Princeton, New Jersey (January 7, 2011). Lingraphica, maker of the Lingraphica® speech-generating device for aphasia, announces the release of four new SmallTalk apps on the Apple App store.

Designed for people with aphasia, an impairment in the ability to use language, these apps provide a vocabulary of pictures that talk in a natural human voice.

Our New SmallTalk Apps:

SmallTalk Conversational Phrases: words and phrases commonly used in conversations, such as greetings, responses, requests, and statements about well-being.
SmallTalk Daily Activities: words and phrases related to the activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and leisure.
SmallTalk Pain Scale: pain descriptions and images from the Wong-Baker FACES pain scale.
SmallTalk Intensive Care: words and phrases patients can use to communicate with medical providers in the ICU.
The Rest of the SmallTalk Family:

Other Lingraphica apps available on the Apple App store are SmallTalk Aphasia Female; SmallTalk Aphasia Male; SmallTalk Dysphagia; SmallTalk Oral Motor Exercises; SmallTalk Phonemes; SmallTalk Consonant Blends; SmallTalk Common Phrases; SmallTalk Days, Months, Dates; and SmallTalk Letters, Numbers, Colors.

Lingraphica’s chief executive officer, Andrew Gomory, is delighted to be offering additional SmallTalk apps for use on the iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad. “These SmallTalk apps provide affordable communication solutions,” said Mr. Gomory. “We are pleased to be able to offer our growing family of apps to aid people with their day to day activities.”

Lingraphica-The Aphasia Company™ is the leading provider of speech-generating devices for people whose ability to speak or understand words has been impaired by a stroke or brain injury. With the Lingraphica they can communicate with picture icons that speak words and phrases in a natural human voice, or they can practice speech using videos and language exercises. The Lingraphica is Medicare reimbursable. It is available for a no-obligation trial. For more information call 888-APHASIA (888-274-2742) or visit www.lingraphica.com

Resources and Education for Stroke Caregivers’ Understanding and Empowerment, or RESCUE for short, is a lifeline to help caregivers “keep their head above water.” Stroke onset is very sudden and new caregivers are not always prepared for this new role. The caregiver may be overwhelmed and feel like the person who needs to be rescued. The RESCUE website provides stroke caregivers with information and resources to help them better care for their loved one. The website also gives caregivers information to help them take care of themselves. There are 44 easy-to-read “fact sheets” about stroke and stroke caregiving on this website. They can be downloaded and printed. The 44 fact sheets will be available in Spanish soon. Read More .

NJ Aphasia Study Commission Bill Passed
Dear Friends,

We are pleased to announce on behalf of our friends in New Jersey that the Bill to form an Aphasia Study Commission has been signed by Governor Chris Christie. We hope that this will encourage all of you in other states to push for similar legislation. If you are interested and would like some guidance, please let us know by replying to this email.

Below are comments by Karen Tucker from the Adler Aphasia Center in Maywood, NJ, who was instrumental in the passing of this Bill. Big thanks also goes out to the wonderful people at Kean University’s Institute for Adults Living with Communication Disabilities for partnering with the folks at Adler Aphasia Center to help push along this legislation.

Dear Friends & Supporters,

I am very excited to report that the bill to establish an Aphasia Study Commission in NJ was signed by Governor Christie on Thursday, 1/6/2011.. The bill was sponsored by Senators Weinberg & Allen and Assembly people Huttle, Johnson, Wagner, Voss and Diegnan. It is the first such commission in the nation and is an important first step in helping to improve the quality of life for New Jerseyans living with aphasia.

I want to thank all of you who took the time to write a letter in support of the bill. Your voices were heard and acknowledged by this signing. We know how prevalent and under-recognized aphasia is in our community….in our nation….again- a significant step toward raising awareness about aphasia.

The bill provides for a 12 person commission of professionals and consumers to look at the prevalence of aphasia in NJ, the needs of people with aphasia and is charged with making recommendations to meet those needs. Once the commission is appointed, they have one year to complete their study. I will keep you posted on their progress and share the report with you once it is published.

Thank you again for your continued support as we bring aphasia out of the shadows and into the public forum so that the 1,000,000 Americans and their families that live with condition can live with dignity, understanding and a full and richer life.

With sincere thanks and gratitude,

Karen

Karen Tucker, Executive Director
Adler Aphasia Center

The NAA would like to share information about this precedent setting case in MA. We are proud to have been involved from the onset and invited to sign on as an “Amicae Curiae” in the amicus brief filed by the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) in the McDonough appeal.

