Proven Approaches to Help You Communicate, Reconnect, and
Thrive After Aphasia
Proven Approaches to Help You or
Your Loved One Communicate,
Reconnect and Thrive After Aphasia
What is Aphasia?
67.8% of People Have Heard the Term Aphasia
But most don’t know what it means or how it affects lives. At LIFE Speech Pathology®, we simplify the complex and guide you toward real communication.
40% of People Can Correctly Identify Aphasia as a Language Disorder
This means 60% don’t fully understand its impact. That’s why we’re here—to provide clarity and solutions that fit your needs.
24.1% believe speech issues imply intellectual challenges
We know aphasia doesn’t affect intelligence. Our therapy focuses on restoring your ability to express yourself, so you can confidently reconnect with the world.
The Mission of LIFE Speech Pathology®
Hear from Genevieve
At LIFE Speech Pathology®, we believe you deserve to be seen, heard, and understood. Whether you're navigating aphasia after a stroke or coping with the communication challenges of Parkinson’s Disease, we’re here to help you reconnect with the people and activities that matter most.
You don’t have to live on the sidelines. Communication difficulties shouldn’t stop you from living a full, meaningful life.
How Aphasia Impacts Life
Aphasia affects more than just speech—it changes how you interact with the world. You might face challenges like:
⦿ Struggling to understand or respond in conversations with family and friends.
⦿ Feeling isolated or unable to participate in the community—whether it’s at the grocery store, during doctor’s visits, or on the phone.
⦿ Difficulty organizing your thoughts, writing grocery lists, or managing daily tasks like scheduling appointments.
These challenges can feel overwhelming, but with the right support, progress is possible.
Our Approach
We start by listening to you. Your therapy is guided by:
⦿ Your Strengths: What you CAN do, and how we can build on it.
⦿ Your Goals: What matters most to you, whether it’s reconnecting with loved ones, returning to work, or navigating everyday tasks with confidence.
⦿ Your Family: Communication is a shared experience, and we include your family in the process to create a supportive environment.
With personalized therapy, we empower you to reclaim the life you love—one word, one connection, and one step at a time.
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Whole Person + Whole Family Treatment
We recognize that aphasia transcends its medical definition, profoundly impacting individuals and their families. It's a journey that reshapes communication, relationships, and self-identity.
Personalized Treatment for Every Phase of Life
Young Adult
After a stroke or neurological diagnosis, young adults often face unique challenges, from pursuing education or a new job to navigating relationships. Our tailored therapy addresses your social, emotional, and cognitive needs, focusing on your goals and guiding you through this transitional stage.
Career
Aphasia during your career can disrupt work and confidence. We help you rebuild communication skills for professional success through job-specific vocabulary, practical strategies, and personalized plans that support your reintegration into the workplace.
Retirement
Retirement is a time to enjoy life, but health challenges can impact daily interactions. We provide personalized support to help you organize trips, manage tasks, and maintain independence, empowering you to make the most of this phase.
The Spectrum of Aphasia
Fluent vs. Non-Fluent Aphasia
Aphasia is a language disorder caused by brain damage from events such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumors, infections, or neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. It can affect communication in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, with symptoms varying widely from person to person.
These categories—fluent and non-fluent aphasia—are general terms used to describe strengths and challenges in language. You may identify with characteristics of one subtype but, with treatment and progress, shift into a different category. For example, while individuals with non-fluent aphasia often remain within that category, language abilities can significantly improve over time.
We share this information because you may have heard a specific term used to describe your symptoms. However, at LIFE Speech Pathology®, we always start by understanding your strengths, goals, and what matters most to you. From there, we design a personalized therapy program tailored to your unique needs.
FLUENT APHASIA
Fluent aphasia is characterized by smooth, flowing speech that may lack meaning or clarity.
Common features include:
⦿ Using made-up words or irrelevant language in speech.
⦿ Difficulty understanding spoken or written language.
Types of Fluent Aphasia
➡️ Wernicke's Aphasia: Speech flows easily but often lacks meaning, making it difficult for others to understand.
➡️ Transcortical Sensory Aphasia: The ability to repeat words and phrases is preserved, but understanding language is impaired.
➡️ Conduction Aphasia: Good comprehension and production of language, but difficulty repeating words or phrases.
➡️ Anomic Aphasia: Persistent difficulty in recalling names of everyday objects or specific words.
Your Path to Progress
With therapy, we focus on your strengths and goals, building a program that helps you communicate confidently and meaningfully in daily life.
Explore More About Fluent Aphasia
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NON-FLUENT APHASIA
Non-fluent aphasia is characterized by effortful, halting speech and difficulty forming complete sentences. While communication can be a challenge, individuals often retain stronger comprehension skills.
Common features include:
⦿ Speaking in short phrases or single words rather than full sentences.
