What is aphasia?
Aphasia is a disorder to the language center of the brain, generally the result of a stroke or head injury. Aphasia impacts all four domains of language: expressive language (verbalization), receptive language (understanding), reading, and writing.
What are some of the problems people encounter when they have aphasia?
People with aphasia commonly complain about:
- An inability to find the words they want to say
- Difficulty answering questions
- Difficulty reading materials that normally do not give them trouble
- An inability to even write their own name
How can you get help for someone with aphasia?
A person with aphasia may have limited insight as to why they are having these problems and may experience frustration with all forms of communication. A referral for speech therapy is often prescribed by the physician to address these areas of concern.
Speech therapy services may be accessed at an outpatient clinic or through a home health care provider.
What happens during treatment?
The speech and language pathologist (or speech therapist) will perform an evaluation of the four language domains and establish a plan of treatment to address those areas. Education is provided to the patient and family on compensatory strategies to reduce the level of frustration during communication. Direct one-to-one treatment is used to build language skills for overall improved communication. The scope and range of the treatment depends on the severity of the problems identified during the evaluation and almost always involves homework assignments. As with any form of therapy, significant progress can be made by those who are willing to work hard to achieve goals.
Where can you get help?
For those people who are unable to get to a clinic for therapy and are eligible for home care, the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Milford-Northbridge can provide speech therapy in the patient’s home.
Outpatient and inpatient speech therapy services are given through Milford Regional’s Rehabilitation Services.
How can I learn more about aphasia?
You can learn more about aphasia here.