Aphasia : Understanding Neuroplasticity and Language Treatments

June is Aphasia Awareness Month

Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that impairs the ability to speak and understand others, and often includes difficulty reading and writing, but does not affect intelligence. According to the National Aphasia Association, aphasia affects about one million Americans, both young and old, and is more common than Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, yet, most people have never heard of it. Improvement in language is a slow process that usually involves both helping the individual and family understand the nature of aphasia.

Research advances are helping us to understand the role of neuroplasticity , the ability of the brain to  reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, and are leading to improved medical and therapeutic treatments.

Please join my guests:  Ellayne S. Ganzfried, M.S., CCC-SLP, a speech-language pathologist and the Executive Director of the National Aphasia Association, and Swathi  Kiran, PhD,CCC-SLP, a professor at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Boston University, Research Director at the Aphasia resource Center, and a World-Renowned Expert in Rehabilitation After Stroke.

The National Aphasia Association (NAA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes public education, research, rehabilitation and support services to assist people with aphasia and their families.

http://www.aphasia.org