Podcasts about Asha

In today's world of polarization, climate disruption, and rapid digital change, resilience is everything.On this episode of The Caring Economy, we sit down with Asha Varghese, President of the Caterpillar Foundation and Head of CSR at Caterpillar. Asha reflects on her journey from Kerala, India, to rural Kentucky, and how those experiences shaped her approach to corporate leadership and purpose.She shares how Caterpillar has given over $1 billion globally, supporting disaster recovery, education, and sustainability initiatives. We also discuss the future of work, the rise of AI, and why corporations must play a role in rebuilding trust and community resilience.Asha's story is a reminder that leadership isn't about grand gestures, it's about persistence, partnership, and impact over time.Listen in for lessons on how business can become a force for resilience in a fragile world.

Across the world, belief in God continues to be widespread and, among philosophers, has long been considered one solution to the problems of the world's origin, fine-tuned nature, and purpose. However, in the West, very few people have considered alternative concepts of God credible. That, though, may be beginning to change. One such alternative – pantheism – tells us that the universe and God are one and the same thing. It challenges conventional ideas about divine agency and the coherence of traditional theism, and invites us to reconsider what we mean when we speak of ‘God'. To explore God's nature, in this special episode, I'll be joined by two guests: Tim Mawson and Asha Lancaster-Thomas. Dr Mawson is Edgar Jones Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St Peter's College, University of Oxford. He has published five books and over fifty papers in the philosophy of religion. Dr Lancaster-Thomas is Teacher of Philosophy at Atlanta Classical Academy, USA, and has published widely on the philosophy of religion – most recently exploring alternative concepts of God, including the one we'll be debating today. Tim Mawson will be arguing in favour of traditional theism – the view that God and the world are not identical. Asha Lancaster-Thomas will be defending pantheism – the view that they are. What are the implications of identifying God with the universe? Can such a view still provide the kind of moral and metaphysical grounding traditionally associated with belief in a transcendent creator? Or – by dragging God down from the heaven's – do we diminish the divine and its explanatory power? This episode is generously supported by The John Templeton Foundation, through The Panpsychism and Pan(en)theism Project (62683). Links Asha Lancaster-Thomas (PhilPapers, website) Tim Mawson (Oxford University, website) The Panpsychism and Pan(en)theism Project (website)

On our 700th episode of the podcast, we share our thoughts on what went on in Corrie between the  29th September and the 3rd October (Episodes #11,681 - 11,686). She's been a firm favourite of the podcast since her 2014 return, but this week we bid a fond farewell to Jenny, who jetted off from Weatherfield to start a new life in Tenerife. We'd known her exit was coming for a while - but was it a send-off worthy of a character of Jenny's calibre, or did it leave us wanting more? Also this week, Todd, Theo and co hit Manchester's Gay Village in some brilliantly directed scenes that exposed a secret from Theo's past - and revealed just how dark he can be. Meanwhile, Debbie discovers the truth about her brother's affair, Bethany makes her return to Weatherfield after yet another career disaster, and Asha considers quitting her paramedic course. Up next on the podcast it's The Kabin, where we celebrate Corrie's recent success at the Inside Soap Awards, and we round off the podcast with more of your fabulous feedback. Street Talk - 00:13:55 The Kabin - 02:47:19 Feedback - 03:13:09

This podcast covers episodes 11,681 to 11,685. Debbie is enraged that Abi is choosing to remain at Kev's while they break up and threatens her to move on and away. Seeking solace in a bottle, a drunken Asha takes her anger and frustration out on Nina. Dee Dee is impressed when Ollie takes time to get to know her family. Theo's jealousy overflows when Todd would rather spend time serving soup with Billy than help decorate the flat. Jenny is caught in a pointless lie and ends up wondering what the future holds for her. Bethany is back from That London with her former boss's car and a suitcase full of secrets and furtive looks. Costello looks to keep Kit quiet and on-side by dangling a promotion in front of him. Daniel doesn't propose. Jake has side-hustles. Brian gifts a grabber.

Trump is openly pushing to use American cities as “training grounds” for the military and targeting “the enemy within.” Ret. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling joins Asha and Renato to break down the unprecedented meeting with top military brass - and what it means for the country and democracy. Plus, the stunning indictment of former FBI Director Jim Comey, a dramatic escalation in Trump's campaign to weaponize the Justice Department against his enemies - and why it could ultimately backfire. Tune in! Cruise with us:https://www.travelstore.com/group-travel/its-complicated-cruise-2026/ Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicatedFollow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.socialFollow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.socialFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Telehealth coverage for SLPs under Medicare expired on October 1, 2025. In this episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Katie Brown, SLP, explain what this means for the provision of Telehealth services for traditional Medicare Part B beneficiaries, the nuances for Part A beneficiaries, and the allowance of private pay. They also unpack the government shutdown's impact on claims processing, what remains unchanged for Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans, and why employers shouldn't issue blanket telehealth bans without checking payer rules. Get clear, practical guidance plus the free Telehealth Toolkit to support your patients and advocate for continued access.Find all of the advocacy tools you need here to participate in the telehealth call to action, or check out Katie's SLPs Blueprint to Medicare Success and get $100 off with the code FixSLP.If you missed it, catch Katie and Jeanette's earlier conversation on Medicare telehealth in Episode 96. It sets the stage for what's happening now.Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

“When I saw Google change the destiny of the planet, I could not imagine doing anything else but working with brilliant entrepreneurs.”-Asha Jadeja Motwani and her husband, Rajeev Motwani, the Silicon Valley legend of technical startups, are together the founding stakeholders of Google.In the late 1990s, they came to the United States as most Indians, as students. From being part of Google's early days to their journey as investors and now, extending that into an active participation in American politics. She speaks about Rajeev's pivotal role in mentoring Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-authoring the PageRank paper, and helping shape Google's DNA. Today, through the Motwani Jadeja Foundation, Asha continues to build on that legacy; funding entrepreneurs, supporting Indian voices in global think tanks, and opening doors at Davos and Washington. Asha also reflects on how the Indian diaspora can play a far greater role in shaping the future of India-US partnership and why entrepreneurs are critical to the future of this relationship.If you're an entrepreneur building in the India–US corridor, or curious about the opportunities the two nations are creating for startups, then this episode is for you.00:00  – Trailer01:25 – How Rajeev became founding stakeholder of Google03:48 – The early days of Google: first office to first funding07:52 – Investments of Dot Edu Ventures10:03 – Asha's role in American politics10:45 – How Indians in Silicon Valley can strengthen US–India corridor12:18 – The lack of Indian scholars in think tanks13:14 – Do Indians have enough influence in American politics?13:52 – Is Silicon Valley & the Indian diaspora shifting right?15:00 – The impact of Trump on India–US relations17:36 – Asha's role in opening doors for India globally21:09 – How the Motwani Foundation selects projects and people24:08 – Entrepreneurs as a critical part of US–India value creation24:54 – What's missing in US–India value creation?26:33 – Report on “jailed for doing business” in India27:56 – The legacy of Rajeev Motwani-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

The tropical waters of Sri Lanka, an island off the coast of India, are home to a population of blue whales unlike any other. These whales stay put, while every other known population migrates. That discovery was made by budding scientist Asha de Vos more than 20 years ago—it made a splash, and so did she. She later became the first Sri Lankan to earn a PhD studying marine mammals, charting a new scientific path in her country.Host Flora Lichtman talks with de Vos about her path into science, what it means to be the first Sri Lankan in her field, and how she built a marine biology program from the ground up.Guest: Dr. Asha de Vos is a marine biologist and the founder and executive director of the non-profit Oceanswell. She's based in Sri Lanka.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

  In this episode, tune in for the importance of negotiating your salary and recognizing your value in the workplace. Guest Candyce Hunt shares her own experiences and introduces the VALUE framework (Value documentation, Assert clear boundaries, Loudly communicate, Unapologetically ask, and Evidence) to help you secure the pay you deserve. Included are key signs to identify if you're undervaluing yourself, as well as practical steps to advocate for better compensation. Make your next step to being properly valued and compensated at work today.   Timestamps 00:45 Identifying the Career Clearance Track 02:59 Candyce's Personal Journey 05:12 Recognizing Limiting Behaviors 13:44 The Value Framework Explained 19:42 Practical Tips for Negotiation 31:25 Final Thoughts and Resources   About Candyce Hunt Candyce is a Career Wellness Coach, Speaker, and Leadership Consultant with nearly 20 years of experience leading teams at Ross, Dollar General, WeWork, and Kohl's. Her journey began as an 8-year-old choir director in Chicago, sparking a lifelong passion for influence, harmony, and growth. She helps professionals and organizations thrive through career strategy, leadership development, and business consulting. Candyce has partnered with Payscale, LA SHRM, ASHA, and The Vitamin Shoppe to drive impact through coaching and training. Her mission is to help people pivot with confidence and lead with clarity. Connect with Candyce Connect with Candyce on LinkedIn Download the Career Blueprint Here    _________________________________________________________________ Connect with Me Connect with me on LinkedIn From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist Click here to learn about coaching

The Strange Disappearance of Asha KreimerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.

