Free Website to Help with Relearning of Your Language Skills

Although this isn't an 'aphasia' website, it is a really 'free' website that be used to relearn your language skills! Thanks Kurt Baker from Aphasia Recovery Connection (Facebook page). If you haven't found the Aphasia Recovery Connection Facebook page yet, go on Facebook and find them. To participate on the page, 'Like' the page and they will confirm you as a member. Then, you will have their posts on your 'Timeline'.

Good stuff on Aphasia Recovery Connection (ARC) Facebook page! 'Like' them!

"Relearning Language Skills"

June is Aphasia Awareness Month

Aphasia Awareness

This is a good article on aphasia from WJLA news from Virginia... Aphasia Patient Struggle with Speech Impairment

June is Aphasia Awareness Month, let's make sure that we do something for aphasia awareness...explain at least one person what aphasia is.

Aphasia Mentoring Program

An Aphasia Mentoring Program: Perspectives of Speech-Language Pathology Students and of Mentors With Aphasia
Purves, Petersen and Puurveen described an aphasia mentoring program that positions people living with aphasia as experts in speech-language student education.

People living with chronic aphasia have a difficult getting back to 'life'. Lives 'before' the stroke. They might have a difficult time to get back their lives; however, they will a different life. What a great idea to have people living with aphasia be experts on aphasia and their journey through the healthcare system be educational tool! What a great program to have hands-on experience with the life journey through aphasia of their patients.
No surprise that the authors of this paper concluded that...

"people with aphasia as experts can make a significant contribution to student education while supporting mentors' own goals, with implications for improved quality of life."

And, perhaps set the stage for the future where people living with aphasia can be equal partners in their care.

I'm surprised that Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA) didn't publish their Health Mentors Program as a paper. The Medical Humanities Department, Dalhousie University started a Health Mentors Program three years ago. Health Mentors Program is an innovative, interprofessional program that is now mandatory to all students in the healthcare professions (including medicine and pharmacy).

Students are placed in an interprofessional team: 4-5 team members from medicine, nursing, speech-language, pharmacy, etc. The purpose of the team is to develop an understanding and appreciation of the family living with a condition/disability through the health mentor's experiences and role of team members throughout the health mentor's journey.

I have been involved as a health mentor for two years. I see the interprofessional health mentors program as an excellent tool for students. The potential where we will have a patient/client-centered healthcare system; because different students from all of the healthcare professions have to relate how to work together. They will know it is possible!

I worked in healthcare for 35 years, although I heard the 'talk', I didn't see the 'walk'. Patient/client-centered healthcare system sat...nothing happened, it seemed. Because professionals didn't believe it was possible? Now we have 3 years of healthcare professional students that know it is possible to be an interprofessional team. I can't wait until we graduate and be in our healthcare journey!

Congratulations to Dalhousie University interprofessional health mentors program!

For more information, read the article abstract:Aphasia Mentoring Program

Health Mentors Program

"Heart to Heart"

"Heart to Heart" is a song and video that explains aphasia. The song was composed by Marc Black and Candy Kugel. Marc performs "Heart to Heart". The video was created and produced by Buzzco Associates.

"Heart to Heart" is in the video "It's Still Me". "It's Still Me" is a video that this about 15 min. in length...perfect for aphasia presentations.

Please enjoy and share!!!

June is Aphasia Awareness month!

What People Living With Aphasia Think About the Availability of Aphasia Resources

The purpose of this study conducted by Henckley, Hasselkus and Ganzfried was to see what perceptions people living with aphasia were on resources and information needs.

An online survey of was conducted in the U.S. There was 302 survey respondents. The responses and comments framed questions to discuss with four focus groups of people has aphasia and their caregivers.

Focus groups discussions showed the need for information and resources:

"in the early stages from health care workers and the continuing needs in later stages from community resources such as support groups or other sources".

Survey conclusions confirmed that people living with aphasia "do not receive all of the information that they would like". Public awareness of aphasia is a barrier for finding information and resources.

June is Aphasia Awareness month. Let's do our part to educate the public!

For more information, read the article abstract: What People Living With Aphasia Think About the Availability of Aphasia Resources

"Just Aphasia Going Through"

This short video is cool!

