Just A.S.K. 7th Annual Aphasia Conference – June 2025

Turning the Page on Aphasia: A Conference on Reading, Recovery, and Renewal

DATES: Saturdays, June 7, 14, 21, and 28 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am EST (a Zoom event)

This free webinar series is organized & funded by JustASK Aphasia, Stroke, Knowledge, a non-profit organization established in 2019 to provide individuals, caregivers, and stakeholders a way to connect, support, and share resources. You can quickly register for this conference here: Just ASK Aphasia Registration.

This conference is dedicated to exploring the challenges and opportunities of reading with aphasia, providing practical tools, expert insights, and inspiring stories of resilience. Featuring guest speakers covering a range of topics—including reading strategies, assistive technology, navigating legal documents and planning, and reclaiming your personal narrative—this event empowers individuals with aphasia, their families, and professionals to turn the page toward greater independence and confidence. The conference will include 4 sessions dedicated to different topics, each running virtually from 9am – 11am ET every Saturday in the month of June.
 

If you are a RISHA or MSHA member and would like to earn ASHA CEUs for this event, please ALSO register here. Up to 0.8 ASHA CEUs are available for those who attend all 4 sessions of the event. Participants may earn partial credit of .2 ASHA CEUs for each individual session. Note: you must be registered with the ASHA CE Registry in order to earn and track ASHA CEU’s. If you are not a RISHA member, consider joining us today!  

Schedule of Presentations:

June 7: Discovering the Next Chapter through Technology

Presenters:

  • Brooke Lang is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist who works in the Pittsburgh area, specializing in the treatment of aphasia and apraxia of speech. Previously, she worked at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System providing intensive therapy through the PIRATE program as well as working as a part-time research assistant. She now provides speech therapy services through her private practice, Intensive Reconnective Aphasia Therapy, and co-hosts the monthly “Technology and Supports for Aphasia” group through the National Aphasia Association.
  • Bryn Bowles is an aneurysm survivor and aphasia advocate.  Previously working as a critical care nurse in Anchorage, Alaska, she experienced an AVM while out jogging that resulted in hemiplegia, aphasia, and apraxia of speech. Dedicating her time on her recovery and helping others, Bryn has embraced her new role as an aphasia advocate as she hosts several online groups, is a Peer Ally through the National Aphasia Synergy peer befriending program, and co-hosts the “Technology and Supports for Aphasia” group through the National Aphasia Association with Brooke. Bryn creates and shares videos about technology, tips, and all things aphasia hosted at “Bryn’s Corner” through Intensive Reconnective Aphasia Therapy.

Presentation Overview:

In this session, Bryn will share about her personal experience living with aphasia and apraxia of speech and demonstrate ways to use technology to support daily tasks and functional communication. Bryn and Brooke will highlight various accessibility tools and applications to show the many options available and how to personalize them to best fit personal needs. This session is designed for people with aphasia to learn about new tools they can directly apply to improve their independence with functional reading and writing activities.

Time Ordered Agenda:

9:00-9:10 Introduction to the topic and presenters

9:10-10:45 Presentation

10:45-11:00 Questions/Answers and further resources

Disclosures:

The presenters have no financial or non-financial disclosures to make.  

June 14: How Technology Can Help with Reading

Presenter:

  • Sarah E. Wallace, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA-Fellow, is a Professor within the Department of Communication Science & Disorders in the School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the Director of the Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology and leads the Communication and Cognition Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Wallace is an ASHA-Fellow and renowned in her research dedicated to reading supports for people with aphasia.

Presentation Overview:

In this session, Sarah will discuss how aphasia impacts reading and what we know about treatment for reading with aphasia, as well how to modify functional, real-life materials to make them easier or more accessible for people with aphasia to read and comprehend with provided examples. She will also share about current research related to technology and reading and present key information for both persons with aphasia and their care partners.

Time Ordered Agenda:

9:00-9:10 Introduction to the topic and presenters

9:10-10:45 Presentation

10:45-11:00 Questions/Answers and further resources

Disclosures:

The presenter has no financial or non-financial disclosures to make.  

June 21: Understanding Estate Planning & Probate

Presenter:

  • Christine D’Orsi Fitta, Esq. is a licensed attorney for the Sheehan & Associates Law firm. She is licensed in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island and specializes in providing personalized, expertise services and ongoing support for creating and managing estate planning.
     

Presentation Overview:

In this session, Christine will guide a discussion about the importance of estate planning and probate. She will guide the process of creating and managing an estate plan as it relates to care giving and future plans for a loved one with aphasia, including topics such as wills & trusts, power of attorney, guardianship, medical directives, probate and more. This session is ideal for caregivers and families of loved one’s with aphasia.

Time Ordered Agenda:

9:00-9:10 Introduction to the topic and presenters

9:10-10:45 Presentation

10:45-11:00 Questions/Answers and further resources

Disclosures:

The presentes has no financial or non-financial disclosures to make.  

June 28: Turning to a New Page with Aphasia: Finding Power in My Story

Presenters:

  • Katie Strong, PhD, CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor at Central Michigan University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders where she leads the Strong Story Lab. Her research explores how identity changes after having aphasia as she trains clinicians to support their clients with aphasia in exploring and sharing their stories. She is a Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar and facilitates several groups through Virtual Connections for Aphasia and the Lansing Area Aphasia Support Group.
  • Bruce Farrell, MS, was a former Proposal and Presentation Guru at Plante & Moran and Board Member for the national Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP). He is a traumatic brain injury survivor living with aphasia and talking about it! Bruce is a talented musician and continues to be a presentation expert, as he continues to be the guest speaker for various settings including talks for graduate students within Speech Pathology Masters programs to headlining at this year’s APMP annual conference. Bruce chooses to share his story of the struggle he experienced after his bike accident and the hope of healing and recovery.
  • Coleman Watson, Esq. is a licensed attorney and stroke survivor. While specializing in intellectual property, patents, trademarks, and technology issues, Coleman also has broad experience defending civil rights of prisoners pro bono. During his recovery, he set a mission to meet others living with aphasia and to share about his personal experience, leading to his creation of his documentary, păh. Since finishing his film, he has returned to work as an attorney, leading advocacy efforts for personal accommodations and communication rights as he works within the courtroom.

Presentation Overview:

In this session, Dr. Katie Strong will lead a discussion about how to reconstruct identity through storytelling as she invites powerful storytellers Bruce and Coleman to share about their personal experiences living with aphasia. Bruce and Coleman will offer their insight and expertise about the struggles and highlights of their journey with aphasia and how they have changed and maintained their identities.

Time Ordered Agenda:

1:00-1:10 Introduction to the topic and presenters

1:10-2:45 Presentation

2:45-3:00 Questions/Answers and further resources

Disclosures:

The presenters have no financial or non-financial disclosures to make.  

Conference Learner Outcomes:

As a result of this conference, attendees will be able to:
  1. Identify 3 technology supports for improving independence with reading and/or writing for persons with aphasia.  Conference attendees will be able to apply these technology tools to modify functional reading tasks they encounter in their daily lives in order to make their environment and written communication more accessible.
  2. Describe 3 important aspects of estate planning for a loved one living with aphasia and summarize concepts such as power of attorney and guardianship.
  3. Explain the power of storytelling as a method of healing and renegotiating identity after a stroke or brain injury.

 

 

This course is offered for 0.8 ASHA CEUs. (Intermediate level, Professional area)