Rise Speech Therapy

02/17/2026

📲 Save this. Share this. Teach with this.

Explaining aphasia to people who don't get it? Exhausting. 🥱

"No, my intelligence is fine."

"No, I don't need you to talk louder."

We made this graphic so you don't have to keep explaining. 💙

How to use it:

👉 Tap the image

👉 Save to your phone

👉 Share with anyone who needs to understand

Show your family.

Text it to friends.

Share this to your own timeline. ➡️

ARC envisions a world where:

✓ People with aphasia are included

✓ Others understand aphasia

✓ Communication "ramps" help everyone feel safe, connected, and understood

Free. Easy. Shareable.

We are ARC. ❤️
We are Family.

Will YOU help raise aphasia awareness?

Together, we can end the isolation of aphasia through education and inclusion—for everyone, not just some.

01/20/2026

It’s tempting to feel reassured when a swallow study shows no aspiration, but swallowing safety is more complex than a single outcome variable.

✔️ Absence of aspiration does not equal normal swallowing.

Airway safety exists on a continuum, and patients may demonstrate clinically significant impairment even when material does not pass below the vocal folds.

Here’s why:

👉Pe*******on still matters.
Repeated or deep laryngeal pe*******on is associated with increased aspiration risk, especially when clearance is incomplete or inconsistent. Pe*******on events may precede aspiration as swallowing function declines.

👉Residue increases post-swallow aspiration risk.
Pharyngeal residue can migrate into the airway after the swallow, particularly with changes in posture, respiration, or fatigue. A PAS score alone does not capture this risk.

👉Frequency and pattern are critical. A single “clean” swallow does not reflect real-world eating. Intermittent airway invasion, fatigue effects, and variability across trials are key components of swallowing safety.

👉 Safety ≠ efficiency. A swallow can be “safe” in the moment yet inefficient, requiring compensations, repeated swallows, or excessive residue, all of which impact nutrition, hydration, and long-term pulmonary risk.

🔎 This is why instrumental interpretation must extend beyond “aspirated vs. did not aspirate.”

Comprehensive analysis includes airway invasion pattern, residue severity, timing, clearance, and physiologic impairment.

Swallowing is not binary.
And neither is safety.

01/06/2026

The Scarborough Stroke Support Group usually meets on the first Thursday of each month, but due to the holiday, this group will meet on Thursday, January 8. More info below!

12/28/2025

Executive Function Challenges + Ways to Help

12/05/2025

12/04/2025

Need some help with December-themed whole-class lessons? These ideas will help you with planning co-teaching or push-in sessions for Christmas and other festive themes for the month!

Check it out here: https://thedabblingspeechie.com/2023/12/special-ed-lesson-plans/

11/24/2025

11/24/2025

10/09/2025

10/09/2025

What is aphasia? 🧠

Aphasia affects how we communicate. It can change:
• Speaking
• Understanding
• Reading
• Writing

It happens when the brain gets hurt. Usually from stroke or brain injury. No two are alike.

💙 Important: Aphasia does not affect how smart you are.

Your thoughts are still there. Your intelligence is still there. Sometimes the words just don't come out the way you want.

You are still YOU.

Want to learn more?
Visit ARC's website:
https://aphasiarecoveryconnection.org

08/30/2025

There's a NEW stroke support group starting in Scarborough next week!

08/24/2025

Take the next step toward your blue horizon. Apply for free at go.umaine.edu/apply/ .

Classes begin September 2.