Aphasia: What Is It?

What is Aphasia?

If you've never heard of aphasia before, you're not alone. Aphasia is a little-known neurological disorder that affects language skills. Although aphasia can make speaking and understanding others difficult, it does not affect intelligence or reasoning abilities. Aphasia is a speech disorder that can affect any of the four language skills: speaking, listening, writing, and reading. It can be caused by damage to the brain from a stroke or other health condition. Aphasia can make it difficult for people to communicate with others. 

Signs and Symptoms

The signs vary largely depending upon how severe the case might be; some people may only experience an occasional lapse while other individuals find themselves battling chronic day-to-day life functionality without any ability whatsoever speak understandable language.

Diagnosis

Aphasia is diagnosed by a neurologist or a speech-language pathologist. All components of language function are assessed.  The ability to read, their ability to write, their ability to name everyday objects around them are also assessed. 

Causes

Aphasia is more common in older adults and is usually caused by stroke. There are other factors that could cause aphasia such as degenerative disease, tumor, infection, or head trauma. 

Treatment

It is important to identify the cause of aphasia before treatment to prevent it from getting worse. A major part of treatment includes rehabilitation with a speech-language pathologist. 

 

Aphasia can be a scary thing to experience, but with the right tools and support, people with aphasia can continue to lead fulfilling lives. If you or someone you know is struggling with aphasia, please visit our website for more information about our services and how we can help. We wish everyone affected by this disorder all the best in their journey to recovery.

 

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