Strokecast

"Communication is the process by which shared meaning is created."  CO 101 That's the first lesson we learned in Communications class back in college. Communication isn't spoken words or written words of photos or symbols or sounds or touches. Or even scents or tastes.  Those are all just vehicles for communication. They are the trucks intended to carry the freight of meaning from one person to another. After stroke, some of those trucks are no longer available. Aphasia and dysarthria may interfere with speech. Hemiparesis may interfere with writing or gestures. Sensory overload and attention challenges may interfere with listening. And yet communication continues. Because the other lesson we learned in the class CO101 is, "You can't not communicate." Combine those principles with the idea that your actions always speak louder than your words, and we have deeper understanding of how important it is for clinicians to think deliberately about the things they say and do when working with clients.