Have you ever been frustrated by the medical system in America? Do you ever feel like your or your loved ones medical needs were not met within the care continuum? Now, take that frustration and multiply it tenfold. That’s what it’s like receiving medical care in a second-world country, and it wasn’t until I moved to Armenia that I truly understood just how GOOD we have it in the USA. For those of you wondering, Armenia is a nation in the mountainous Caucasus region between Asia and Europe. While it is home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world, its medical system is far from perfec ..read more

As speech language pathologists, we can sometimes get in the habit of doing the same tasks, in much the same way, without considering other angles or approaches to our therapy techniques. I’m hoping this blog helps us to "rethink" our traditional way of thinking, and encourages you to consider incorporating two of the most important “V-words” out there when it comes to Aphasia rehabilitation. The first “V-word” - the HEART and CORE of our SENTENCES “Dinner…uh…yea dinner. Beach….water….Oh yes, sun.” Although it depends on severity level, it is not uncommon for one’s verbal output to consist of ..read more

June is National Aphasia Awareness Month. I am somewhat encouraged that the word “Aphasia” has been heard more this year in the news, and awareness is slowly improving. Unfortunately, it seems to take a person of fame (i.e. Bruce Willis), political stature (i.e. Gabby Giffords, John Fetterman), and some potential gossip to simply get “the word out”, and the corresponding message may not always be accurate or clear, but I am thankful we’re getting SOMEWHERE….I’ll take it. In other ways, I feel that we have merely skimmed the surface, educating others that Aphasia is a language disorder, typica ..read more

Limitations of Traditional Workbooks I have been wanting to create some sort of app or home practice program for individuals with Aphasia, and caregivers, for years. However, every time I started creating it, or had an idea of what I wanted, I ran into a roadblock, finding it difficult to incorporate principles of neuroplasticity and evidence-based practice into an actual workbook. I am personally not a huge fan of the typical workbook for Persons with Aphasia (PWA), as I feel they are often too stagnant, one-dimensional, and difficult to personalize to the individuals’ interests and deficits ..read more

Intensive Aphasia therapy has been proven to be beneficial for Persons with Aphasia (PWA). However, intensive therapy can also be costly and difficult to fit into your schedule. One thing we always encourage our clients to do is participate in home practice programs and supplement their therapy in other ways with socialization, groups, book clubs, etc. Supplemental therapy is a cost-effective way to boost your regularly scheduled therapy. One couple went above and beyond to think outside the box and create a fun and motivating supplemental therapy program. Frank and his wife, Terri*, started ..read more

CAREGIVING FOR A PARENT This is the 3rd post in our caregiving mini blog series... A Daughter’s Caregiving Perspective What if we are a child who is now caring for our mother or father with Aphasia, who not only has trouble taking care of themselves but is no longer able to communicate his/her wants and needs? A daughter of one of my patients shared “From when we are young, we always go to our parents to share the joy, grief, ups and downs in your life.  When we are young, our parents provide physical support.  As we all age, the physical support from our parent’s transitions into e ..read more

PART 1: REHABILITATING BEYOND THE PATIENT This is the first post in our mini blog series focusing on the challenges of caregiving someone with Aphasia. As a Speech Language Pathologist, I spend a majority of my focus on my PATIENTS with Aphasia… developing and constantly adapting their treatment programs, trying to find new approaches to assist them in regaining their communication abilities. However, I also try to spend time educating and supporting the CAREGIVERS of my patients…the husbands and wives, daughters and sons, and even mothers and fathers, who have taken on that extra “caregiving ..read more

When you came across the name "Integrative, Reconnective Aphasia Therapy," in your google or bing search, you may have questioned why a speech pathologist working with individuals who have trouble communicating would want to name her business with words that sound confusing and are challenging to pronounce. So I thought I'd give you a little background on where the name came from and why it stuck... Aphasia is a language disorder, often caused by a stroke or brain injury to the left hemisphere of the brain, resulting in challenges with speaking, understanding language, reading, writing, and us ..read more

As I have worked with a variety of individuals with Aphasia over the last 15 years, I have always wondered the difference between that individual who would participate in endless therapy if it were possible and free, self-initiates creation of their own home programs, constantly pushes themselves outside of their comfort zone, and ultimately makes quite a recovery.....versus that individual who is content ending therapy early in the process only to find their loved one wanting more for them, they are given home practice but it is rarely touched, and they tend to isolate themselves and do not ..read more

“We have not been able to find any speech therapist to help. We’re currently on a waiting list but it’s already been 2 months since his stroke and we feel we’re missing out on the prime time for treatment intervention! I don’t care if we need to move to another state, I’ll do it…as long as he can get therapy!” “My son was discharged because he had trouble understanding directions. I feel he can still improve but I’m at a loss.” “My husband is receiving 30 minutes of speech therapy from home health a week and it just isn’t enough…he just started responded to our attempts at communication and i ..read more