At this time there is no known cure for aphasia; this information is intended to aid families in their search to understand diagnostic, treatment, and adjustment processes involved in the rehabilitation of persons with aphasia. No form of therapy should be undertaken without first seeking advice from a qualified health professional.

How does one begin? Narrow down your search for information to a very specific area. Begin by talking to the healthcare professionals working with you from the fields of speech-language pathology, rehabilitation medicine, neurology, rehabilitation nursing, psychology, social work, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and vocational rehabilitation. Get their help in thinking about exactly what kinds of questions you want answered.

Explore federally-supported information sources: Several agencies of the federal government offer public information about rehabilitation. These services often include references on everything from pamphlets to proceedings of conferences to popular book titles as well as articles from research journals. (Conference proceedings can help you get an overview of how exports look at their field and may also mention the names of prominent researchers.) Most agencies have information specialists who assist the public in accessing the agency's resources so that searches may be conducted at no cost or for a limited fee. Some materials are often provided for free.

The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) is funded by the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a division of the Department of Education. They offer fact sheets and resource guides bytopic as well as over 45,000 references to journal articles, commerically-published books, and reports of government-funded research (REHABDATA database).

NARIC
8201 Corporate Dr, Suite 600
Landover, MD 20785
Phone: 800-346-2742, 301-459-5900
TTY: 301-495-5984
Fax: 301-459-4263
www.naric.com

The National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCHRTM) is funded by the Rehabilitation Service Administration of the U.S. Department of Education. They gather, reproduce, and distribute materials about all facets of the rehabilitation process.

NCHRTM
Utah State University
6524 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-6524
Phone: 866-821-5355
www.nchrtm.org

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), a division of the National Institutes of Health, responses to requests from the public for information on communication disorders, including aphasia treatment, diagnosis, research programs, and coping and support resources.

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Ave
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
Phone: 800-241-1044
TDD/TT: 800-241-1055
Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov
www.nidcd.nih.gov

The U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health was designed to assist health professionals but will aid the general public in searches as well.

National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
Phone: 888-346-3656
www.nlm.nih.gov
Library of Congress (202-707-5000)

Using the Internet: There are aphasia-related advertisements on the Internet for software, therapy materials, and books. To avoid wasting time, money, and hope, look for materials that match the needs of the person who will use them. Before you make a purchase:

• Remember that the best materials will
  1) let you spend the most time practicing the skills that are the most important,
  2) give you a range of difficulty (to help you find a balance between "too easy" and "too hard"), and
  3) include examples and pictures that are meaningful to the person using them. A recent, thorough evaluation by a speech-language pathologist can help provide you with the information you need to make these choices.
  
  
• Take advantage of offers that let you sample materials before you buy them, and be sure that you understand the manufacturer's policy about returns.