National Aphasia Awareness Month 2012!

The Power of Aphasia Groups
The Equation for Living Successfully with Aphasia*
Click here to see the Awareness Month 2012 Poster*
*(Theme developed and Poster designed by the Aphasia Center of California in Oakland, CA)
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Meet the Aphasia Center of California
Oakland, CA
Group of Aphasia Awareness Month and recipients of the Aphasia Advocacy Award!

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   Steve and Carol Goff from Waterford, Ontario, Canada, hosted an aphasia awareness evening at their local restored Old Town Hall, which is wheelchair accessible. Along with SLP, Jan Roadhouse, and Frank Austin, a stroke survivor with aphasia who lives in Kitchener, Ontario, they shared information and stories about aphasia, then join the audience for refreshments and time to mingle.  This was set for June 16, 7:00 p.m. and admission was a donation for Aphasia Camp 2012.
  
Steve, who has aphasia and his wife, Carol, have done presentations of his story throughout Ontario, as well as Vancouver, B.C., Philadelphia,Penn., Edison, N.J. and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to name a few places. In 1999 and 2002, Steve's daughter, Teresa, did radio documentaries for CBC radio to tell about aphasia and its impact on their family.  "Talking Through Aphasia" in 1999 and the award-winning "In So Many Words" in 2002 inspired Steve Goff to help others with aphasia. He was instrumental in bringing supported conversation programs for aphasia to Brantford and nearby towns.  These programs use the supported conversation techniques which were pioneered by the Aphasia Institute of Toronto.

   In 2006, Mary Beth Clark, an SLP with the Mayo Healthcare system in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, invited them to be keynote speakers at an aphsia weekend camp at nearby Chippewa. This exceptional weekend camp provided a holiday setting for people with aphasia and their family or friends.  Volunteers were trained in using supported conversation to assist people to communicate.  Adapted biking, fishing, and many other activities provided fun and laughter for everyone attending. Steve and Carol Goff were so impressed that they returned the following year to learn more about aphasia camp, with the intent of bringing it to Canada.  Mary Beth Clark and others in Eau Claire worked with Jan Roadhouse and dedicated staff at Adult Recreation Therapy Centre in Brantford and March of Dimes in Toronto, as well as many others, to bring about that dream for Aphasia Camp 2008.  It was so successful that there has been an aphasia camp each year since then.

   Aphasia Camp 2012 will be at Tim Horton Onondaga Farm Camp near St. George, Ontario, on September 14 -16, with accommodation for people with aphasia, family or friends, volunteers and staff to equal about 100 people for the weekend. The June 16th evening highlighted ways people are advocating for those with aphasia and tell of how people are successfully living with aphasia.  It's was also a fund-raiser for Aphasia Camp and an opportunity to show appreciation for the volunteers who are so essential to aphasia programs.

Donna Budzenski, M.A., CCC-SLP
Shelby, MI

Donna recognized National Aphasia Awareness month by offering a free community presentation to those at the Shelby Area District Library in Shelby, Michigan on June 14, 2012 at 7:00 pm.  

The program included adiscussion about aphasia, stroke symptoms, and what to do if someone you know might be having a stroke.  Donna also described what it was like for her, a speech language pathologist, to be admitted to the hospital and receive the therapy she was trained to provide to others following a stroke.  Some reading and discussion from her book The Evergreen Outside my Window, was included along with a question and answer period.  Anyone was welcome to attend.  Refreshments were served and prizes offered.  
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California State University - East Bay
Hayward, CA

The folks at CSU-East Bay's Communication Sciences & Disorders Dept held the Aphasia Awareness: A Celebration event on Wednesday, June 6th, which included a reception and was followed by a concert. Pictured above is the table decorations for the event. Because the flowers blocked some of the bumper sticker, they had extras available for distribution as well as other NAA material. They also used the Aphasia Quiz printed out on card stock and  put on stands so they could have "interactive" table decor with the question on one side and the answer on the other.
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Bill and Mary O'Brien
Appleton, WI

Bill, Mary, and their family and friends spread the word about aphasia in the Appleton Flag Day Parade!
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Stroke/Aphasia Recovery (STAR) Program
Lubbock, TX

The STAR program started an aphasia choir this summer, and a local news station contacted them about doing a promo in June for Aphasia Awareness Month.
They also were able to schedule another interview with a different news station at the end of June. 
Here’s the link: 
http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/mediacenter/local.aspx
(search the term 'aphasia' and view both videos)
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MossRehab Aphasia Center
Elkins Park, PA

The MossRehab Aphasia Center recently received an Award for Continuing Excellence from the Inglis Foundation, a renowned Philadelphia institution devoted to helping those with disabilities and those who care for them to live life to the fullest.  To learn more about the Inglis Foundation and the Awards for Continuing Excellence, please go to http://inglis.org/awards.jsp

