Intensive aphasia treatment centers

I will frequently get calls or emails asking me if there is an intensive aphasia center near them. While I am pleased that more and more people are finding out about the benefits of an intensive treatment program, I then have a lot of work to let people know that this is a rare service. In North America, there are 4 facilities that provide this service. The original program is at the University of Michigan, and Nova Scotia has a 4-week program every summer for persons living with aphasia (PLWA) and their caregivers. The Philadelphia VA has a 17-day program available only to veterans in that state. Finally, our program at Aphasia Center at Steps Forward has a 6-week program for 180 hours. I try to explain that this is a very time-consuming and laborious service, not only for general overhead, but also to employ the best therapists and to adhere to our very high standards for therapy. There are not many places out there that can support the staff, research, time committment, and ability to survive without insurance for 6 weeks at a time. I know this scarcity doesn't help people who don't want to travel to Florida (or one of the other programs), but I think it does give you a feeling that if we've gone to the trouble to make a center, we must know what we are doing. If you want excellent medical care, you may go to Mayo Clinic, if you want excellent aphasia treatment, make the effort to go to a center, no matter where you choose to go. Please remember that you and your loved ones are worth it. It's always worth it when you invest in yourself! Give yourself permission to go for it!