British charity ‘Speakability’ is celebrating 30 years of supporting people with Aphasia!
Aphasia (also known as dysphasia) is a communication difficulty that occurs when language centres in the brain are damaged. This usually happens with stroke, but can also be caused by head injury or other neurological conditions. Aphasia affects different people in different ways, but people generally find that they have one or more of the following difficulties:
- Reduced ability to understand spoken language
- Reduced ability to produce spoken language
- Word-finding difficulties
- Reduced ability to read
- Reduced ability to write
Many people with aphasia suffer from anxiety and depression as they adjust to a life with reduced communication abilities (Thomas, 2010). Having these abilities suddenly taken away can be frightening, confusing and frustrating; particularly as it occurs so unexpectedly.
According to the Speakability website (http://www.speakability.org.uk), the charity “has a high profile campaigning role and works to improve services for people with Aphasia by influencing individuals, organisations and statutory bodies”. To celebrate their 30th birthday, Speakability is running a ‘Speak About Aphasia Month’ throughout June. This campaign also aims to raise public awareness about aphasia and the support that Speakability can offer to people with aphasia and their carers. As the charity’s Vice-President, Ronnie Corbett has also offered his support:
Aphasia and Speech & Language Therapy
While therapists will often work directly with the person to try and improve their language, much of their work is also indirect. This typically involves educating family and friends about how best to make themselves understood, and what to do if they can’t understand what the person with aphasia is trying to say. There is a real acknowledgement that aphasia not only affects the individual, but their family, friends and carers as well.
Although most people with aphasia are able to access speech and language therapy while in hospital, it can be more difficult to access these NHS services in the community once they have been discharged.
Further Information:
Connect – http://www.ukconnect.org/
NHS information about Aphasia – http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/aphasia/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists – http://www.rcslt.org.uk
Speakability: http://www.speakability.org.uk
The Tavistock Trust For Aphasia: http://www.aphasiatavistocktrust.org/aphasia/default/index.asp
Thomas, S. (2010). Evaluation of Anxiety and Depression in People with Acquired Communication Impairments. In S.M. Brumfitt (Ed.). Psychological Well-being and Acquired Communication Impairment. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. (Available at amazon.co.uk)
Sarah Bennington – June 2010
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. I.T.S is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Creative Expressive Therapists.