The Bizarre Disappearance of ASHA KREIMERBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.

Read Esther (Berean Standard Bible)⁠Video about the Dead Sea ScrollsDead Sea Scrolls - Encyclopedia BritannicaDead Sea Scrolls⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Important Links for the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here for our YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discuss each episode on Reddit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram @biblebeginningtoend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Twitter: @biblebeginning1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Via email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠biblebeginningtoend@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Supporting the ShowFinancial contribution is never required, but if you'd like to support the show, here are a couple of ways:Be a listener and share the show with your friends!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to become a monthly supporter via Spotify.⁠⁠⁠⁠*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to make a one-time contribution via Paypal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.* *Note that the Bible Beginning to End podcast is not a registered 501(c)3 or charitable organization. Therefore, any monetary support provided is not tax deductible.10% of any profits made from this podcast via ad revenues or listener support will be donated to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asha's Refuge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Christ-centered nonprofit that "exists to assist the most disadvantaged refugees/asylees in achieving a successful resettlement in the Memphis, TN area.". Episode Timestamps0:00 - Intro6:18 - Ad Break6:19 - Esther 113:24 - Esther 222:23 - Esther 330:54 - Esther 437:28 - Esther 542:40  - Esther 648:31 - Esther 752:02 - Esther 858:51 - Esther 91:07:00 - Esther 101:11:45 - Outro

On our latest podcast, we have a natter about the episodes of Coronation Street shown in the UK between the 19th and the 26th September 2025 (Episodes #11,673 - 11,680). It's a bumper Street Talk this week as we dive into four hours of Corrie drama! Things kick off with the Carl and Abi affair, which steps up a gear when Kevin finds himself unceremoniously dumped by his cheating wife. Could the big reveal – and maybe even the end of this saga (please?!) – finally be on the horizon? Elsewhere, in a twist nobody saw coming, Noah suddenly drops dead – but were there suspicious circumstances, and might this tragedy push Theo back into Danielle's arms? Meanwhile, Asha remembers she had a big episode last month that perhaps deserves a follow-up, Becky makes a play to needle her way back into Betsy's life, and Ollie causes intrigue by showing an unexpected interest in Toyah on Friday. Now what on earth could that be about? Up next on the show it's The Kabin, where we take a look at the Corrie nominations in both the Inside Soap and TV Times shortlists, and we round off the podcast with more listener feedback. Street Talk - 00:13:21 The Kabin - 02:40:23 Feedback - 02:54:38

This podcast covers episodes 11,675 to 11,680. Todd finds it impossible to judge Theo's moods as they await a decision from the family court about Theo's access to his awful kids. Swain is coerced into helping Becky move into a flat but when their car runs out of petrol, Becky seizes a chance to reconnect. After Kev gets the all-clear from his oncologist, Abi has some important news of her own. Fiz is pulled in multiple directions as she tries to keep the house running while Tyrone is in hospital. Dee Dee is shocked when Ollie complains to Toyah about the Bistro's use of synthetic truffle oil, but the veg were fine. Jenny hasn't given up hope on getting together with George but Christina is constantly in the way. Asha is shocked when she runs into the woman who abused her during her paramedic shift. Adam is a punk. Cassie's not allowed a haircut. Millie hides in the toilet.

Trump's pressure on the Justice Department may be coming to fruition with an impending indictment against former FBI Director Jim Comey - while his border czar Tom Homan is facing bribery allegations that the department quietly shut down. Asha and Renato dig into the growing concerns over DOJ independence and the corruption probes vanishing inside the administration. Plus, the $100,000 H-1B visa fee that sent tech firms and immigrant families into chaos - and why it may be a travel ban in disguise. Don't miss it! Cruise with us! https://www.travelstore.com/group-travel/its-complicated-cruise-2026/ Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/ Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicated Follow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.social Follow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.social Follow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/ Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mayor Johnson's political enemies take a poll and guess what? It discovers that nobody likes Mayor Johnson. Funny how that works. Ben riffs. Asha Ransby-Sporn makes her debut, discussing how the mayor's opponents work the press against the mayor. It doesn't hurt that the mainstream press is more than happy to go along for the ride. Get ready for lots of local political conversation--as well as some national talk. Cause Ben can't help himself. Asha is a writer, activist and political strategist whose organizing work helped elect Mayor Johnson.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“We breathe 25,000 times a day — what if we noticed even one of those breaths differently?”  In this episode of The Modern Mindfulness Podcast, Rebekka sits down with master breathwork teacher and founder of Alchemy of Breath, Anthony Abbagnano.  The breath is both ordinary and extraordinary—it carries us from our first inhale to our final exhale, and yet, when we pay attention, it becomes one of the most profound teachers of presence and healing.Together, Rebekka and Anthony dive into:The subtle mystery of the breath as a bridge between body and spiritHow different breath practices—from pranayama to holotropic—can awaken creativity, release trauma, and restore nervous system balanceWhy facilitation matters: how to discern safe, ethical, and trauma-informed breathwork spacesThe breath as a sacred teacher, referenced in major spiritual texts, and how it continues to offer exactly what we are ready to receiveHow Anthony weaves a simple daily practice of conscious connected breathing with free writing to open the day with clarity and flowApplying 'The Hero's Journey' to your own life to help inform and transform it forwardIf you've ever wondered what makes breathwork so powerful—or how to safely explore its depths—this conversation will leave you inspired to meet your own breath with reverence.And be sure to head to the hour mark for a mini but mighty guided breathwork experience! Learn more at www.alchemyofbreath.com and buy Anthony's book at https://iam.alchemyofbreath.com/book-podcast Join the free 'Breathe the World' sessions here! https://alchemyofbreath.com/free-breathwork-sessions/ABOUT ANTHONY:Anthony Abbagnano is a pioneering breathwork expert and founder of Alchemy of Breath, the world's top-rated breathwork institute, helping thousands reclaim their power through the transformative power of the breath through free weekly Breathe The World sessions, Facilitator Training, and BreathCamp retreats at ASHA in Tuscany, Italy. As the first to bring breathwork online, Anthony serves as curator for onlinebreathwork on the board of the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance (GPBA),and holds a faculty position on the Shift Network.  Anthony's Breathe the Worldonline breathwork sessions draw hundreds each week.Anthony has spoken alongside notable leaders like Deepak Chopra, MarianneWilliamson, Bruce Lipton, Peter Levine, Alex Howard, Wim Hoff, and Fleet Maull,among othe_______________________________________________REBEKKA'S LINKS : WORK WITH REBEKKA :: START HERE ⚡️ MEMBERSHIP :: RADICAL ALIVENESS :: here

On February 14th, 2000 nine year old Asha Degree packed a bag, left her home and was seen walking down the highway in Shelby, North Carolina. Few clues would emerge over the years- Asha's pencil, hair bow & a mysterious photo of a still unidentified girl. The next year her backpack was found buried in trash bags 30 miles from where she was last seen. For years there was no new information in the case until September 2024 when search warrants were released, suspects were named and confessions were alleged. Had a prominent Shelby family the Dedmonds been hiding the answers the whole time? DNA evidence, an old green car & texts between sisters may finally give us the answer of what happened when Asha Degree disappeared.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/broads-next-door--5803223/support.

