Aphasia and Stroke
Learn about the different types and effects of aphasia, tips for living with aphasia and more.
What is aphasia ?
Aphasia is a language disorder that affects your ability to communicate. It's most often caused by strokes in the left side of the brain that control speech and language.
People with aphasia may struggle with communicating in daily activities at home, socially or at work. They may also feel isolated.
Aphasia doesn't affect intelligence. Stroke survivors remain mentally alert, even though their speech may be jumbled, fragmented or hard to understand.
Let’s Talk about Stroke and Communication Resources
- Let's talk about Stroke Interacting with Stroke Survivors (PDF)
- Let's Talk About Stroke and Aphasia (PDF)
- Hablemos sobre ataques cerebrales y afasia (PDF)
- Communication Challenges After a Stroke Brochure
- Aphasia Communicating Through Barriers
- Afasia: Cómo traspasar las barreras de comunicación infografía (PDF)
- Aphasia: Be in the Know
- Mantente informado infografía (PDF)
- Tips for Socializing with Aphasia
Maximizing Communication and Independence
Losing the ability to communicate can be stressful. But treatments and strategies can help stroke survivors.
Communication and Swallowing Resources
This site includes resources to help you understand communication and communication disorders, as well as a professional referral service for access to qualified care.
The National Aphasia Association (NAA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes public education, research, rehabilitation and support services to assist people with aphasia and their families.
Support Network
Want to share recovery and rehabilitation experiences with other survivors? Find reassurance or offer your own words of wisdom on the American Heart / American Stroke Association's Support Network.