"Wage war on aphasia" 
                     
Editor's Note - Sharon Rennhack:  This month we are pulling out all the stops!  Our topic for this month is: "Wage war on aphasia".

In an earlier edition  of this  newsletter, the  February 2014 edition,  I  interviewed Bill Connors on  his feelings about aphasia.  He said:  "I hate aphasia!"   This is the link to that video:   
https://youtu.be/sxSwTHmHCfY

In last month's edition  -  http://conta.cc/29abOxE,  we discussed  being  aggressive, not passive in aphasia treatment and recovery.  We also discussed our online intensive program for aphasia.

NOW, we're  pulling out ALL the stops for  aphasia recovery!

Just a few days ago, in  social media outlets and emails to clients and other interested parties, we announced our online intensive aphasia clinic program for people with aphasia with limited  financial resources.  See the details on this innovative program in this edition.

And, in this edition,  Bill Connors discusses overcoming  barriers or excuses to starting aphasia  treatment.

SO - we are waging war on aphasia from different fronts;  do you want to stay on the sidelines or do you want to join us in this "war"?

For information  on how we can help your recovery or your client's recovery  OR for information on our intensive online clinic program, contact us at information@aphasiatoolbox.com   OR  schedule a free consultation with our therapists. 
 
Aphasiatoolbox®: Where Real, Aggressive   Aphasia Recovery Happens Everyday.     

Interested in an intensive aphasia program  .  .  . ?

University of West Georgia
. . .    but concerned about cost?

The value and effectiveness of intensive aphasia treatment has been well researched and documented.  And, you know that aphasia recovery demands frequent treatment and rigorous practice.
 
Now, you can have both in an affordable intensive aphasia treatment program!
 
The University of West Georgia and aphasiatoolbox® have partnered to create this unique online program.  Our goal is to provide an affordable treatment-practice program for people with aphasia and to provide training in treating adult communication problems to graduate speech pathology students.  
 
What this means to you:  
You will participate in an 18-30 hour a week program, including:  
  • 2 treatment sessions a week with graduate students supervised by aphasiatoolbox® expert speech pathologist
  • the opportunity to participate in as many as 20 online conversation, practice and support groups a month
  • membership to aphasiatoolbox.com with full access to the Aphasia Sight Reader software program, hundreds of practice exercises, dozens of demonstration videos, and information.
  • training for your family, caregiver and/or friend to become your practice coach for daily practice
  • collaboration with your current speech pathologist if you are in treatment
  • ...and most importantly, the tools, knowledge and techniques to allow you to practice, with a coach and independently, 3-5 hours a day with your coach, by yourself, and in group outside of SLP treatment sessions.
All of this can be available to you for under $400 a month.
 
Schedule with us to make your recovery happen without breaking the bank: click here to see if you qualify or call 724-494-2534.

Bill Connors discusses: "Overcoming Excuses"
In this month's edition,  Bill Connors discusses ways that aphasiatoolbox®  can help  a person with aphasia to deal with barriers to aphasia recovery and to overcome excuses for not getting started with treatment and practice.

Bill Connors discusses:
Bill Connors discusses: "Overcoming Excuses"

Time:  03:42
New Fluency Program at ATB  

Note:  Lee Zelina discusses her fluency program.

My name is Lee Zelina.  I have been a speech-language pathologist for 28 years  and on the staff of   aphasiatoolbox® since 2014.  I am excited to announce that we are launching
fluencytoolbox which will provide online fluency/stuttering therapy. 
 
I have worked with numerous clients, young and adult in both school and private practice settings.   I am a stutterer myself who had the privilege of learning from Dr. David Daly (see Notes:  1,  2, 3).   I am able to provide valuable information and teach useful tools and techniques to increase fluency, decrease anxiety associated with disfluency, and help you speak fluently.  We can also include the use of the SpeechEasy device into your program.

I work to develop functional fluency skills and positive beliefs/self-talk in my clients.  I enjoy getting to know my clients which allows me to customize activities to address and resolve specific issues.  I appreciate the opportunity to assist others reach their fluency goals.

Achieving increased fluency can truly be life-changing! Contact me to schedule an appointment. 

