Episode 11: The Surprising Connection Between Brain Healing and Rebuilding Your Reading Skills

Summary: Uncover the strategies to reclaim your love of reading after a brain injury — even if it’s been years. Kelly Tuttle shares her inspiring journey from struggling to read for five minutes to devouring complex books again. In this deeply personal episode, Kelly reveals the cognitive and visual hurdles that make reading difficult after brain injury — from blurred vision to brain fog. She details the surprising role of energy reserves and how slowing your reading pace can improve your reading comprehension. You’ll discover practical techniques, such as using audiobooks, text-to-speech technology, and mindful pauses, that help rebuild your reading stamina.   Takeaways: Healing requires pacing, not pushing. The brain’s capacity to process information can be slowed after injury, so faster reading or multitasking can hamper reading after a brain injury. Tactical aids like sticky notes, highlighting, and guiding paper help offload mental effort, freeing up energy for your brain’s reading processes. Starting with simple, short, and visually accessible material enhances confidence and restores reading enjoyment. Consider options like large print, audiobooks, and text-to-speech technology, which make reading more accessible and less taxing. Incorporating short, consistent, low-pressure reading rituals—like one poem a day—creates a positive emotional association with reading as your brain heals. Resources & Links: Kelly’s Linktree If you're also a survivor looking to return to work, please visit my website for my online program:Return to Work and Life After a Brain Injury.  You can also find my book, After the Crash: How to Keep Your Job, Stay in School, and Live Life After a Brain Injury, and additional resources. My book, After the Crash, is also on Audible. My book, After the Crash: How to Keep Your Job, Stay in School, and Live Life After a Brain Injury, can be found on Amazon or at your favorite independent bookstore I created a journal just for you! Check out My Brain Injury Recovery Journal  My eBook, Getting Back Behind the Wheel