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In Their Own Words: People with Aphasia & Friends

Below is a place where both those who suffer from aphasia and their friends can share their struggles, triumphs and hopes with this often frustrating and misunderstood disorder.

If you have a personal account that you would like to be posted, please e-mail us at responsecenter@aphasia.org.

Personal Accounts (Letters, E-mails, etc)

When the Roof Fell In
written by Dan Martin, spouse of wife with aphasia

My Feelings After A Stroke
written by Melba Ashburn, person with aphasia

My Spouse has Aphasia PPA: How we cope
written by Charles Walker, spouse of wife with PPA

Breakthrough
written by Susan Riddle, caregiver/family member

Aphasia is Contagious
written by Thomas M Phillips, person with aphasia (click here for bio)

My Mom Had an Unexpected Ruptured Brain Aneurysm & Major Stroke...
written by Jeannie, caregiver/family member

Brain on Strike
written by Ethel Lee-Miller, family member/friend

Trapped in Your Own Mind
written by Sandi Deranek, caregiver/family member

Charlene, Stroke Survivor
website and video by Charlene & David

Expressive Aphasia (http://expressiveaphasia.blogspot.com/)
Blog by Banu Turhan, person with aphasia

Phoenix Rising
Written by George S Harris, spouse of wife with aphasia

"Working With Words"
Videotape series created in 1985 by Kathryn Kilpatrick.

Interviews with two of Kilpatrick's patients. Interviews conducted by Scott Newell, who was the host of AM Cleveland at the time. Videos also include oral excercise and word production excercises. Descriptions below written by Kathryn Kilpatrick. Video can be purchased on Kilpatrick's website: http://www.connectionsincommunication.com

Working with More Words on your Own - Don was seen for outpatient speech therapy. A key part of his program was training the volunteers from his church to work with him on activities to encourage increase language skills. Don was fortunate that the company he worked for in sales provided him with a car adapted for his physical limitations and enabled him back to the deliveries. Years later he even was able to call on some of his former clients. We lived in the same town and I would see him periodically or he would stop by and each time he was better able to carry on a conversation.
Working with Phrases on Your Own - Betty was seen for speech therapy by Kathryn at home and then as an outpatient. Her inspirational story can be found at http://www.connectionsincommunication.com/pages/Inspirational_Story.htm

Published Articles

A Spouse's Perspective on Life With Aphasia
Penny Montgomery-West, Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 1995

The Words I Lost
A.H. Raskin, New York Times op-ed article, 1992

Keep On Trying
Richard Nolte, New York Times editorial, 1992

We Were in This Together - Eileen Quann
Mary Otto, Washington Post, February 2002

Impact of Aphasia on Patients and Families
Alan Mandell, NAA Newsletter Volume 14, Number 2, Fall 2002.

A Neurologist's Notebook: Recalled to Life
Oliver Sacks, MD
first published in The New Yorker 10/31/2005
© 2005 by Oliver Sacks, reprinted with the permission of The Wylie Agency.

National Aphasia Association
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