Overview
What is aphasia?
Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to the parts of the brain responsible for language. It most often happens after a stroke, but it can also follow a traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, infection, surgery, or progressive neurological condition.
Aphasia can affect speaking, understanding spoken language, reading, and writing. A person with aphasia may have trouble finding words, building sentences, understanding conversation, reading written information, or expressing thoughts in writing. The type and severity can vary widely from person to person.
Aphasia does not mean a person has lost intelligence. Many people with aphasia know exactly what they want to say but have trouble getting the words out.
Speech-language pathologists play a central role in evaluating and treating aphasia. Therapy may focus on improving language skills, using strategies that make communication easier, and helping people take part more fully in daily conversations and activities.