California Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Practice Exam

What is a characteristic of clients with receptive aphasia?

1. They can express themselves fluently

2. They cannot understand spoken language

3. They have difficulty interpreting written text

4. They are unable to express themselves meaningfully through speech

The correct answer is: They are unable to express themselves meaningfully through speech

Receptive aphasia, also known as Wernicke's aphasia, primarily affects a person's ability to understand language, while their ability to produce speech may remain intact in terms of fluency. Therefore, clients with receptive aphasia typically struggle to comprehend spoken and often written language. The characteristic of being unable to express themselves meaningfully through speech relates more to expressive aphasia, or Broca's aphasia, where individuals have difficulty with the motor aspects of speech and forming coherent sentences. In the case of receptive aphasia, individuals may speak in well-formed sentences that lack meaning or context, which can lead to confusion in communication but does not imply they are unable to express themselves. Understanding this distinction is crucial: while people with receptive aphasia may seem to have fluent speech, it often does not convey logical or meaningful content, highlighting the challenges they experience in communication. Thus, recognizing that they may speak fluently but struggle to understand or convey messages correctly is key in identifying the nature of receptive aphasia.