Uniting clients, families, caregivers, students, trained volunteers and professional staff
The mission of the York-Durham Aphasia Centre is to unite adults living with the long-term effects of aphasia or other acquired communication disabilities, their families, speech-language and social work professionals and volunteers in order to improve communication, life participation and independence.
The York-Durham Aphasia Centre was established in Stouffville, Ontario in 1989 as a community initiative. In our inaugural year, an initial grant from the New Horizons Program, Health and Welfare Canada, enabled our staff to train community volunteers and provide group communications programs to a small number of clients and families.
With strong support from the Public Health branch of the Ontario Ministry of Health and, later, the Central Local Health Integration Network, we expanded our programs and services to seven sites in York Region, Durham Region and the Peterborough area. We currently serve over 150 clients and their families a year.
In 2010, York-Durham Aphasia Centre merged with March of Dimes Canada in a partnership that will further develop and expand programs, services and training.
Our Approach
The York-Durham Aphasia Centre believes in the power of mutual aid and the benefits of meeting in groups. According to group participants, the benefits of mutual aid include being around other individuals with similar problems and learning adaptive communication skills.
All our programs are group-based because we see that group members focus their energies on helping each other. Our services include communication groups for clients as well as support for caregivers.