Across the world, belief in God continues to be widespread and, among philosophers, has long been considered one solution to the problems of the world's origin, fine-tuned nature, and purpose. However, in the West, very few people have considered alternative concepts of God credible. That, though, may be beginning to change. One such alternative – pantheism – tells us that the universe and God are one and the same thing. It challenges conventional ideas about divine agency and the coherence of traditional theism, and invites us to reconsider what we mean when we speak of ‘God'. To explore God's nature, in this special episode, I'll be joined by two guests: Tim Mawson and Asha Lancaster-Thomas. Dr Mawson is Edgar Jones Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St Peter's College, University of Oxford. He has published five books and over fifty papers in the philosophy of religion. Dr Lancaster-Thomas is Teacher of Philosophy at Atlanta Classical Academy, USA, and has published widely on the philosophy of religion – most recently exploring alternative concepts of God, including the one we'll be debating today. Tim Mawson will be arguing in favour of traditional theism – the view that God and the world are not identical. Asha Lancaster-Thomas will be defending pantheism – the view that they are. What are the implications of identifying God with the universe? Can such a view still provide the kind of moral and metaphysical grounding traditionally associated with belief in a transcendent creator? Or – by dragging God down from the heaven's – do we diminish the divine and its explanatory power? This episode is generously supported by The John Templeton Foundation, through The Panpsychism and Pan(en)theism Project (62683).

