What is Aphasia?

It’s finally June! Warm weather, sunshine, outdoor activities… the reasons why June is a wonderful month go on and on. But what you might not know about June is that it’s Aphasia Awareness Month. You’re not in the minority if you’re asking yourself “What’s Aphasia?”.

Statistics show that 84.5 % of people have never heard of Aphasia. Yet 80,000 people are diagnosed with this medical condition every year, and up to 2,000,000 people are predicted to be diagnosed with Aphasia in the U.S. by 2020. This is why Aphasia Awareness is so important, and is only growing in relevance. – Resources Here and Here.

Aphasia is an acquired impairment of language usually affecting the elderly. It often results from stroke or other forms of damage to the left side of the brain, which controls the ability to speak and understand language. Symptoms include making short or incomplete sentences, difficulty speaking or writing, inability to recall names or objects, and failure to understand statements. As anyone can imagine, Aphasia significantly impacts one’s life, as well as the lives of family and friends, since communication is such a vital part of living and relationships. You may be wondering how you can help contribute to the mission of Aphasia Awareness Month. The National Aphasia Association designates this year’s theme as #TalkAboutAphasia. So most importantly, help spread awareness! Whether this be by sharing an article via social media, telling your coworkers about it during lunch break, arranging a small fundraiser, or donating, all of these efforts help bring light to the fight against Aphasia. Your participation in Aphasia Awareness Month helps not only those afflicted with Aphasia, but also their family, friends, and the general public. And you never know who is affected by it.

So go out there and #TalkAboutAphasia!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Megan Turner, Psychology Intern at Ptarmigan Connections