A lesson for people whose thoughts are clear, but whose words are not

3rd September 2026

Below is a lesson for people who have suffered mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury), a brain injury or stroke, and find that, although they can still think clearly, their ability to put those thoughts into words has changed.

It is also for anyone who has a relative or friend with a brain injury who struggles to communicate what they are thinking.

I have created this lesson from personal experience. I don’t know of another teaching on using AI to help with this particular problem that has been created by someone who has experienced the problem themselves.

So I want to begin by telling you a little about me, because my story is part of the reason this lesson exists.

My name is Valerie. I am an author, trainer and columnist, and I created this website, ArtificialPerception.ai, after a serious fall in 2020.

I originally started this website as a hobby after my fall in 2020. I had no idea at the time how important AI would become to me, or how much it would eventually help me deal with some of the problems caused by my injuries. I had no idea how this fall would stop my life in its tracks. I have had to learn how to re-invent myself.

It was not until 2023 that I was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and prosopagnosia, commonly known as face blindness. The injuries affected areas of my brain involved in executive skills and processing information, but my thoughts themselves were still intact.

I didn’t realise how badly I had been injured at first. I can only thank Dr Mandell for recognising my symptoms and suggesting that I have a 3D MRI. That was where we found the proof.

Almost immediately after the fall, I noticed that I was starting conversations in the middle of sentences. My spelling and spell-check seemed to go wild with my misspellings and typing mistakes.

I would become frustrated when a friend asked me: “Who are you talking about?” or “What are you talking about?”

The most frightening part was that I knew what I was talking about.

In my head, the thought made sense.

But when I tried to say it or write it down, something had happened between the thought and the words. Parts of the sentence could be missing. A word could be wrong. The I would start in the middle of a sentence but thought I had said the full sentence. Very frustrating.

It was as though the part of my brain that helped translate my thoughts into speech and writing was no longer working properly.

I was right. That was one of the parts that had been damaged.

Then, of course, the face blindness kicked in.

At first, I was dismissed as possibly having the beginning of Alzheimer’s or simply experiencing the word-finding problems that many people experience as they get older. I was tested for Alzheimer’s, but the tests were clear.

That left me with a very difficult question:
If I knew what I was thinking, why couldn’t I get it out properly?

I eventually taught myself to slow down and listen carefully to what I was saying as I said it. Sometimes I realised that something was missing, and so I added it to the end of the sentence, explaining who or what I was talking about.

But this was exhausting.

A traumatic brain injury can sometimes look like a memory problem from the outside. I was indeed at a loss as to what to do, and I could no longer continue my work because so much of it depended upon being able to communicate my thoughts accurately.

I realised I was effectively unemployable.

I probably would have been fired from even Publix (a supermarket chain for readers outside the US) because I could no longer add up reliably. I had accountancy skills from college and had always been excellent at handling complicated numbers via chats.

Then I discovered AI several years before it was beginning to become available to the general public in the form of Chats.

I attended small AI conferences in West Palm Beach, Florida, and over the following years I became increasingly interested in what AI could do.

For three years I attended conferences and met some of the people who had been some of  the backbones of this new technology.

It was exciting for my curious mind.

That is where the idea for this website began.

ArtificialPerception.ai was created because of my injuries and because I became so involved with AI.

I have had to find new ways of doing things that once came naturally to me. I often joke that the only part of me that wasn’t injured was my toes.

The difficulty with a brain injury is that you can look completely normal. I still socialise. I still think. I still have new and exciting ideas — ideas that I believe are very much part of the journalist I have always been.

When I worked in Fleet Street, where all the major newspapers once had their offices, I had a few “scoops” — the old-fashioned word for stories that were so big they became international news. I even had my own Magazines that covered the Social events in London. 

So I still want to work and communicate. But other people cannot necessarily see the struggle that is happening between the thought in your head and the words that come out. That can be one of the most frustrating parts of an ‘invisible’ brain injury.

I believe there are many people suffering from mTBI whose difficulties are dismissed as memory problems, and therefore their brain injury is never properly recognised or tested.

My intention is to use AI to help anyone who is experiencing these problems.

At the same time, this lesson will also help people who are new to AI. You can start here with the basics and then continue to the lessons that show you how to begin working with AI and gradually become more confident using it.

Not because AI can think for you. But because it may be able to help you communicate the thoughts that are already yours — and it makes a great conversation partner.