⦿ Difficulty producing the correct words, even when the thought is clear.
⦿ Relatively good ability to understand spoken and written language.
Types of Non-Fluent Aphasia
➡️ Broca's Aphasia: Speech is slow and laborious, with effort focused on producing words, but comprehension is often intact.
➡️ Transcortical Motor Aphasia: Individuals have difficulty initiating speech but can often repeat phrases and sentences.
➡️ Global Aphasia: Severe impairment across all areas of communication—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—but with the potential for progress through targeted therapy.
How We Help
Each person's journey with aphasia is unique. At LIFE Speech Pathology®, we tailor therapy to your strengths, goals, and personal communication needs. Even with non-fluent aphasia, progress is possible, and we’re here to help you rediscover your voice and confidence.
Explore More About Fluent Aphasia
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PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE APHASIA
Primary Progressive Aphasia is a neurodegenerative condition that progressively impairs language skills. While it begins with communication challenges, it can evolve to include broader cognitive difficulties.
Key Features of PPA
⦿ Progressive Loss of Language Abilities: Initially focused on speaking, understanding, reading, or writing.
⦿ Speech Characteristics: Often broken, halted, or effortful, depending on the subtype.
⦿ Impact Over Time: Language difficulties may extend to daily tasks and personal connections, but targeted therapy can help maintain communication for as long as possible.
Subtypes of PPA
➡️ Nonfluent/Agrammatic Variant: Difficulty forming sentences with halting and effortful speech; grammar is often impaired.
➡️ Semantic Variant: Loss of word meaning, leading to fluent but empty or nonsensical speech.
➡️ Logopenic Variant: Challenges in word retrieval and sentence formation, but grammar and comprehension remain relatively intact.
Our Approach to PPA Therapy
At LIFE Speech Pathology®, we focus on understanding your unique strengths and goals.
Therapy for PPA includes:
⦿ Preserving communication abilities for as long as possible.
⦿ Adapting to changes over time with strategies for everyday interactions.
⦿ Empowering individuals and families to navigate the progression with confidence and support.
Learn More About PPA
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Treatment Beyond Aphasia
APRAXIA & DYSARTHRIA
Apraxia affects the brain’s ability to plan and sequence speech movements, making it difficult to speak even when one knows what to say, and it often accompanies aphasia adding challenges to clear and coordinated communication.
Dysarthria is caused by muscle weakness, leading to slurred or strained speech and difficulty being understood.
Why It Matters
These disorders can disrupt everyday interactions and confidence, but targeted therapy can improve clarity and control.
Our Approach
We focus on helping you regain natural and confident speech through techniques that strengthen motor planning and coordination.
COGNITIVE-COMMUNICATION
Effective communication requires more than just language—it depends on cognitive skills like attention, memory, executive function, and problem-solving. Neurological conditions such as stroke, brain tumors, and head injury often impact these, even if they aren’t immediately visible.
Why It Matters
Improving cognitive-communication skills is essential for achieving meaningful language progress. These abilities support clear thinking, organizing ideas, and engaging in conversations.
Our Approach
To strengthen overall communication, we integrate cognitive-communication goals into every therapy plan, addressing attention, working memory, and executive function.
NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Our therapy supports individuals with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) and Parkinson’s Disease, addressing their unique communication challenges with care and expertise.
PPA is a condition that first affects communication, so building on strengths and providing continuous support throughout the progression is essential.
Parkinson’s Disease often impacts the ability to be heard and understood, while other challenges may arise that affect daily communication.
Our Approach
As experts in communication, we tailor therapy plans to address these unique challenges, helping you stay connected and confident in your interactions.
Language is Complex
Language is more than just words—it's a complex process involving thoughts, meaning, and intention.
Breakdowns can occur at any stage, but our expertise helps identify and improve these challenges.
Thought — concept — meaning — intention — words — word order — intonation — articulation = MESSAGE
Language can break down at any of these junctures, and it’s our job to figure it out and improve it!
Online Telepractice Treatment
Go Online with Us on Zoom!
Easy and Secure Online Sessions
Dive into your aphasia treatment sessions via Zoom, our chosen platform for all appointments. It's safe, follows HIPAA guidelines, and works perfectly on computers and iPads.
Why Zoom?
More Choices, Customized Care
Zoom isn't just about convenience; it's about connecting you with the best aphasia rehab experts, no matter where you are. Don't limit your options to the local clinic down the street. Zoom lets you choose your specialist, ensuring you get customized treatment tailored to your needs. It's all about having choices and receiving the best possible care.
Interactive and Engaging
Zoom's interactive tools, like typing, drawing, and highlighting on a virtual whiteboard, make our sessions lively and engaging. Plus, it's great for any internet speed, ensuring everyone, everywhere, can join without hassle.
