title: The challenge of unintelligible speech following traumatic brain injury.
abstract: Management of unintelligible speech following traumatic brain injury is complex. In addition to multiple physiological system deficits, individuals typically present with complicating non-speech factors that impede their progress. The present case study illustrates the influence on outcome of impaired speech physiology, reduced cognitive abilities, pre-morbid personality characteristics, and psychosocial variables such as post-injury psychosis. Highlighted intervention strategies include optimizing the physiological system with a palatal lift prosthesis, reducing speaking rate by pacing, phonetically transcribing words to minimize apraxia of speech, adapting stimuli to optimize auditory comprehension, and providing therapy within functional contexts.
authors.affiliation: Galveston Institute of Human Communication, Transitional Learning Community at Galveston, Texas 77553.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McHenry
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013070:Speech Therapy; D014705:Verbal Behavior