A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

continue to experience significant communication difficulties for the rest of their
lives (Code and Herrmann, 2003; McArthur, Frederick, Hartley, Yardley, Booth
and Armstrong, 2002; Hillis and Heidler, 2000). So what is the impact of aphasia
on an individual’s quality of life?
2.3 THE IMPACT OF APHASIA
While many people associate the idea of disability with physical or sensory
impairments (for example, people who use wheelchairs to mobilise)
communication impairment such as aphasia cannot be seen. Aphasia therefore
does not fit in easily with society’s perception of disability (Parr et al., 1997).
Despite this perception the literature reports that aphasia has a large impact on
a person’s life, turning ordinary everyday communicative situations into a
struggle in understanding what is being communicated to them and being
understood by others (Doesborgh, van de Sandt-Koenderman, Dippel, van
Harskamp, Koudstaal and Visch-Brink, 2002).
‘When I am with others and they speak to me I have to
understand what they say right away, otherwise it is
too late – the subject of discussion will have gone onto
something else’ (Christensen, 1997; 730)
‘I was mad. I was mad in here that it wouldn’t come out
– when I did try to say something um….an it all come
out….well gobbledegook…. em…. an I knew what I
was going to say but I couldn’t say it’ (Parr et al., 1997;
15)
‘In my head I can talk, only the mouth will not’
(Christensen, 1997; 733)
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