Reading
People with aphasia can have varying degrees of difficulty with reading, ranging from mild to severe. Some individuals may have trouble with reading comprehension, while others may struggle with recognizing individual words or letters. Reading is often more impaired than speaking or understanding spoken language.
Here is what I did to be able to read again. It took about 2-½ years. The bottom line … reading a book is still hard.
The big secret for me was technology. Interesting, my technologies are used by people with dyslexia!!!!!
Children’s Books
It took me about six months to read three children’s books. The books were fun, but trying to read them was painful.
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.
- Winnie the Pooh by A. A Milne.
- Andy Warhol. (This was a children’s book with a lot of pictures.)
Zoom Book Clubs
Aphasia Rehab Lab and the University of Connecticut
The Aphasia Book Club is designed to get you reading again and to then discuss what you read (and also your random experiences) in a friendly and supportive environment. It was a wonderful experience. (I read three books. Each book took about four months.)
aphasia-rehab.slhs.uconn.edu/aphasia-book-club
Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. Thursday Book Club
This Zoom group reads or listens (via audiobook) to 2 – 3 assigned chapters each week and meets on Thursday to discuss. Chapter summaries and a weekly worksheet are provided. These programs meet Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.
There is a charge for these groups. To learn more, call Erin Plaze at 312.238.8186.
Film Group
The Film Group on Zoom meets each Winter. A theme is chosen for the quarter, and a new film is discussed each week. Members can watch the films independently or together on Tuesday and then meet for the Thursday Group to discuss. (I totally loved this meeting!)
There is a charge for these groups. To learn more, call Erin Plaze at 312.238.8186.
Text to Speech (TTS)
Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology can be a valuable tool for some individuals with aphasia, a language disorder, aiding in reading comprehension and communication by presenting text in both written and spoken formats simultaneously. TTS can help compensate for language processing difficulties, potentially improving both reading speed and comprehension.
In my case, I cannot read unless I see and hear the text at the same time. If I have TTS, I can read email and Facebook.
To learn more: How Text-to-Speech aids reading for people with Aphasia
The Guilford Free Public Library taught me how to incorporate TTS into both my phone and the computer.
TalkPath Reading
TalkPath News provides access to daily news articles that are read aloud and highlighted, aiding comprehension for those with aphasia. It also includes comprehension quizzes at the end of each article. It covers national, world, business and more. TalkPath is free and produced by Lingraphica.
Go to talkpathnews.aphasia.com. The TalkPath News app is available to download on the App Store.
Immersion Reading / Kindle and Audible
Immersion Reading is the ability to read and listen to books simultaneously, with real-time word highlighting. Immersion Reading makes it possible to read and listen all at once. For me, it has been a rich experience. It also helps me if I write down all the names in the book and a little about him/her.
Since January 2025, I have read 10 books. I read every morning for two hours. I read both new books and classic books. (The classic books are less expensive than new books.)
I know this is a little confusing. It was hard for me too. But if missing books is really important, take a look at these programs and see if they would be worth a try. It worked for me, and it may be helpful to other people as well. Immersion Reading is very popular with people with Dyslexia. And who knows, maybe it would help you as well.
Here is a YouTube video that explains Immersion Reading. Kindle’s Secret Feature for Audiobooks (Whispersync for Voice). Written by Maneepaul Singh.
Here is a backgrounder on Immersive Reading by the University of Michigan on Facebook. Take a look at it. There are slides that explain the system. https//www.facebook.com/share/16M5Ls7akK/
Audible
Audio books could be very helpful. We are all different. I have trouble reading audiobooks because I can’t remember the chapters. But it might help you. The nice thing about Audible books is that they are available in the public library using either Libby or Hoopla.
Here is information on Audible, Hoopla Audio Books, and Libby.