Chit-Chat Cafe

Hi, I'm Yiflain Koo, a speech and language therapist. I'm the founder of Aphasia SG, a non-profit organisation supporting people with Aphasia and their caregivers. I'm also an Aphasia advocate. So I started Chichak Cafe because as a speech therapist, I found that there were many patients who were not getting help outside of the clinic. And Aphasia is a chronic condition. Even after they leave the hospital and they are discharged from speech therapy, they still have many needs. Many of them have problems returning to work. Some of them are still unable to order their own food or have difficulties talking to their old friends and even family members. So with Chichak Cafe, we wanted to create a safe space where they can meet other people who have Aphasia and to let them feel that they can be themselves. The main programme at Chichak Cafe is supported conversation where our speech therapist volunteers will support persons with Aphasia talking in a group by using writing, by using technology, by using different materials to enhance the conversation. The caregivers also have a separate segment where the social worker volunteers actually share tips about self-care, how to prevent burnout. And we always have very fun interactive activities that are Aphasia friendly and also a sing along segment which has now evolved into a weekly choir practice. So for Chichak Cafe sessions, we usually start with an ice breaker or energiser game which is Aphasia friendly. Today we played The Price Is Right. So with The Price Is Right, what happens is first they get to bond as a team. They have to discuss as a group how much is the price, what is the best price of an item, what we hope to encourage is more group interaction and also thinking about things outside of the comfort zone, outside of their homes. So we will force them to think a bit how much do things cost in a supermarket. So that's for the game segment. So with the caregivers, the sessions are usually led by our social worker volunteers. But what our social workers try to do is to teach them how to tips, self-care tips to prevent burnout, to prevent fatigue, to look out for signs of stress and how to cope. There's also the opportunity for caregivers to talk among themselves, to form a support group so they exchange contacts and they learn that they are not alone and if they need help, there is actually a really peer support here. Our greatest wish for anyone who comes to Chichak Cafe is that they are able to forge new friendships, to have a new network of friends and apart from that to have opportunity to practice talking, which they may feel uncomfortable with other people or in public. We also hope that they can learn more about their condition. We do share about statistics and latest research that happens so that they can better advocate for themselves. If Now how do you identify someone who has aphasia? Very often they may have difficulty finding words, the right words to say or difficulty in expressing themselves. Sometimes in reading, writing and understanding language. They may also have right-sided weakness on their arms and legs. If afasier. sg.