Aphasia

What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a loss of language, not a loss of intellect. Aphasia can be characterized as a loss of being able to produce and understand language both verbally and written. Many people do not understand why those living with aphasia have trouble producing or understanding language. Our brains process the sounds that we hear in conversation with other people, between characters in a TV show, or from an announcement on a speaker and translate them into meaningful words. Someone with aphasia may have damage to their brain in the area responsible for comprehending speech (Wernicke’s area). In contrast, other people with aphasia may have damage to the brain in the area responsible for producing speech (Broca’s area).

Depending on where damage occurs to the brain, a person with aphasia may have difficulty with one or more aspects of language.

What can be done for aphasia patients?

People with aphasia often work with a speech-language pathologist to rehabilitate their language skills. In therapy, a speech therapist may work with their client on recognizing letters and what sounds they make, words and their meanings, and how to put together sentences that make sense. In addition, individuals may attend a support group to practice conversing with other people and understanding language. Depending on what caused a person to have aphasia, a person may recover fully, partially, or not at all. Someone may have difficulty using or understanding some words or a category of words, while others may have no trouble at all. Over time, as long as someone is receiving speech therapy and performing activities that challenge them to use language, they should see some improvement as time goes on.