One of the most heartbreaking side effects of aphasia is loneliness. It's not uncommon to see someone with aphasia tucked away in a corner by themselves during a family birthday party. Or maybe they are pretending to be on their phone when spending time with friends because they don't feel confident interacting with the people they so easily shared laughs and stories with prior to the event that left them with aphasia.
These moments were the inspiration behind Fridge Functional Phrases. It's a fun way to optimize practice times to work on key phrases needed to interact with others in specific social situations for a less lonely result. We've developed practice sheets for the major holidays, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. These are the seasonal time periods where you might find yourself in extreme social situations.
Fridge functional phrases practice sheets consist of:
- Common functional phrases that can be used during certain time periods
- Single or two-syllable words that are easy to pronounce
- A word bank filled with simple, relevant words for even more practice
- Easy printable format that won't drain your ink cartridge (you're welcome!)
TIP: Practice with a speech-to-text app to verify your pronunciation if you're practicing by yourself!
The "fridge" part is a handy way to remember to practice. My husband and I found that placing the worksheet front and center on the fridge is the perfect place because let's face it; we are always somewhere in or around the kitchen every day. Of course, you can always place them on a bulletin board or other areas in your home if you'd like.
Another benefit of fridge functional phrases is the ease of use for caregivers. As a caregiver myself, I understand the necessity to make things as easy as possible. You won't find anything easier than these practice sheets.
All you have to do is:
- Find the practice sheet you want in our library
- Hit print
- Post it on your fridge
- Tada! You're ready to practice
And lastly, the main takeaway from these little worksheets is that it really does help those with aphasia feel confident around others, reducing the loneliness they so often feel. If my husband and I know there's an event coming up, we will print out a worksheet a month in advance and start practicing. As you probably already know, practice times depend on fatigue level. For those that fatigue easily, break up the worksheet to only focus on the phrases that are the most relevant and then expand as needed.
We hope you've enjoyed reading about how to use our fridge functional phrases practice sheets! Head on over and view our library HERE. If you have any ideas for future worksheets, we'd love to hear from you! Please email us at info@aphasiareaders.com. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news from Aphasia Readers! If you haven't picked up your first Aphasia Readers: Level 1 book, order your copy HERE!