Today we share an update from one of last year’s 12 Days of TAP posts featuring James Washington and Byron Stallings. James and Byron are very involved in TAP’s Bible Study group (led by TAP group leader, Julia Canavan), which uses the Bible as a tool for practicing speech, listening and reading. James, Byron and Julia partnered with Synder Center for Aphasia and Life Enhancement (SCALE) Program in Baltimore and invited SCALE members to virtually join TAP’s Bible Study group for fellowship. They both volunteered to co-facilitate this joint virtual group (assisted by SLPs from TAP and SCALE) and meet weekly to practice the skills needed to lead aphasia groups.
This year, James and Byron felt another calling for expansion – so they agreed to take their talents to Jacksonville, Florida where they established another virtual Bible Study group at Brooks Rehabilitation Aphasia Center (BRAC). James and Byron’s collaborations provide opportunities for individuals with aphasia to practice their communication skills, develop leadership skills, and to co-design a model for empowering stroke survivors to re-engage in the wider-aphasia community as group facilitators. TAP is proud of the resilience and leadership that James and Byron continue to demonstrate – what a pleasure to know them!