Understanding Aphasia

Aphasia is a language disorder. It affects how people understand and use words. It can make it hard to speak, understand others, read, or write. Aphasia happens when the part

The most common cause of aphasia is a stroke, when blood flow to the brain is blocked or interrupted. Without oxygen, brain cells in the language areas can become damaged

Aphasia affects more than 2 million people in the United States alone. It is more common than Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy, yet many people have never heard

Anyone can acquire aphasia, regardless of age, race, or background. However, it is important to understand that because it is a loss of language abilities, the individual would already have

No. Aphasia can vary greatly. Some people have trouble speaking clearly, but can still understand language well. Others may have trouble understanding what others say, or have difficulty reading and

No. Aphasia does not make someone less smart. People with aphasia are still thinking, feeling, and understanding — they just have trouble expressing or accessing language. This can be frustrating

Motor Speech Disorders can accompany aphasia, complicating both diagnosis and treatment and adding frustration to the aphasia journey. Apraxia impacts motor control and programming, which can make pronunciation of words

No. Aphasia and dementia are different. People with aphasia may have difficulty finding the right words or understanding language, but their memory and thinking skills can still be strong. In

Aphasia can be classified in several ways.  Aphasia can be described as fluent or nonfluent, or classified in types based on what aspects of reading, writing, listening, and speaking are

PPA is a rare type of aphasia caused by a gradual loss of brain cells in the areas responsible for language. Unlike aphasia from a stroke or injury, PPA declines