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In this episode, we talk about social isolation after Aphasia and the importance of a social circle in recovery.

Angie discusses the difficulty with maintaining friendships after a stroke and gives advice on how simple gestures like a phone call or movie invitation can help a person feel supported.

Dr. Seles breaks down the components of social functioning related to social support, social network, social participation, and social roles. This episode validates the need for practitioners to target the social aspects of recovery with language.

Angie shares the differences between social support and social network and how social participation has been most important for her recovery. Listen as she shares which social role has been the most challenging.

www.aphasiaadvocates.com for Brain Friends Merch

https://www.cognitiverecoverylab.com/seles

https://aphasia.org/stories/announcing-the-davetrina-seles-gadson-health-equity-grant-program/

Our beloved colleague, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, passed away January 11, 2025. Dr. Gadson was an extraordinary speech-language pathologist and neuroscience researcher who devoted her energy to studying health disparities in aphasia recovery. She was a fierce advocate for improving services for individuals with aphasia, particularly Black Americans. Her research transformed our understanding of these health disparities and shed light on how we can address them. We were privileged to have Dr. Gadson as a cherished member of our lab community for four years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as an Instructor of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was still a close collaborator and friend to many of us at the time of her passing. Dr. Gadson was an incredible person—compassionate, inspiring, and full of life. Her dedication to advancing equity in aphasia recovery and her profound impact on our community will never be forgotten. We are committed to honoring her memory by continuing to push our field forward and fight for equitable services for all people with aphasia.