Jimmy Kimmel's suspension is an ominous sign of how far Trump and his allies are willing to push the limits of government power - and how corporations are giving in. But when does state pressure cross the line into unconstitutional censorship? Asha and Renato dig into when the government can be found to coerce private organizations and what it all means for free speech. Plus, an in-depth look at the charges for the man suspected of murdering Charlie Kirk. Tune in!Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicatedFollow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.socialFollow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.socialFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/CRUISE WITH US!!!https://www.travelstore.com/group-travel/its-complicated-cruise-2026/ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Adam Power, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Front Line Medical Technologies, shares his fascinating journey from a background in vascular surgery to developing COBRA-OS, a groundbreaking device for hemorrhage control. He discusses the challenges and milestones in bringing this life-saving technology to market, the impact of the device in trauma and emergency care, and innovative future applications, including its unexpected use in non-traumatic cardiac arrest.    Guest links: https://frontlinemedtech.com/ Charity supported: Canadian Cancer Society Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host & Editor: Lindsey Dinneen Producer: Velentium Medical   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 064 - Dr. Adam Power [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host, Lindsey, and today I'm excited to introduce you to my guest, Dr. Adam Power. Dr. Power is a leader in innovative medical devices for trauma and emergency care that is committed to lowering the barriers and bleeding control and resuscitation. Dr. Power was instrumental in the development of COBRA-OS, drawing on his unique clinical viewpoint and expertise to ensure utmost patient safety and assist with the company's global expansion. In addition to his current role as co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Front Line Medical Technologies Incorporated, Dr. Adam Power is a vascular surgeon in the division of vascular surgery at Western University, which he joined in the fall of 2012, and he is involved in all aspects of academics and clinical care. Also, Front Line was just named the 2025 Medical Device Technology Company of the Year, so I definitely wanted to highlight that too. All right. Well, thank you so much for being here today, Adam. I'm so delighted to speak with you. [00:01:55] Dr. Adam Power: Yes, it's a pleasure to be here. Thank you. [00:01:57] Lindsey Dinneen: Of course. Well, I'd love if you would start by sharing a little bit about yourself, your background, and what led you to what you're doing today. [00:02:05] Dr. Adam Power: Sure, I'd love to. So I'm a Canadian. I grew up on the east coast of Canada and was always interested in science and math and those types of things. I think, importantly, I grew up with an identical twin brother as well. So we really didn't know what we wanted to do with our lives, and ultimately we're good in science and math and ended up in medicine. And then both of us, when we got into medicine, we weren't sure exactly what we wanted to do in medicine, and ultimately both of us became surgeons. He became a urology surgeon, and I became a vascular surgeon, where we joke that we're both plumbers. I deal with the red stuff and he's the yellow stuff. But I did my initial medical school out on the east coast of Canada and then I did my general surgery training, which also involved trauma training, and then did a Master's of Bioscience Enterprise, which was basically biotech business from the University of Cambridge in the UK. When I finished my general surgery training, I continued on and did vascular surgery training at Mayo Clinic down in the US, and since that time after graduating from there, I've been at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, for the past 13 years practicing as a vascular surgeon and an academic vascular surgeon. But when I was here at Western, I was always interested in innovation. I filed my first patent as a resident way back when, and have filed many over the years. But ultimately, if I was ever gonna see anything that came outta my head and was actually used in a patient or I could actually use in a patient, I figured I'd have to do it. I knew that I couldn't do it by myself. And so, I was very fortunate to meet my co-founder Dr. Asha Parekh. She's a PhD, biomedical engineer, extremely smart jack of all trades, and we teamed up now about eight years ago. We met here at Western, teamed up and really took an idea right out of our heads and patented it and raised money for it, prototyped it, brought it all through the regulatory steps to approvals, built a quality system and ultimately got it out onto the market in Canada, US, Europe, now Australia, and more to come. So the commercialization piece is what we've been focusing on over the past three years. And it's been really fun, but very exhausting but very rewarding as well. I think I'll stop there because I've been blathering on, but... [00:04:39] Lindsey Dinneen: No, it's fantastic. I really appreciate it. Plus, it's really fun to hear about your trajectory and so, okay, so you've teased us a little bit about this company of yours and this innovation of yours. Can you now share a little bit more about that and the development of it over time? [00:04:55] Dr. Adam Power: Yes, of course. Well, I mean, thing that we recognized early on is, and I'll just explain how I normally explain it, is if you have bleeding, it's a hemorrhage control device. And so if you have bleeding in your extremities, then you can often either put pressure on it or you can put a tourniquet on it. The problem when you have internal bleeding in the torso is that you can't actually put direct pressure on it, and there's no tourniquet that necessarily works for intraabdominal, intrathoracic bleeding. And when people bleed to death before coming to hospital, I mean, they're bleeding in these areas. You can empty almost your entire blood volume into your chest or into your abdomen. And this does account for a significant number of fatalities in all environments, basically in the trauma environment. That's military, that's pre-hospital, that's any time that that people are bleeding from internal organs. And so, because this is such a problem, the old fashioned way to fix it is to open up someone's chest and put a clamp on the aorta. So what does that do? Is it basically above the clamp, keeps blood flowing. The remaining blood in the body keeps blood flowing to the brain and the heart, keep you alive. And then below the clamp, it stops sort of the hemorrhaging from the spleen or the liver or whatever. So there's two things going on. One above the clamp and two below the clamp. But opening up somebody's chest in, you know, side of the road or in the emergency department really is impossible. You need highly skilled people like vascular surgeons like myself to be able to do this. And even if we were at the side of the road, we don't have the resources available to keep a patient alive. So there is this idea that we could do this minimally invasively, sort of accomplish this through minimally invasive means. And this, the idea of doing REBOA, which is an acronym-- Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta-- came into being. This was probably 15, 20 years ago now. It wasn't necessarily a new idea. It had been done since the Korean War. There was somebody actually put a balloon up into someone's aorta to stop bleeding, but it came back again and was starting to be used a little bit more because. And so really the idea is to, through the femoral artery in your groin where you can feel a pulse, you introduce initially a sheath, which is your access point, and then you place the device up through the sheath, up into the aorta and inflate a balloon in the aorta. So instead of an external clamp, it's an internal balloon clamp that keeps blood flowing above the balloon and stops the blood flowing from below the balloon. Initially these devices were as big as my baby finger, like they were massive. And so if you put them in and you took it out, there was a big hole in the artery, had to cut down on the artery and repair the artery. But as it got more and more advanced and technology advanced, they become smaller and smaller. So that's really where we came in. The initial devices were 12 French, about the size of my baby finger. And then it advanced to Seven French and all of a sudden Seven French-- and these are diameter, French sizes are basically diameter-- and so when it went from 12 to seven French, now we could start doing it through the skin without actually cutting down on the artery. But that Seven French size was still very large and you're putting this in the hands of people that don't do this all the time. And so, we had the idea to bring it down even further now to Four French. And so this is essentially the size of an IV. And so you put a tiny little IV in somebody's femoral artery. And lots of different people can do that. And then you advance the device up in, inflate the balloon and you can magically occlude the aorta. In our first study that we did, the first inhuman study, we averaged about just over a minute to occlude someone's aorta, which was really fast to be able to get that amount of control that quickly. So that, that was really been the advancement is to decrease the access size, make this whole procedure simpler so that so that we can essentially save more lives. [00:09:08] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay, so thank you so much for sharing a little bit about that. Can you tell me about the beginnings of this innovation and how you brought it to market? Because it's really wonderful to hear all the success, and I'm so excited to hear that it's spreading, you have presence all over the place now. But you know, that's not an easy pathway. And I'm curious if you could walk us through a little bit about that decision to go, "You know what? We have a solution to a known problem, we can make this happen." And then how did you actually go about doing that? [00:09:42] Dr. Adam Power: Yeah. I think, I mean, I make it sound fairly straightforward, like a nice story, but it certainly was not that. I mean, we were very lucky I would say, that we had a lot of great advisors and mentors that we figured that we try not to fail early, fail fast. We wanted to make this one as successful as possible. So before we made any decision, we often would consult our mentors. And I'm a surgeon. I like to shoot first, ask questions later. My partner is not. And so I think we, we strike an excellent balance between not just the engineering and clinical side of things, but also from driving a business forward, getting all the information, but helping to get decisions made and moving forward. You know, starting out, we really had to choose the right sort of fit for what we wanted to pursue. We like to say it checked all the boxes. It checked all the boxes as far as even where we are. We're in Canada, we're not in a tech triangle where there's tons of funding opportunities. We knew we would be limited from a funding perspective, so we couldn't choose something that necessarily required a hundred million dollars to start up. So, you know, we had this device that we knew that we could fundraise for it. And then once it was fundraised, it was simple enough that we could get it manufactured. We chose to go the OEM route for the original equipment manufacturer, so we didn't have to build a manufacturing facilities ourselves. And then really from there, and building a quality system in the regulatory, we did work with a lot of consultants, that was both positive and negative experience. We had great consultants. We had not so great consultants. But really what our our goal was, is to learn the process ourselves. And so there's always manuals for things, even from the FDA perspective. They give out great documentation about what is supposed to go into an FDA application. And we dug into that. We really tried to understand. We did not trust anyone. That's one of my rules in surgery is, "don't trust anyone, not even myself." So we really didn't trust our consultants, and we tried to double check and triple check everything so that we didn't make mistakes. And of course, we did make mistakes and had to go back to the drawing board a few times. But as much as we wanted to get this out there, we really did wanna learn the process and know the process because ultimately we're the ones that are responsible to the patients in the end, and we needed to make sure that we had a handle on each and every step of the way. We, of course, because of that, were maybe not as quick as we could have been but in other places we became more efficient because, as we learned the process, getting feedback back and doing it right the first time, it really made a difference. So. [00:12:39] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Of course. Yeah, and I appreciate you going into a little bit more of the nitty gritty details 'cause it is so fun to hear the success stories, but of course, as you go along, there's that pathway to success. And it's helpful to understand that yeah, it's gonna be potentially a long road, sometimes windy, sometimes weird, but at the same time that it is possible. So as you look to the future with your company, what are you thinking of in terms of the future? Are you going to continue down this pathway and continue with iterations of this device? Are you thinking of new devices to introduce as well? Or, what are your thoughts for the future? [00:13:18] Dr. Adam Power: Yeah. And I have to be very careful what I say here, obviously. I can share generically what our thoughts are. We love this. Ultimately there was no better feeling than to use-- I mean, I've used my device to save a patient. And, you know, I would say that Asha, who's my co-founder, she cares. I'm a physician, but she cares about the patients just as much as I do, as does everyone in our company, which is really quite rewarding. But the future, what does the future hold? We really want this to get to everywhere. Yes, we're in lots of different countries ,have commercialized really all around the globe, but we really wanna go deeper into a lot of these geographies and really help as many people as possible. We realize that we can't do it on our own and are gonna need help. And so that's, we're in a growth phase right now of our company and we're looking for strategic collaboration. We're looking for those opportunities to deepen our ties and in all the different geographies. That being said, we are inventors and of course we have an idea every day about what we could improve on. But as far as the pipeline goes for our company, we are focusing on some very specific up and coming applications that we hope to have in the next couple of years. And I also wanna say that, I talked about trauma and bleeding, but the more exciting side of aortic occlusion has really been the applications. And you'd think, okay, it makes sense for trauma to be able to stop blood flow and stop bleeding. But some of our recent successes have been through postpartum hemorrhage. And there is this really, terrible condition called placenta accreta, where the placenta grows into the uterus and when you deliver the baby either by C-section or by delivery, and then the placenta attempts to be delivered, it tears, and you can have torrential bleeding. And, and so our device is being used in these women who are pregnant when inflicted with this condition and helping to decrease blood transfusions, helping to save a mother's life. So that's been really amazing. And then next on the horizon is strangely there's, it's not even a bleeding application. We've done some research and there's research going on globally about using aortic, minimally invasive aortic occlusion for non-traumatic cardiac arrest. And so if, which is really, again, it's like, "Oh my gosh, does this thing do everything? It might make your supper tonight if you're not careful." So it, so what happens there is that if somebody drops dead basically in front of you, and you start CPR, if you start pushing on their chest and pushing on their heart, you're pushing blood to the whole body. And the way you get someone back to life is if you can get the heart muscle oxygenated again. So if you put an aortic occlusion balloon up close to the heart, every time you push, you're directing blood right into the coronary arteries and right into the brain as well. And so what we're seeing is that there's increased return of spontaneous circulation rates when you do this with CPR. And there are different trials around the world that if this shows that there's an increase in survival or in better neurological survival, this will be the first time that we've really changed the script on cardiac arrest since advanced cardiac life support came out many years ago. So this, again, is very exciting for a simple device to be able to make that much impact in all these different areas. So, you know, we have a lot to focus on right now, even growing into the future because some of these, like cardiac arrest, are quite early on. So we don't wanna lose sight of this great original product, but we do think all the time about different pipeline ideas that could help other patients. [00:17:18] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, but, and to your point, even the amazing other use cases for this incredible device, like you said-- maybe it's gonna make us dinner next-- but the idea being that, who knows? I mean, there's so much more to discover even now, which makes me excited just to think about how many more use cases you could have for it and how many more people you could save. So, speaking of that, are there any stories that kind of stand out to you, moments that you've had where, you know, either through your day job, so to speak, being a vascular surgeon, but also being the co-founder of this company that really sort of affirmed to you that, "You know what? I am in the right place at the right time, in the right industry." Just those moments that really stick with you. [00:18:05] Dr. Adam Power: Yeah, I mean, it obviously all stems back to the patient and what patients are impacted. And I remember, the first time that the device was used at our hospital, one of the radiologists called me in and said, " We need to use one of these balloon occlusion devices for a patient that's been in an accident." And so I went in and I said, "I actually have the device that my partner and I created. We can use this for the patient." And so we started using it for the lady that was involved in a very serious accident, had a pelvic fracture, and she was a Jane Doe at that particular time. She was anonymous. And anyway, we noticed that she had actually had some vascular surgery done based on her angiograms, and I leaned over and I-- so she was sedated, but she was awake-- I said, "Have you had vascular surgery? Who's your vascular surgeon?" And she said, "It's Dr. Power. He's such a nice man." And so I was actually helping one of my patients. That was pretty crazy. [00:19:04] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh. [00:19:05] Dr. Adam Power: Also from my hospital, when I heard one of my junior residents was able to save someone's life. So, you know, junior residents are often good, but they're not trained surgeons. And so to have a simplistic device that one of my residents could actually place and help someone, that's pretty amazing too. There's also been times where like even the postpartum hemorrhage, we hear the first cases in the States of saving mother and baby. That's pretty incredible. Or that we donated some devices to the Ukraine conflict as well, and we heard that it saved some soldiers' lives as well. And there's different military groups that, that use our device and save soldiers. So it's all back to the patient. And hearing those success stories and hearing about somebody alive because of this particular device, because of all this effort that we've put in. I mean, it's really makes it worthwhile. It sounds kind of corny, but as a surgeon, I can help one person at a time, but as somebody involved in industry and medical device industry, I don't even have to be there. You know, this device can help long after I'm gone. The tricky part of it, being the Chief Medical Officer is, I usually only have to worry about my patients. Now I have to worry about everybody worldwide and the device being used. That was a little hard to wrap my head around initially, but yeah. [00:20:28] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, of course. But the ripple, the ripples, the impact that you get to have because of this device and because of your diligence getting it to market, because it isn't an easy path, and that's incredible. So thank you for doing the work that you're doing. That's not easy and it's very appreciated. This is incredible. So, yeah. So, okay. When you were growing up, let's say 8-year-old, Adam-- you know, you're having a good time doing whatever you like to do-- could you possibly have pictured yourself where you are now? [00:21:08] Dr. Adam Power: No, I don't think so. I mean, I, I. I came from a very small, like, small upbringing and, you know, in my family I had absolutely lovely family members, but they really, apart from my aunt, they weren't overly educated. And so I really didn't know what it took to be successful in life, really. I had work ethic from my parents, that's for sure. And so that's what they bred into me. And all I knew is that I was gonna work as hard as I could, and I figured that as long as I keep working-- and I was lucky to have some brains as well-- then I figured things would fall into place. They honestly haven't fallen into place exactly how I pictured them as I grew older and what it would look like. But I'm certainly thankful for where I am right now, and what is the next five years or 10 years gonna look like? I have no idea. And I guess I just don't even picture it. I have goals, but I also know that those goals change depending on circumstances. And you need, as I'm growing into middle age-- I think I'm beyond middle age now-- I'm thinking about midlife crisis and things like that. I get into philosophy and there's like telic and atelic things and so, it's sounds, again, it's about the path and the journey. It's not about the ultimate goal because, having reached a lot of these successes, that good feeling lasts for maybe a day or half a day. And you think you know, I spent all these years coming with the, with our device, getting our device to market and getting FDA approval and like, oh my gosh, like, you'd think, I'd feel so great about that. And it did. It felt great, but you wake up the next day and you gotta keep going. So you have to enjoy the journey and that's really what it's the wisdom that comes with age is trying to enjoy the journey as much as possible and not focus too much beyond that. [00:23:09] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, and I think that's really good advice too, in that it is because the daily life isn't usually all the celebration and successes. I mean, that does happen and those are good moments, but because the vast majority of our life is spent on the journey component of it, and going through those peaks and valleys, it is important to find something you love and feel that you can make an impact in. So I'm so thankful that this is what you've chosen to do. So pivoting the conversation a little bit just for fun, imagine that you're to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want. Could be within your industry, but it doesn't have to be. What would you choose to teach? [00:23:55] Dr. Adam Power: And would that mean that I was an expert in it? [00:23:58] Lindsey Dinneen: Well, certainly if you're getting paid a million dollars, somebody has decided you aren't an expert at it. How about that? [00:24:05] Dr. Adam Power: Okay. Well. Can I pretend like I'm an expert in it? There's something that I really love, but I'm not I'm probably not an expert in it. It would be, I would teach a masterclass in DJing. Isn't that strange? I know it's so random. [00:24:21] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh my goodness! Tell me more! [00:24:23] Dr. Adam Power: Well, I mean, I love music. I've, I grew up playing lots of sports and never was involved in music. And, and I've always appreciated music and art, but I was never able to do it. And, you know, growing up I did love sort of all types of music and then even electronic music and it just somehow talked to me. So I started DJing electronic music basically when I was around med school and have always loved it now, and when I was over in England, I DJ'ed on the campus radio and also DJ'd in a club. It was really fun and it sounds pretty silly to be talking about this when I have these other things that are on the go. But honestly, being able to share space with other human beings these days, and actually having a good time and having it not be stressful and having it be only, you know, everybody's wishing others to have a good time. There's not many people that go out sort of dancing into electronic music that are thinking bad things about other people. Really they're just out for a good time. And so being able to steer that whole music and scene is pretty awesome. And I do love it. And I don't DJ as much as I used to, but I still do different events, usually Christmas parties for the operating room. I'll do the typically wedding sort of DJ, but then they always, 'cause they know me, they let me do an hour long electronic set, which is like hardcore electronic. But then I go back to the regular stuff. But I would want to teach a masterclass in DJing. [00:25:56] Lindsey Dinneen: That is awesome. How exciting. Oh my gosh, I love that. And I think you're right. Music brings us together and it's a wonderful way to, to share a little bit of joy. [00:26:07] Dr. Adam Power: Yeah. [00:26:08] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Okay. And then how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:26:15] Dr. Adam Power: I, so number one is I don't, again, with my midlife crisis, I've actually been trying to eliminate my ego as much as possible. And so when people talk about legacy, it actually gives me the hives these days to be quite honest, because I don't like that because I think you're focused a lot on yourself. In my opinion, a lot of legacy is all about you. The way that I would wanna be remembered, though, is truly that I was kind and compassionate to everyone that I met, and that I stood for something, and that I left the world a better place. [00:26:57] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, those are wonderful things to want to be remembered for, absolutely. And then final question, what is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:27:09] Dr. Adam Power: My kids. My son Kai and my daughter Saoirse. They are the light of my life. And I, you would think that with how busy I am ,you know, those things would deprioritize, but they truly are the one thing in my life that makes me smile when I get up in the morning. [00:27:30] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, that's wonderful. Well, that is absolutely incredible. I loved getting to meet you and speak with you a little bit today. Thank you so much for sharing about your journey. Thank you for sharing about your incredible device and your bits of wisdom along the way. The idea of we've gotta enjoy the experience, the path, the journey. And I just really appreciate you spending some time with us. So thank you for everything you're doing to change lives for a better world. [00:27:59] Dr. Adam Power: Oh, well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you. It was absolutely lovely chatting with you today. [00:28:05] Lindsey Dinneen: Wonderful. Well, thank you again so much. Thank you also to listeners who are tuning in, and if you're as inspired as I am, I would love it if you would share this episode with a colleague or two and we'll catch you next time. [00:28:20] Ben Trombold: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium. Velentium is a full-service CDMO with 100% in-house capability to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices from class two wearables to class three active implantable medical devices. Velentium specializes in active implantables, leads, programmers, and accessories across a wide range of indications, such as neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, cardiac management, and diabetes management. Velentium's core competencies include electrical, firmware, and mechanical design, mobile apps, embedded cybersecurity, human factors and usability, automated test systems, systems engineering, and contract manufacturing. Velentium works with clients worldwide, from startups seeking funding to established Fortune 100 companies. Visit velentium.com to explore your next step in medical device development.

