Aphasia Practice at Home: Haircut Language After Stroke

Life After Stroke: Practicing Language at Home

Life after a stroke can be overwhelming—especially when aphasia makes speaking, reading, and writing difficult. At Aphasia at Home, I share real experiences and practical tools that help people with aphasia practice language in everyday situations. This post highlights a simple but powerful resource for rebuilding confidence and communication at home.

When I came home from the hospital and rehab center after my stroke, life didn’t stop—even though my language did.

I couldn’t talk.
I couldn’t remember words.
I couldn’t read or write.

Everyday tasks suddenly became overwhelming. I struggled to shop for food, communicate with doctors, and even get a haircut.

If you have aphasia or have had a stroke, I bet you know exactly what I’m talking about.

A Helpful Resource: Aphasia with Bri

That’s why I was so interested when I watched a YouTube video last week by Aphasia with Bri.

Bri is a speech-language pathologist with over ten years of experience helping adults with aphasia after stroke, brain injury, or brain tumor. She believes—and I agree—that with the right support and consistent practice, people can make progress, whether they begin working on aphasia months or even years after their injury.

Bri understands something important: many people with aphasia need to work on language for hours and hours to improve. If someone has strong insurance or money in the bank, they may be able to see a therapist regularly. That support is extremely important—but it’s often limited to one or two hours a week.

Recovery can also take years of hard work. I’m not exaggerating.

Not everyone wants—or is able—to commit to rebuilding their language. It takes discipline. Constant practice. Determination. It isn’t fun, and it isn’t easy. But for those who want to try, Aphasia with Bri offers practical programs that can be used at home, with or without formal therapy.

Haircut Practice for Aphasia

One video I especially liked was “Haircut Practice for Aphasia.” In this video, Bri helps someone like us practice real-life language skills, including:

• Booking a haircut appointment online
• Talking with a hairstylist
• Naming objects found in a hair salon or barbershop
• Reading sentences about getting a haircut

These everyday skills matter. After a stroke, they are anything but easy.

Practice at Home

If you have aphasia, try working on your own if you can. If you have a caregiver or a friend, their support can be incredibly helpful—especially if you want to practice something challenging, like booking an appointment or going to a salon.

Whether you actually plan to get a haircut or not, the practice matters. It will be hard. In fact, if it were me, I would do Haircut Practice for Aphasia every day for a couple of weeks to see if I could pick up and strengthen the language that’s still difficult.

Small, real-world practice adds up. And sometimes, progress starts with something as ordinary—and as brave—as a haircut.

Closing

Recovery from aphasia does not happen overnight. It happens through repetition, patience, and everyday practice.  Resources like Aphasia with Bri reminds us that meaningful communication can be rebuilt –at home, in real life, and at our own pace.