Testimonials: The Aphasia Center of Innovative Treatment and aphasiatoolbox.com .

As a physician, I am always looking for the best care for my patients.  My Mother in Law had a stroke in 2005 which left her totally aphasic.  After a year and a half of conventional speech therapy, she was released due to “lack of progress.”  We were very fortunate to find William Connors who began working with her in October of 2006.  She has made more progress with his therapy in six months than she had in the previous year and a half.  A very important part of his therapy is training the family and  caregivers on how to communicate with the patient.  Because of his expertise and diligence regarding “never giving up”, I feel she will talk again. 
Rahat M. Chaudhry M.D.
Pittsburgh, PA
 
 
MB is my 63-year old sister-in-law. She is 6 years post stroke, at which time she lost her ability to speak.  I am her main therapy-practice person [her “coach”].  My brother, sister-in-law and I have been attending monthly therapy sessions in PA with Bill Connors for a little over 5 years.  Our local therapists said that MB had reached a “plateau” and that she probably would not progress farther.  They implied that we should concentrate on helping her to “cope” rather than to pursue therapy for helping MB to regain her speech ability.
 
Fortunately, MB’s husband continued to search for a speech program with a different philosophy and found Bill’s Aphasia Center of Innovative Treatment.    Since working with Bill, MB has gone from no talking to being able to respond to questions and comments with several words and often with full sentences. MB’s comprehension is not an issue, just her ability to formulate and speak words in normal conversations. Through Bill’s creative exercises and our diligent practice, she continues to improve – sometimes slowly, sometimes in short leaps.  MB has also been able to greatly improve her facial and bodily expressions.
 
I would personally like to commend Bill on two levels:
First – for his understanding of the human brain and where to focus practice for the improvement of each stroke individual’s unique impairment (metaphasia).
Second – for his non-selfish ability to recognize and utilize the suggestions from MB’s immediate family and her coach.  He has made us feel like we are definitely part of the “team” that is working to guide MB towards more complete speech.  Because we are witnesses to MB’s continued improvement, we will keep working towards her complete speech recovery.
 
Sincerely, Marg Ziehler ,  OH
 
 
“I had a stroke about five years ago in July….Andrew Andrew  Andrew Andrew  that was all I could say ….  In the hospital I had therapy, physical therapy you know and three times (a week) speech therapy…. After two, three months he (the rehabilitation hospital speech/language pathologist) said, ‘Don’t bother’ because I couldn’t find the words I wanted.   He said, ‘There is nothing more we can do for you (You have reached a plateau)’ We’ve (Bill Connors and the patient) been working together for three years now.    Now I speak in sentences (complexity training).  When I read, I understand …80 no 90%.  I think what we do together (in therapy) is good.  I want to get well and back to work.  I want to be able to converse with you…normal.”
 
SS, Pittsburgh, PA
 
 
My wife had a stroke 6 ½ years ago that left her aphasic and with apraxia of speech. We have worked with numerous speech therapists and have been involved in several programs. All have helped to some degree, but none to the extent of what Bill Connors programs has done for us. Where others have stopped or didn’t believe they could help us Bill has continued to develop processes where we continue to make improvements. In our opinion what separates Bill’s program from others is:
(1)   Objective of the program is for you being able to talk again.
(2)   He explains what is not working in your brain (metaphasia), how that is preventing you from talking and how the exercises you are working on are aimed at repairing the problem.
(3)   His sessions and programs are very dynamic. He does not fit you into a predetermined aphasia category, but rather uses all his broad aphasia knowledge to develop a program specifically for your needs. He continually makes adjustments based on what your speech problem is.
(4)   Many of the exercises will target both aphasia and apraxia (AphasiaPhonics).
(5)   Programs are targeted to make you work and think on your own so you can talk. Not memorize or mimic what you want to say.
 
Bill is very involved with his patients well being, follows up on their progress and is commented to having them improve. Without his program and support my wife doesn’t believe she would be able to talk.
 
JC, Cincinnati ,  OH
 
 
 
“Byron’s stroke was 3 and a half years ago.  After his stroke, Byron could not communicate at all.  He had sound and could make sounds, but no real speech sounds.….  Could not point….  Even his cognitive skills were poor….  He could always recognize people, so that recognition was there….  But as far as what was happening to him, that he was in a hospital, … none of that had meaning for him.”
“We started working with you (Bill Connors) about 3 years ago….  Now Byron is able to make conversation with gestures, facial expressions, and a few words….  The thing that you helped me to understand that I didn’t at first was what aphasia and apraxia are (AphasiaPhonics)….  I think one of the most important things is that it is speech.  It is not just drill.  It is not just making sounds….  I think that Byron sees himself becoming a speaker….  I think that this is realistic.  He (Byron) is able to understand what you’re wanting him to do….  It has meaning for him….  It isn’t just making sounds….    He now sees the value of practice and learning how to make your mouth go somewhere.”
 
Nancy Parkins, Mt. Lebanon, PA
 
 
 
“I has a stroke about five years ago.  I has (had) speech therapy for about 26 visits.  That’s right.  Helped nothing for my speech.  I can’t (couldn’t) talk then.   I had a stroke and can’t talk.  (I) started together (with Bill) 6 weeks and no months ago.  I remember before I could hardly talk.  Now I say, ‘Hello Dick, How are you doing?, Can I have a cup of coffee?’  (What) helped me most was the conjugation (sentence patterning; conjugation protocols).  People with aphasia need to talk even if people ignore them.”
 
NH, Plum Township, PA
 
 
Had a stroke 8 years ago.  (I) could say nothing.  After the stroke had speech therapy at the hospital but (my) speech still was nothing.  We’ve (Bill Connors and patient) been working together about 4 years.  It’s been really nice; I can talk too.  In therapy talking (sentence level practice) helps.  I think that reading and talking (use of Simultaneous Silent Reading and Listening Protocol; text reader practice; Aphasia Sight Reader) help each other.  Drills with speech sounds (AphasiaPhonics) help me hear and understand words better.  Oh yes, (Dennis patient’s husband)is really talking to me now.  It’s really hard but I have to speak too.
 
NM, Penn Hills PA