How Speech-language Pathologists Can Help With Aphasia

Individuals that have difficulty with being able to express themselves through speech, being able to understand what is being said to them, or with reading and writing could be diagnosed with a condition called Aphasia.

Aphasia is a symptom of a type of brain damage that may have occurred as a result of a stroke, infection, dementia or head trauma. The severity of the symptoms will depend on the area of the brain that has been damaged and to what extent.

The successful treatment of aphasia takes teamwork between many different medical professionals, the patient and their family. Included in this team is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who plays an important role in determining the type and severity of aphasia from which the patient is suffering.

Figuring out the type of aphasia is achieved by the SLP assessing various levels of communication. The patient will be evaluated on their speech capabilities, level of understanding, ability to express themselves, social interaction and reading and writing capabilities. In addition to this, it may include evaluation of swallowing capabilities.

Once the assessment is complete, the SLP can then design a treatment plan that will be most beneficial for that client’s particular needs. Individuals that are suffering from this problem can take heart in knowing that there are many steps that can be taken during the course of treatment to create an improvement in the areas identified.

SL Hunter conducts a comprehensive evaluation of clients who are displaying symptoms of Aphasia. If you or a loved one has any symptoms of aphasia, we can help.

The offices of S.L. Hunter & Associates are located at 5195 Harvester Rd. Unit 4B. We can be reached by telephone at 905-637-5522 or online at www.slhunter.ca.