Living with Aphasia
On Gabby Giffords: ABC News Fails to Find the Words…
by Karen Tucker on November 17, 2011
While last night’s ABC News telecast with Diane Sawyer about Gabby Gifford’s struggles and her promising progress was nothing short of miraculous, ABC News did a disservice to the almost two million Americans who suffer from aphasia, the communication disorder brought on by traumatic brain injury or stroke, from which Giffords suffers. Not once was the word aphasia mentioned. For many of those struggling daily with this language deficit, aphasia may be only one of their many health issues, but it’s a vital one. For many of us who work daily with people who have aphasia, we too struggle to “get the word out” about the meaning of aphasia. Continue reading the full article
The Treasure Hunt
by Shiree Heath on November 9, 2011
Entering the Society for Neuroscience video contest was a wonderful opportunity to provide information about aphasia, particularly for children. The video tells the personal story of people with aphasia and their families, and the poem allows the power of words to bring the whole story together. It is called ‘The Treasure Hunt’ because we wanted to help people understand how something so precious could be lost and what it might be like to try and find it again.
Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight
by Ognjen Todic on August 17, 2011
From TED: Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions — motion, speech, self-awareness — shut down one by one. An astonishing story.
Meet Len Upin And His Wonderful Artwork…
by Len Upin on August 10, 2011
Stroke and Beyond
“I thought my job, as an art high school teacher, was an ideal profession. Plus my 3 kids and my wife were a healthy, creative, handsome group. It was a perfect picture. Yet, my stroke and aphasia, my decision to select an early retirement and the loss of our oldest son was too much to bear — all within a 10-month period.”
The Birth of the Adler Aphasia Center
by Elissa Goldstein on August 3, 2011
Elaine and Mike Adler
More than 18 years ago, prominent businessman Mike Adler had a stroke and developed aphasia. Following bypass surgery, a blood clot developed and went to his brain. This was a man with a successful global marketing business with more than 500 employees, a world traveller, and the financial resources to make things happen. Now he couldn’t walk or talk and his cognitive skills were weak. Continue reading the full article
Running For Papa
by Jason F. Boschan on July 27, 2011
Papa
As I was walking back to my brother’s apartment in NYC, just after completing the 2010 NYC marathon, he said, “I want to tell you something but I am afraid you will want to do it.”
Naturally, my curiosity was piqued and when I asked him what was on his mind he said:
“I heard there is a half on the Great Wall of China, maybe even a full marathon. ”
With that one sentence, started a vision and a journey that has completely shifted my life toward something far more important than just running. No longer was it just about conquering a race and getting to the finish line. This has become a journey to educate people who know nothing about aphasia and Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) by taking the fight to their social media forums. Literally. Continue reading the full article
Unique Camp Breaks Down Communication, Social Barriers
by Mayo Clinic Health System on July 20, 2011
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Mayo Clinic Health System is sponsoring its eighth annual Aphasia Camp for people with an impaired ability to use or comprehend words, usually as a result of a stroke or brain injury. Aphasia Camp 2011 will be Friday through Sunday, Sept. 9 to 11, at YMCA Camp Manitou in New Auburn.
Individuals with communication disorders tend to isolate themselves and withdraw from social settings. Aphasia Camp is one of the few camps nationwide that offers people with aphasia and their family, spouses or caregivers a chance to increase social interaction and practice communication skills in a supportive setting.
“We didn’t set out to create something unique,” said Mary Beth Clark, a speech pathologist at Mayo Clinic Health System who was one of the camp’s original organizers. “We just saw a real need among our patients and their families for a social, yet therapeutic, outlet such as this, so a bunch of us got together and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ ”The camp runs largely on clinicians, instructors and community members volunteering their time, as well as local businesses donating goods and services. Campers can choose to participate in activities, such as fishing, boating, golfing, biking, computer technology, arts and crafts, cooking and games. Continue reading the full article
Speaking Out Conference…
by Ognjen Todic on July 6, 2011
Downtown Chicago
During the last weekend of June, on June 26th, a Speaking Out conference took place in Chicago. This year’s conference was organized at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Thumbs up to Dr. Leora Cherney and her team from RIC, as well as Ellayne Ganzfried and her team from the National Aphasia Association for organizing this great event. In addition to the conference, RIC also organized a professional development event “Updates in Aphasia Rehabilitation for the Practicing Speech-Language Pathologist” on June 23rd and 24th. Below is a brief summary of these two events. Continue reading the full article
SCALE’s Aphasia Friendly Business Campaign; Working with Businesses to Expand Services for People with Aphasia
by David Snyder on June 22, 2011
In January 2011, the Snyder Center for Aphasia Life Enhancement (SCALE) launched an “Aphasia-Friendly Business Campaign” to raise awareness of aphasia in Baltimore, build relationships with local businesses and encourage businesses to provide barrier-free access to products and services for people with communication disabilities.
Upon hearing the idea, Zen West Cantina manager, Lynn Gurley and owner Po Chang, immediately jumped at the opportunity to make their restaurant an Aphasia Friendly Business (AFB), but they could not have realized just how smooth and simple the transition would be. Once Gurley fully understood the effect that aphasia –a language impairment usually caused by stroke- has on communication, she realized that a menu with graphics and pictures could easily assist people with aphasia in placing their dinner order. Continue reading the full article
Promoting Wellness Through Action: HARC’s Aphasia Community Taskforce (ACT)
by Stephanie Schmadeke on June 8, 2011
ACT participants(left to right): Joseph Nealy, Cheryl Adamson, Ruth Kamba, Linda Millman, Michael LeBourgeois, Pat Stalsby. Not pictured: Bruno Wesolek, Winston Goodrich and John McDowell.
What is Wellness? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, wellness is “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.” Dr. Blair Justice, author of A Different Kind of Health: Finding Well-Being Despite Illness, and one of the founders of the Houston Aphasia Recovery Center, quotes the U.S. Surgeon General, who said proper measure of health is not the absence of disease but a sense of well-being. Says Dr. Justice, “Well-being means having a deep and abiding sense that, despite the day’s woes, life is good. “ Wellness, then, is a state of health that includes many aspects of one’s life: exercise, eating right, psychological contentment, being productive, and generally doing for oneself what needs to be done in order to have an overall satisfying, and for some, superior quality of life. Dr. Justice defined this as “subjective health.” This is measured by one’s emotional and social well-being, which research has shown has a powerful effect on one’s physical health and even longevity.
For persons living with aphasia (PWA), the term “wellness” takes on a modified meaning. It may still involve exercise and eating right, and, of course, happiness, but throughout the recovery process PWA explore, and eventually come to realize, what “wellness” means for them now as they become comfortable in their new roles as people living with aphasia. Aphasia is isolating because of the loss of language and the lack of education and awareness of aphasia in society. The social and emotional aspects of aphasia become the most prominent parts to a sound recovery as our participants get to the point where they are moving past having the aphasia be the main focus of their lives. Continue reading the full article