Aphasia Ireland

🐦 Aphasia Ireland is a registered charity, formed with the sole aim of creating awareness and providing support for people with aphasia and those around them.

🌳Help us make a difference - see our free services and donate via Linktree The negative effects on our society are largely ignored or underestimated. The fact that up to 3,000 people are diagnosed with this condition each year goes unrepor

ted and by and large unacknowledged. Once sufferers have been treated for the acute symptoms of their brain damage they are discharged back into the community with limited or no services. Many continue to make progress with their linguistic goals but it is apparent that psychosocial support is crucial in helping them adjust to living with long term Aphasia. Group therapy is a most effective way of providing treatment for chronic Aphasia. Aphasia is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the portions of the brain that are responsible for language. Primary signs of the disorder include difficulty in expressing oneself when speaking, trouble understanding speech, and difficulty with reading and writing. Aphasia is not a disease, but a symptom of brain damage. Most commonly seen in adults who have suffered a stroke, aphasia can also result from a brain tumour, infection, head injury, or dementia that damages the brain. It is estimated that about 50,000 people in Ireland today suffer from Aphasia. The type and severity of language dysfunction depends on the precise location and extent of the damaged brain tissue. Generally, Aphasia can be divided into four broad categories:

1) Expressive Aphasia involves difficulty in conveying thoughts through speech or writing. The patient knows what he wants to say, but cannot find the words he needs.

2) Receptive Aphasia involves difficulty understanding spoken or written language. the patient hears the voice or sees the print but cannot make sense of the words.

3) Patients with Anomic or Amnesia Aphasia, the least severe form of Aphasia, have difficulty in using the correct names for particular objects, people, places, or events.

4) Global Aphasia results from language function, both comprehension and expression. they cannot speak or understand speech, nor can they read or write. Clearly a lot of work needs to be done to improve the quality of life of sufferers, their carers and those nearest them. Our Support Group Project is one key area where we can make a difference.