Sensory Trigger Finger Tapping! Tap the fingertips of your left or alternate hand together to activate the undamaged right hemisphere speech center while you are talking or planning to talk. This finger tapping technique helps to repattern the brain and make new pathways for speech.

It even improves speech for those who get stuck in the middle of a sentence because it slows your speech down just a little so your brain has enough time to route around the damage and find the right word. Most people with aphasia think the words in their minds just like they used to. But their brain is now slower to send the signals out—it doesn’t keep up with the part of the brain that is hearing it or thinking of it. Tapping helps match the speed of your “thinking voice” to the speed of your “talking voice”. Tap your fingers together whenever you get “blocked” or know what the word is, but can’t say it.

Also, do the finger tapping when listening to someone talking to you. That way the signals are getting trained to go through the other side and will be ready and already activated for when you want to say something. (Some people will be using their right hand. If you have a question about this email us.)

Press the finger tips together so that the index, middle finger, and ring finger touch the tip of the thumb. The little can touch as well, but is not essential.

You also might try practicing this technique with different words that you are reading aloud or that you especially want to practice or words you have written down in your notebook. At first, when practicing speech on your own, try to tap your fingers in time with the words, tapping for each part of the word. So “apple’ would be 2 taps and “strawberry” would be 3 taps, and so on. It is like tapping to the rhythm of the words and sentences. You can also place your hand on the desk and tap your fingers to the desk while practicing.

Don’t worry about tapping perfectly or in rhythm when you are talking in conversation. Just tapping the fingertips gently together at any speed as you are talking will work fine. You can hide your hand in your pocket or hold it down by your side and no one will even notice you are using it.

Remember, it takes the brain 6 weeks of daily practice on any new skill or capability to begin to grow neurological connections. So, results will most likely be more noticeable with time.

Barbara Dean Schacker invented the technique in 2005 so people could have a Sensory Trigger technique they could use anywhere. Stroke Family participants have reported excellent results using the technique. More about the technique can be found in the Pathway to Recovery guide and in the Kits.