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Understanding Aphasia: A Deep Dive into the Hidden Disability

In this episode of the 'On the Tip of My Tongue' podcast, hosts Rob Edwards and Jonathan Hirons discuss aphasia, a little-known yet common condition affecting language and communication due to brain injury. They chat with Barbara Chalk, a retired speech and language therapist and trustee of the charity Say Aphasia, to explore why aphasia is under-recognized, the various challenges it poses, and the support structures available for those affected. Barbara shares insights on the nuances of the condition, its impact on self-esteem, and the importance of long-term support and community for rehabilitation and coping.

00:00 Introduction to Aphasia
00:15 Meet the Hosts and Guest
00:32 Understanding Aphasia
02:00 Challenges of Living with Aphasia
05:21 Misconceptions and Public Perception
07:49 Therapy and Rehabilitation
13:08 Long-term Support and Say Aphasia
14:01 Personal Experiences and Coping Strategies
15:08 Funding and NHS Challenges
17:20 Research and Future Directions
32:04 Conclusion and Resources
33:10 Preview of Next Episode

APHASIA

"A lot of people's experience of aphasia is that nobody knows what it is and it's a hidden disability. Not being recognised as having something seriously wrong with you is incredibly frustrating"

"Is there something, is this an insightful way to kind of talk about aphasia? Is there something inherent in the condition itself, being something to do with the voice rather than the body"

ABOUT SAY APHASIA

"The joy of it is it's run by people with aphasia. Now, you know, a lot of people with aphasia are quite young, working age, and if they can't go back to work, they're kind of, all their peers, all their friends will be working and they'll sit at home going feel so hopeless, I can't do anything."


BARBARA CHALK
Trustee of Say Aphasia - https://www.sayaphasia.org

Barbara is a retired NHS speech and language therapist who specialised with adults with aphasia and other neurological conditions.

Barbara has also worked as a personnel manager for a local business and is a director of an established online book business.

She founded and was Chair of the charity, Living with Aphasia, in Exeter which joined forces with Say Aphasia in 2022.

She believes in the positive impact the charity has on people living with aphasia.

She will support their dedicated team to sustain their strong and successful future

To watch Jonathan’s film: https://tipofmytonguefilm.com

https://sayaphasia.org
http://x.com/buffaloloungeuk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhirons/

The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia website

http://aphasiatavistocktrust.org

Support the show

To watch Jonathan’s film: https://tipofmytonguefilm.com

http://x.com/buffaloloungeuk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhirons/

The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia website

http://aphasiatavistocktrust.org