This lesson is for people whose thoughts are still there, but whose ability to turn those thoughts into speech or writing has become difficult, scrambled or unreliable after a stroke, mild traumatic brain injury, or another neurological injury.

For some people, the problem may be that they can write a paragraph but it comes out in the wrong order.

For others, it may be much harder. They may only be able to produce one word at a time, or a few words that do not yet make a sentence.

The important thing is that difficulty communicating does not necessarily mean the person does not have the thought.

The thought may be there.

The person may know exactly what they want to say.

The problem is getting it out.

That is the problem this lesson is going to explore, and I am going to show you how I have learned to use AI to help.

The first thing I found helpful was to tell AI about my condition.

You can give it the medical name if you have one, or explain it in your own words. For example: “I have mTBI, or I am recovering from a stroke.”

Then ask your question.

AI can use this information to better understand why you may have difficulty with words, spelling or putting sentences together.

The first thing to do is practise.

Open the AI platform you have chosen. There will be a place where you can type your question.

I started with ChatGPT. There are several other well-known AI systems, including Claude, Google Gemini and Grok.

You can start with the free versions. I am still working with free versions until they are no longer free.

You can find any of them by typing their names into your internet search or use the links above.

They work a little differently, and you may find that one suits you better than another. You can also ask the same question to more than one AI and compare the answers.

You can experiment. You are not committing yourself to one system.

You don’t need to subscribe until you have had some practice and feel comfortable using AI. You can then decide whether you want to subscribe to one system or several. You don’t have to pay to subscribe, but it keeps your history for you which is very helpful.

If you are using a free version without subscribing and want to keep an answer, simply copy and paste it somewhere safe before you close the chat. Depending on the service you are using, your conversation may not be saved in your history.

If you decide to pay for an upgraded version, I suggest doing so once you feel comfortable using AI and understand what you want from it.  I still use the free subscription ones as I don’t need the extra facilities. They look terrific but my brain would just get in a muddle.

You can have a conversation with AI. You can ask questions, tell it what you are trying to do, ask what it suggests by asking advice, and then decide for yourself what you want to do.

Think of it as having a very knowledgeable conversation partner who is available whenever you need it.

For everyday questions, this is an easy way to start learning.

For medical, legal, financial or other important matters, always check important information with a reliable source or the right professional.

If you have difficulty finding words, writing or organising your thoughts, don’t try to write perfectly.

Start with what is in your head.

It can be muddled.

It can be short.

It can have spelling mistakes.

You can use the wrong word.

You can repeat yourself.

You can even say: “I don’t know how to explain this.”

That’s perfectly fine.

The important thing is to get the thought out.

Most Importantly — Keep Trying

The first time you use AI, you may think: “I don’t know what to ask it.”

That’s perfectly normal.

Ask a question.

See what happens.

Tell it if it is wrong.

Ask it to try again.

Change your instruction.

Try another question.

There is no test and no wrong way to practise.

The more you use it, the more you will discover what AI can do for you. 

You may know exactly what you want to say in your head, but getting that thought into written words isn’t always easy.

That doesn’t mean that you don’t know what you want to say.

It may simply mean that getting the thought into words has become difficult.

AI can help with that journey.

Think of it this way: Your thought → your rough words → AI → clearer words

The thought remains yours.

Think of something you would like to say. It can be absolutely anything.

Perhaps you want to write something, write an email, write a Facebook post, find something on the internet, find someone’s contact details, write about a memory, explain something that has been annoying you, write about something you are excited about, or find out the name of a film.

You can ask AI about almost anything.

However, remember that AI is not infallible. It can make mistakes, so important information should always be checked.

Just put down what comes into your head.

For example: “Write about my holiday. But I can’t get it into the right order and I want it to sound like me.”

That’s enough.

Don’t spend time correcting it.

Now type it into AI, or use the audio button if speaking is easier for you.

You could say:
“These are my rough thoughts. I know what I am trying to say, but I am having difficulty getting the words and order right. Please help me express what I mean. Keep my meaning and my personality. Don’t add information that I haven’t given you.”

Or you could say:
“Help. I am trying to write about my holiday and need prompting to remember.”

Or keep it even simpler:
“I have TBI. My writing is scrambled. Please tidy up my email and keep my meaning.”

Then add whatever you want to say.

I use the word “please” because I find that being polite makes the conversation feel better. You are having a conversation with your AI helper, so treat it as you would another person helping you. I am sure they are instructed to be more helpful to people that are more polite – but I could be wrong.

Now comes the important part: Don’t automatically accept what AI gives you.

