Aphasia
Aphasia is a communication problem following a stroke or brain injury that affects the language areas of the brain. It may result in difficulty in any or all areas of communication: speaking, reading, writing, understanding, drawing, and using gestures. It does not affect intelligence and people with Aphasia “know more than they can say.”
The successful treatment of aphasia takes teamwork between many different medical professionals, the patient and their family. Included in this team is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who plays an important role in determining the type and severity of aphasia from which the patient is suffering.
Figuring out the type of aphasia is achieved by the SLP assessing various levels of communication. The patient will be evaluated on their speech capabilities, level of understanding, ability to express themselves, social interaction and reading and writing capabilities. In addition to this, it may include evaluation of swallowing capabilities.
Once the assessment is complete, the SLP can then design a treatment plan that will be most beneficial for that client’s particular needs. Individuals that are suffering from this problem can take heart in knowing that there are many steps that can be taken during the course of treatment to create an improvement in the areas identified.
SL Hunter SpeechWorks conducts a comprehensive evaluation of clients who are displaying symptoms of Aphasia. If you or a loved one has any symptoms of aphasia, we can help.