UMAP’s Expertise Tapped in Article About Aphasia

News

Aphasia, the family of communication disorders that affect an estimated two million people in the U.S., is not often talked about. When it is discussed, many don’t realize the speech-language issues that follow a stroke, head injury or illness have a specific name.

In a recent U.S. News & World Report article about the challenges of aphasia and what can be done about it, University of Michigan Aphasia Program (UMAP) Senior Speech-Language Pathologist and Clinical Operations Coordinator Jennifer Corey provided comments to help bring aphasia to the collective consciousness. She noted that there are several sub-types of aphasia, but most people experience either fluid or non-fluid aphasia.

The article also highlighted a few of the methods UMAP employs to connect with our clients: “At the University of Michigan Aphasia Program, therapists often obtain personal information from patients, such as names of family members and hobbies, to use as a starting point to help patients form sentences. If a patient can’t utter many words, a speech pathologist may help him or her develop a core vocabulary to express basic needs. Or the pathologist could help the patient develop gestures to communicate…”

Read the full U.S. News & World Report article When Aphasia Impairs Your Communication Skills, Not Your Intelligence