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