Language comprehension skills vary a lot from one person with aphasia to another. Some people with aphasia are able to understand spoken language with little or no difficulty. Many people are able to comprehend as long as the messages are clear and simple. Some people have a severe impairment and are not able to understand verbal language.
The primary area of the brain that is responsible for language comprehension is Wernicke’s area, usually found in the left hemisphere. People who have had strokes and brain injuries impacting Wernicke’s area are likely to have difficulty with understanding language.
Difficulty with language comprehension is dependent on the type of aphasia. Every person with aphasia is different. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can do testing to determine if there is an impairment with comprehension.
