I decided to be an SLP my junior year in high school. During my senior year of high school my 5ft 0inch wonderful grandmother had a stroke which left her with severe aphasia. During my freshman year of college I was told that my grandmother “punched” a CNA in the nose and broke it because…
Teaching a graduate course in aphasia as a professor in speech-language pathology, , I am always looking for creative ways to help my students understand the impact that aphasia has not only on the individual with this communication disorder, but also on family, friends and the community. I always assign group projects in this course…
Had one speech patient that could not get words out in a fluent manner but one day he broke through when asked if he was comfortable, he said “I’ll punch you in the mouth”, with a smile on his face. I told him it was wonderful he was talking fluently but I hope he did…
October 14, 2013 was the last day I had a clear conversation with my mother, Lillian. The next day, my beautiful, competent, intelligent, still working as a bookkeeper-financial advisor, 80-yr old mom, already in the hospital for a mild infection, had a massive stroke in her left temporal / parietal portion of her brain. Her…
For the past year, I have been directing the music program at the Snyder Center for Aphasia Life Enhancement in Baltimore, Maryland. Using the members’ own words, I have written a song entitled “One Day at a Time” that reflects the determination and resilience of this inspiring group of people. Since February 2014, we have…
My husband of just over 20 years awoke from surgery to remove a massive tumor from his brain with aphasia. He went into surgery in the morning speaking his last words normally and struggled for many months after surgery to reconnect and communicate as he used to. Unfortunately, just a few weeks shy of our…
In my opinion, there are two approaches to aphasia therapy: treating the deficit and treating life participation. It is an absolute honor and pleasure to have the ability to work full-time at a University as a speech-language pathologist/clinical supervisor treating persons with aphasia and their families/caregivers, as well as supervising graduate students. I supervise CSD…
A few years later, Avi traveled to Israel for two years to initiate studies in biology. While there, he also furthered his passion in emergency medicine by becoming certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). This choice was to dramatically shape his life later. Avi came back to the US to complete his Bachelor of…
Okay, my Aphasia is transient. I do not have aphasia all the time. I had a head injury years ago and the older I get, the more I have trouble speaking. I’m not sure what triggers it, but I’m thinking maybe tiredness or stress. Not having it all the time makes it hard to work…
This article originally appeared in Stroke Connection – American Stroke Association – Jan./Feb. 2004 Now 10 years later, I present a story about determination, willpower and a “can do” attitude for people who have aphasia. Anyone, my opinion, can achieve almost anything if you have a good attitude and persistence no matter what the circumstances. I hope…