ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (St. Augustine Shores Riverview Club, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, Tuesday, June 18, 2019, Aphasia Awareness Month presentation by Tom Broussard, “Aphasia, Regaining your language from a stroke.”
I presented “Aphasia, Regaining your language from a stroke” to more than 30 people at the St Augustine Shores Riverview Club for the National Aphasia Awareness Month!
Many of the people in the audience had stroke and aphasia as well as friends and family. Several masters’ students came from the University of St Augustine. That was a first! Plus, a student/journalist from Flagler College filmed the event and conducted interviews with some in the audience with stroke and aphasia as well as family givers. An edited video will be published once it is ready.
One family member recently started an Aphasia Family Support group and asked if anyone in the audience was interested in attending a family group to talk and learn more about aphasia. There were some sign ups! The local Brooks Rehab office has offered space for the group.
There were lots of great questions about aphasia awareness and how the brain actually works to “get better” given that the only medicine was practicing the same modalities that were damaged in the first place. We talked about the five rules of aphasia recovery too: motivation, practice…practice, practice and more practice! We also talked about the need to continue to be lifelong learners. You can’t stop learning whether you are healthy or had a stroke and aphasia. It was a great aphasia awareness day!
