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Writer's pictureCheryl

10 things I wish everyone knew about stroke, aphasia and apraxia of speech

Today is day 10 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Here are 10 things I wish everyone knew about stroke and the resulting aphasia and apraxia of speech:


  1. stroke can happen at any age. It is not an old people disease. Even babies can have a stroke.

  2. You can experience a stroke from a routine surgery. For ordinary surgeries there is a 1-3% chance of stroke.

  3. 1/3 of those who survive a stroke experience aphasia

  4. aphasia is most often caused by a traumatic injury (stroke, brain injury)

  5. aphasia can impact all aspects of communication - speaking, reading, writing and understanding

  6. word finding is one challenge that occurs with aphasia and it feels more frustrating than “having a senior moment”

  7. having aphasia and apraxia can affect all aspects of self esteem (self confidence, Feeling of security, identity, sense of belonging, feeling of competence)

  8. Having a stroke, or having a communication disorder can impact mental health

  9. when speaking with a person with aphasia, speak clearly and in a normal tone and voice; give them time to process the information and time to respond

  10. when listening to a person with apraxia or aphasia please be patient; allow the person to take time to think about what to say, how to form the words correctly and say it completely.

There is so much more to share. Please read my other blog posts or subscribe to follow my story.





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2 Comments


Pamela Schmidlin
Pamela Schmidlin
Aug 10, 2021

I kinda wish doctors knew as much about it as you. Sorry, with my experience with doctors I am biased against them......I was the 2/3 of the people who suffered a stroke without experiencing aphasia. Are there different levels of aphasia? I think I can answer this with a YES, but I need to ask to be sure.what is the difference if any between aphasia and apraxia of speech? Not to sound too ignorant on the subject!

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Cheryl Tondreau
Cheryl Tondreau
Aug 10, 2021
Replying to

Thank you. I’m so sorry that you had a stroke too. I hope you have recovered well. Yes, there are different levels of aphasia from mild to severe. Even mild can give you many challenges. I tend to agree with you about doctors and stroke in general. The surgeon and my cardiologist should have been more worried about the likelihood of having a stroke.

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