It's On the Tip of My Tongue!
And other word-finding problems!
"What is that word....it's on the tip of my tongue!"
March 17, 2015
Ok, you’ve all been there at some time or another, some of you definitely more than others! It’s those times when you know the word you want to say, but you just can’t think of it! You might know the letter it starts with or what the word sounds like, or you might be able to come up with a similar meaning word (i.e. synonym). You can circumlocute or talk around the word. But you just can’t think of that word!!! Darn it! You are having a word finding difficulty! The word is in your vocabulary but you just can’t retrieve it when you need it. The good news is that everyone experiences word finding difficulties from time to time, even speech-language pathologists.
Some researchers say that word finding ability peaks at age 40 and goes downhill from there. I know that some of you must be thinking you’re in trouble if that’s the case! Me too! And according to neuropsychologist, Dr. Rob Winningham, the problem tends to double by age 60!! However, there is more good news: word finding problems do not indicate that dementia is on the horizon. Other memory problems may indicate the onset of dementia but not this one!
Thank goodness! Upon moving to Denver a couple of years ago where I knew no one, I joined the YMCA not only to get fit, but to meet people and make friends. This is a very successful strategy by the way, but requires good word retrieval for people’s names! At first I attended 2 classes every day, 5 or 6 days per week and introduced myself to at least 1 new person per class. My goal was to remember everyone’s name from then on and to be able to greet them by name each time I saw them again, which was usually one week later. (Ahem….that’s a LOT of people to remember!!!) It worked most of the time, and I made a lot of friends. But there was one person whose name I just could not remember, no matter what, much to her dismay and disappointment. Sorry, Julie!
Imagine that you have significant word-finding problems on a frequent basis and how frustrating that would be. Many people do, even children. Children who experience word finding issues often have other language or learning problems such as learning disabilities, specific language impairment, reading difficulties, stuttering, brain pathology or attention difficulties. Speech-language pathologists are trained to assess and treat word-finding deficits. If you or your child experiences difficulty thinking of the right words on a frequent basis, don’t hesitate to get help because help is available! There are many strategies we can use to help people think of the right words at the right time.
"Aha! I remember the word!"
Julie probably didn’t realize that I was trying to remember 50+ names of people I had just met! Well, I finally learned her name and was able to greet her by name at the YMCA each time I saw her. But then, my husband and I attended a YMCA fund-raising event at a different location. Julie was there and I wanted to introduce her to my husband. Woops! I drew a blank! I could not remember her name under pressure and she had to tell me again. Needless to say, Julie and I are not close friends, but I will probably never forget her name !
The type of word-finding difficulty I was experiencing is normal and does not pose real problems for people. For those who have significant ongoing word retrieval deficits, the repercussions are many, including negative impacts on other language skills and social interactions.
Please share this blog. You never know who you might be helping!
Thanks for reading,
Cindy McCallum, M.Sc., R.SLP, SLP(C), CCC-SLP
Registered Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder, WiseOwlSpeech
Sources:
Winningham, Robert, Ph.D. Cognitive Rehabilitation and Memory Enhancement. Denver, CO: Cross Country Education, February, 2015