NOTES:
 
aphasiatoolbox®  YouTube  videos

We are including here  a  list  of  highlights of our Youtube  videos in  the aphasiatoolbox® newsletters from  the past three  and 1/2/years!

Do you have a  favorite  video?   Tell us which one is your favorite; contact us at information@aphasiatoolbox.com .

 Upcoming Presentations 

Bill
Bill Connors will present on: "Aphasia-Apraxia Therapy: Exploiting Neuroplasticity and Mindfulness".

This highly interactive presentation will share with SLPs innovative treatment protocols, materials and technology-based tools that enhance clinical skills and assist in the integration of existing scientific evidence and patient values into aphasia rehabilitation. The use of mindfulness techniques to mitigate aphasia stress will be introduced and practiced. The presentation format will include: lecture, discussion and active participation.

Time and Dates:
Saturday, August 27, 2016  7:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Birmingham, AL
Saturday, October 01, 2016  7:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Houston, TX

Fees:  $175 for each event

Location for  the August 27 event:

UAB SPEECH AND HEARING SYMPOSIUM ON MEDICAL SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY
University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital
West Pavilion Conference Center
Conference Room E
Second Floor of the West Pavilion Building
1808 7th Ave South
Birmingham, AL 35233

Registration:  
Make checks payable to UAB-SRC:

UAB Speech and Hearing Clinic
Spain Rehabilitation Center R104
1717 6th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35249-7219

Location for  the October 1 event: 
TIRR Memorial Hermann
1333 Moursund Street
Houston, TX 77030
2nd Floor - Research Conference Center

 Whole Person Recovery  - Tip of the Month

We're offering a new feature - "Whole Person Recovery - Tip of the Month", covering ideas for your whole person recovery.  This edition's Whole Person Recovery Tip of the Month relates to stress  and mindfulness.     

According to a  recent study,  stress can change the neural circuits in your brain, creating a cycle of more stress. The  study,  from a research team at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and published in the journal PLOS ONE, showed that "work-related stress can have severe neurological consequences including exhaustion, detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness. "

A 2015 article - "Mindfulness and Beyond"said that "the scientific study of meditation has taught us a great deal about the mind, brain and well-being, but there's still much to learn. Researchers know the inputs and are beginning to comprehend the outputs, but the mechanisms - what's going on at a neuroscientific level in the moment - to improve well-being and relieve suffering are just beginning to be understood."

At aphasiatoolbox®, we recognize the impact of stress on our clients;  we have discussed  aphasia stress in  recent  newsletters, and we've incorporated mindfulness in our aphasia treatment:  See our  video:   https://youtu.be/ISaIkOmDcMk
   
These are links to FREE  mindful  awareness programs and guided meditations:

UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center - Free Guided Meditations

Palouse Mindfulness - free eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction class (MBSR)

The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness - Guided Audio Files to Practice Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Aphasia News and Events

Maintaining a healthy diet and following a regular regimen of physical and mental exercise can delay age-related cognitive decline, neuroscience experts said during a panel discussion 15 June at AAAS headquarters.

According to a new study, people with impulsive aggression have a weakened connection between areas of the brain associated with language processing, social interaction and sensory input.

3.  The Evolution of Complex Connectivity in Speech Networks
Defining the underlying anatomical structure of complex brain functions, such as speech, is vital in improving our knowledge of how the human brain works. Gaining a clear picture of how cortical and sub-cortical networks differ between species is of particular importance in determining how complex human brain networks might have evolved.


The recent ability to peer into the brain of living individuals with a rare type of language dementia, primary progressive aphasia (PPA), provides important new insights into the beginning stages of this disease - which results in language loss - when it is caused by a buildup of a toxic protein found in Alzheimer's disease.

5.  Predicting language deficits after stroke with connectome-based imaging
Loss or impairment of the ability to speak is one of the most feared complications of stroke--one faced by about 20% of stroke patients. Language, as one of the most complex functions of the brain, is not seated in a single brain region but involves connections between many regions.


6. Jacksonville's Brooks Rehab opens first area center for patients with aphasia speech disorder
Each word spoken is a victory at Brooks Rehabilitation's newly opened Aphasia Center in Jacksonville, Northeast Florida's first dedicated center for the treatment of aphasia in adults.


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