作为俄亥俄州克利夫兰诊所的语言病理学家，Michelle Fritzevaluates中风患者soon after they’re admitted to the hospital for urgent care.
“我们知道有一些大脑恢复受伤后立即，如果您可以在此后立即添加治疗，那就是您会看到大部分收益。”弗里茨说。
在这种急性护理的环境中，言语病理学家可以评估中风患者将单词放在一起并表达自己的能力。他们可以评估一个人回答问题，识别对象，进行对话并执行命令的能力。
所有中风中约有三分之一导致失语症，但国家失语症协会（NAA）估计that about 8 out of 10 people have never heard of this disability.
Although the condition affects everyone differently, in general, aphasia inhibits a person’s ability to speak. It can also impair speech comprehension, reading, writing, gesturing, and use of numbers. People with aphasia do maintain their intelligence.
“One of the problems they often face is that everyone looks at them as if they are mentally challenged, because when they speak only three words may come out, saysCarol Persad, PhD，主任密歇根大学失语症计划（UMAP）在安阿伯。那对人来说是毁灭性的。”
People with aphasia are the same as they were before their strokes, trying to express themselves in spite of disability. Although aphasia has no cure, individuals can improve over time, especially through speech therapy.
The Different Types of Aphasia
失语症可以以不同的方式出现，注意NAA. With Broca’s aphasia, damage to frontal regions of the brain make it difficult to form full sentences, and patients may leave out words. For example, theNational Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) notesthat a person with Broca’s may say “walk dog” when he or she means “I'll take the dog for a walk.”
Anothertype of aphasia被称为韦尼克（Wernicke）的失语症，使人们说出可能包括废话的句子。沃尼克（Wernicke）区域损坏的人可能会指叉子是“ gleebie”，根据美国中风协会.
全球失语症可能更加极端，从而在口语和理解中造成沟通障碍。
Starting the Recovery Process
After determining initial deficits, speech therapists begin coaching patients in pronouncing basic word sounds and teaching them ways to communicate nonverbally — pointing to pictures or words, for example.
Although good progress can be made in the months after a stroke, Dr. Persad stresses that it is possible for people to make advances even years after their episode.
通常，恢复沟通能力需要一对一的重复疗法。
Persad说：“科学数据表明，您可以重复和强烈地做某事，从语言的角度来看，您将看到更改。”
Therapists also work with patients on exercises to make basic sounds again. They often present images to patients and ask them to verbalize what they see.
Persad说：“有很多重复要尝试在单词和图片之间建立关联。”
患者可能会更轻松地找到与椅子这样的简单物体匹配的单词，而诸如“ on”，“ in”和“之间”之类的单词可能更难处理，因为这些单词不会触发混凝土图像。
在many ways, the process can be similar to learning a foreign language. In his book无情：大规模中风如何改变我的生活，现已退休的全球金融主管泰德·W·巴克斯特（Ted W.通过各种疗法，巴克斯特恢复了演讲，现在在加利福尼亚州奥兰治县的医院，大学和卫生机构中提供了他作为中风幸存者的专业知识。
Speech therapists rely on an assortment of techniques to revive speaking skills. Music, for example, has proved to be an effective means for people to remember words. Some aphasia patients can barely speak but they can sing entire songs.
小组经验的好处
Because language is all about communication with others, therapy often includes group sessions with other stroke patients. These individuals face similar challenges, and group sessions give them the opportunity to support each other.
“If one patient has a strong skill in one area and another has a strong skill in a different area, they can help each other,” says Fritz.
失语症患者希望在生活中恢复尽可能多的正常状态，并进行典型的日常活动。Persad和她的同事们与她的失语症团体一起练习阅读菜单和订购。患者致力于一起吃饭并订购食物的目标。
“It sounds like a little thing, but it’s a大事情，”她说。“每个人都在同一条船上。我们很开心。它可以帮助人们意识到他们可以再次发挥作用，过着生活，不必整天坐在沙发上。”
如果您所在地区没有小组会议，那么中风的人可能会在线寻找支持俱乐部或自己形成自己的支持俱乐部。他们还可以考虑参加其他类型的活动，例如读书俱乐部或艺术课，参加体育赛事或去农贸市场旅行。这些经验可以提高信心和自尊心。
Getting Family and Friends Involved
虽然专业的言语疗法是康复的重要组成部分，但朋友和家人可以发挥支持性的治愈作用。言语治疗师通常鼓励他们参加会议，以了解他们如何更好地担任护理人员并改善沟通。
但是，请记住花时间在会议之间放松和充电也很重要。
她说：“我看过人们对自己的家人如此激励，他们只希望他们不停地工作。”“有时候，当我看到患者终结的挫败感时。您需要平衡。”
Finding a way to communicate this frustration or any other difficulties is key for recuperation, adds Fritz. Patients may use a card or signal to alert a therapist, family member, or friend that they are tired, frustrated, or having difficulty.
转向技术工具和其他进步以帮助恢复
智能手机，平板电脑和其他电子产品可以为失语症患者提供更好的沟通和练习他们的口语技能的方法。
许多移动设备都采用语音生成技术，使用户可以通过电子声音表达自己。与proloquo2go应用程序, individuals press symbols and images to produce spoken words.
其他应用程序可以帮助患有失语症的人们在其小工具上输入他们的问题，答复和陈述。其中一些应用程序包括：
弗里茨说：“这些应用程序即使治疗师不与他们在一起，也可以让患者进行治疗。”
在包括密歇根大学在内的一些医疗机构中，医疗保健专业人员正在转向远程医疗通过其计算机屏幕进行一对一的会话。
“患者可以回家，我们可以每周继续治疗，” Persad说。
在先前的研究，科学家探索了无创的大脑刺激，以此作为提高语言能力的一种手段。根据约翰·霍普金斯医学，经颅直流电流刺激被认为是实验性的，但是这种无创技术已显示出有望帮助中风患者的运动功能。
Persad说：“以这种方式刺激大脑的部分可以改善恢复。”“这个想法是给神经元额外推动。”
For many aphasia patients, the康复之路有时可能会灰心，但是变得更好的几率很大。
弗里茨说：“我当然看到患者的进步胜于改善。”“这可能需要您的努力，但可以变得更好；它可以变得更容易。”
Additional reporting by阿什利·韦尔奇（Ashley Welch）.
