Cognitive Communication Disorders

At Expressable, we help people with cognitive communication disorders improve their ability to communicate and function in day-to-day situations. From word-finding to attention and concentration, speech therapy can support a variety of challenges that accompany cognitive communication disorders. Our unique cognitive communication program teaches you evidence-based strategies for managing and improving your executive function skills. 

A cognitive communication deficit is most often caused by a brain injury, such as a tumor, stroke, or traumatic accident. It means that a person has communication challenges caused by problems with cognitive processes, rather than problems with speech or language. Cognitive processes include: 

• Attention and concentration

• Memory

• Executive functioning (how you plan, complete, and evaluate tasks)

• Perception (how you interpret sensory information)

• Problem-solving 

• Reasoning, insight, and judgment

• Language (words we use to communicate)

• Processing speed (ability to understand and think quickly) 

• Organization (arranging ideas)

Problems with these cognitive functions can affect verbal and nonverbal communication, such as speaking, listening, reading, writing, and social skills. As a result, a person may have a hard time safely completing activities of daily living, such as household chores or managing appointments. They may also have challenges with school or work.

This guide explains Expressable’s clinical approach to evaluating and treating cognitive communication disorders. Learn more about how online speech therapy works and the difference it can make for people with cognitive communication deficits. You can also read our full guide to cognitive communication disorders, including their causes, symptoms, and how loved ones can offer support at home.

1Why is speech therapy important for cognitive communication disorders? 2How Expressable treats cognitive communication disorders 3Practice cognitive communication strategies at home with the Expressable portal 4The benefits of online speech therapy for cognitive communication disorders 5See what people with cognitive communication disorders are saying about our speech therapists 6Get matched with a speech therapist today

Why is speech therapy important for cognitive communication disorders?

Speech therapy helps those with cognitive communication disorders in a variety of ways. Speech therapy supports a person’s individual needs with both direct therapy tasks and compensatory strategies. The sooner a person can get the support they need, the sooner they can preserve and potentially improve the executive function or communication skills they're struggling with.

While each person’s treatment plan will be tailored to their goals, the Expressable cognitive communication program broadly focuses on:

• Helping the person return to and participate in daily actitivies 

• Teaching evidence-based techniques for managing cognitive communication deficits

• Encouraging independence and improving quality of life 

• Educating families and caregivers to best support their loved one

Adults

The Complete Guide to Speech Therapy for Cognitive Communication Disorders

Learn how speech therapy can help treat cognitive communication deficits caused by a brain injury or other cognitive problems.

Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP

How Expressable treats cognitive communication disorders

Expressable matches clients with a licensed speech therapist trained to evaluate and treat cognitive communication disorders. All therapy is delivered online via face-to-face video conferencing on Zoom. Research has shown that online speech therapy works just as well as in-person therapy, for both children and adults. Online speech therapy is convenient, offers wider access to speech therapists, and makes it easier for caregivers to be involved throughout their loved one’s time in therapy.

Collaboration with both the client and their family or caregivers is key. Progress in speech therapy is rooted in the person’s motivation and desire to achieve their goals, as well as their commitment to the rehabilitation process. Collaborative decision-making among the client, therapist, and other team members is essential. That’s why at Expressable, we involve our clients in the therapeutic process as much as possible. 

Research suggests that this collaborative approach helps to establish the most functional and appropriate treatment plan. It positively influences the person’s mental health, and it also improves their ability to return to their life.

Expressable’s clinical approach to evaluating cognitive communication disorders

Speech therapy for cognitive communication disorders begins with an evaluation. Your speech therapist will choose from a variety of standardized or norm-referenced tests for the evaluation. They may conduct assessments such as the Quick Aphasia Battery (QAB), the Arizona Battery for Cognitive Communication Disorders, 2nd Edition, or the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function®2 (BRIEF®2). Your speech therapist might assess things such as: 

• Memory

• Overall verbal communication

• Attention skills

• Problem-solving tasks

Your speech therapist may also use informal measures in the evaluation, such as checklists and patient-reported outcome measures. They may ask for input from family and caregivers. 

Information from the evaluation helps your speech therapist understand the impact of the cognitive challenges on your daily life. Your therapist will identify your strengths and areas of need, design a treatment plan, and determine the need for additional referral(s). They will then work with you and your family to create functional, relevant, and realistic goals that support your needs and wishes.

The results will be used to develop a personalized care plan, which typically includes one to two speech therapy sessions per week.

Evidence-based strategies to help cognitive communication problems

Our speech therapists work with people who have cognitive communication deficits to: 

• Identify areas of need, such as those related to memory, attention, word finding, or executive functioning

• Modify the person’s home and/or work environment to support those needs

• Restore impaired functions when possible

• Educate, empower, and build self-advocacy skills, for both the person and their family

When treating cognitive communication disorders, speech therapists use two main approaches: 

• Restorative treatments: Direct therapy tasks that aim to improve impaired functions by focusing on symptoms, such as memory, processing speed, and problem solving. 

