Dr. Broussard was an associate dean at The Heller School at Brandeis University until his stroke in 2011. He started Stroke Educator, Inc. (2015) and founded Aphasia Nation, Inc. (2020), a nonprofit. Both are focused on Tom's international Aphasia Awareness Campaign dedicated to educating the wider public about aphasia, a life-changing language disorder that few people have ever heard of.As of the publication of this book (March 2022), he has given over 450 presentations-to more than 13,000 people with aphasia and their families and caregivers, as well as to clinicians and students-extending over 32 US states, plus India and Hong Kong.To learn more, visit StrokeEducator.com and AphasiaNation.org.
For several years now, 'Dr. Tom' has been valued as a popular speaker and insightful writer among our clients. In Stroke and Aphasia Recovery: Metaphors Help Us Mend, his metaphorical stories provide a handle to some of the more abstract concepts of aphasia recovery. These have been powerful educational resources. -Tawni Ballinger, MA, CCC-SLP, supervisor, University of Memphis Aphasia Boot Camp So appreciative and really admire Tom's work in educating others about aphasia in this book. As we move forward with stroke and aphasia, no recovery is exactly alike. May each family continue to get the knowledge and guidance needed through their journey. I am still me, regardless of my challenges! -Samuel J. Munafo, retired bank president, Brooks Rehabilitation Aphasia Center alumnus Tom has taken his personal experience and carefully crafted a narrative that can help generate ideas about how people with aphasia, their partners, clinicians, and scientists conceptualize recovery after aphasia. Tom's ideas are an important countermeasure to the flawed notion that language gains only happen in the six months following a stroke. This book is an important resource that can empower people with aphasia to recognize that they have control over their recovery journey, and engender hope. -Jamie H. Azios, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Associate Professor, Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX