American Aphasia Society
1-617-842-9416
info@aphasiasociety.org
American Aphasia Society
288 Grove Street #167
Braintree, MA 02184
What Is Aphasia?
Aphasia (uh-fay'-zhuh): An acquired language disorder that impairs a person's ability to communicate. It does not affect the person's intelligence. It can affect a person's ability to speak, understand, read, or write and affects each person differently.
.
Who can acquire Aphasia?
Aphasia affects more than two million Americans
and can happen at anytime to people of all ages, races, nationalities and genders.
The most common cause of aphasia is stroke and approximately 25–40 percent of stroke survivors have aphasia. Other potential causes include brain tumors, head injuries, infections, and other neurological conditions that damage the brain.
It is estimated that approximately 80,000 individuals are diagnosed each year and research shows new cases are projected to increase for the following reasons:
•
Aging U.S. population. More people are reaching the stroke-prone age.
Aging U.S. population. More people are reaching the stroke-prone age. •Emergency response times for stroke are decreasing and acute intervention procedures are improving, resulting in improved survival rates.
Emergency response times for stroke are decreasing and acute intervention procedures are improving, resulting in improved survival rates.•New medications and maintenance regimens are extending stroke survivors’ life spans.
New medications and maintenance regimens are extending stroke survivors’ life spans. (Source: www.aphasia.com Aphasia Statistics for US)
How does it feel to have aphasia?
People with aphasia are often frustrated and confused because they can’t speak as well or understand things the way
they did before their stroke. They may act differently because of changes in their brain. Imagine looking at the
headlines of the morning newspaper and not being able to recognize the words or trying to say “put the car in the
garage” and it comes out “put the train in the house” or “widdle tee car ung sender plissen.” Thousands of alert,
intelligent men and woman are suddenly plunged into a world of jumbled communication because of aphasia.
(Excerpt from the American Heart/Stroke Association’s Education Flyer. Let’s Talk About Stroke and Aphasia)
There is HOPE. There is HELP.
