According to the American Heart Association's 2015 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update, stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (129,000 people per year) as well as a major cause of long term disability. 1 In addition to the physical impairments caused by stroke, many individuals may experience changes in their cognitive, communication, and swallowing abilities. A speech-lan- guage pathologist (SLP) is trained to evaluate and treat these types of disorders and is an integral part of the rehabilitation team in an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF). This article will provide a brief overview of these disorders and a description of the SLP's role in stroke rehabilitation.
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