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National Aphasia Association

Ellayne Ganzfried, M.S.,CCC-SLP

September 14, 2009

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Question

In your work with the National Aphasia Association what is the most common request made by stroke survivors and their families?

Answer

Many of the survivors and/or co-survivors that contact the National Aphasia Association (NAA) are looking for activities/materials they can do on their own to help improve their communication skills. We always ask them if they have been evaluated by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) because the SLP is best equipped to make recommendations about the proper resources for a person with aphasia since it depends on the individual's level of functioning, needs, skills, etc. We are not able to blindly recommend materials but we can assist the person in locating an SLP in their area and/or provide them with information about aphasia they may find helpful. The NAA is a consumer focused not for profit organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of persons with aphasia and their families and we have many resources available; including a toll -free number and a website: www.aphasia.org.

This Ask the Expert was taken from the course entitled: Aphasia Advocacy: Community Outreach and Education.

Visit the SpeechPathology.com library to view all of our live, recorded, and text-based courses on a variety of topics.

Ellayne Ganzfried is the Executive Director of the National Aphasia Association and an ASHA Fellow. She is Past President of NYSSLHA, LISHA and CSAP. She is on the Steering Committee for Division 11-Administration and Supervision. Ellayne has presented regionally and nationally on many topics including aphasia, rehabilitation and leadership skills.


Ellayne Ganzfried, M.S.,CCC-SLP


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