About the Aphasia Center
The Northwestern Medicine Aphasia Center at Marianjoy is designed for anyone who is experiencing aphasia and would like to improve his or her communication skills. Led by a speech-language pathologist with expertise in language disorders, small group sessions provide a comfortable and supportive environment for participants to practice their skills through real-life activities.
Aphasia Center club activities
Designed for improving language and communication skills, each 11-week session provides a variety of engaging, group activities through designated "clubs." These include:
- Math Club — Improves language and numerical reasoning skills through simulated time and money management activities.
- Game Club — Targets communication, problem solving and social skills.
- Technology Club —Targets improved verbal expression, comprehension, and functional reading skills while increasing knowledge and proficiency with technology through everyday activities such as navigating the Internet and composing emails.
- Music Club — A certified music therapist helps participants to improve verbal expression through song.
- Fitness Club — Led by a personal trainer in Marianjoy's Fitness Center, participants learn exercises to improve their health.
- Conversation Club — Conversation is facilitated by a speech-language pathologist in a supportive environment to target communication and social interaction via various communication methods.
- Cooking Club — Preparing recipes in one of Marianjoy's fully-functioning adaptive kitchens, participants develop and/or enhance their cooking skills while focusing on verbal expression, auditory comprehension and functional reading skills.
- Book Club — Improves reading, writing and verbal expression.
Session schedules
Each 11-week enrollment period includes three hours of treatment time, once a week. Participants choose from four different scheduling options, and this schedule remains in effect throughout the duration of the enrollment period. Call 630.909.8562 for scheduling options.
Club offerings continue consecutively over several weeks and are scheduled in one-hour time slots.
Below is an example of an 11-week session on Tuesdays from 10 am – 2 pm:
Individual treatment sessions available
One-on-one speech therapy sessions are available for an additional fee. Participants may also elect to be included in ongoing aphasia research studies coordinated by Marianjoy clinicians. More information is available by calling 630.909.8562.
Aphasia Center rates
- Aphasia Center club membership fees are not covered by insurance.
- Membership fee for each 11-week session includes all materials, except for the book needed for Book Club.
- For more information on the program's membership fees, please call 630.909.8562
For more information
If you would like to register for the Northwestern Medicine Aphasia Center at Marianjoy, have questions regarding the program, individual treatment sessions or the aphasia research studies, please contact Michelle Armour, MS, CCC-SLP at 630.909.8562 or Michelle.Armour@nm.org.
Michelle Armour is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Master Clinician at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton, IL and specializes in stroke rehabilitation with specific areas of research in aphasia and apraxia. She has presented her work at the national level and is currently serving as co-chair on the Aphasia Task Force through the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Stroke iSIG Committee. Michelle and her team were recently awarded the first Northwestern Medicine Innovation Grant made possible by Superior Ambulance Services to initiate the Northwestern Medicine Aphasia Center at Marianjoy.