Aphasia Awareness Month

Certainly! Aphasia Awareness Month is an important initiative that aims to raise awareness about aphasia, a language disorder that affects communication. Here are some key points about Aphasia Awareness Month:

1. Frequency and Impact:

• Every year, more than 100,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with aphasia, in addition to millions already living with the condition.
• Aphasia often follows a stroke but can also develop after traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, or neurodegenerative diseases¹.

1. ASHA Journals and Research:

• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) publishes numerous articles on aphasia.
• These articles cover various aspects of aphasia assessment, prognosis, interventions, and support groups.
• ASHA highlights the most downloaded and talked-about articles related to aphasia during Aphasia Awareness Month.
• Some recent articles include:
  • “Please Don’t Assess Him to Destruction”: The R.A.I.S.E. Assessment Framework for Primary Progressive Aphasia.
  • Prognostication in Poststroke Aphasia: Perspectives of Significant Others of People With Aphasia on Receiving Information About Recovery.
  • Predicting Outcomes of Language Rehabilitation: Prognostic Factors for Immediate and Long-Term Outcomes After Aphasia Therapy.
  • Conversation as an Outcome of Aphasia Treatment: A Systematic Scoping Review.
  • Get in Sync: Active Ingredients and Patient Profiles in Scripted-Sentence Learning in Spanish Speakers With Aphasia.
  • Designing and Implementing a Community Aphasia Group: An Illustrative Case Study of the Aphasia Group of Middle Tennessee¹.

1. Community Support:

• Aphasia programs, including traditional speech-language therapy and long-term language recovery programs, play a crucial role in helping people with aphasia.
• These programs are offered by hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, and community-based organizations.
• June serves as an opportunity to celebrate people living with aphasia and recognize the efforts of these programs in supporting their language recovery journey².

Remember, spreading awareness about aphasia can lead to better understanding, empathy, and improved support for individuals affected by this condition. 🗣️💙 If you’d like to explore more articles, you can visit the ASHA Journals Academy website¹. 😊