APHASIA
What is aphasia?Aphasia is a disorder that results from damage to the parts of the brain that contain language.
Aphasia causes problems with any or all of the following: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Who has aphasia?
Anyone can acquire aphasia, including children. Men and women are equally affected
What causes aphasia?
Aphasia is caused by damage to one or more of the language areas of the brain. Many times, the cause of the brain injury is a stroke.
What are some signs or symptoms of aphasia?
Some people with aphasia have trouble using words and sentences Some have problems understanding others Others with aphasia struggle with both using words and understanding.
There are 2 types of aphasia:
A Person With Mild Aphasia
may be able to carry on normal conversations in many settings
may have trouble understanding language when it is long and/or complex
may have trouble finding the words (called anomia) to express an idea or explain himself/herself-this is like having a word "on the tip of your tongue"
A Person With Severe Aphasia
may not understand anything that is said to him/her
may say little or nothing at all
may make approximations of common phrases, such as "yes," "no," "hi," and "thanks"
How is aphasia diagnosed?
The speech-language pathologist (SLP) evaluates the individual and determines the type and severity of aphasia. The evaluation is done by assessing the following areas of communication:
≈ Speech
≈ Understanding
≈ Expressing
≈ Social Communication
≈ Reading and Writing
What treatments are available for people with aphasia?
There are many types of treatment available for individuals with aphasia. There are specialized programs using computers or other published materials.