An “amicus brief” is a document filed in a case by someone who is not a party to the case but is interested in the outcome. National organizations sometimes file an amicus brief in a case that has the potentially of having an impact on other persons who are similarly situated to one of the parties to the case. It is an opportunity to inform the court about broad policy issues that it might consider in deciding the case.

This case involves a crime victim who was denied an opportunity to have the crime prosecuted due to a communication disability that the court failed to accommodate. Other crime victims with communication disabilities in Massachusetts might be affected by the result in this case, and more broadly courts in other states might be influenced by the outcome. Given the potentially broad impact that this case might have on other crime victims with communication issues, an amicus brief is an important vehicle for informing the court about reasonable accommodations that courts can provide which make it possible for individuals to testify despite their disabilities.

Through the unwavering commitment of her attorney, Wendy J. Murphy, and the support of NAA friends including Jerry Kaplan and Paul and Judy Dane, Ms. McDonough has retained her rights. This has ensured that disabled crime victims are entitled to accommodations to ensure their equal access to Justice in criminal cases. In particular, this is a strong, positive step in advocacy for the more than 1 million Americans living with aphasia.

The NAA thanks all those involved especially Ms. Murphy and NAA President Emeritus, Alan Bandler.

Below is Ms. Murphy’s summary of the events of the case for your information:
Earlier this month, Ruby McDonough was in a Massachusetts court fighting for her rights as a crime victim with a disability. Ruby, who has aphasia, was sexually assaulted in 2009 by a male nurse’s aide at the nursing home where she has lived since suffering a stroke more than ten years ago.

As with many aphasic persons, Ruby has trouble communicating in narrative style. But she had no trouble telling her family, the staff and the police exactly what happened.

The man accused of violating Ruby was charged with sexually assaulting Ruby in early 2009. During pretrial proceedings his attorney asked that Ruby be subjected to a competency hearing. A court-appointed expert evaluated Ruby and found her to be mentally competent, though noted that she would need accommodations to help her communicate at trial, such as being allowed to answer in yes and no fashion, use gestures and images, and being allowed sufficient time to reply when more of a narrative was necessary.

The court did not allow ANY accommodations, and Ruby was made to testify at her own competency hearing without any help. Thus, when defense counsel asked things like “tell us what happened”, Ruby struggled. At one point, defense counsel stood between Ruby and the perpetrator and asked whether Ruby could “see” the man who abused her. Clearly use of the word “see” in such circumstances is unfair, and a fully abled person could simply have responded, “no, I can’t SEE him because you’re blocking my view” – but he is right there behind you”. Ruby knew the attorney was trying to trick her, so she became frustrated and emotional. The court ultimately found her not competent to testify.

This is when I became involved as Ruby’s private attorney. A lawyer from the Victims’ Rights Law Center had been assigned to represent Ruby at the competency hearing, but that attorney filed no pleadings, objected to nothing that occurred during the hearing and never once argued that Ruby’s rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act were being violated by the court’s refusal to afford Ruby any accommodations. Some advocacy groups as a matter of policy refuse to aggressively represent the interests of crime victims, which is why it is critically important for a victim to ask around and to get feedback before agreeing to utilize the legal services of certain “victims’ rights” groups.

I filed a special appeal for Ruby to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, arguing that Ruby’s rights under the ADA had been violated, and that the violation caused her to be illegally adjudicated incompetent. After a hard fought battle during which the prosecutor and defense both opposed our effort, we finally prevailed in August, 2010. The court not only ruled that Ruby’s rights had been violated, it established brand new rules to ensure that the rights of all disabled crime victims will be better protected. The landmark decision was a first of its kind court ruling and makes clear that persons with disabilities not only have a right to things like wheelchair ramps to ensure they get IN to the courthouse, they have a right to accommodations that will enable their “full and equal” testimonial and participatory rights as WITNESSES in criminal cases. Given that persons with disabilities are disproportionately victimized by criminal violence, in part because perpetrators anticipate they will not be held accountable – especially if the victim has a communication disability – this new court ruling means that many more victims will be allowed to testify and criminals will be better deterred from selecting vulnerable individuals to be their victims.

After announcing its new decision, the Supreme Judicial Court sent the case back to the trial court where Ruby’s rights had been violated. When we went back to the trial court in October, we expected the judge to rule that Ruby would now be allowed to testify, but instead the judge announced that Ruby would have no such opportunity because the perpetrator, an illegal immigrant, had been sent to Miami for immediate deportation. The judge also refused to simply reverse the illegal ruling that had labeled Ruby “incompetent”.

I decided to file another appeal to the state supreme court, after which we went back again to the trial judge in November, hoping that this time the perpetrator would be present so that Ruby could have her day in court.

