The Adler Aphasia Center, a non-profit organization based in Maywood and West Orange, NJ, is an innovative post-rehabilitative therapeutic program that addresses the long-term needs of people with aphasia and their families. Aphasia is a language disorder caused by stroke or other brain injury. With almost 2,000,000 people diagnosed with aphasia in the U.S., it is the only center of its kind in the New York-New Jersey area, an area with an estimated 50,000-75,000 people living with aphasia. Considered the world leader in long-term, post-rehab community-based care for people with aphasia, this communication disorder affects 40% of all stroke and brain trauma survivors. The Center also offers seven Aphasia Communication Groups in 7 NJ counties- Atlantic, Bergen, Middlesex, Morris, Ocean Somerset and Union counties. The programs and activities offered at the Adler Aphasia Center and facilitated by speech language pathologists and healthcare professionals, all share the primary goals of enhancing the communication skills of its members and providing opportunities for social and peer support, while building members' self-esteem and self-confidence. The Center also addresses the needs of the caregiver by providing support groups since this language disorder affects the entire family. The Center offers training and educational programs in order to share its unique model of care with a national and international audience of health care professionals, consumers, educators, students, speech-language pathologists and others interested in improving the quality of life for those persons affected by aphasia. In addition, the Center is actively engaged in research efforts that examine the impact of its programs and offer innovative approaches to individual treatment. Adler Aphasia Center has been awarded the 2013 Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Award and the Rehabilitation Center of the Year at the 2011 NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Award Program. The Center is also the recipient of the 2011 Nonprofit Leadership Award from Children's Aid and Family Services. The Adlers were awarded the AFP-NJ's Annual Excellence in Philanthropy Awards 2015 Outstanding Philanthropists. Founded in 2003 by Elaine and Mike Adler, its mission is simple: to be a vital resource for people with aphasia, their loved ones,
healthcare professionals, researchers and caring community partners and donors.