Guest: Emma Justice, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, NTMTCEarn 0.1 ASHA CEU for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/pfd-problem-solvingTune in as we welcome one of our favorite humans, Emily Justice, a dedicated speech language pathologist with a wealth of experience working in the NICU and public schools in Boston. Join us for an engaging discussion about her path into speech therapy, her passion for supporting minority recruitment in the field, and her advocacy for accessible feeding therapy. We delve into important topics such as the necessity of instrumental swallow studies, the power of family and caregiver involvement in therapy, and the importance of interprofessional collaboration. This episode is packed with practical insights for therapists, caregivers, and anyone invested in improving pediatric feeding practices.About the Guest: Emma Justice, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, NTMTC, works full-time for Boston Public Schools and is the owner of Justice for Infant Feeding Therapy and Lactation. She specializes in pediatric feeding and swallowing, with a focus on medical complexities and culturally diverse populations. Emma is certified in lactation counseling as well as neonatal touch and massage. She received her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Northeastern University and completed her clinical fellowship at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. Emma has experience across several settings, including pediatric acute care, encompassing a Level III NICU, PICU, Oncology, Cleft and Craniofacial team, Aerodigestive team, and the well-baby Mother-Infant Unit. Additionally, Emma has experience in pediatric outpatient rehab, home health, and public school settings. She is a guest lecturer and the primary pediatric consultant for the Swallowing Wellness Center, where she teaches a course on pediatric swallow studies. Emma co-created BABY S.T.E.P. with Dr. Ianessa Humbert, an infant and pediatric adaptation of Humbert's S.T.E.P. (Swallowing Training Educational Portal), designed to provide accessible, affordable, and evidence-based swallowing education. She currently serves on ASHA's topic committee for Pediatric Feeding Disorders and has presented nationally on topics related to pediatric dysphagia and cultural disparities.

SLP fear is real, but facts are louder. In this Fix SLP Podcast episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, unpack the top fears heard daily: Praxis retakes, reinstating the ASHA CCC, supervision requirements, getting overlooked by misinformed employers, whether CCC status affects international portability via the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, and how employer education, not court battles, drives SLP autonomy and better jobs.This episode shows how to turn fear into facts: evaluating your local job market, approaching HR about removing CCC requirements, clarifying supervision rules, and proving that patient outcomes, not extra letters, define true competence in the field.Thank you to our sponsor, ⭐️ Informed Jobs, ⭐️ connecting SLPs with meaningful job opportunities and career resources to keep you informed and empowered. Explore more at informedslp.com. Just click the menu, then select "Jobs"!