To our delight, the perpetrator showed up, and the judge completely changed his attitude, finally acknowledging not only that Ruby was entitled to all sorts of accommodations, but also that she would indeed be allowed to testify at trial. The judge essentially ruled that because the basis for the earlier decision on competency had failed to recognize Ruby’s capacity to testify with accommodations, she had a right to take the stand at trial and utilize all reasonable accommodations to facilitate her communications as a witness against her assailant.

The trial date is now set for January 12, 2011.

Needless to say, Ruby is very excited that her dignity has been restored and her voice will be heard. Win or lose, Ruby’s strength and perseverance in this case have helped ensure equal justice for all persons with disabilities.

We are grateful that members of the aphasia community were in court with Ruby during the last two court hearings. We hope to see support for Ruby again on January 12.

The aphasia community has been extremely helpful in more ways than I can say in this brief summary.

Thank you – and Happy Holidays.

Wendy Murphy

The National Aphasia Association
Ellayne Ganzfried, Executive Director
Amy Coble, Info/Admin Coordinator

An article in Advance Magazine By Jason Mosheim

Widespread for centuries, music therapy took root in the United States in the 1950s. By the early 1970s, most of the work in music therapy on the east coast had been split into two categories: early childhood development-to address pre-educational skills in children with Down syndrome, autism and learning disabilities-and psychotherapy, to help patients deal with mental health issues.

Clinicians also tried to tap into the power of music for a third area: geriatric care. At the time, however, music simply was used to connect with individuals or help them pass the time. “There wasn’t any insight or understanding of how and why music was effective as a therapeutic tool,” said Concetta Tomaino, DA, MT-BC, executive director and co-founder of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) and senior vice president of Music Therapy at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services in the Bronx, NY.

She realized the power of music when she worked in a nursing home and received positive reactions to it from people with end-stage dementia who were catatonic or agitated. “When I played a specific song, not only did they respond but they recognized the sound as music, which told me that they still had the ability to cognitively process auditory information specifically related to familiar music,” she told ADVANCE.

This discovery led her on a journey parallel to that of other music therapists who were beginning to observe a much stronger connection between music and function that went beyond the psychotherapeutic aspects. “There was something specific about how the brain processed the music or how music gained access to parallel networks,” she said. “This was 30-something years ago, so nothing in the scientific literature even hinted at that.”

Advance Web .

An article posted in Stoke Connection Magazine, November 2010 under “Stroke Notes”. Subscribe

People who realize stroke symptoms are occuring in a family member or friend still might not call 9-1-1 –delaying vital treatment, according to research published in “Stroke: Journal of The American Heart Association”. Researchers from the Michigan Department of Community Health surveyed about 4,800 adjults in the state of assess whether they knew when to call for an ambulance when stroke symptoms were observed. They found that only 14 percent would dial 9-1-1 for three common stroke symptoms, and 37 percent reported that they would not call 9-1-1 for any of the stroke symptoms.

Participants were asked to report their first reactions to five hypothetical situations. Three situations – sudden slurred speech, sudden numbness on one side of the body or sudden blurry vision – were symptoms of a stroke. The other two were a high fever or an injured leg, which are not stroke symptoms. The survey didn’t include other stroke symptoms, such as sudden trouble walking or severe headache with no known cause.

Participants could respond that they would first “give medicine or first aid,” “call the doctor,” “take them to an emergency room,” “call 9-1-1”, “stay with them until they felt better” or “something else.” Calling 9-1-1 was deemed the only correct response.

The findings indicate a “disconnect” that could be improved with greater public awareness efforts focused on connecting the signs of a stroke with calling emergency medical services.

Researchers said people were unaware of the advantages of EMS transport. Calling 9-1-1 gets a person to the hospital fast and allows the paramedics to communicate with the hospital so staff is prepared. The earlier the treatment begins the greater the chances of recovering fro stroke. Time lost truly is brain lost.

CALL 9-1-1 at the first sign of stroke!

Hollywood seems set to make a movie based on an Indiana brain scientist’s memoir about suffering a stroke and her road to recovery.

Ron Howard plans to direct the filming on “My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey.” Read More .

The Voices of MossRehab Aphasia Center (VOMAC) is proud to present a screening of the award-winning film, Aphasia, on Friday, November 19th, 2010 in Philadelphia, PA. The screening will be from 4:00pm – 6:00pm at MossRehab at Tabor Road, Braemer Building, Gouley Auditorium, 5501 Old York Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19141. The cost is $15, which includes admission and a pre-screening reception. Seating is LIMITED, and MUST be paid for in advance. Please call Mary Detwiler at (215) 663-6344 to reserve your seat today.

