Apraxia and dysarthria are two of the more common speech disorders found in adults. These disorders have a unique relationship with one another. They are both motor-speech disorders and each can be caused by injuries or other issues which result in neurological damage. These two disorders may have a lot in common; however they each have a unique set of symptoms and signs. Apraxia Versus Dysarthria Apraxia of speech is a disorder which can be present from birth or develop later in life. When adults develop apraxia later in life it is typically the result of a traumatic brain injury or...
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Cecelia's Story     Cecelia endured two strokes in a year's time. Her strokes were life-changing events. She now uses a manual wheelchair for mobility and previously attended regular speech therapy sessions to overcome the challenges presented by aphasia as a result of her second stroke.   An Unmistakable and Unmatched Zest for Life As you might imagine, Cecelia faces many challenges on a daily basis that most able-bodied folks don't give a second thought to. Faced with dramatic life changes, many people may begin feeling sorry for themselves, allowing their new circumstances to dampen their spirits. Cecelia has taken...
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Your friend or loved one has just suffered a stroke. You know their life and yours is about to be changed forever. The physician has told you the person you care about has aphasia. You gather from the physicians’ explanation your loved one will have difficulty communicating. If you have a loved one or friend who has been diagnosed with aphasia, you may find yourself in a situation very similar to the one described above. Even if caring for someone with aphasia has been part of your life for a while, you still may be struggling to understand exactly what...
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What Is Aphasia? Language is so much a part of our everyday lives that those of us who are fully capable of expressing ourselves however and whenever we wish may take it for granted. We think nothing of the ease with which we are able to start a conversation that could lead to a budding friendship. Telling someone that we have an urgent need is as simple as taking a breath and letting our words fly. ​  Now that we have taken a moment to appreciate how easy communication is for most of us, imagine you have the ability to...
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My name is Tom Jenkins. I am a graduate of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where I earned a Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Marketing. I have been in the marketing field for over six years. I now specialize in writing copy for small to medium businesses. Currently, I am enjoying the challenge of building my own copywriting practice. However, my quest to find my place in life has been a long and interesting journey with many ups and downs. Using a power wheelchair for the majority of my life, I have faced my fair share of difficulties...
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As a Speech Language Pathologist, I have experienced the joy of my patients’ successes as well as my share of frustration that I could not help them achieve more. Several years ago, I recognized a major problem with the current assistive devices on the market when I was providing speech therapy to a 68 year-old that experienced a stroke. She and her family became frustrated while trying to communicate using Skype. My patient tried to position her picture communication board toward the camera and point to pictures. Her family could not see what she was pointing to and there was...
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