Speech Therapy Helps Congresswoman Gabby Giffords Recover From Brain Injury

This week ABC News showed the world how Speech Language Pathologists work with individuals to improve their speech, and regain the ability to communicate and express oneself after brain injuries. In this video clip, we see how Congresswoman Gabby Giffords struggles, and then succeeds to find words to communicate with the help of speech therapy and music therapy.

For many people, children and adults, music therapy is another effective way to improve one’s speech skills during the many hours needed to fully recover from brain trauma which may include a stroke. The rehabilitation process involves specific language techniques to help the brain make connections lost during injury. Melodic intonational therapy is one of the techniques used to tap into the non involved musical right side of the brain to stimulate the injured left speech area. The speech pathologists at Communicative Health Care Associates work with brain injured adults and children in similar ways.