Spartan Aphasia Research Clinic (SPARC)
Fall 2025 SPARC Team: Dr. Eduardo Europa (Director), Graduate Student Clinicians, and Student Volunteers
The Spartan Aphasia Research Clinic (SPARC) was founded in June 2017 by Dr. Nidhi Mahendra and is a part of the Kay Armstead Center for Communicative Disorders in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences. SPARC is modeled on the Life Participation Approach for Aphasia (LPAA), which centers the rights of persons with aphasia to communicate, engage actively, and to be included in all life roles and contexts.
SPARC integrates three priorities for providing individual and group aphasia therapy, advancing clinical research on evidence-based aphasia assessment and intervention, and investing in training future speech-language pathologists. SPARC brings LPAA to life through a rich combination of individual evidence-based therapy, varied aphasia groups, client-centered clinical research, and organizing community-based aphasia awareness and advocacy events.
SPARC Team Lead by:
Examples of SPARC Aphasia Groups
- Aphasia Book Club
- Aphasia Choir
- Art Group
- Conversation Groups
- Gaming Group
- Everyday Technology for Aphasia Care
- Variety Group (a little bit of everything!)
NOTE: Groups change every semester. Not all groups listed here.
Media Spotlight on SPARC and Aphasia
- Jackson, J. H. (Spring 2023). Speaking of Equity
- Mahendra, N. (Spring 2021). SPARC-Where aphasia research, clinical service delivery and student training meet. (starts at 27:33 in the video)
- Mahendra, N. (September 2020). Give Voice to Those with Communication Disorders
- Lurie College of Education IMPACT Newsletter (Fall 2018, Pg 3). When Words Don't Come (features SJSU alum Larry Byrd, 1969 Spartan Sports Hall of Famer)
Funding Support
- El Camino Hospital and Healthcare District
- Mary and Gary West Foundation
- Philanthropic Gifts (Jindia family)
- Kay Armstead Center for Communicative Disorders (KACCD)
Connect With Us
- Email: armstead-center@sjsu.edu
- Facebook page: Spartan Aphasia Research Clinic - SPARC | @sparcsjsu
- Instagram: Spartan Aphasia Research Clinic (SPARC) | @sjsuaphasia