Through her social security disability practice, Asha Sharma represents clients who are often struggling with poverty, homelessness, and complex medical conditions. In this episode, she discusses the realities of building a practice around contingency fees from federal back pay, the challenge of working with vulnerable clients who lack proper medical documentation, and the extensive medical knowledge required to effectively advocate for people with conditions ranging from chronic pain to severe mental illness. Asha reflects on preparing for administrative hearings before federal judges, the impact of fraud cases that have tightened evidentiary standards, and why she finds meaning in work that helps society's most marginalized individuals navigate a complex federal system. Asha Sharma is a graduate of University of Minnesota Law School. This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Rutgers LawLearn more about Vermont LawLearn more about Rutgers LawAccess LawHub today!

Send us a textIn this episode of Light Up Your Worth, host Debbie has an insightful discussion with Asha Farrah, an expat currently living in Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico. Hailing from Harlem, New York City, Asha recounts her experiences traveling to nearly 30 countries and achieving financial freedom, ultimately founding Mexpat Dreamers, an organization dedicated to aiding aspiring expats in their relocation journey. She explains her intentional relocation based on climate, culture, and lifestyle, and provides detailed guidance on navigating logistical and emotional challenges of moving abroad. The conversation highlights the significant personal transformation that comes with living abroad and underscores the importance of safety, budgeting, and embracing diverse cultures to reawaken one's senses. 00:00 Introduction to Light Up Your Worth00:08 Meet Asha Farrah: The Expat Journey02:34 Choosing Santiago de Queretaro02:57 Intentional Living and Cultural Immersion05:16 Spirituality and Relocation in Mexico07:21 Logistics of Moving to Mexico08:44 Relocation Tours and Practical Guidance11:13 Client Experiences and Quality of Life15:00 Living in a Middle-Class City in Mexico15:50 Safety and Budget Considerations16:36 Experiencing Life in Queretaro17:13 Personal Transformation Through Relocation19:25 Diversity and Surprises in Mexico20:42 Cultural Connections and Family Values24:38 Music and Self-Worth Reflections27:08 Final Thoughts and Contact InformationConnect with Asha:Website : www.mexpatdreamers.comInstagram: @mexpatdreamers Thank you for tuning into another illuminating episode of Light Up Your Worth. Your presence here is a testament to your commitment to healing, personal growth, and self discovery. As we conclude, remember, your worth is innate, your light is powerful beyond words, and your potential is limitless.Remember, when you own your worth, your light shines with abundance. Until next time, let your inner light shine. Sending sunshine.Support the showI'd be honored to walk beside you in this intimate space through my monthly Light Up Your Worth Society soul circle. Come home to yourself and join our heart-centered community. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightupyourworth YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/Lightupyourworthpodcast Facebook Business Page: https://www.facebook.com/LightUpYourWorthwithDebbieMcAllister From my heart to yours, I'd love to invite you to support our podcast journey! If you've found value in our conversations and would like to share some love, you can treat me to a virtual coffee for just $5. It's a beautiful way to contribute whenever you feel called - no pressure, no commitments, just pure appreciation flowing both ways. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lightupyrworth Spread your light with our soul family across 35 countries and beyond!

SCOTUS gives the green light for roving ICE patrols to stop people based on race and ethnicity - what does this mean for civil liberties and the Fourth Amendment? Asha and Renato unpack the decision - and why the Court is increasingly relying on the "shadow docket" to hand the Trump administration win after win without scrutiny. Plus, the tariff case that could expand Trump's power over the economy and sideline Congress with billions at stake. Don't miss it. Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicatedFollow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.socialFollow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.socialFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of What's Up Public Health, we sit down with Ingrid, a Speech Language Pathologist, to explore the profound impact of shifting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language within the field of speech-language pathology. With recent language changes from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to the accreditation, professionals are grappling with how these shifts influence not only their work but also the communities they serve.Together, we unpack how words shape practice, professional identity, and patient trust—and what's at stake when DEI language is removed from the conversation. From the clinician's role as an advocate to the ripple effects on patient care, this episode dives deep into the power of language in advancing health equity.

From patient decision-making to diet modification to interdisciplinary collaboration, guests share their experience and the trends they're seeing shape and change dysphagia treatment.Featuring three SLPs from ASHA's Online Conference, “Dysphagia Management: Strengthening Skills, Overcoming Obstacles,” this panel discussion addresses shifting practices related to SLPs' role in making dietary recommendations.What do these changes mean for your service delivery? And most importantly, how do you communicate these changes to your patients and interdisciplinary collaborators?Learn More:ASHA Online Conference: Dysphagia Management: Strengthening Skills, Overcoming ObstaclesASHA Voices: Avoiding Confusion in Pediatric Feeding and SwallowingASHA Voices: SLPs Make the Case for a Fearless Approach to Dysphagia TreatmentASHA Voices: The Critical but Unseen Social Determinants of Health

Renewal season is here, and the confusion is real: what's the difference between ASHA membership and the CCC, and what do SLPs actually need to practice? In this episode, we discuss the legal authority of your state license, why the CCC is sold as a product, what “membership perks” really mean, and when keeping or dropping the CCC matters for supervision, Medicaid billing, or employer policies. Clear, actionable, and timely. This is your guide to making the right renewal decision.Thank you to our sponsor, ⭐️ SLP Elevate by Speech Time Fun ⭐️, offering engaging materials for grades 4–12, whether you work virtually or in person. Learn more at slpelevate.com!If you missed it a year ago, listen to Zane Rankin's story as the FIRST SLP in Arkansas credentialed for billing without the CCC after ASHA unceremoniously stripped it away following his unplanned medical retirement.

