Helping People Speak Again: Casa Colina’s Work in Aphasia Recovery

Reposted from Ability Central.  Click here to view the original article.

When a stroke takes away someone’s ability to speak, it doesn’t just change their words—it can reshape relationships, independence, and identity. For many stroke survivors, aphasia (a language disorder that affects speaking, understanding, reading, and writing) is one of the most isolating and frustrating long-term effects of stroke.

At Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, clinicians and researchers are working to change what recovery can look like—especially for people living with chronic post-stroke aphasia. With support from Ability Central, Casa Colina has advanced an innovative approach that blends neuroscience with rehabilitation to help people regain communication and reconnect with daily life.

From Research to Real-World Care

A primary goal of Casa Colina’s accessibility initiative was to test whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)—a non-invasive form of neuromodulation that uses gentle electrical current—could strengthen language recovery for individuals with chronic aphasia after stroke.

In their study, participants received tDCS paired with speech-language therapy (SLT). The outcomes were especially promising in areas that matter most for everyday life, including spontaneous speech and auditory comprehension. The research team noted,

“These findings show that even brief, targeted interventions can create meaningful communication gains for stroke survivors. Recovery doesn’t stop months after a stroke—there’s still incredible potential for growth.”

That message is critical for many families who are told to expect plateaus. Casa Colina’s work reinforces a more hopeful reality: with the right tools and therapy model, progress can continue.

After publishing their results, Casa Colina focused on an important next step: making sure evidence-based innovation reaches real patients, consistently and sustainably.

To guide implementation, the team used the RE-AIM framework:

1. Reach: Who can access the intervention?

2. Effectiveness: What outcomes improve in real settings?

3. Adoption: Can clinicians and programs take it on?

4. Implementation: Can it be delivered as intended?

5. Maintenance: Will it last over time?

Using this structured approach, Casa Colina successfully integrated the intervention into standard hospital care, helping ensure the benefits extend beyond a single study.

A Patient Journey: Small gains, Big impact

Data tells one part of the story. Patients and families tell the rest. Among the many participants who benefited from the study, one story stands out.

One participant, a retired teacher who had lived with aphasia for years after a stroke, completed give sessions of combined tDCS and speech-language therapy. Over the course of the treatment, her ability to engage in spontaneous conversation improved in a way her family could feel immediately.

Her family shared that she began calling relatives “just to talk” again, which was something she hadn’t done in years. Her renewed confidence was a reminder that language recovery isn’t only clinical. It’s personal. Even small steps forward can transform and restore connection, routine, and a sense of self.

What’s Next: Expanding the Frontier of Communication Recovery

Casa Colina continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in neurorehabilitation and accessibility.

New Ways to Support Recovery

One Department of Defense–funded study is investigating ultrasound-based neuromodulation designed to stimulate deeper brain structures and support recovery for patients with severe brain injuries. A research team member shared,

“For individuals who’ve been minimally conscious or unresponsive, even small signs of recovery can change everything. Our goal is to reignite the brain’s natural pathways for awareness and communication.”

Technology to Help People Communicate

Casa Colina is also working on non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which interpret neural signals to help people with severe motor impairments communicate—potentially even when speech and movement are limited. Another researcher said,

“Our mission is to restore connection—not just between neurons, but between people. Helping someone communicate again, even in the simplest way, restores dignity.”

Accessibility Beyond Healthcare

Casa Colina’s commitment to accessibility doesn’t end in the hospital. The organization recently collaborated with Rare Beauty, the cosmetics brand founded by Selena Gomez, as part of its “Made Accessible” initiative.

Clinicians and patients helped test several products, including a new perfume, for usability and accessibility. The feedback played a role in informing Rare Beauty’s design process, ensuring packaging and product experiences were inclusive for users with disabilities.

This collaboration reflects a brorader truth: accessibility is not only a healthcare goal, it should also be a design standard

“Accessibility isn’t just about ramps or devices,” the Casa Colina team shared. “It’s about creating products, environments, and experiences that everyone can engage with — comfortably and confidently.”

If you’d like to learn more about the collaboration, read Ability Central’s feature on the Rare Beauty “Made Accessible” initiative and how clinician and community feedback helped shape more inclusive product design. Explore the full story here.

How Ability Central Helped Make it Possible

Ability Central’s funding and partnership played a key role in enabling this work. Their support allowed Casa Colina to conduct a rigorous double-blind, randomized controlled trial, which can be difficult to fund in aphasia research.

“Ability Central’s investment gave us the opportunity to conduct research that was both scientifically rigorous and deeply human-centered. They helped us bridge innovation with implementation—ensuring that discoveries translate into real change,” the team said.

This is what accessibility looks like at scale: supporting research, validating outcomes, and bringing effective interventions into everyday care.

Why This Work Matters

Behind every study are patients, families, clinicians, and researchers united by one goal: restoring communication and connection.

“I’m continually inspired by the resilience of our patients and the potential to improve their quality of life through innovative therapies. Language is such a fundamental part of who we are. Helping someone find their words again is one of the most rewarding things we can do,” one researcher shared.

That motivation continues to guide Casa Colina—from clinical care to emerging research to inclusive design collaborations.

Together, Casa Colina and Ability Central show what’s possible when research, rehabilitation, and accessibility move in the same direction. Their collaboration demonstrates how evidence-based innovation can rebuild communication, confidence, and connection. Not just for individuals, but for entire families and communities.

As Casa Colina continues to expand its research portfolio, the focus remains clear: translate science into accessible, real-world impact.

Because when someone finds their voice again, they don’t just speak. They reconnect. To themselves, to the people they love, and to the world.