About the NAA

The NAA is proud to celebrate Maura English Silverman, our Executive Director, who was awarded the 2026 “Words for Good” Award by Voices of Hope for Aphasia.

One of the questions we hear often at the National Aphasia Association is: “There isn’t an aphasia group near me. How can I start one?” Our first message to you is simple: You can start something.  It does not have to be big. Start small. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Connection is the point.

“I don’t have anyone in my family who has aphasia. Yet for one year, I lived with people with aphasia every day. I lived in a dormitory with 10 – 20 people with aphasia. They came from all over the country to be part of the University of Michigan’s intensive aphasia program, and I was a graduate student.” Keep reading to earn more about Dr. Jackie Hinckley’s story.