Losing Language: When Words Won’t Work

Be sure to watch the media below to prepare for the discussion! Join us for this month’s topic where we learn about and discuss aphasia, a language disorder most commonly caused by stroke, moderated by our group member Kirsti! Imagine waking up and knowing exactly what you want to say, but the words won’t come out right. You reach for cup and say clock. You understand everyone around you, but your own sentences dissolve before they reach your lips. Your intelligence, your memories, your personality are all intact. But language, the tool you’ve used every single day of your life, has suddenly stopped working the way it should.

5min: TedEd, Aphasia: https://youtu.be/-GsVhbmecJA

1hr: Sensorimotor impairments, podcast from the American Stroke Association
https://www.stroke.org/en/professionals/stroke-resource-library/adult-stroke-rehabilitation-and-recovery-audiocast-series/sensorimotor-impairments
Podcast Transcript: https://www.stroke.org/-/media/Stroke-Files/2018-Rehab-Guideline-Podcasts/Neila-Donovan-Transcript-5-b.pdf?sc_lang=en

2min, Fluent Aphasia https://youtu.be/3oef68YabD0
4min: Broca’s Aphasia https://youtu.be/JWC-cVQmEmY
7min: Living with primary progressive aphasia https://youtu.be/peWdyQzaC70

Aphasia Simulator: See what it can feel like to go through this neurological condition!
https://vohadmin.github.io/Aphasia_Sim/index.html

Important notes for all attendees:

1st and most important:
Welcome and thank you for joining us at our MeetUp!

2nd. Do the homework!
This event is a group discussion about the media and is not a group listen party. Be sure to have listened to/read the materials BEFORE joining us. It will help you stay in the loop!

3rd. Food & Beverage
Wine, beer and Topo Chico are available at the bar! Meals are not served at Winehaus but sometimes charcuterie boards are available. You are welcome to bring your dinner or order delivery from a local business and eat during the discussion!

4th. A typical meetup looks like this:
We start with an icebreaker question and introductions around the table, often with gentil banter about the icebreaker or uproarious laughter (hey, it happens!), then the organizer throws out questions to incite conversation!

Note: We do our best to stay on topic and ensure everyone is able to share, but we recognize there are times when great contributions may not make it into the discussion. If you have something you really want to say and need an outlet to do so, please join our Discord server and participate virtually as well as in person! Click here to Join FWWSS on Discord.

5th. No one is obligated for any length of time. Sometimes the discussion ends around 8:00 and sometimes we talk past 9:00.