What are word finding problems?
A word finding problem is when someone knows the word they want to use but they have trouble thinking of it. This is also called aphasia.
Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes. You might say the word is “on the tip of my tongue.» Word-finding problems can sometimes occur if there is a brain tumor, swelling, or other brain injury.
Some children may become upset when they are not able to say something correctly. Word finding problems can also frustrate the listener because the child may speak more slowly or use the wrong words, affecting the meaning of the message.
Signs of a word finding problem
Every child’s word-finding problem is different. However, there are some common patterns, including the following:
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
|
Saying a word that is similar |
|
|
Using vague words or gestures |
|
|
Talking around the word |
|
|
Saying words that sound similar or have some of the same sounds |
|
|
Using time fillers or pauses when talking |
|
How to help your child improve word finding
- Read to your child or encourage them to read.
- Name objects around your child or pictures in books.
- Use riddles and have your child guess what you are describing.
- Have your child name items you need for a certain activity.
- Work on naming opposites or words that mean the same thing.
- At school, ask for classroom accommodations and help, such as giving your child a word bank when taking a test and extra time to complete assignments.
- Play games to improve word-finding skills such as:
- Name items that belong to a group. For example, name as many colors as you can in 1 minute.
- “Name the Category” — You name several things in a certain category and ask your child to name the category. For example, “Blue, red, green are all ________?”
- “Pick the Word that Doesn’t Belong” – For example, say “cat, dog, tree, mouse” and have your child answer “tree.”
- Play word association games such as “Pilot goes with ….?” and having your child answer, “plane.”
How to help when your child is stuck on a word
- Give your child time to think of the word. Do not try to finish their sentences right away because this can make them more upset.
- If your child cannot think of the word and you know what they are trying to say, give them clues. For example, «It starts with …,» «It sounds like …,» «It looks like …,» «It is used to …,» or «It is like a …». Have them repeat the word back in the sentence to reinforce finding correct the word.
- Tell your child to use an action, like holding their hand to their ear for phone.
- Encourage your child to picture how objects are used or how the word is spelled.
- Have your child think of a related word or a word that means the same thing.
Talk to your care team if you have concerns about your child’s word-finding skills. A speech-language pathologist can do tests to learn about problems. The therapist may recommend strategies to address specific concerns.
Key Points
- A word finding problem is when someone knows the word they want to use but they have trouble thinking of it.
- Word finding problems can sometimes be caused by a brain tumor.
- Strategies can help your child improve their word finding skills or help when your child is stuck on a word.
—
Reviewed: September 2022
Source: US National Library of Medicine NIH ‘Word-finding difficulty: a clinical analysis of the progressive aphasias’ PMCID: PMC2373641 EMSID: UKMS1756 PMID: 17947337 Study Fig. 1
Word-finding problems increase as we age and we become slower in processing information. Retrieving words is difficult although there is not evidence we lose vocabulary as we age. Semantic structure, or the organization of words in memory, does not change. «Older adults probably have more trouble dealing with large amounts of information» and as they age may develop different strategies to accommodate their decline in processing speed and capacity.[1]
Words are said to be on the tip-of-the-tongue.
Word-finding problems «covers a wide range of clinical phenomena and may signify any of a number of distinct pathophysiological processes» and speech and language disturbances when dealing with dementias «present unique diagnostic and conceptual problems that are not fully captured by classical models derived from the study of vascular and other acute focal brain lesions.»[2]
Contents
- 1 Word-finding problems and ME/CFS
- 2 Prevalence
- 3 Presentation
- 4 Symptom recognition
- 5 Notable studies
- 6 Possible causes
- 7 Potential treatments
- 8 See also
- 9 Learn more
- 10 References
Word-finding problems and ME/CFS[edit | edit source]
Word-finding problems is an often reported symptom of ME/CFS. It is also referred to as language impairment. Etiology for language impairment with ME/CFS or fibromyalgia is undetermined at this time, but may be associated with a speech disorder called dysphasia (or aphasia, if it’s severe).[3]
Prevalence[edit | edit source]
In a 2001 Belgian study, 75.5% of patients meeting the Fukuda criteria and 80.4% of patients meeting the Holmes criteria, in a cohort of 2073 CFS patients, reported difficulties with words.[4]Katrina Berne reports a prevalence of 75-80% for ‘aphasia’ (inability to find the right word, saying the wrong word) and/or dyscalculia (difficulty with numbers) — although she notes that this symptom is probably underreported and more prevalent than indicated.[5]
Presentation[edit | edit source]
Some examples:
- Increasing use of circumlocutions rather than specific terms (e.g., «I wonder where the thing that goes here is»).
- Use of empty phrases, indefinite terms, and pronouns without antecedents (i.e., referring to something or someone as «it» or «him / her» without first identifying them by name).
- Increased frequency of pauses.[1]
Anomic Aphasia refers to word-finding problems as a type of aphasia. Its typical characteristics are:
- Trouble using correct names for people, places, or things.
