The Caregiver’s Journey / Chapter Two / Communication Effects / Writing
What might you see?
- Problems expressing thoughts in writing
- Problems getting started with writing
- Writing the same words or phrase over and over (this is known as perseveration)
How can you help?
- Practice writing skills with the service member or veteran. For example, write letters to friends or relatives.
- Make a list of openings (for example, Dear, Hello, Hi, etc.) and closings (such as Thank You, Sincerely, Yours Truly) and the reasons for selecting them.
- Suggest saying words out loud before writing them.
- Suggest reading what is written to make sure it makes sense.
- Encourage the service member or veteran to proofread what they’ve written.
Air Force Center of Excellence for Medical Multimedia