More Stories 23 Return to Main Menu New CHP program aimed at aphasic adults by Chris West Public Relations Chatting is an action we take part in everyday, but most of us take it for granted. For the six stroke survivors who participate in the new CHAT Program, it is an opportunity to speak and be heard. Aphasia is more common than Parkinson s disease, affecting more than one million American adults, but is less known about and understood. CHAT s presence in Charleston is particularly important considering the Lowcountry is in the heart of the stroke belt region. Strokes can leave patients socially isolated by robbing them of their mobility and independence, said Gail Pashek, Ph.D., CHAT program director.
Aphasia furthers their isolation by limiting their ability to communicate with friends and family.
While aphasia primarily affects stroke survivors, it can also arise from trauma to the head, brain tumors or certain types of infection. Aphasia attacks communication skills in many different ways. Some forms affect the ability to produce recognizable words for things patients see around them. Some understand no written or spoken language at all. Others may have very mild effects that simply make the ability to complete sentences harder or may render the patient s speech delayed or halting.