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Speech Pathology Week
More than 2.7 million Australians have a communication difficulty; people affected by the condition come from every part of our society, including toddlers who cannot articulate sounds, children with a cleft palate, cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome, along with people who have suffered a stroke or head injury.
Approximately one third of patients who have a stroke will have a language disorder known as aphasia, which can be debilitating for many years after the stroke.
Speech Pathologist at John Hunter Hospital, Elisha Mannix said aphasia can affect the way the person understands language, their verbal expression, along with their ability to read and write. This leads to significant frustration for the patient and their family.
“Aphasia can significantly impact on one’s quality of life, as the person cannot communicate their simple needs and wants, their feelings, or emotions,” Ms Mannix said.
Individuals with aphasia can have difficulty socialising with friends and may not get the same enjoyment out of previous hobbies such as reading a book or writing a letter to a friend.
But now, new research has shown that a specific type of language therapy is helping people regain their 'lost' language, even many years after a stroke
“Therapy is effective in helping people store their communication skills in the chronic stage of aphasia. These results have shown new connections between areas of the brain can be made years after the stroke, which had previously been difficult to assess,” she said.
These results come at a time when speech pathologists are promoting the work they do with people who have a range of speech, language and voice conditions.
Speech Pathology Week (24-30 August) and National Aphasia Awareness Day (1-5 September) highlight the work Speech Pathologists do to assist patients in regaining language function and improve their quality of life. The theme of speech pathology week this year is “Communication - More than just words” alluding to non-verbal means of communication such as gesture, writing and drawing which play an important role in aiding communication.
For more information to go, www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au. or contact Speech Pathologist Elisha Mannix at Hunter New England Health on
Phone: (02) 4921 3700
Contact: Kylie Dawson
Phone: (02) 6767 1136 or 0408 667 299
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