Aphasia is a communication disorder affecting more than two million people in the United States. The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) defines aphasia as “an acquired neurogenic language disorder resulting from an injury to the brain – most typically, the left hemisphere.” Continue reading to learn more about speech therapy for aphasia.
What does aphasia look like?
Aphasia varies person to person. The person may experience difficulty understanding what others say to them or expressing themselves. They may also have difficulty reading or writing. Sometimes aphasia can be as mild as occasionally having trouble thinking of the word they want to say. Other times, aphasia can be so severe that the person is unable to verbally communicate at all. Aphasia does not affect intelligence, but occasionally difficulty with attention, memory, and/or executive function can co-occur with aphasia.
What causes aphasia?
The most common cause of aphasia is stroke, but aphasia can also be caused by traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, brain surgery, brain infections, and progressive neurological diseases (Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a type of dementia characterized by a decline in communication abilities). Usually aphasia occurs after injury to the left side of the brain (the left hemisphere), because language abilities are located on the left side of the brain in most people.
How can speech therapy help aphasia?
If you have difficulty communicating after a brain injury, your doctor will likely recommend speech therapy for aphasia. First, you will be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). If you are hospitalized, an initial SLP evaluation will likely occur in the hospital before you are discharged, and aphasia therapy with a speech therapist can begin in the hospital setting. Following the “continuum of care”, after you are discharged from the hospital, an SLP may be able to provide services at your home, or you can participate in teletherapy and/or outpatient speech services. The brain has an incredible potential to heal, even long after a brain injury.
At Lotus Speech & Wellness, LLC, we offer online speech and language evaluation and treatment via teletherapy for people with aphasia living in Maine. Please click the button below to learn more about our speech services and for a free consultation:
Your speech therapist will work closely with you to help you communicate more effectively and increase your ability to participate in daily activities.
June is Aphasia Awareness Month
Every year in June, the National Aphasia Association promotes Aphasia Awareness Month to increase awareness about aphasia. The National Aphasia Association is an incredible resource for patients, family/caregivers, and health professionals; I would recommend checking out their website at aphasia.org. We are proud to be an NAA Affiliate; click here to check out our affiliate page.
We also offer yoga to support mind-body wellness in people with aphasia; please visit our Yoga page for more information.