Aphasia was written by Jim Gloster, a Charlotte, NC director, actor and writer. Gloster wanted to capture the story of his friend, actor Carl McIntyre who suffered a massive stroke in 2005 at just 44 years of age. As a result, McIntyre lives with aphasia, an acquired communication disorder that impairs a person’s ability to process language but does not affect intelligence.

Aphasia is a double dose of reality told in narrative form. Carl stars as himself and portrays his life story in a powerful and nuanced performance. Aphasia uses comedy and pathos to raise awareness about aphasia and provide hope and inspiration to anyone working to overcome obstacles in their lives. The film recounts McIntyre’s first person experience during the stroke, his recovery and his struggle with his inability to communicate.

For more information about the movie, visit aphasiathemovie.

Lingraphica adds 5 new apps to its SmallTalk family on the Apple App store

Princeton, New Jersey (September 28, 2010). Lingraphica, maker of the Lingraphica® speech-generating device for aphasia, announces the release of its five newest SmallTalk apps on the Apple App store at an introductory price of $0.99 each.

Designed for people with apraxia or autism, the new apps provide speech-exercise videos illustrating the tongue and lip movements required for different speech activities:

• SmallTalk Phonemes: Single phonemes;
• SmallTalk Consonant Blends: Single consonant blends;
• SmallTalk Common Phrases: Commonly used short phrases using everyday vocabulary;
• SmallTalk Days, Months, Dates: Words or phrases comprising a single concept related to time;
• SmallTalk Colors, Numbers, Letters: Single colors, numbers, and letters.

Each of these apps offer individual videos that allow users to focus on the sounds, words, and phrases most important to them. Other Lingraphica apps available on the Apple App store are SmallTalk Aphasia, SmallTalk Dysphagia, and SmallTalk Oral Motor Exercises.

Lois Jean Brady, speech-language pathologist at Pro-Active Speech in California, uses the SmallTalk apps successfully with autistic children. She observed, “I have recently had the opportunity to use SmallTalk apps, from Lingraphica, with my students on the spectrum (with and without apraxia). I was amazed at how ideal these apps are for students with autism. They are the perfect visual tool. Students with autism will imitate behaviors from a video more easily than from face-to-face instruction. Video modeling also gives the students the freedom to watch over and over again until the skill is mastered, leading to the acquisition of complex verbal skills. I would recommend the SmallTalk apps to anyone working with students on the spectrum.”

Lingraphica’s chief executive officer Andrew Gomory is excited to be offering a robust set of SmallTalk apps for use on the iPod touch, iPad, and iPhone. He said, “Together, the Lingraphica speech-generating device and the SmallTalk family of apps provide a comprehensive and portable system for stroke survivors.”

Lingraphica-The Aphasia Company™ is the leading provider of speech-generating devices for people whose ability to speak or understand words has been impaired by a stroke or brain injury. With the Lingraphica they can communicate with picture icons that speak words and phrases in a natural human voice, or they can practice speech using videos and language exercises. The Lingraphica is Medicare reimbursable. It is available for a no-obligation trial. For more information call 888-APHASIA (888-274-2742) or visit www.lingraphica.com

An article posted in Advance Magazine, September 20, 2010 edition, Vol. 20 • Issue 19 • Page 13

Researchers have developed a method to predict post-stroke recovery of language by measuring the initial severity of impairment. Being able to predict recovery has important implications for stroke survivors and their families as they plan for short- and long-term treatment needs.1

“These results indicate that if we know the extent of the initial impairment following stroke, we can predict with remarkable accuracy how patients will function 90 days later,” said Ronald Lazar, PhD, of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center. “We have established the first reliable metric of the current standard care for post-stroke language treatment and a standard against which future treatments can be compared.”

More than 1 million Americans have aphasia, and stroke is the most common cause, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. For many years it was thought that the combination of stroke size, patient age and education, and specific characteristics of language deficit were predictive of recovery, but no reliable metric had been established.

The recent study involved patients in the Performance and Recovery in Stroke (PARIS) database, which is based at the Neurological Institute of Columbia University Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian/Columbia.

Researchers used the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) to assess language function at 24 to 72 hours after stroke onset and then again at 90 days. Among patients with mild to moderate aphasia after acute stroke, recovery improved to about 70 percent of their maximum potential recovery as long as they received some aphasia therapy. Recovery was defined as the change in WAB score between baseline and 90 days. This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Read, email or print this article by clicking Here .