ApHasia Awareness

Every year, approximately 800,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke. That’s one person every 40 seconds.

One of the major manifestations of stroke is the difficulty communicating with speech called aphasia, which affects over one million Americans.

In 2018, Ted founded Speech Recovery Pathways, a non-profit whose mission is to support the ongoing need for adults with stroke or brain injury to have regular access to meaningful communication practice and opportunities to reintegrate into the community; to provide ongoing communication practice, build confidence and get survivors connected.

“We believe communication is a human right, and healing is a journey. Communication means community, and no person should have to journey alone.”

—Ted W. Baxter

Ted is committed to supporting organizations that assist with the prevention of and recovery from stroke and aphasia. If you’d like to get involved, please consider donating your time or dollars to Speech Recovery Pathways or these organizations.

What is Aphasia?

Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. It results from damage to the parts of the brain that control language expression and comprehension. While often associated with older adults, aphasia can impact people of any age, including younger individuals, demonstrating that a stroke or brain injury can happen to anyone. Aphasia is not a disease itself, but rather a symptom of brain damage. It impairs the ability to speak, understand speech, read, and write. It is crucial to understand that aphasia does not affect intelligence. Individuals with aphasia retain their cognitive abilities, though they may struggle to express their thoughts and ideas.

Causes of Aphasia

The most common cause of aphasia is a stroke, particularly an ischemic stroke affecting the dominant hemisphere of the brain (typically the left side). However, other conditions can also lead to aphasia, including:

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Head injuries can cause damage to language centers.
• Brain Tumors: Growths in the brain can disrupt normal brain function.
• Neurodegenerative Diseases: Conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia can cause a gradual onset of language difficulties, known as Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA).
• Infections: Certain brain infections can lead to aphasia.

Aphasia can occur at any age, not just in older adults. Most people who have aphasia are middle-aged or older, but anyone can develop it, including young children. Ted Baxter, author of Relentless: How a Massive Stroke Changed My Life for the Better, was just forty-two years old when he has a life-changing stroke that left him with aphasia.

Diagnosing Aphasia

A healthcare professional, often a neurologist or speech-language pathologist, will conduct a thorough evaluation to diagnose aphasia. This typically involves:

• • Neurological Examination 
  • Speech-Language Evaluation
  • Brain Imaging

Treating Aphasia

While there is currently no “cure” for aphasia in the sense of a single medication, significant recovery and improvement are possible through various therapies and strategies.

• Speech-Language Therapy: This is a cornerstone of aphasia treatment. A speech-language pathologist helps regain language skills, learn strategies to compensate for weaknesses, and find alternative communication methods. Therapy can be effective even years after the initial brain injury.
• Support Groups: Participating in support groups with other individuals with aphasia can provide a sense of community, reduce isolation, and offer opportunities to practice communication in a supportive environment. This is why Ted Baxter founded the nonprofit organization, Speech Recovery Pathways, so even those who can’t commute to specialized faciliies are able to participate in support group sessions.
• Assistive Communication Devices: Low-tech and high-tech tools, such as communication boards, apps, and text-to-speech devices, can aid communication.

Read About Ted’s Efforts to Overcome Aphasia