What is aphasia?
Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to the brain.
It affects communication and can make it difficult to:
Speak
Understand conversation
Read
Write
Aphasia affects everyone differently. Some people experience relatively mild challenges, while others face more significant barriers to communication. The type and severity of aphasia depend on the location and extent of the brain injury, as well as the individual’s recovery journey.
Aphasia is most commonly caused by stroke, but it can also be caused by:
Brain injury
Brain surgery
Brain tumors
Neurological diseases
Aphasia affects more than
2 million people in the United States.
Approximately 180,000 Americans acquire aphasia each year. Despite being more common than Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, aphasia remains relatively unknown to the general public.
Aphasia affects language,
but not intelligence.
Many people with aphasia know exactly what they want to say but have difficulty expressing or understanding language. Aphasia itself is a disorder of language, not intelligence.
However, the condition that caused the aphasia—such as a stroke, brain injury, or neurological disease—may also affect memory, attention, problem-solving or other thinking skills. Stroke or brain injury can also affect motor skills, vision and other sensory experiences. Every person’s experience is unique.
Aphasia can affect anyone.
Although aphasia is more common in older adults, it can occur at any age.
Communication is more than words.
People with aphasia often find other ways to communicate, including gestures, facial expressions, drawing, writing, technology and communication supports. Meaningful conversations and relationships remain possible, even when speaking is difficult.
People with aphasia can continue to improve.
Many people with aphasia continue to improve months and even years after their injury or illness. Speech-language therapy, support from family and friends and opportunities to communicate with others can all play an important role in recovery and quality of life.
Sources
Information on this page is based on the following resources.
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