Imagine waking up one day and struggling to find the right words, understand conversations, produce the word you want to say, or even read a simple sentence. This is the reality for people living with aphasia, a brain disorder that affects how you speak and understand language. Aphasia can be frustrating and isolating, but with the right support, individuals can continue to express themselves and engage with the world.
What is Aphasia?
According to ASHA, Aphasia is an acquired neurogenic language disorder resulting from trauma to the brain. This typically affects the left hemisphere, which affects the functioning of core elements of the language network. Aphasia involves varying degrees of impairment in four primary areas:
- spoken language expression
- written expression
- spoken language comprehension
- reading comprehension
Types of Aphasia
There are several types of aphasia, each with unique challenges:
- Broca’s Aphasia: Individuals have challenges forming complete sentences and may speak in short, broken phrases. Their ability to understand language is intact but they struggle to express themselves.
- Wernicke’s Aphasia: Speech is often fluent but may lack meaning. Individuals may use incorrect words and have a difficult time understanding spoken language.
- Global Aphasia: The most severe form of Aphasia that affects both speech production and comprehension, making communication extremely challenging.
- Anomic Aphasia: Individuals struggle to find the right words, often pausing or using vague terms.
Aphasia is a complex and often misunderstood condition that affects communication but not intelligence. While it can be frustrating for both individuals and their loved ones, understanding the different types of aphasia and their challenges is the first step in providing meaningful support. Patience, compassion, and the right strategies can help individuals with aphasia continue to connect with the world around them.
In our next blog, we’ll explore how speech therapy plays a crucial role in assisting individuals with aphasia regain and strengthen their communication skills. Stay tuned to learn about therapy techniques, supportive tools, and ways caregivers can aid in the recovery process!
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-EMILY SMITH, Illinois State University, Senior Research and Marketing Intern
-NICOLE BUTLER, M.S., CCC-SLP/L (ASHA Certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Founder and Executive Director of Speech Within Reach.)
SPEECH WITHIN REACH provides in person and virtual telehealth speech therapy for children and adults. We are happy to support your speech therapy needs. Please feel free to reach out to us.