by Bonnie Soman, D.A., CCC-SLP
In September, the Hy Weinberg Center for Communication Disorders (Adelphi University’s Speech and Hearing Center) started a program for individuals with aphasia at our Hauppauge Center. The Center now offers a weekly communication group run by graduate students in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders under the supervision of Dr. Bonnie Soman, clinic director and licensed speech-language pathologist. This is the first group of its kind in Suffolk County.
Aphasia is a communication disorder resulting from some type of brain injury. Oral communication (speaking and understanding of language), as well as written language (reading and writing) may be affected. Although most typically caused by stroke, aphasia may result from traumatic brain injury or brain tumor. Although more common in older adults, aphasia may occur in individuals of any age. Each year, more than 100,000 people in the United States acquire aphasia.
There are three goals in running our aphasia group:
- Therapeutic – to assist participants in communicating with one another, as well as with the clinicians;
- Support – to offer the support of others who have had similar experiences;
- Social – to provide the opportunity and the assistance so that participants can interact with one another in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.
Aphasia affects not only the individual who acquires this disorder but family members as well. Serving as a caregiver may interfere with work and other family responsibilities. The caregiver often neglects his/her own needs to care for the person with aphasia. To address this, the Hy Weinberg Center in Hauppauge is running a weekly support group for family members.
Enrollment is ongoing. For information, contact Dr. Bonnie Soman:
- (tel) 516-877-4845
- (email) soman@adelphi.edu
Dr. Bonnie Soman is a speech-language pathologist and Director of the Hy Weinberg Center for Communication Disorders on campus. Her work involves supervising students as they engage in clinical practice coursework. She has worked with clients across the lifespan, but has a particular interest in working with adults with communication problems and their families.
