How long can a person progress after a stroke?

At the St. Vincent's Aphasia Group the other night, someone asked, "How long can someone make progress after a stroke?" Cynthia, one of the participants, said that about a year after her stroke, she was told that she would not make any more progress. She added, "I hope I never hear that again." She said that it is now 14 years since her stroke, and her language and ability to communicate are still improving.

This is the most important thing that I have learned from aphasia self-help groups. People can keep on getting better, many years after the stroke. Any doctor or speech language pathologist who says otherwise is simply ignorant. Many health care professionals do not track people many years post stroke, and therefore are not aware of the continuing potential for progress.

One woman I met at a National Aphasia Association conference told me that she made the most progress in the 6th year after her stroke. Another man said that, 20 years after his stroke, he feels that he no longer has aphasia. A client of mine just started initiating speech three years after his stroke.

The one thing that all these people had in common was continuing to speak, to try to talk. It is important to spend a lot of time talking. It does not have to be high level conversation - just greeting people and making simple conversation keep the speech areas of the brain stimulated. The ideal situation is a job that involves constant interaction with the public, even if it is on a basic level. That means 8 hours of practice a day, and even getting paid for it!

Yes, recovery from aphasia does take intense effort. But for those who like to talk, it is also pleasurable effort. Roger Bannister was crippled as a child. By constant running, he strengthened his legs. Ultimately, he became the first man to run the 4 minute mile. The human brain is incredible in its ability to recover and reorganize!