It gives a synapse of what it is to have aphasia...
Just Aphasia Going Through

This is a free app. for iPad (or iPhone) that can be useful for people who have severe aphasia and can't speak or have difficulties with speech. The 'Verbally' app. can help to have a conservation with others.

This is the website that explains the 'Verbally' application.

Verbally

There is a keyboard and a dictionary of words and terms that you can use. Select a word or term and it will go to the monitor. If it's not noisy, select for the app. to read what put on your monitor. The 'voice' is the free app. is robotic. If you want to pay, there is better 'voices'.

In group settings, there is 'bell' that tells others in the group that you want to say something.

I don't have an iPad or an iPhone. If you try the app. tell how you liked it, so I can tell others!

Communication Disorder!!

I know that I don't a 'communication disorder'!

Aphasia is defined as a language disorder affecting speech, writing, reading and processing of language. Aphasia is a disorder caused by brain injuries. Most of the people who have aphasia had a stroke. However, there are lots brain injuries...trauma, brain tumours, neurological conditions that can cause aphasia.

I had a stroke 4 years ago, as a result of my stroke. I have aphasia and apraxia (another language disorder)....therefore, a communication disorders?

I have challenges with my speech, writing, reading and processing of language. By 'processing of language', I mean that I have challenges processing 'noise' that comes through my ears to process to language. I guess that why I have challenges with reading! My reading is slow. Probably because for me to read the words (which I often do...aloud) I have to say each word...either in mind or aloud (to me it seems better when I say aloud??).

Because of that, I can't seem to 'scan'when reading. I have to read word by word. And, if it the sentences are long, it takes forever! ...or it seems. I haven't finished any of the books that I'm trying to read. :)

With complex written language and longer sentences, it takes me to read the same sentence again...again...again...and sometimes I never get it! So, I 'googled' the topic to find different explanation that is easier to comprehend. And, if that doesn't work, I looked for videos to explain...'Youtube' (free video heaven)

Okay. I have language challenges! I know that. Do I have a communication disorder?

NO!!!

You are reading this and probably are understanding what I'm communicating. Yes? It takes a lot of time to write something. In the few seconds take it takes you to read to this point...I have written 1 hour and 30 minutes. The story I know! But, the telling of the story is difficult. Why? I told you that before...in the 8 and 9 lines above! (While I struggled to produce the word 'above'... typed 'above'...DAMN!

So, now you know about me. Or, people who have aphasia.

I'm thinking these few months about aphasia a communication disorder. Yes, I have language challenges. And, most people would (probably) that if you have problems with language, you have a communication disorder!

If I was in a foreign country with a language different from 'ours'...English, would I considered to have a communication disorder? Would I?Really? I think most people understand that as a tourist in a foreign land, I probably have challenges with my speech, writing and reading? What you do think?

AND, some people may be patient with the tourist. But, we are proud our my country and want the tourist t0 have the best experience possible!

Do you see what I'm leading to?

We are patient with the foreign tourist...spending the time with them...explaining something to them...listening to the cues from each word that the tourist says so you have a reference source to steer from. If I had something that wasn't garbled or nonsense...some word that You understood; now You have a 'specific' to steer from. Ask yes/no questions to see if you were on the right track. You probably wouldn't be able to put words in their mouths...right...because, you don't know the language! Even though, you have difficulty understanding people who have challenges with speech...like aphasia...you are quicker to pick the familiar word from 'garbled'. But, we (humans) have a habit of predicting what another person WILL say...and if you are on the wrong track...it takes more time to 'erase' those predictions from the listener.

Simple! BUT...it takes time! AND, listening skills!

Nobody has the 'time'.

When I had my stroke 4 years ago, I never had time for ....anything...other that 'my' work...my job. AND, I made so many excuses why I never that time for ....hmmm...'me'!

But...my work was 'me'???

So I thought...now, I have the 'time'. And, now I analyze everything! :)

Know what? I don't have a communication disorder. The 'WORLD' has a communication disorder!
br>We'll discuss why I think it's not me...it's a global communication disorder! (Time at this point...okay right now my watch 'says' 10:45 (20:45 for yous hospital workers!)

NOW...to do my self-edit.

Finished self-edit...45 min.

Perhaps, next time I write a 'blog', I will you what's I edited. That should give you an idea of what it is when you are a person like me...aphasia!