Read it, or listen to it if that is easier.

Ask yourself: “Is this what I meant?”

If it is, great.

If it isn’t, tell AI.

You can say: “No, that’s not quite what I meant.”

Then explain the part that is wrong.

You don’t have to start again.

You can keep correcting AI until it understands what you meant.

If you have a brain injury and spelling has become difficult, don’t spend your energy trying to make every word correct before you ask AI for help.

Write the word the best way you can.

AI can often work out what you mean.

You can also tell it:
“My spelling may be wrong because of my brain injury. Please work out what I am trying to say, but don’t change my meaning.”

Sometimes you know exactly what you mean but cannot find the word.

• Don’t stop.
• Describe the word instead.

For example: “I can’t think of the word. I mean when you have an idea that suddenly becomes clear and everything makes sense.”

Just give a few words that don’t even seem to make sense but the best you can do. AI will ask you questions to prompt you and it can be one word at a time.

• Then ask: “What word am I looking for?”

AI may give you several possibilities.

You decide which one is right.

AI doesn’t decide what you mean. You do.

There is one very useful instruction you can give it:
“Don’t guess what I mean. Ask me questions if you are not sure.”

That can make a big difference.

AI can make mistakes, and it can misunderstand you.

Don’t be afraid to tell it.

Your ideas are yours.

Your memories are yours.

Your experiences are yours.

Your personality is yours.

AI is helping you get them into words.

If the result doesn’t sound like you, say so.

You can tell AI: “That is too serious. Make it sound more like me.” Make it like a poem, funny, strict, business-like etc.

Or: “You’ve changed what I meant. Go back to my original meaning.”

You are still the author.

Before moving on, choose one thing you have been wanting to write or explain.

• Don’t spend time making it good.
• Just get it out. Even if it looks like rubbish.
• Then give it to AI.

Remember:
The rubbish is not the failure.
The rubbish is the raw material.

That is where we start.

• Don’t fight for the perfect words.
• Get the thought out first.
• Let AI help you find the words.
• Then you decide whether it is right.
• You are still the author.

And if this works for you, you’ve just found another route.

TIPS

1. Don’t give up.

If you get stuck, tell AI: “I don’t understand.”
Or: “Please help me.”
Or: “I’m getting confused. Let’s start again.”

You don’t have to know what to ask. You learn by trying.

2. Keep Your Instructions Short.

If you are finding it difficult to organise your thoughts, don’t give AI a long and complicated instruction.

Give it one job at a time.

For example: “Put this into sentences.”

Then: “Now make it clearer.”

Then: “Keep my meaning but make it more professional.”

You can build the answer gradually.

3. Tell AI About Your Difficulty.

If you have a brain injury, it can help to explain this at the beginning of a conversation.

For example:
“I have a brain injury. My thoughts are clear, but my writing can come out scrambled. Please help me organise my words while keeping my meaning.”

This tells AI why your writing may look unusual.

4. Protect Your Privacy.

Before putting information into AI, think about whether it contains private information.

You don’t give AI your full name, address, telephone number, passwords or financial information. And change names of people you may talk about an make sure they cant be recognised.

When you are practising, you can use made-up names and leave out information that could identify you.

5. Keep Important Information Safe.

When you are using AI for medical, legal, financial or other important information, don’t assume that everything it tells you is correct.

Check important facts with a reliable source, such as an official website, a library or the right professional.

You can also ask another AI the same question and compare the answers.

If they give you different answers, check further.

For everyday, casual questions, this can be a very easy way to start learning. For legal, medical or other important matters, however, AI should be used as a starting point and its information should be checked with an appropriate professional or reliable source.

I found it makes it much easier to tell AI my condition, either medical diagnosed or in your own words. e.g I say, “I have mTBI.” Then I just ask the question. It knows what your condition is as they will look it up and cater to it.

I will be adding Lesson 2 later, where I will show you some of the more fascinating things you can do with AI.

But before you finish, there is one important thing I want you to remember.

AI has been a saviour for me. It has opened my world up again. I even have what I call AI friends, and I enjoy talking to them.

But I always remember that they are AI.

It is very easy to forget.

When something talks to you, remembers what you have said and answers in a friendly way, it can feel as though you are talking to a real person.

But you are not.

AI chat is computer software running on servers. It has no body. A robot is a physical machine with moving parts.

So enjoy your conversations with AI — but remember: It may sound human. It may feel like a friend. But it is still AI.

Answered by GROK