What is Aphasia?
Frequently Asked QuestionsAphasia is difficulty expressing oneself verbally (expressive) and/or understanding language (receptive). It is a direct result of the brain injury (typically an injury to the left hemisphere of the brain), not of the muscles of speech or hearing. (RK) The problem of substance abuse in TBI survivors has been well-documented in the literature. In her review article, Mtiguy (1991) cites alcohol as a major contributing factor in over 50% of head injuries sustained in the United States.
Related QuestionsWelcome to the National Aphasia AssociationAphasia is an acquired communication disorder that impairs a person's ability to process language, but does not affect intelligence. Aphasia impairs the ability to speak and understand others, and most people with aphasia experience difficulty reading and writing.Related Questions
Triangle Aphasia ProjectAphasia is a communication disorder that is the result of injury to the brain from stroke, tumor and other illnesses. Individuals with aphasia have difficulty utilizing language to communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas. Their intellect and memory generally remain intact, while their understanding of what they hear, what they read, and their ability to verbalize or write are compromised.Related Questions
What Causes Aphasia?
Welcome to the National Aphasia AssociationThe most common cause of aphasia is stroke (about 25-40% of stroke survivors acquire aphasia). It can also result from head injury, brain tumor or other neurological causes.
Related QuestionsHow Common is Aphasia?
Welcome to the National Aphasia AssociationAphasia affects about one million Americans -or 1 in 250 people- and is more common than Parkinson's Disease, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. More than 100,000 Americans acquire the disorder each year. However, most people have never heard of it.
Related QuestionsWho Acquires Aphasia?
Welcome to the National Aphasia AssociationWhile aphasia is most common among older people, it can occur in people of all ages, races, nationalities and gender.
Related QuestionsHow Do You Communicate With a Person With Aphasia?
Welcome to the National Aphasia AssociationNo. A person with aphasia may have difficulty retrieving words and names, but the person's intelligence is basically intact. Aphasia is not like Alzheimer's disease; for people with aphasia it is the ability to access ideas and thoughts through language - not the ideas and thoughts themselves- that is disrupted. But because people with aphasia have difficulty communicating, others often mistakenly assume they are mentally ill or have mental retardation.
Related QuestionsAre All Cases of Aphasia Alike?
Welcome to the National Aphasia AssociationNo. There are many types of aphasia. Some people have difficulty speaking while others may struggle to follow a conversation. In some people, aphasia is fairly mild and you might not notice it right away. In other cases, it can be very severe, affecting speaking, writing, reading, and listening. While specific symptoms can vary greatly, what all people with aphasia have in common are difficulties in communicating.
Related QuestionsHow is aphasia treated?
Triangle Aphasia ProjectWhen an individual is diagnosed with aphasia, it is common for them to be referred to a speech pathologist (or speech therapist). The speech pathologist will complete a thorough assessment of the individual's communicative strengths and weaknesses and, in coordination with the team/family, set up goals to address in therapy and at home.
Related QuestionsCan People Who Have Aphasia Return to Their Jobs?
Welcome to the National Aphasia AssociationSometimes. Since most jobs require speech and language skills, aphasia can make some types of work difficult. Individuals with mild or even moderate aphasia are sometimes able to work, but they may have to change jobs. Some resources for aphasics looking for work are as follows: National Organization on Disability (NOD), www.nod.org, (202) 293-5960. Lists organizations recruiting and/or assisting people with disabilities in securing jobs. Job Accommodation Network, www.jan.wvu.
Related QuestionsHow Long Does it Take to Recover from Aphasia?
Welcome to the National Aphasia AssociationIf the symptoms of aphasia last longer than two or three months after a stroke, a complete recovery is unlikely. However, it is important to note that some people continue to improve over a period of years and even decades. Improvement is a slow process that usually involves both helping the individual and family understand the nature of aphasia and learning compensatory strategies for communicating.
Related QuestionsCan a Person Have Aphasia Without Having a Physical Disability?
Welcome to the National Aphasia AssociationYes, but many people with aphasia also have weakness or paralysis of their right leg and right arm. When a person acquires aphasia it is usually due to damage on the left side of the brain, which controls movements on the right side of the body.
