Communication Disorder Treatment Center
If you struggle with Communication Disorder, our certified Neurofeedback doctors at Leigh Brain & Spine can perform the proper testing needed in order to create a treatment plan for a more comfortable and better way of life.
What is Communication Disorder?
Do you or your loved one struggle with a Communication Disorder? Some speech and language problems are organic brain functioning disruptions that a person is born with. Other times communication difficulties are acquired after an accident or injury involving the brain. At Leigh Brain & Spine the professionals use cutting-edge neuroscience and technology to serve people with the following challenges:
- Receptive Language Disorder
- Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder
- Stuttering (Dysfluency)
Frequently Ask Question About Communication Disorders
What Causes Communication Disorders?
Communication Disorders are caused by brain functioning problems. The areas of the brain that control speech and language were not wired properly from birth in children with speech and language problems. In adults who suffered a brain injury, stroke, or neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease, the brain areas for communication become injured and the wiring becomes disrupted causing speech problems. A Concussion or Head Injury can also cause a communication problem. People with memory loss might be suffering from a cognitive decline that impacts their language skills. Communication is more than just speech and it is very closely related to cognition and thinking. Thinking and communication development and skills typically go hand and hand.
How Can Communication Disorders Be Diagnosed?
A Speech Language Pathologist can diagnose many different kinds of communication disorders. qEEG Brain Mapping can be included for a comprehensive assessment to determine which areas of the brain are not working as they should and what needs to happen for them to work better-improving communication skills. This state-of-the-art diagnostic test can provide individualized therapy goals and outcomes.
A qEEG Brain Map identifies and allows you to see, the areas of the brain that are not working as they should be. You are able to see how far off from optimal those areas are performing. This type of test measures how much a brain needs to be improved for skills to improve.
When you know how your brain has been impacted, you better know how to address your communication problem and improve communication faster and easier. Science shows that there are unique brain patterns associated with the different types of communication problems.
For a person suffering from Receptive Language problems, including Receptive Wernicke’s Aphasia, the language comprehension area in the left temporal lobe is impaired. Expressive Language difficulties, including Expressive Broca’s Aphasia, show impairment in the left frontal-central brain area associated with language production. If a person suffers from a motor speech problem such as Stuttering, Apraxia, and Dysphonia, the motor strip across the central region of the brain shows impairment in function. Some Communication Disorders involve multiple areas such as Phonological Disorders that involves the expressive language and motor planning areas of the brain.
How Can Neurofeedback Therapy Help Improve Communication Disorders?
Neurofeedback Therapy has a 65-year track record of success in helping to improve the functioning of a brain area once the problem is identified. This is how it works. The area of the brain that is not working properly is exercised, all while the person relaxes. The brain gets stronger with consistent exercise until it is healthy enough to perform its task.
Who Has Communication Problems?
Communication challenges do not discriminate and can affect people young and old. Primarily, children are born with a developmental delay or disorder that impacts their ability to speak, understood what is said to them or formulate thought and ideas and then articulate them. Adults, especially those who are aging, suffer from neurodegenerative diseases that can steal their ability to communicate. Concussion in athletes and concussions in children tend to be a major cause of acquired communication disorders for kids and younger adults.
Many famous people have suffered from communication problems. Here is a quick list below of people who have been diagnosed with a communication problem or suspected in writing by an authority to have the disorder. You are not alone is you suffer with a communication problem.
Autism
- Dan Aykroyd – Actor
- Albert Einstein – Scientist
- Satoshi Tajiri – Creator of Pokemon
Stuttering:
- Ed Sheeran – Musician
- Marilyn Monroe – Actress
- Emily Blunt – Actress
Stroke
- Brett Michaels –Musician
- Dick Clark – Celebrity
- Sharon Stone – Actress
Executive Function Challenges
- Adam Levine – Musician
- Justin Timberlake – Musician
- Michael Phelps – Olympic Athlete
Motor Speech Problems
- Winston Churchill – Politician
- Michael J. Fox – Actor
- Josh Blue – Comedian
Communication Challenges that the Doctors at Leigh Brain & Spine specialize in include:
- Aphasia, a condition that affects a persons ability to written and spoken language which can come suddenly after a stroke or head injury.
- Apraxia, a disorder that occurs when the posterior parietal cortex is damaged causing a person to have difficulty with motor planning.
- Dysphagia, a medical term used to describe the symptom of difficulty in swallowing. Dysphagia often occurs as a neurological problem such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease or a Stroke.
- Dysphonia, a condition where the voice becomes involuntarily hoarse. Dysphonia is often accompanied with feelings of unease or scratchiness. Dysphonia is caused by a disorder in the nervous system.
- Dyspraxia, a developmental coordination disorder where a person experiences delays in activities such as sitting, walking, and jumping. Current research suggests Dyspraxia is due to an immaturity of neurone development in the brain rather than to brain damage.
- Executive Function Disorder, a deficiency in the functions that allows a person to engage in goal directed actions making focusing attention, remembering instructions, and managing multiple tasks extremely difficult.
- Expressive Language Disorder is when a child has a lower than average ability in vocabulary, saying complex sentences, and remembering words. However, the child will have average abilities in terms of reading and written communication. Expressive language disorder is often caused by brain injury or malnutrition.
- Phonological Disorders, a speech sound disorder where the person is unable to correctly form the sounds of words. Many cases of Phonological Disorder occurs as a result of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while the origins in other cases remains unknown.
- Receptive Language Disorder is a condition that affects the way children comprehend and understand spoken language. Receptive Language Disorder may occur if the child hears a limited amount of language, or has premature developmental or cognitive skills.
- Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder affects the way people communicate their personal thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
- Stuttering (Dysfluency) is a disorder where a smooth flow of speech is interrupted frequently by a stutter. Stuttering or Dysfluency may be in inherited or caused by a stroke, brain injury, or emotional trauma.
Dr. Trish Leigh of Leigh Brain & Spine, use forward thinking, brain-based techniques such as qEEG Brain Mapping, Brain Health Coaching, and Neurofeedback Therapy to help you improve your speech and communication skills faster, with less effort on your part.
