When I was in college and graduate school studying to be a speech-language pathologist, I learned about aphasia.  I learned the definition of aphasia and the many different characteristics associated with it.  I even learned a bunch of different tests that could be used to determine what type of aphasia someone had.  After graduating and working for a few years, I learned that my education didn’t teach me all I needed to know!  Fortunately, my clients with aphasia (and their family members) were able to fill in the blanks.  I thought I would share a few of the things I learned along the way.

• People with aphasia are as intelligent as they were before their stroke.  While it can be hard to understand, aphasia affects the ability to express thoughts but not the ability to think.  People with aphasia still have prior knowledge and life experiences—they just might not be able to communicate them to us in ways that we can understand. 
• It is OK to say “I don’t understand what you are trying to tell me.”  In frustrating situations, it is even OK to laugh.  While we want to make communication as easy and successful as possible for someone with aphasia, we also need to be prepared for times when it doesn’t quite “work.”  Sometimes a light-hearted approach is better than continuing to push to the point of frustration.
• It is amazing to see how family members rally together to support the person with aphasia.  Despite all of the confusion, pain, and even anger, I have been fortunate to see how families can work as a team to support their loved one.  
• Sometimes, the use of a communication device can help to facilitate speech.  People with aphasia (or their loved ones) are often afraid to use AAC because it will hinder the return of their speech.  What I have seen over the years, however, is that when people have access to a communication device the use of their own speech also increases.  
• The recovery process is never over.  Even when doctors have said that “he will not get any better” or “I don’t expect her to progress much more,” it is possible to continue to see improvements.  This can happen even 10 or 15 or 20 years after a stroke!

Have you learned something about aphasia that has surprised you?  Please share it with me.