I decided to be an SLP my junior year in high school. During my senior year of high school my 5ft 0inch wonderful grandmother had a stroke which left her with severe aphasia. During my freshman year of college I was told that my grandmother “punched” a CNA in the nose and broke it because…
Teaching a graduate course in aphasia as a professor in speech-language pathology, , I am always looking for creative ways to help my students understand the impact that aphasia has not only on the individual with this communication disorder, but also on family, friends and the community. I always assign group projects in this course…
Had one speech patient that could not get words out in a fluent manner but one day he broke through when asked if he was comfortable, he said “I’ll punch you in the mouth”, with a smile on his face. I told him it was wonderful he was talking fluently but I hope he did…
October 14, 2013 was the last day I had a clear conversation with my mother, Lillian. The next day, my beautiful, competent, intelligent, still working as a bookkeeper-financial advisor, 80-yr old mom, already in the hospital for a mild infection, had a massive stroke in her left temporal / parietal portion of her brain. Her…
For the past year, I have been directing the music program at the Snyder Center for Aphasia Life Enhancement in Baltimore, Maryland. Using the members’ own words, I have written a song entitled “One Day at a Time” that reflects the determination and resilience of this inspiring group of people. Since February 2014, we have…