The PPA Resource and Discussion Group was started in 2015 by a speech-language pathologist and a spouse of a person with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) to serve people affected by the syndrome, including their care partners and professionals who treat them. 

The group meets monthly at the Loyola Clinical Centers in Belvedere Square which is in Baltimore nearest Towson. The option to join the group sessions on Zoom is possible as group members are from across the state. Meetings are monthly on Wednesdays from 1-2:30pm. 

The group’s vision is to develop a strong, sustainable support network for people affected by PPA. The group strives to gather and share current information about the disease and other community resources with the people who need it most. This is accomplished through expert guest speakers, open discussions, and materials that are shared regularly at the meetings and through an email list.  

The second purpose of the group is to assist care partners to cope with challenges, make positive changes and add to their support network. This is done through monthly peer support and by providing contact information to interested group members to facilitate gatherings or electronic meetings with others to share concerns and solutions.  

Finally, the group works to provide the members with PPA the opportunity to engage in enjoyable group communication facilitated by graduate students in speech-language pathology who have been trained in supported conversation techniques. 

If you are a person who has PPA, a loved one or professional who supports a person who has PPA, and you are interested in attending this free resource and discussion group, please email Theresa Alexander to request to have your email address added to the group list.

Guest Speaker, Dr. Argye Hillis

The Loyola Clinical Centers (LCC) Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) Resource & Discussion Group welcomed guest speaker Dr. Argye Hillis. As you likely know, Dr. Hillis began her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and returned to medical school at Johns Hopkins to become a neurologist. She is among the world's leading experts on PPA and played an integral role in the formation of the PPA group here at the LCC nearly a decade ago. She graciously agreed to allow us to record her presentation as she shared updates in the field and answered each question posed by group members. We remain deeply grateful to her for sharing her time and expertise with us.