Aphasia/dysphasia: can't talk, not allowed to talk.

Visiting Dyscover this morning; http://dyscover.ndo.co.uk: this is a local support group for people with aphasia or dysphasia – no speech or disrupted speech, usually because of stroke or brain disease. As you talk with them, you have to wait while they find the words they want to say, and test out what you have understood to make sure you picked it up right. One interesting positive for the group was the chance to talk about interesting topics in discussion groups. At home, they have discussed everything with their spouse, and visitors often do not wait comfortably for them to take time to speak, so they don’t get the chance to spread their wings in a discussion like the rest of us do over coffee or a meal break.

I connect it with people’s response to hearing that you have cancer or you’re dying; people don’t know how to respond to you, so you become isolated. My ambition for the future: we should all learn how to take time to listen to people.