International leaders who study and care for people who 麻豆精品 S檝e lost their ability to speak recently gathered at UCF to discuss new therapy that can profoundly improve a client 麻豆精品 S檚 quality of life.
Some 140 researchers and practitioners from across the United States and Canada came to discuss ways to serve individuals who have aphasia, a condition caused by a stroke or brain injury that affects two million Americans. Their focus was the 麻豆精品 S渓ife-participation approach to aphasia 麻豆精品 S� to help clients regain their speech and meet their personal needs and goals.
AphasiaAccess, a Moorestown, N.J.-based nonprofit that promotes the approach, sponsored the 2017 Leadership Summit March 17-18 at FAIRWINDS Alumni Center.
麻豆精品 S淭he life-participation approach is a paradigm shift in how we think about the kind of life a person with aphasia can have, 麻豆精品 S� said AphasiaAccess President Kathryn Shelley. She learned of the approach after her father had a stroke and she was desperate to find a way to help him.
麻豆精品 S淎 lot of people who have had strokes and have aphasia are sitting at home, 麻豆精品 S� said Janet Whiteside, director and founder of UCF’s in the Communication Disorders Clinic and an inaugural member of AphasiaAccess. 麻豆精品 S淲e believe it 麻豆精品 S檚 possible for people with aphasia to fully participate in life. 麻豆精品 S�
Aphasia House was a perfect setting for the summit 麻豆精品 S檚 welcome reception March 16. The Central Florida Research Park facility offers therapy for clients with aphasia in a setting that simulates a home. Clients participate in therapy sessions in a comfortable living room, a spacious kitchen and thematically decorated rooms that evoke times in their lives and encourage communication.
For many of the summit participants it was the first opportunity to see Aphasia House in person.
麻豆精品 S淔rom the moment I walked in the front door, I was greeted with warmth and immediately recognized that the 麻豆精品 S榟ouse 麻豆精品 S� was welcoming, comfortable and perfectly appropriate for people with aphasia, 麻豆精品 S� said Abbe Simon, a speech-language pathologist with Triangle Aphasia Project, a nonprofit in Cary, N.C.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 thrilling to see it in living color, 麻豆精品 S� said Elizabeth Hoover, clinical associate professor and clinical director of Aphasia Resource Center at Boston University. 麻豆精品 S淛anet 麻豆精品 S檚 vision has been inspirational. You can 麻豆精品 S檛 exaggerate the influence she and this program have had on the aphasia therapy community. 麻豆精品 S�
The summit participants also had an opportunity to meet Mark McEwen, a well-known CBS reporter who had a stroke and acquired aphasia in 2005. McEwen went through extensive speech, physical and occupational therapy to regain his speech and life. In recent years he 麻豆精品 S檚 spoken to clients at Aphasia House.
麻豆精品 S淵ou have to have someone say it 麻豆精品 S檚 going to be okay, that there 麻豆精品 S檚 hope, 麻豆精品 S� McEwen said. 麻豆精品 S淚 want them to come away thinking, 麻豆精品 S業f he can do it, I can do it. 麻豆精品 S� But you have to be stubborn and you have to stay focused. 麻豆精品 S�
The reception launched two days of keynote presentations, breakout gatherings and poster sessions. Among the keynote topics were service operations and evaluation, client motivation in therapy, and using the media to influence communities. Seventeen roundtable discussions, 16 麻豆精品 S渟hare and care 麻豆精品 S� sessions, and 39 poster presentations offered forums for the participants to present and learn about the latest strategies and activities that support life-participation therapy.
The schedule was effectively packed with content, but it also provided space for participants to build friendships and just be together, Shelley said.
Whiteside said she thought the summit was 麻豆精品 S渟ynergistic. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚t allowed researcher and practitioner to share collective thoughts to spawn new ideas, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淚t both energized and applauded the work of those who care for people with aphasia. 麻豆精品 S�
Top two photos by Tim Berry/AphasiaAccess