• Compensatory strategies: Individualized strategies that help the person make up for, or work around, functions that aren’t able to be restored. You can learn more about these compensatory strategies in this article.

It’s important for family members or caregivers to participate in speech therapy. This way, they’ll learn how to help you practice your new techniques and strategies at home. The more you practice between sessions, the faster progress you can make!

For example, let’s say a person is working on using a planner to keep track of their daily tasks. Practicing just once or twice a week during therapy sessions isn’t ideal. They need to do this every day to learn the process and make it a habit. Loved ones or family members can help with reminders or support as needed.

Adults

What Are Executive Function Skills, and How Can You Improve Them?

Learn what executive function means, the signs of an executive function disorder, and tips for adults to improve executive function skills.

Alexis Irazoque, M.S., CCC-SLP

Practice cognitive communication strategies at home with the Expressable portal

Ongoing support is important in brain injury treatment. At Expressable, speech therapy doesn’t stop when your session ends. You’ll have ongoing text messaging support so you can ask questions or get tips from your speech therapist between sessions. You’ll also have access to our client portal, which makes it easier to practice cognitive communication strategies at home. 

In the portal, you’ll find Learning Paths that explain and reinforce strategies for cognitive communication, such as word finding and external memory strategies:

You can watch videos that show real communication techniques in action, such as the spaced retrieval memory technique:

Your speech therapist will assign personalized home practice activities you can do during your everyday routines, such as auditory information processing and grouping/categorizing:

The benefits of online speech therapy for cognitive communication disorders

Multiple studies over several years have shown the effectiveness of online speech therapy. Not only does it work as well as in-person speech therapy, there are lots of reasons people tend to prefer it:

1 Wider access to qualified speech therapists

With online speech therapy, it’s not hard to find a speech therapist with experience treating cognitive communication disorders in children or adults. You have access to an entire network of speech therapists who are licensed to treat in your state. This is especially beneficial for people who live in more rural areas, or in areas with long waitlists for speech therapy.

2 Convenience and flexibility

Between school, work, errands, and everyday life, it can be hard to regularly attend in-person therapy sessions. Not only is there the commute time, but most speech therapy clinics are only open during normal business hours. With work schedules and after-school activities, for many people, that just doesn’t work.

Online speech therapy removes this problem. At Expressable, you can schedule sessions on the days that work best, at the times that are most convenient, including evenings and weekends. 

3 The comfort of home

If you or your loved one feel embarrassed or shy when it comes to speech therapy, you’re not alone. Many people with cognitive communication disorders get nervous or tense at the thought of talking to someone face-to-face. With online speech therapy, doing sessions from the comfort of your own home can put you at ease. And when you’re comfortable and confident, your sessions will be more effective.

Online speech therapy can work especially well for those with cognitive communication disorders. The speech therapist gets to see the client in their home environment and observe how they interact with family members or caregivers. This allows them to determine how the person can practice at home in meaningful ways.

4 Affordability

In-person speech therapy clinics have many expenses that aren’t directly related to your care, such as rent, utilities, and other operational costs. As with any business, these costs are often passed down to the consumer. The cost of speech therapy will vary by provider, but generally, online speech therapy costs less than an in-person practice—even though you receive the same quality of treatment. At Expressable, we also partner with major health insurance plans around the country, making it easier than ever to access speech therapy treatment.

See what people with cognitive communication disorders are saying about our speech therapists

We’ve treated hundreds of children, teens, and adults with cognitive communication challenges. Our speech therapists consistently earn ratings of 4.9 out of 5 stars from their clients. Here’s just a sampling:

“She is helping me develop both my memory and my speech” “[My speech therapist] MacKenzie is excellent. She finds out where I am and is helping me develop both my memory and my speech during the same session, using the same activity for both. I look forward to my sessions with her.”

“I would not be back to working if it weren’t for her!” “Catherine is so kind, empathetic, and helpful in every way. Over the last year, she has helped me with so many of my cognitive and speech issues. I literally would not be back to working if it weren’t for her!”

“A big part of the steps to my recovery” “As I'm still recovering from my injury, Aleisha has been a big part of the steps to my recovery. Aleisha is professional, friendly, compassionate, punctual, and, most importantly, knowledgeable of the treatment that is necessary for my recovery. I feel so lucky to have her as my speech therapist.”

"My cognitive abilities will continue growing" “My work on short- and long-term memory has increased the internal and external tools that I can use. With practice, my cognitive abilities will continue growing. I am appreciative of this work.”

“I credit her with the strength of my recovery” “I was paired with a knowledgeable, professional, skillful, insightful, creative, patient, and compassionate speech therapist. She understood the exercises I needed to regain function after my stroke. She advised me on how to ask questions of my neurologist so I would get the answers I needed. She noticed that I likely had post-stroke ADD and suggested I get tested. She helped me not only with exercises and conversation, but to get the right healthcare from my other providers. I credit her with the strength of my recovery.”

Get matched with a speech therapist today

We’re here to support you or your loved one. Speech therapy can help you get back to greater independence, clearer communication, and participation in the activities you enjoy most. Find the right speech therapist for your needs here.