- Speaking hesitantly because of difficulty naming words.
- Grammatical skills are unaffected.
- Comprehension is normal.
- Difficulty finding words may be evident in writing as well as speech.
- Reading ability may be impaired.
- Having knowledge of what to do with an object, but still unable to name to the object.
- Severity levels vary from one person to another.[6]
Symptom recognition[edit | edit source]
The Wisconsin ME/CFS Association lists under the cognitive problem portion of Other Common Symptoms «word-finding difficulties» and then goes on to say about many of the symptoms of ME/CFS, «While these symptoms are also experienced occasionally by healthy people, the frequency and severity of their occurrence in people with CFS/FM/MCS is dramatically increased from their occurrence before they became ill.»[7]
The ME Association notes under the bullet Brain and Central Nervous System problems including Cognitive dysfunction such as «word finding abilities».[8]
The Hummingbirds’ Foundation for ME lists word-finding difficulties under Cognitive signs and symptoms.[9]
The Canadian Consensus Criteria lists difficulties with «word retrieval» under Neurological/Cognitive Manifestations as an optional symptom.
Notable studies[edit | edit source]
Possible causes[edit | edit source]
- Stroke
- Head Trauma
- Dementia
- Tumors
- Aging[10]
Potential treatments[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Aphasia
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Dyscalculia
- Dysphasia
- Memory problems
- Speech difficulties
Learn more[edit | edit source]
- Jun 4, 2018, Victory For ME Disability Claim – U.S. Court Upholds Plaintiff’s Lawsuit After Being Denied Disability[11] — Brian Vastag was able to prove with qEEG and cognitive tests he had «significant problems with visual perception and analysis, scanning speed, attention, visual motor coordination, motor and mental speed, memory, and verbal fluency» winning his long term disability (LTD) claim.[11]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.01.1 «Word-finding problems | Mempowered». mempowered.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ Rohrer, Jonathan D.; Knight, William D.; Warren, Jane E.; Fox, Nick C.; Rossor, Martin N.; Warren, Jason D. (2008). «Word-finding difficulty: a clinical analysis of the progressive aphasias». Brain : a journal of neurology. 131 (Pt 1): 8–38. doi:10.1093/brain/awm251. ISSN 0006-8950. PMID 17947337.
- ↑ Dellwo, Adrienne (February 12, 2018). «Do Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cause Language Problems?». Verywell Health. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ De Becker, Pascale; McGregor, Neil; De Meirleir, Kenny (December 2001). «A definition‐based analysis of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome». Journal of Internal Medicine. 250 (3): 234–240. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x.
- ↑ Berne, Katrina (December 1, 1995). Running on Empty: The Complete Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFIDS) (2nd ed.). Hunter House. p. 59. ISBN 978-0897931915.
- ↑ «Understanding Word Finding Difficulty: Facts and Solutions». Speech-Therapy-on-Video.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ «Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Help». Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Help. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ «Symptoms, testing, and assessment». The ME Association. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ «M.E. symptoms». The Hummingbirds’ Foundation for M.E. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- ↑ «Understanding Word Finding Difficulty: Facts and Solutions». Speech-Therapy-on-Video.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ 11.011.1 Tillman, Adriane (June 4, 2018). «Victory for ME Disability Claim — U.S. Court Upholds Plaintiff’s Lawsuit After Being Denied Disability». #MEAction. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
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Word finding difficulty
I dunno if it is just me or everyone but I always find myself having word finding problem when I speak in english. Usually it goes like this ‘I think this is a bad decision because errrrrrrr it is …….’. Anyone can tell me how to improve my fluency. I know it’s not a problem to communciate but it really bugs me when I speak like stuttering.
Archived post. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast.
Sometimes a person can understand certain
words but have trouble thinking of and using the word themselves. A
speech pathologist can help diagnose if a child has problems with
this. They can then help a child in several ways, depending on
how old the child is, how severe the problem is and any other
problems the child may
have.
What is it?
A ‘word retrieval difficulty’ or ‘word finding
problem’ is when a person knows and understands a particular
word, but has difficulty retrieving it and using it in their
speech. This is similar to when we feel that a word (for example a
name) is on the tip of our tongue. Children may not
be able to find the word at all, they might retrieve a word that
sounds similar to the one they want or they might produce nonsense
words (neologisms) .
In the classroom, a child with a word finding problem may have
difficulty expressing their knowledge. They may appear not to know
the answers when asked questions that need retrieval of specific
facts. For instance, they may have difficulty relating character or
people’s names, locations, dates or other specific facts. Their
conversation may be brief or include word repetitions,
substitutions, empty words, time fillers and delays.
For some people with an acquired brain injury, word retrieval
difficulties can be a significant problem, making it very difficult
to communicate clearly and competently. A child with an acquired
brain injury will also have greater problems with finding the right
word when they are tired or stressed.