Related QuestionsCan a person with aphasia be cured?
Triangle Aphasia ProjectThere is, unfortunately, no cure for aphasia. However, some individuals regain a great deal of their language skills and complete resolution of aphasia is common when the medical reason for their aphasia was slight swelling in the brain, infection or a small stroke / TIA (transient ischemic attack). Most individuals who have aphasia deal with some level of language difficulty (reading, writing, speech/word finding, or comprehension) long after the initial injury.
Related QuestionsWhat other options are available for individuals with aphasia?
Triangle Aphasia ProjectSpeech pathologists across the country are seeking ways to improve service to individuals with aphasia, their families/caregivers and the community that serve them. A project panel with the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASLHA; www.asha.org ) recently offered a statement of guiding values in their publication of Life Participation Approaches to aphasia.
Related QuestionsWhen someone has aphasia, are they still capable of thinking?
Aphasia Institute | WelcomeMany adults with aphasia know exactly what is going on, have opinions on current issues and are capable of being involved in decisions that pertain to them. They have the desire to socialize and share interests with other adults, but their abilities and competency are masked or hidden by aphasia. Their inability to access language prevents them from engaging in conversation and often participation in many social and recreational activities that they enjoyed prior to the stroke and brain injury.
Related QuestionsWhen someone has aphasia, what are they capable of understanding?
Aphasia Institute | WelcomeIn aphasia we know that an individual can have difficulty understanding what is being said to them. Please see our "Tips for Communicating with a Person with Aphasia" accessible from our home page.
Related QuestionsWho can refer to the Aphasia Institute?
Aphasia Institute | WelcomeReferrals to the Aphasia Institute can be made by individuals with aphasia, family members, physicians, social workers, speech-language pathologists and other health care professionals. Click here for a printable version our referral form.
Related QuestionsIs Primary Progressive Aphasia hereditary?
Bad links as of 10/18/01Medical ID Cards offering communication help for stroke survivors and people with traumatic brain injury or aphasia http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/c/a2 r/action/SearchAction/screen/OpeningScreen%3FJServ SessionIdcs%5
Related QuestionsHow does SentenceShaper help people with aphasia?
FAQs about our aphasia softwarePublished research from studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and conducted by the internationally recognized neuropsychologists and SLPs (Speech-Language Pathologists) with whom we have partnered has demonstrated that: SentenceShaper allows some people with aphasia to create markedly more structured and informative utterances, in their own voices, than they could produce without the system.
Related QuestionsWhat kinds of people with aphasia can benefit from SentenceShaper?
FAQs about our aphasia softwareMany people with aphasia experience some kind of an aided effect: that is, they are able to produce better speech using SentenceShaper than they can usually produce spontaneously without the system. Even people who can hardly produce any words at all may be able to assemble utterances on SentenceShaper by using the word-finding tools. Some of these people will also show gains in their spontaneous, unaided speech after a period of SentenceShaper use.
Related QuestionsWhat kind of "speech" difficulties can co-exist with aphasia?
Triangle Aphasia ProjectThere are two primary types of "speech" problems that can occur with or without the language impairment of aphasia. They are: dysarthria and apraxia. Dysarthria is a speech disorder caused by weakness or incoordination of the muscles that control speech (i.e. breathing, voice and articulation). A person with dysarthria could have slurred speech or a weak, breathy quality. Apraxia is a motor planning deficit that affects a person's ability to say sounds that they intend to.
Related QuestionsHow is SentenceShaper different from other communication devices used by people with aphasia?
FAQs about our aphasia softwareProbably the main difference is that SentenceShaper is more than simply a word-finding tool. Although SentenceShaper can give the user help with word-finding, its most remarkable effects derive from the processing support it provides. However, like other communication systems, SentenceShaper can also help the user to find words. And it allows the user to record words directly, without looking for them on the system. You do not need to choose between SentenceShaper and another device.
Related QuestionsWhat services do you offer through the Triangle Aphasia Project at WakeMed Rehab?
Triangle Aphasia ProjectGroup therapy, Individualized Reengagement Plans (IRP), Community Reengagement, Training, Resources/Referrals and Support.
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