Graduate students help aphasia sufferers learn to communicate
(Published Friday, February 2, 2007 11:47:44 PM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Carla McCann Gazette staff
WHITEWATER-When Tom Linskens and Richard Nowakowski are with friends at UW-Whitewater, they aren't self-conscious about having to search for words to communicate.
And if the words remain illusive, that's OK, too.
Within this circle of friends, communicating doesn't necessarily mean talk. Sometimes a gesture is enough.
"They can be themselves, here," said Tom's wife, Sharon.
That's because each of the seven suffers from aphasia, or the inability to communicate.
The disorder is the result of damage to the language centers in the brain commonly caused from a stroke or a traumatic injury.
Tom, 78, and Richard, 53, suffered strokes.
Richard Nowakowski, left, receives speech therapy from UW-Whitewater student Melanie Tavera. Nowakowski suffered a stroke and now he has aphasia, or the inability to communicate. Besides helping with speech, the therapy sessions and support group also give Nowakowski a boost of confidence.
Al Hoch/Gazette Staff
On Thursdays, they and the five other members of the group attend speech and language therapy offered by speech pathology graduate students on campus.
The Aphasia Group and Individual Treatment Pro gram was designed by professor Roxanne DePaul of the communications sciences and disorders department to help train graduate students to become speech pathologists.
The program also is a partnership with Fort HealthCare, Fort Atkinson, which is donating space for the monthly Aphasia Support Group meetings at its Highway 12 clinic.
The Aphasia Group program is designed for a limited number of clients, whose insurance will no longer cover their treatments. In addition to helping clients regain the ability to communicate, the program serves as a social outing for its members.
"It's a great opportunity to get out of the house and meet other people with similar problems," DePaul said.
"They help each other without words," said Liz Krueger, one of the students involved with the program.
When one of the men arrived late for a meeting, he was greeted with smiles from everyone, Krueger said.
"They were pleased to see him, and his face lit up," Krueger said.
As a child, Krueger lost her voice for a while. It was the time spent with a speech pathologist that directed her path, she said.
"I always thought I'd like to work with kids, but now, after working with adults, I'm not sure," Krueger said.
For Tom, of East Troy, the group meetings and individual treatments have meant the world.
"He loves it here," Sharon said. "All of the therapists are so understanding. And they all have such enthusiasm."
It's taken Tom some time to accept his condition. Before suffering a stroke in 2001, he was outgoing and friendly, Sharon said.
Now, he sometimes wants to withdraw because he feels that people judge him, Sharon said.
"That doesn't happen here, though," Sharon said.
It pleases her that Tom finds acceptance and comfort within the group.
"He still enjoys life, plants a big garden every spring and is very self-reliant," Sharon said.
He plays the harmonica and within the chords he finds a new voice, Sharon said.
"He says 'My harmonica is my voice now,'" Sharon said.
For Richard, of Mukwonago, being a member of the group has helped him accept what has happened.
"Before the stroke, he was such a social person," said his wife, Patricia. "He could start a party just by his laughter alone."
Richard, who used to be a mailman, also was an avid sportsman. He loved pool, baseball and fishing. Now, he can't cast a fishing pole with his right hand.
His lifestyle changed over night, Patricia said.
"He can write, think and read," Patricia said. "He just can't say it."
Richard's recovery has reached a plateau, but he's ready to make the best of it, Patricia said.
"We have a wonderful support system among family and friends," Patricia said.
The couple has a 27-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter, who dotes on her father.
"She brings him library books and uses flash cards to teach him math," Patricia said.
But it's the aphasia group that has helped restore his self-confidence, Patricia said.
By all standards, the aphasia group is a success.
"We want to help them re-enter normal life," Patricia said. "Then to address issues of quality of life and redefine their lives."
