Comments for Steps Forward Therapy http://stepstherapy.net Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:11:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on The aphasia therapy “plateau” by dr.lbtobin@gmail.com http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/the-aphasia-therapy-plateau/#comment-783 dr.lbtobin@gmail.com Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:11:13 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=552#comment-783 Test post Test post

]]> Comment on The aphasia therapy “plateau” by David http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/the-aphasia-therapy-plateau/#comment-124 David Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:51:02 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=552#comment-124 Hello. My wife has suffered 6 strokes in the last 16 days. Four strokes she had in the hospital while asleep. The doctors are thinking vasculitis. Is there a specialist in this nation that devotes his/her time to only this type of stroke? My wife is 45 years old. I am having a very difficult time finding any type of support for us. It seems that all the research monies go to cancer and heart disease research and may GOD bless them all for that but my heavens, we stroke victims need help too. Please help in any way that you can. Thank you and may GOD bless you. Hello. My wife has suffered 6 strokes in the last 16 days. Four strokes she had in the hospital while asleep. The doctors are thinking vasculitis. Is there a specialist in this nation that devotes his/her time to only this type of stroke? My wife is 45 years old. I am having a very difficult time finding any type of support for us. It seems that all the research monies go to cancer and heart disease research and may GOD bless them all for that but my heavens, we stroke victims need help too. Please help in any way that you can. Thank you and may GOD bless you.

]]> Comment on The aphasia therapy “plateau” by Laurie-Jo http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/the-aphasia-therapy-plateau/#comment-121 Laurie-Jo Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:12:51 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=552#comment-121 I am a 46 year old female that was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia and Apraxia. I have a Ph.D., had a successful private practice. I've gone from there to not being able to get simple words out, understand t.v., and I have seizures. It seems that every thing I read on these disorders is different. I am on SSI~which is humiliating. My family has not been supportive, in fact they have been more destructive. I am not sure who to trust other than my partner and my neurologist. Has anyone else had their family just drop them into a "home" when you were pretty high functioning? I am a 46 year old female that was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia and Apraxia. I have a Ph.D., had a successful private practice. I’ve gone from there to not being able to get simple words out, understand t.v., and I have seizures. It seems that every thing I read on these disorders is different. I am on SSI~which is humiliating. My family has not been supportive, in fact they have been more destructive. I am not sure who to trust other than my partner and my neurologist. Has anyone else had their family just drop them into a “home” when you were pretty high functioning?

]]> Comment on The aphasia therapy “plateau” by Gail Weissman MS,MA CCC-SLP http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/the-aphasia-therapy-plateau/#comment-120 Gail Weissman MS,MA CCC-SLP Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:55:00 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=552#comment-120 Has your neurologist mentioned Primary Progressive Aphasia? If not, ask him/her about it. Has your neurologist mentioned Primary Progressive Aphasia? If not, ask him/her about it.

]]> Comment on The aphasia therapy “plateau” by reid http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/the-aphasia-therapy-plateau/#comment-118 reid Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:32:33 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=552#comment-118 Clarissa, You understand that being affected by loving (and maybe being a caregiver of) someone struggling with aphasia is frustrating, discouraging, scary, and so simply hard. It is difficult to remember, but remind yourself whenever you can that this man is still inside there! On the plateau topic, after my stroke a year and a half ago I am still making noticable aphasia progress. About at the six months mark, I remember feeling there is a good chance that I will just have to deal the aphasia eventually. At this point, I believe that it might take years, but I will eventually feel what I would call fully recovered. Clarissa,
You understand that being affected by loving (and maybe being a caregiver of) someone struggling with aphasia is frustrating, discouraging, scary, and so simply hard. It is difficult to remember, but remind yourself whenever you can that this man is still inside there!

On the plateau topic, after my stroke a year and a half ago I am still making noticable aphasia progress. About at the six months mark, I remember feeling there is a good chance that I will just have to deal the aphasia eventually. At this point, I believe that it might take years, but I will eventually feel what I would call fully recovered.

]]> Comment on Social Isolation in Aphasia by Louis De La Foret http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/social-isolation-in-aphasia/#comment-115 Louis De La Foret Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:45:44 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=503#comment-115 I have aphasia after a stroke which is doubly devastating for a televison newscaster and writer. A year later I'm writing my blog of my experience which you may be interested in. I'm in England, but I'm American. Cheers I have aphasia after a stroke which is doubly devastating for a televison newscaster and writer. A year later I’m writing my blog of my experience which you may be interested in. I’m in England, but I’m American.

