Background

Aphasia (also known as dysphasia) is a disorder of language where the intellect remains intact but the person loses the ability to use and understand language

This means that not only speech but also the ability to read or write may be lost or seriously impaired. People with aphasia often have difficulty understanding what others say, even though their hearing and thought processes are intact

Aphasia happens when a stroke or head injury occurs in the language centre of the brain and it is usually associated with the paralysis of the right side of the body.

Aphasia suffers from a very low national profile. There is a lack of understanding about the condition and its devastating effects on everyday life

Aphasia can affect all means of communication resulting in difficulties with:

Understanding what others say
Understanding written words/letters
Finding grammatical phrases or sentences
Reading and writing
Understanding numbers and hence problems with money and time

What is it like to have Aphasia?

It's a bit like being in a foreign country and only being able to speak a little bit of the language.
People with Aphasia have the same needs and ideas which, like us, they wish to express but they can find it difficult.
They may not be able to keep up with the speed of conversations. Sometimes they say the wrong sound or word. Sometimes the grammar isn't correct.

Background | Facts and Statistics | Health and Social Care

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