messy play with food! This may sound a little daunting, however most children need to experience food in a number of ways before they are willing to try it. This includes looking, smelling and touching (eg: poking, squeezing, wiping) and can be done with hands and various utensils (eg: spoons, forks, spatulas).

Provide your child with independence. If they don’t want you to feed them, give them a spoon or fork and encourage them to have a turn. Take turns, play games and show your child that you are eating it too.

Involve your child in meal planning and preparation. Take them grocery shopping, encourage them to watch you prepare meals and involve them in age-appropriate stages of preparing eg: washing vegetables, cutting, putting in dishes, stirring, plating meals and setting the table. Having family-style serving where the food is placed in the middle of the table, and each person serves themselves is very beneficial and increases the likelihood of children engaging with more foods.

If your child’s fussiness continues and they are consuming a limited amount of foods, contact a Speech Pathologist who will be able to discuss your concerns and a plan for therapy if required.

What age does fussy eating start?

Sometimes fussy eating may start when a child is progressing between different textured food as they grow older eg: moving from purée to more solid food textures.

Occasionally fussy eating may appear to commence after a child has been sick.

Fussy eating may start when a child is reaching an age where they are becoming more independent. Children begin to want to make choices in everyday life (and tell you about it), and this also appears during meal times. Your child may want to choose what they eat, feed themselves and refuse foods at times.

When does fussy eating become a problem?

Fussy eating becomes a problem when a child restricts the range of foods they will eat only a very small number of foods. When a child refuses to eat a whole nutrition group such as meat or fruit then dietary balance may be compromised and require medical attention.

If the child continues to reduce the number of foods they are eating then an appointment with your General Practitioner would be suggested and referral to a Speech Pathologist.

When eating causes ongoing meltdowns then a discussion with a General Practitioner and Speech Pathologist could be beneficial.

How do I treat a fussy eater?

A Speech Pathologist can assist you if your child has ongoing fussy eating. An assessment will be conducted and detailed feeding and eating history obtained. The Speech Pathologist will then provide you with strategies for you to use at home and discuss ongoing therapy.

Therapy involves exposing your child to a wide range of foods and encouraging them to interact with the foods using all senses. Children feel safe to engage with the food at the level they are ready, and this builds as therapy progresses.

If your child is a fussy eater and they are consuming a limited amount of foods, contact Harrison Speech Pathology who will be able to discuss your concerns and arrange an assessment and a plan for therapy if required.

Our Newcastle based pathologists are experts in treating fussy eaters. Contact us today for an appointment.

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