Research
How do families talk with a loved one who understands but can't speak?
Not published. No data has been collected for this study, so there is no finding to quote. When findings are published they appear on this page, at this address, with the sample size and margin of error beside every number.
The question
What do families use today (pen and paper, picture boards, yes and no gestures, typing on a phone, communication apps), and how often does the person have something to say that the family can't understand?
Who needs the answer: Families living with aphasia, stroke or ALS, speech-language pathologists, aphasia and ALS nonprofits, and journalists.
The method
- An online survey in plain language for family members of an adult with a communication disability who can think and understand clearly.
- An aphasia-friendly version, with large type, one question per screen and yes, no and picture answers, so the person can answer too, with a family member helping only to tap.
- The person's own answers are reported apart from the family's.
- Posted in community groups only where the moderators agree, never in groups that do not allow research.
Sample: At least 200 families; never fewer than 100, with the wider margin of error printed.
Privacy and limits
Anonymous answers. No free-text field asks for health details. Only aggregated, anonymized results are published, never a raw answer.
Families who find the survey through ExpressAgain or a support group may differ from families who do not.
Ask about this study
Email press@expressagain.com with your outlet, your deadline and your question. This page's address stays the same, so it is safe to link to and to cite.