Established in 1997, the MossRehab Aphasia Center was designed to meet the long-term communication and psychosocial needs of people with aphasia.  Serving clients in the greater Delaware Valley area (eastern Pennsylvania), our Center provides focused and meaningful intervention at strategic points in the communication recovery process.   Services include: short-term out-patient therapy in the Advanced Clinical Therapy program, participation in research at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, and various groups and classes in the Aphasia Activity Center.  Our Activity Center is a warm and welcoming place that embraces a social model of rehabilitation.  Current programs include conversation groups, a Talking Book Club, education programs, a computer lab, support groups and recreational card sessions.   We receive significant support from our volunteer committee, the Voices of MossRehab Aphasia Center (VOMAC).  VOMAC is comprised of people with aphasia, their family members and friends, concerned volunteers and professionals.  They help to advance the goal of helping those with aphasia to lead more productive, fulfilling lives through community education programs, advocacy and fundraising efforts. 

As part of National Aphasia Awareness Month, VOMAC hosted several educational events.  The first events were hospital staff education programs on June 18th and 19th at two locations within the MossRehab/Einstein Health Network cafeterias.  People who stopped by the tables earned a chance to win Phillies tickets if they could answer one question about aphasia.  Our second event on Wednesday, June 27th was be a public education program featuring Dr. Sara Palmer from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine.  Dr. Palmer discussed her book “When Your Spouse Has a Stroke, Caring for Your Partner, Yourself and Your Relationship.” 

Aphasia Center of West Texas
Midland, TX

	Top Left: Aphasia Center Member enjoying the night Top Middle: Aphasia Awareness Concert hosted by Aphasia Center of West Texas Top Right: Sgt Pepper Era Bottom Left: Volunteers wearing Aphasia Awareness Concert shirts Bottom Right: Beatlemania Live band members raising aphasia awareness

The Aphasia Center of West Texas hosted their third annual Aphasia Awareness Concert featuring BeatleMania Live. Approximately 1300 people had a great time while learning about aphasia.  In addition, aphasia was highlighted in Midland Memorial Hospital's June House Call with an article by Aphasia Center Program Director Beth Crawford, M.S., CCC/SLP. A new ad campaign appeared in the Midland Reporter Telegram  and 30-second PSAs ran repeatedly on all three local networks. If you would like to view more pictures, or just "Like" the Center on Facebook, click here or paste into your web broswer: http://www.facebook.com/AphasiaWTx?rf=168144113199476

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Adler Aphasia Center
Maywood, NJ

Members of Adler Aphasia Center’s Advocacy, Education, & Training Group started an effort to raise awareness during National Aphasia Awareness Month.  Members, caregivers, families, staff, and friends helped spread the word about aphasia by placing flyers in businesses they frequent in their communities.   Each time a flyer was placed, it was reported back to the group and added to the Aphasia Awareness Wall prominently displayed in the Center’s café.  Initially started on one small wall of the café, the list of locations grew and now requires more wall space to accommodate the results.  To date, more than 100 locations in area communities have a flyer posted about aphasia and our Center! We are proud of our community of supporters and even prouder of our members, our biggest advocates!

Ava Coffee-Burks
Volunteer Coach/Development Assoc.
Adler Aphasia Center
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University of Michigan Aphasia Program
Ann Arbor, MI

"This June, all of us at the University of Michigan Aphasia Program (UMAP) helped spread the word about aphasia in many ways. We posted daily to our Facebook page with resources and tips, had aphasia awareness posters put up in various locations throughout Ann Arbor, and sent out e-newsletters and letters to aphasia awareness supporters. We even had an aphasia awareness celebration! We hope to continue to spread the word about aphasia next June, and of course, throughout the year."

P. Lisa Kraus
Client Services Coordinator
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Aphasia Community Friendship Center
Ann Arbor, MI

Aphasia Community Friendship Center (ACFC) families and friends celebrated National Aphasia Month at their annual Picnic-on-the-Patio.  Guests included University of MI Aphasia Program (Ann Arbor, MI) and DaiZy Aphasia Center (Toledo, OH) . . . great turnout; great food; being together – PRICELESS!  www.aphasiacenterMI.org
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DaZy Aphasia Center
Toledo, OH

Click here to see how the folks at the DaZy Aphasia Center celebrate National Aphasia Awareness Month!
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Magee Rehab Aphasia Community Support Group
Philadelphia, PA

Above is a picture of the Magee Rehab Aphasia Community Support Group in Philadelphia, PA, celebrating Aphasia Awareness Month this June! Each member created a picture or drawing, describing what aphasia means to them. We ended up with many thoughtful and artistic creations and spent a lot of time sharing experiences, feelings, and thoughts on the subject. As is the case with this lively group, there were many words and gestures of support for each other, along with MANY smiles and laughs.

Thanks for allowing us to share our photo!

Regards, Sarah Lantz and Christine Brown (support group leaders)
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We Want to Hear From You!!!
How did your group or program celebrate National Aphasia Awareness Month? Let us know by sending a small summar with a few pictures, and we'll put it right here on this page!
Email us at naa@aphasia.org.