Cheers

]]> Comment on The aphasia therapy “plateau” by Marion Leaman, SLP http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/the-aphasia-therapy-plateau/#comment-88 Marion Leaman, SLP Thu, 12 May 2011 01:49:00 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=552#comment-88 Hello Clarissa -- I am a Speech Pathologist in Connecticut specializing in aphasia rehabilitation, especially over the long-term. I want to let you know about several programs that may help your husband, especially as he has perhaps now run out of therapy. UCONN (Storrs) and Southern Ct. State University both have in-house low-cost clinics providing ongoing therapy for speech and language recovery. The therapy is provided by graduate students in Speech Language Pathology with supervisors who are certified Speech Language Pathologists. I happen to be one of those supervisors at Southern. Lastly, I have a practice down in Westport, The TalkSpot where I provide similar programming, also at a low-cost, despite being a private practice. I hope that you and your husband will seek out one of these programs. You can reach me at Marion@TheTalkSpotCenter.com. Good luck -- Marion Hello Clarissa — I am a Speech Pathologist in Connecticut specializing in aphasia rehabilitation, especially over the long-term. I want to let you know about several programs that may help your husband, especially as he has perhaps now run out of therapy. UCONN (Storrs) and Southern Ct. State University both have in-house low-cost clinics providing ongoing therapy for speech and language recovery. The therapy is provided by graduate students in Speech Language Pathology with supervisors who are certified Speech Language Pathologists. I happen to be one of those supervisors at Southern. Lastly, I have a practice down in Westport, The TalkSpot where I provide similar programming, also at a low-cost, despite being a private practice. I hope that you and your husband will seek out one of these programs. You can reach me at Marion@TheTalkSpotCenter.com. Good luck — Marion

]]> Comment on Social Isolation in Aphasia by Online Therapy http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/social-isolation-in-aphasia/#comment-87 Online Therapy Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:13:01 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=503#comment-87 What are the success rates for curing Aphasia with online therapy? What are the success rates for curing Aphasia with online therapy?

]]> Comment on The aphasia therapy “plateau” by clarissa http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/the-aphasia-therapy-plateau/#comment-81 clarissa Sat, 26 Mar 2011 04:35:28 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/wordpress/?p=552#comment-81 We were told by our nuerologist at UConn that my husband does not have altzimers,and hasn't had a stroke. He is in speech therapy now, with a few sessions left. They say he has non fluent aphasia. He has some spots on his mri on the left side. He has 3 doctors degrees, and is a minister. He was always an excellant reader an anounceator, with almost a photographic memory. Now he just can't think of the words when speaking, and reads like a 6th grader. I want help for him so badly. He is 72 years old in excellent health and goes to the gymn every week. All of the doctors are impressed with his physical strength. We have always taken a lot of vitamins. I wish he could have stem cell treatment. I want my wonderful husband back. We were told by our nuerologist at UConn that my husband does not have altzimers,and hasn’t had a stroke. He is in speech therapy now, with a few sessions left. They say he has non fluent aphasia. He has some spots on his mri on the left side. He has 3 doctors degrees, and is a minister. He was always an excellant reader an anounceator, with almost a photographic memory. Now he just can’t think of the words when speaking, and reads like a 6th grader. I want help for him so badly. He is 72 years old in excellent health and goes to the gymn every week. All of the doctors are impressed with his physical strength. We have always taken a lot of vitamins. I wish he could have stem cell treatment. I want my wonderful husband back.

]]> Comment on Aphasia support by dr.lbtobin@gmail.com http://stepstherapy.net/2010/10/aphasia-support/#comment-79 dr.lbtobin@gmail.com Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:51:39 +0000 http://stepstherapy.net/?p=653#comment-79 Thanks for your post! This is somewhat typical for any outpatient therapy unfortunately. Due to insurance regulations and limitations, there are limitations to how long Medicare or other insurances will pay for therapy. However, most insurance companies want to see that the patient is making progress. The therapy must be considered "medically necessary" by the insurance company, so that even though you and I know that your wife is having communication difficulties, insurance doesn't consider most of that medically necessary. Therapists are under pressure to cut off therapy and may not know how to keep making progress with their patients. Our philosophy is that there is no plateau and that you should keep changing your approach if you've done all you can do at one thing. Your therapy provider cannot offer you private therapy because they would have to accept the Medicare per the contract. Additionally, if the therapist feels that your wife has hit a plateau, he/she wouldn't think to offer you more therapy because "there's nothing more they can do". I would definitely find someone who will provide private therapy. Look into the resources as well at the National Aphasia Association at www.aphasia.org, they are many lower cost options to continue making progress. Additionally, another therapy services provider may go ahead and use your Medicare to continue her therapy. You can continue to use your Medicare until you've used up your yearly benefits. Please feel free to call me if you need more assistance at 727-823-2529 or email me at dr.lbtobin@gmail.com Thanks for your post! This is somewhat typical for any outpatient therapy unfortunately. Due to insurance regulations and limitations, there are limitations to how long Medicare or other insurances will pay for therapy. However, most insurance companies want to see that the patient is making progress. The therapy must be considered “medically necessary” by the insurance company, so that even though you and I know that your wife is having communication difficulties, insurance doesn’t consider most of that medically necessary. Therapists are under pressure to cut off therapy and may not know how to keep making progress with their patients. Our philosophy is that there is no plateau and that you should keep changing your approach if you’ve done all you can do at one thing. Your therapy provider cannot offer you private therapy because they would have to accept the Medicare per the contract. Additionally, if the therapist feels that your wife has hit a plateau, he/she wouldn’t think to offer you more therapy because “there’s nothing more they can do”. I would definitely find someone who will provide private therapy. Look into the resources as well at the National Aphasia Association at http://www.aphasia.org, they are many lower cost options to continue making progress. Additionally, another therapy services provider may go ahead and use your Medicare to continue her therapy. You can continue to use your Medicare until you’ve used up your yearly benefits. Please feel free to call me if you need more assistance at 727-823-2529 or email me at dr.lbtobin@gmail.com

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