Aphasia occurs when either a traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, or a stroke occurs affecting the language centers of the brain. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2015), there are 180,000 cases annually. Aphasia is a language disorder which inhibits the speaker’s ability to communicate with the intended audience and affects the person’s ability to read, write, and understand.
Signs of Aphasia:
Talking:
- Trouble with word recall
- Saying the wrong word. For example, the person might say, “beef” for “fish,” or say a word that is not related at all for what you intended. For example, “computer” for “playground.”
- Making up words
- Having difficulty with sentences and instead, using single words.
Reading and Writing:
- Trouble with spelling and putting words together when writing sentences.
- Trouble with doing basic math, such as adding and subtracting numbers.
Understanding:
- Not understanding others, especially when a person is talking fast.
- Trouble understanding long sentences and multi-step directions.
Aphasia Treatment:
Depending on which aphasia is diagnosed, a speech-language pathologist will work on restoring function or implementing compensatory strategies. Each client will work on different tasks depending what type of aphasia is present.
In severe cases, alternative augmentative communication (AAC) may be recommended. This provides another way for a person to communicate without speech, such as hand gesturing, pointing to pictures or letters, or using a computer or an AAC device.
If expressing symptoms of aphasia, make an appointment to with a doctor.
Community Involvement:
- Look for Aphasia support groups. At the Center for Speech, Language and Learning in Abilene, Texas, there is aphasia group therapy that meets once a week on Tuesday mornings.
Resources in Abilene:
- Contact the Center for Speech, Language and Learning if interested in joining the aphasia group therapy.
Address:
Duncum Center
1541 N. Judge Ely Blvd
Abilene, TX 79601
Phone Number: 325-674-6670
References:
ASHA. (2018). Aphasia. Retrieved October 24, 2018, from
https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/aphasia/