Symptoms
A child may:
- have a good understanding of words but a poor
expressive vocabulary - talk around the word or explain the word they
cannot find, for example ‘You know, the thing I brush my hair with’ - use non-specific words such as thing,
there, that one, him, stuff. They may over-use general
words, such as good, big - over-use words such as um or
ah - substitute words with a close meaning, for example they might say spoon instead of
fork. Or may use words that sound the same, for example
they might say hair instead of share - use obvious word searching behaviors such as
using um a lot, for example ‘ball, book, um, um, um
bike’ - have lots of pauses in their speech and may
take a long time to answer a question - rarely use ‘content’ words. For example, instead of saying ‘I got the book from her’ they may say ‘I got it from her’
Diagnosis
A speech pathologist can assess if a child has
specific word retrieval or other difficulties with their language
development.
Treatment
There are several ways to help a child with
word finding difficulties. These generally depend on:
- how severe the problem is
- how old the child is
- if the child is very aware of the
problem - other underlying cognitive and communication
disorders
A speech pathologist can recommend the best
ways to help each individual child. Some general techniques are
outlined below:
- support the child’s efforts in everyday
interactions - provide help online as necessary
- encourage them to search for the specific
word, rather than talk in a roundabout way and skirt around it - encourage them to think of the sound the word
starts with - if they are unable to think of the sound,
help their retrieval by offering the first sound in the word, for example ‘b’ for ball. Or offer the initial syllable for the word for example, ‘bir’ for bird - give the child clues. For example, ‘It looks like’, ‘It’s used to do’
- encourage description of the object. For
example, ‘What does it look like?’, ‘What do we do
with it? - offer a gesture. For example, drinking
movement for milk - use a sentence completion strategy, for
example, ‘Grass is…’
Key points to remember
- A ‘word retrieval difficulty’ or ‘word finding problem’ is when
a person knows and understands a particular word, but has
difficulty retrieving it and using it in their speech. - A speech pathologist can assess if a child has specific word
retrieval difficulties or is possibly having other difficulties
with their language development. - There are several ways to help, depending on the age of the
child and how severe the problem is.
For more information
- The Royal Children’s Hospital
Paediatric Rehabilitation Service
T: (03) 9345 9300
E: rehab.service@rch.org.au - The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Brain injury Service
- Kids
Health Info series of fact sheets listed
under ‘Brain injury’
Developed by The Royal Children’s
Hospital Paediatric Rehabilitation Service based on information from the Brain
Injury Service at Westmead Children’s Hospital. We acknowledge the input of RCH
consumers and carers.
Reviewed September 2020.
Kids Health Info is supported by
The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation. To donate, visit www.rchfoundation.org.au.
Reader’s Question
I’m a 35-year-old man with a wife and two-year-old son, and my family and I have been living in a foreign country. I have been working for the same company for the past 11 years. My problem is that I have problems when speaking that I think will keep me from advancing to a higher paying position. The main part of the problem is that I am always searching for words when I’m speaking. I have had these problems even when I was in my native land speaking my native language. However, the problem is worse now that I have to speak a different language all the time. People notice the problem and they think that maybe I’m not smart enough or knowledgeable enough to be in a higher position. I want to overcome this problem. Is there any help for me?
Psychologist’s Reply
Word-finding difficulty is just one of a variety of speech and language problems that cause frustration for millions of individuals. Technically, the inability to put a “name” to a known entity is called anomia. Anomia can occur because of some kind of language processing impairment. When that kind of impairment is mild to moderate it is called dysphasia and when it is more extreme it is called aphasia. Anomia can also occur as part of a specific disability in developing language skills.
Language processing problems occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they’re associated with some kind of brain injury or trauma. They can also occur with normal aging or disease processes like dementia. As mentioned before, some language processing problems can also be the result of specific learning disabilities.
Speech and language pathologists are trained to diagnose and treat the various problems people can have with oral or written language. Once the nature and scope of the problems are determined, a treatment plan can be devised. People who are plagued by speech and language problems can learn effective strategies to compensate for, and even overcome, their deficiencies. When it comes to word-finding problems, one strategy is to enhance a technique that many people with word-finding problems already use called “circumlocution.” This is where the person who can’t readily pull the word they want out of their brain deliberately “goes all around” the subject when talking in the hope that some related word or idea will eventually help in recalling the actual word. When speech and language therapists teach this technique, however, they help a person use this strategy in a much more structured and more sophisticated way so that it’s more effective yet not as easily detected by others. The circumlocution technique, however, is only one of many techniques a trained therapist can teach you to enhance your communication skill.
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So, take heart and get a good referral to a well-credentialled speech and language pathologist/therapist. It might even be a good idea to find one who is multilingual and who can work with you in each of the languages that you speak. Once the exact nature of your difficulties are understood and you have a specific therapy plan to address them, you’ll eventually feel much better about your ability to communicate more effectively and give others a much more accurate picture of the level of knowledge you truly have.
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