CHRISTUS Health recognizes National Aphasia Awareness Month in June

June is National Aphasia Awareness Month and CHRISTUS Health is committed to raising awareness and supporting patients and families affected by this acquired language disorder.

Aphasia is caused by damage to the brain and is generally the result of a stroke. The condition is also caused by brain tumors or traumatic brain injuries.

“This disorder can affect people's ability to speak, to understand what they're being told, what they're reading or what they are writing,” said Nyah Sciarrilla, speech language pathologist for CHRISTUS Southeast Texas - St. Elizabeth.

Nearly 225,000 strokes in the U.S. result aphasia each year, according to the National Aphasia Association.

“It’s typically the left side of the brain that is impacted,” Sciarrilla said. “That’s where our language center is, so aphasia can affect both receptive understanding and expression of language. The condition presents differently for every person depending on where in the brain the injury occurred and how severe the injury was.”

Sciarrilla said signs of aphasia depend on the severity of the condition, but can include trouble finding words, difficulty understanding what others are saying or getting words switched around.

“Since communication looks different for people with aphasia, different strategies may be used to help,” she said. “This includes describing the word they want to say, writing, spelling, drawing or gesturing. Others can support individuals with aphasia by speaking slowly, using shorter sentences, asking yes or no questions, writing, gesturing and being extra patient while waiting for a response.”

Aphasia does not affect a person’s intelligence, Sciarrilla said.

"Yes, you might have trouble getting words out,” Sciarrilla said. “You might have trouble understanding what people are telling you, but that does not mean it affects your intelligence.”

Treatment options depend on several factors including overall health and the cause of the disorder. Speech and language therapy can help improve abilities and, in some cases, restore language skills to pre-diagnosis levels.