Keep Learning Between Sessions
With Zoom, we can save our whiteboard work right into your file for easy review. This means you can keep practicing and building on what we learn together, session after session.
Join us on Zoom for a seamless and engaging telepractice experience in aphasia treatment. Let's make progress together, no matter where you are!
Meeting You Where You Are
LIFE Speech Pathology®
LIFE Aphasia Academy®
Whole Person + Whole Family Treatment Online
Aphasia Communication Partner Coaching
Listen for LIFE Aphasia Podcast
LIFE Aphasia Collective
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
QUESTION: What makes your treatment different than what I received during home health and outpatient treatment at the local hospital?
At our center, we empower our clients to take control of their rehabilitation journey by harnessing the power of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's remarkable ability to heal itself. Our focus is on strengthening the fundamental skills necessary for effective communication, and we tailor our approach to meet each client at their current stage of recovery. Our primary aim is to help you achieve your communication goals, and we possess the specialized expertise needed to analyze your unique situation and develop a personalized, step-by-step plan to help you reach your life goals
QUESTION: What is mindfulness and how is it used in therapy?
Mindfulness refers to consciously attending to thoughts without placing any judgments upon them. We train our clients to think first, say what they are thinking, reflect, and then make calm repairs, if necessary. Mindfulness combats aphasia stress which is detrimental to rebuilding neural pathways in the brain.
QUESTION: Why do you see clients online via telepractice and not in person?
Online, telepractice delivery allows us to reach a greater number of clients with chronic aphasia without the limitations of a physical location. We have delivered innovative treatment over telepractice since 2014 before telepractice was mainstream due to the public health emergency. Our clients continued to receive communication treatment they would not have realized without the internet and our ability to deliver a comprehensive, quality speech and language program. Clients receive their therapy, regardless of their location, or ours. We see clients across the USA and abroad.
QUESTION: My husband was discharged from outpatient therapy. The speech pathologist said he reached a plateau. Can he still make improvements?
Absolutely! WE DON'T BELIEVE IN PLATEAUS! Working with chronic aphasia, defined as six months after the stroke, requires a specialized therapeutic toolbox and speech pathology mindset and approach. Chronic aphasia treatment requires a Whole Person + Whole Family approach. We utilize innovative, mindful, neuroplastic philosophies, methodologies, and treatment techniques to achieve patient-centered communication goals. Utilizing out-of-the-therapeutic box thinking + motivated clients = successful communication.
QUESTION: What happens if my loved one gets admitted to the hospital? Can you still see him for therapy?
No, LIFE Speech Pathology cannot see your loved one in the hospital. We provide only outpatient services, under Medicare Part B. If your loved one is admitted to the hospital, those services will be covered under Medicare Part A.
Our services can be reestablished via a reevaluation AFTER your loved one is discharged from the hospital.
QUESTION: How will I know when to stop therapy?
Are you still making progress? You call the shots! Some clients work to reach a couple of specific goals and others choose to continue regular sessions in our wellness program. Some choose to take a break from therapy or shift their treatment to group opportunities where their communication is supported, as needed, by the speech pathologist.
We are clinicians who work out-of-the-box. Your treatment can be adjusted for time, intensity, and tasks. Our clients continue to work with us because they believe in and see the progress they make in their communication. We work with you to meet your goals, whatever that may look like to you.
QUESTION: What are the options if Medicare no longer pays for the treatment? Can I pay privately for therapy? How much does treatment cost?
Many of our clients choose to continue treatment to work on higher-level communication goals that exceed what is referred to as ‘medically necessary’ by Medicare. For those clients who want to keep working, we offer an individualized Communication Wellness program to meet your communication goals. In general, the cost is based on the session length of time and frequency per week. Group treatment is also available for the carryover of learned techniques.
QUESTION: What if I want to have speech therapy by LIFE but I want to do pool therapy with my physical therapist who is at a different outpatient clinic?
Under Original Medicare Part B, speech-language pathology and physical therapy ‘share’ the same pot of therapeutic money. We can definitely see you for speech pathology services, reimbursed by Medicare for services that are medically necessary.
Overall, both our clinic and the physical therapy clinic will have to monitor for benefits utilized and actively monitor for claims reimbursement. Often, once the allowed therapeutic amount of money has been utilized for the year, many of our clients transition to our Communication Wellness program to continue working towards their speech-language-communication goals.
I TALK TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER
“Telepractice therapy has been a great opportunity for my dad to continue his speech therapy. He was unsatisfied with his speech when he was discharged from outpatient therapy 4 months ago. Genevieve is so compassionate. She has helped him focus on the quality of his speech, make eye contact, and think first before speaking.
He has progressed so much and can now talk on the phone to his granddaughter, who is away at college. We are so grateful to work with LIFE Speech Pathology.”
- OP, Daughter
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