Tip 2 - Using Pictures

Tip: Along the same lines as labeling things, using pictures is another great way to help communication. The Speech Therapists use pictures on a chart to help stroke survivors communicate their needs, like food, bathroom, drink etc. And as they go on with with their recovery, they expand the charts to include other things, especially if they have continued speech therapy. You can create more expanded charts or ones to use at home with clipart - put them in a protective sleeve or laminate so they last longer.

Don't worry if you can't find a picture for everything you can think of. Sometimes the word will be enough, or a symbol. You can also use family pictures to help remember names. You can also use magazines and brochures - be creative. This is something you can work on sitting in the hospital, or something the kids can help out with.

Here are a few pictures to get you started - and charts with numbers and letters I will keep adding more as the website expands. If you find or develop good ones you'd like to share - please send them to me at bon42269@aol.com.

Printables

Practice Activity: As time goes by, the stroke survivor will be able to do more and more. Have them look through magazines, grocery or store mail-outs, photo albums, etc. They can help you develop a picture dictionary. You can also practice saying the words or pointing to the items.

After some time, if they can - have them look through mail outs to choose meals or check around the house to see what is needed like lightbulbs, cleaning products, paper products etc. This might be different or even difficult for some of those old fashioned men out there, if they never did any of the home management stuff before the stroke - but they can learn. It helps you, it helps them, and everyone benefits.

Bonus: a great excuse to go through pictures and start new photo albums or update the ones you have. And its a great activity to get the kids involved.

What Works for Us: We didn't use her picture chart for long. While she was in the hospital and rehab center, they attached it to her wheelchair so it went everywhere with her. But once we got her home, it wasnt as convienant. I guess it was easier for us to play the guessing game. Luckily, she was able to write what she wanted in a short time, but not all stroke sufferers recover the same. The pictures really do work.

Now, almost 2 years after her stroke, she uses pictures, magazines, and store mail-outs all the time. She is doing her Holiday shopping with catalogs right now. And every week she looks through the grocery mail-outs, picks coupons and writes the shopping list. That way, she makes sure we buy the food she likes :)

Empathy Exercise: Try telling a whole story or having a whole conversation with just pictures. This could be a fun activity with the kids even. But imagine not having the words for what you want to say - how would you say it ?

Additional Tips :

• Use an easle or notebook for your picture charts - or create a felt board and tape the pictures to a piece of felt.
• cut out pictures in magazines and grocery mail outs - make a collage with the left overs
• Have fun with old photos - use some for your picture chart and have fun with the rest. My mom could remember and say some of the names of old photos - her long term memory seems just fine.
• Put name labels on pictures hanging on the walls or fridge
• Encourage stroke survivor to plan meals by using the food pictures - or have them look for coupons or sales of things they like.
• It's difficult to do some things - like read a magazine or newspaper when you only have the use of one hand. having a desk or table to work on makes some of those things easier. Designate 1 desk or section of a table, or even a TV table (you know those foldable things) for the stroke survivor and keep busy work for them. My mom has a huge desk with her computer on it and all her papers - its usually a mess, but its her space - and its not tucked away in her bedroom.

Humor: my mom likes to watch all the cooks on food network. One day I hear her saying yummmmmmm. So I ask, what are they making? She has a hard time saying it, so she tries to spell it and she says, "C" "R" "A" "P". We laughed so hard. I eventually realized they were making crab, so she was very close - but boy was it funny.

RATE THIS TIP

Please take a few minutes and send me your feedback !!!

Use the following scale to rate the objectives in this exercise

1 - not helpful or useful at all
2 - some of it was helpful or useful
3 - helpful and useful
4 - Very helpful and useful - The stroke survivor is making great progress

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Tip:

*professional in this case means one who works with stroke survivors,
like nurse, doctor, physical, speech, or occupational therapist etc.
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