Lyssa Rome is a speech-language pathologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is on staff at the Aphasia Center of California, where she facilitates groups for people with aphasia and their care partners. She owns an LPAA-focused private practice and specializes in working with people with neurogenic communication disorders. She has worked in acute hospital, skilled nursing, and continuum of care settings. Prior to becoming an SLP, Lyssa was a public radio journalist, editor, and podcast producer. In this episode, Lyssa Rome interviews Liz Hoover about group treatment for aphasia.   Guest info Dr. Liz Hoover is a clinical professor of speech language and hearing sciences and the clinical director of the Aphasia Resource Center at Boston University. She holds board certification from the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences, or ANCDS, and is an ASHA fellow. She was selected as a 2024 Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar, USA and Canada. Liz was a founding member of Aphasia Access and served on the board for several years. She has 30 years of experience working with people with aphasia and other communication disorders across the continuum of care. She's contributed to numerous presentations and publications, and most of her work focuses on the effectiveness of group treatment for individuals with aphasia.   Listener Take-aways In today's episode you will: Describe the evidence supporting aphasia conversation groups as an effective interventions for linguistic and psychosocial outcomes. Differentiate the potential benefits of dyads versus larger groups in relation to client goals. Identify how aphasia severity and group composition can influence treatment outcomes.   Edited transcript Lyssa Rome Welcome to the Aphasia Access Aphasia Conversations Podcast. I'm Lyssa Rome. I'm a speech language pathologist on staff at the Aphasia Center of California and I see clients with aphasia and other neurogenic communication disorders in my LPAA-focused private practice. I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources.   I'm today's host for an episode that will feature Dr. Elizabeth Hoover, who was selected as a 2024 Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar, USA and Canada.   Liz Hoover is a clinical professor of speech language and hearing sciences and the clinical director of the Aphasia Resource Center at Boston University. She holds board certification from the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences, or ANCDS, and is an ASHA fellow. Liz was a founding member of Aphasia Access and served on the board for several years. She has 30 years of experience working with people with aphasia and other communication disorders across the continuum of care. She's contributed to numerous presentations and publications, and most of her work focuses on the effectiveness of group treatment for individuals with aphasia. Liz, welcome back to the podcast.   So in 2017 you spoke with Ellen Bernstein Ellis about intensive comprehensive aphasia programs or ICAPs and inter professional practice at the Aphasia Resource Center at BU and treatment for verb production using VNest, among other topics. So this time, I thought we could focus on some of your recent research with Gayle DeDe and others on conversation group treatment.   Liz Hoover Sounds good.   Lyssa Rome All right, so my first question is how you became interested in studying group treatment?   Liz Hoover Yeah, I actually have Dr. Jan Avent to thank for my interest in groups. She was my aphasia professor when I was a graduate student doing my masters at Cal State East Bay. As you know, Cal State East Bay is home to the Aphasia Treatment Program. When I was there, it preceded ATP. But I was involved in her cooperative group treatment study, and as a graduate student, I was allowed to facilitate some of her groups in this study, and I was involved in the moderate-to-severe group. She was also incredibly generous at sharing that very early body of work for socially oriented group treatments and exposing us to the work of John Lyons and Audrey Holland. Jan also invited us to go to a conference on group treatment that was run by the Life Link group. It's out of Texas Woman's University, Delaina Walker-Batson and Jean Ford. And it just was a life changing and pivotal experience for me in recognizing how group treatment could not be just an adjunct to individual goals, but actually be the type of treatment that is beneficial for folks with aphasia. So it's been a love my entire career.   Lyssa Rome And now I know you've been studying group treatment in this randomized control trial. This was a collaborative research project, so I'm hoping you can tell us a little bit more about that project. What were your research questions? Tell us a little bit more.   Liz Hoover Yeah, so thank you. I'll just start by acknowledging that the work is funded by two NIDCD grants, and to acknowledge their generosity, and then also acknowledge Dr. Gayle DeDe, who is currently at Temple University. She is a co- main PI in this work, and of course it wouldn't have happened without her. So you know, Gayle and I have known each other for many, many years. She's a former student, doctoral student at Boston University, and by way of background, she and I were interested in working together and interested in trying to build on some evidence for group treatment. I think we drank the Kool Aid early on, as you might say.   And you know, just looking at the literature, there have been two trials on the evidence for this kind of work. And so those of us who are involved in groups, know that it's helpful for people with aphasia, our clients tell us how much they enjoy it, and they vote with their feet, right? In that they come back for more treatments. And aphasia centers have grown dramatically in the last couple of decades in the United States.   So clearly we know they work, but what we don't know is why they work. What are those essential ingredients, and how is that driving the change that we think we see? And from a personal perspective, that's important for me to understand and for us to have explained in the literature, because until we can justify it in the scientific terms, I worry it will forever be a private-pay adjunct that is only accessible to people who can pay for it, or who are lucky enough to be close enough to a center that can get them access—virtual groups aside, and the advent of that—but it's important that I think this intervention is validated to the scientific community in our field.   So we designed this trial. It's a randomized control trial to help build the research evidence for conversation, group treatment, and to also look at the critical components. This was inspired by a paper actually from Nina Simmons Mackie in 2014 and Linda Worrell. They looked at group treatment and showed that there were at least eight first-tier elements that changed the variability or on which we might modify group conversation treatment. And so, you know, if we're all doing things differently, how can we predict the change, and how can we expect outcomes?   Lyssa Rome So I was hoping you could describe this randomized, controlled trial. You know, it was collaborative, and I'm curious about what you and your collaborators had as your research questions.   Liz Hoover So our primary aims of the study were to understand if communication or conversation treatment is associated with changes in measures of communicative ability and psychosocial measures. So that's a general effectiveness question. And then to look in more deeply to see if the group size or the group composition or even the individual profile of the client with aphasia influences the expected outcome.   Because if you think about group treatment, the size of the group is not an insignificant issue, right? So a small group environment of two people has much more… it still gives you some peer support from the other individual with aphasia, but you have many opportunities for conversational turns and linguistic and communication practice and to drive the saliency of the conversation in a direction that's meaningful and useful and informative.   Whereas in a large group environment of say, six to eight people with aphasia and two clinicians, you might see much more influence in the needed social support and vicarious learning and shared lived experience and so forth, and still have some opportunity for communication and linguistic practice. So there's conflicting hypotheses there about which group environment might be better for one individual over another.   And then there's the question of, well, who's in that group with you? Does that matter? Some of the literature says that if you have somebody with a different profile of aphasia, it can set up a therapeutic benefit of the helper experience, where you can gain purpose by enabling and supporting and being a facilitator of somebody else with aphasia.   But if you're in a group environment where your peers have similar conversation goals as you, maybe your practice turns, and your ability to learn vicariously from their conversation turns is greater. So again, two conflicting theories here about what might be best. So we decided to try and manipulate these group environments and measure outcomes on several different communication measures. We selected measures that were linguistic, functional, and psychosocial.   We collected data over four years. The first two years, we enrolled people with all different kinds of profiles of aphasia. The only inclusion criteria from a communication perspective, as you needed some ability to comprehend at a sentence level, so that you could process what was being said by the other people in the group. And in year one, the treatment was at Boston University and Temple University, which is where Gayle's aphasia center is housed. In year two, we added a community site at the Adler Aphasia Center and Maywood, New Jersey, so we had three sites going.   The treatment conditions were dyad, large group, and then a no treatment group. So this group was tested at the same time, didn't get any other intervention, and then we gave them group treatment once the testing cycle was over. So we call that a historical control or a delayed-treatment control group. And then in years three and four, we aim to enroll people who had homogeneous profiles.   So the first through the third cycle was people with moderate to severe profiles. And then in the final, fourth cycle, it was people with mild profiles with aphasia. This allowed us to collect enough data in enough size to be able to look at overall effectiveness and then effects of heterogeneity or homogeneity in the group, and the influence of the profile of aphasia, as well as the group size.   And across the four years, we aim to enroll 216 participants, and 193 completed the study. So it's the largest of its kind for this particular kind of group treatment that we know of anyway. So this data set has allowed us to look at overall efficacy of conversation group treatment, and then also take a look at a couple of those critical ingredients. Does the size of the group make a difference? And does the composition of your group make a difference?   Lyssa Rome And what did you find?   Liz Hoover Well, we're not quite done with all of our analysis yet, but we found overall that there's a significant treatment effect for just the treatment conditions, not the control group. So whether you were in the dyad or whether you were in a large treatment group, you got better on some of the outcome measures we selected. And the control group not only didn't but on a couple of those measures, their performance actually declined. And so showing significantly that there's a treatment effect. Did you have a question?   Lyssa Rome Yeah, I wanted to interrupt and ask, what were the outcome measures? What outcome measures were you looking at?   Liz Hoover Yeah. So we had about 14 measures in total that aligned with the core outcome set that was established by the ROMA group. So we had as our linguistic measure the Comprehensive Aphasia Test. We had a primary outcome measure, which was a patient reported measure of functional communication, which is the ACOM by Will Hula and colleagues, the Aphasia Communication Outcome measure, we had Audrey Holland and colleagues' objective functional measure, the CADL, and then a series of other psychosocial and patient reported outcome measures, so the wall question from the ALA, the Moss Social Scale, the Communication Confidence Rating Scale in Aphasia by Leora Cherney and Edie Babbitt.   Lyssa Rome Thank you. When I interrupted you to ask about outcome measures. You were telling us about some of the findings so far.   Liz Hoover Yeah, so our primary outcome measures showed significant changes in language for both the treatment conditions and a slightly larger effect for the large group. And then we saw, at a more micro level, the results pointing to a complex interaction, actually, between the group size and the treatment outcome. So we saw changes on more linguistic measures. like the repetition sub scores of the CAT and verb naming from another naming subtest for the dyad group, whereas bigger, more robust changes on the ACOM the CADL and the discourse measure from the CAT for the large group.   And then diving in a little bit more deeply for the composition, these data are actually quite interesting. The papers are in review and preparation at the moment, but it looks like we are seeing significant changes for the moderate-to-severe group on objective functional measures and patient reported functional measures of communication, which is so exciting to see for this particular cohort, whose naming scores were zero, in some cases, on entrance, and we're seeing for the mild group, some changes on auditory comprehension, naming, not surprisingly, and also the ACOM and the CADL. So they're showing the same changes, just with different effect sizes or slightly different ranges. And once again, no change in the control group, and in some cases, on some measures, we're seeing a decline in performance over time.   So it's validating that the intervention is helpful in general. What we found with the homogeneous groups is that in a homogeneous large group environment, those groups seem to do a little better. There's a significant effect over time between the homogeneous and the heterogeneous groups. So thinking about why that might have taken place, we wonder if the shared lived experience of your profile of aphasia, your focus on similar kinds of communication, or linguistic targets within the conversation environment might be helping to offset the limited number of practice trials you get in that larger group environment.   So that's an interesting finding to see these differences in who's in the group with you. Because I think clinically, we tend to assign groups, or sort of schedule groups according to what's convenient for the client, what might be pragmatic for the setting, without really wondering why one group could be important or one group might be preferential. If we think about it, there are conflicting hypotheses as to why a group of your like aphasia severity might have a different outcome, right? That idea that you can help people who have a different profile than you, that you're sharing different kinds of models of communication, versus that perhaps more intense practice effect when you share more specific goals and targets and lived experiences. So it's interesting to think about the group environment from that perspective, I think,   Lyssa Rome And to have also some evidence that clinicians and people at aphasia centers can look to help make decisions about group compositions, I think is incredibly helpful.   Earlier, you mentioned that one of the goals of this research project has been to identify the active ingredients of group therapy. And I know that you've been part of a working group for the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System, or RTSS. Applying that, how have you tried to identify the active ingredients and what? What do you think it is about these treatments that actually drives change?   Liz Hoover I'll first of all say, this is a work in process. You know, I don't think we've got all of the answers. We're just starting to think about it with the idea, again, that if we clinically decide to make some changes to our group, we're at least doing it with some information behind us, and it's a thoughtful and intentional change, as opposed to a gut reaction or a happenstance change. So Gayle and I have worked on developing this image, or this model. It's in a couple of our papers. We can share the resources for that. But it's about trying to think of the flow of communication, group treatment, and what aspects of the treatment might be influential in the outcomes we see downstream.   I think for group treatment, you can't separate entirely many of the ingredients. Group treatment is multifaceted, it's interconnected, and it's not possible—I would heavily debate that with anybody—I don't think it's possible to sort of truly separate some of these ingredients. But when you alter the composition or the environment in which you do the treatment, I do think we are influencing the relative weight of these ingredients.   So we've been thinking about there being this group dynamics component, which is the supportive environment of the peers in the group with you, that social support, the insider affiliation and shared lived experience, the opportunity to observe and see the success of some of these different communication strategies, so that vicarious learning that takes place as you see somebody else practice. But also, I think, cope in a trajectory of your treatment process.   And then we've got linguistic practice so that turn taking where you're actually trying to communicate verbally using supported communication where you're expanding on your utterances or trying to communicate verbally in a specific way or process particular kinds of linguistic targets. A then communication practice in terms of that multimodal effectiveness of communication.   And these then are linked to these three ingredients, dynamic group dynamics, linguistic practice and communication practice. They each have their own mechanism of action or a treatment theory that explains how they might affect change. So for linguistic practice, it's the amount of practice, but also how you hear it practiced or see it practiced with the other group participant. And the same thing for the various multimodal communication acts. And in thinking about a large group versus the dyad or a small group, you know you've got this conflicting hypothesis or the setup for a competing best group, or benefit in that the large group will influence more broadly in the group dynamics, or more deeply in the group dynamics, in that there's a much bigger opportunity to see the vicarious learning and experience the support and potentially experience the communication practice, given a varied number of participants.   But yet in the dyad, your opportunity for linguistic practice is much, much stronger. And our work has counted this the exponential number of turns you get in a dyad versus a large group. And you know, I think that's why the results we saw with the dyad on those linguistic outcomes were unique to that group environment.   Lyssa Rome It points, I think, to the complexity of decision making around group structure and what's right for which client, maybe even so it sounds like some of that work is still in progress. I'm curious about sort of thinking about what you know so far based on this work, what advice would you have for clinicians who are working in aphasia centers or or helping to sort of think about the structure of group treatments? What should clinicians in those roles keep in mind?   Liz Hoover Yeah, that's a great question, and I'll add the caveat that this may change. My advice for this may change in a year's time, or it might evolve as we learn more. But I think what it means is that the decisions you make should be thoughtful. We're starting to learn more about severity in aphasia and how that influences the outcomes. So I think, what is it that your client wants to get out of the group? If they're interested in more linguistic changes, then perhaps the dyad is a better place to start. If they clearly need, or are voicing the need, for more psychosocial support, then the large, you know, traditional sized and perhaps a homogeneous group is the right place to start. But they're both more effective than no treatment. And so being, there's no wrong answer. It's just understanding your client's needs. Is there a better fit?   And I think that's, that's, that's my wish, that people don't see conversation as something that you do at the beginning to build a rapport, but that it's worthy of being an intervention target. It should be most people's primary goal. I think, right, when we ask, what is it you'd like? “I want to talk more. I want to have a conversation.” Audrey Holland would say it's a moral imperative to to treat the conversation and to listen to folks' stories. So just to think carefully about what it is your client wants to achieve, and if there's an environment in which that might be easier to help them achieve that.   Lyssa Rome It's interesting, as you were saying that I was thinking about what you said earlier on about sort of convincing funders about the value of group treatment, but what you're saying now makes me think that it's all your work is also valuable in convincing speech therapists that referrals to groups or dyads is valuable and and also for people with aphasia and their families that it's worth seeking out.   I'm curious about where in the continuum of care this started for the people who were in your trial. I mean, were these people with chronic aphasia who had had strokes years earlier? Was it a mix? And did that make a difference?   Liz Hoover It was a mix. I think our earliest participant was six months post-onset. Our most chronic participant was 26 years post-onset. So a wide range. We want, obviously, from a study perspective, we needed folks to be outside of the traditional window of spontaneous recovery in stroke-induced aphasia.   But it was important to us to have a treatment dose that was reasonable and applicable to a United States healthcare climate, right? So twice a week for an hour is something that people would get reimbursed for. The overall dose is the minimum that's been shown to be effective in the RELEASE collaborative trial papers. And then, you know, but still, half, less than half the dose that the Elman and Bernstein Ellis study found to be effective. So there may be some wiggle room there to see if, if a larger dose is more effective.   But yeah, I think it's that idea of finding funding, convincing people that this is not just a reasonable treatment approach, but a good approach for many outcomes for people with chronic aphasia. I mean, you know, one of the biggest criticisms we hear from the giants in our field is the frustration with aphasia being treated like it's a quick fix and can be done. But you know, so much of the work shows that people are only just beginning to understand their condition by the time they're discharged from traditional outpatient services. And so there's a need for ongoing treatment indefinitely, I think, as your goals change, as you age, and as your wish to participate in different things changes over a lifetime,   Lyssa Rome Yeah, absolutely. And I think too, when we think about sort of the role of hope, if you know, if there is additional evidence showing that there can be change after that sort of traditional initial period, when we think that change happens the most, that can provide a lot of hope and motivation, I think, to people.   Liz Hoover yeah, we're look going to be looking next at predictors of change, so looking at our study entrance scores and trying to identify which participants were the responders versus the non-responders that you know, because group effects are one thing, but it's good to see who seems to benefit the most from these individual types of environments.   And an early finding is that confidence, or what some people in the field, I'm learning now are referring to as actually communication self-efficacy, but that previous exposure to group potentially and that confidence in your communication is inversely correlated with benefits from treatment on other measures. So if you've got a low confidence in your ability to communicate functionally in different environments, you're predicted to be a responder to conversation treatment.   Lyssa Rome Oh, that's really interesting. What else are you looking forward to working on when it comes to this data set or other projects that you have going on?   Liz Hoover Yeah. So as I mentioned, there's a lot of data still for us to dig into, looking at those individual responders or which factors or variables might make an impact. There is the very next on the list, we're also going to be looking very shortly at the dialogic conversation outcomes. So, it's a conversation treatment. How has conversation changed? That's a question we need to answer. So we're looking at that currently, and might look more closely at other measures. And then I think the question of the dose is an interesting one. The question of how individual variables or the saliency of the group may impact change is another potentially interesting question. There are many different directions you can go.   You know, we've got 193 participants in the study, with three separate testing time points, so it's a lot of data to look at still. And I think we want to be sure we understand what we're looking at, and what those active ingredients might be, that we've got the constructs well defined before we start to recruit for another study and to expand on these findings further.   Lyssa Rome When we were meeting earlier, getting ready for this talk, you mentioned to me a really valuable video resource, and I wanted to make sure we take some time to highlight that. Can you tell us a little bit about what you worked on with your colleagues at Boston University?   Liz Hoover Yes, thank you. So I'll tell you a little bit. We have a video education series. Some of you may have heard about this already, but it's up on our website so bu.edu/aphasiacenter, and we'll still share that link as well. And it's a series of short, aphasia-friendly videos that are curated by our community to give advice and share lived experiences from people with aphasia and their care partners.   This project came about right on the heels of the COVID shutdown at our university. I am involved in our diagnostic clinic, and I was seeing folks who had been in acute care through COVID being treated with people who were wearing masks, who had incredibly shortened lengths of stay because people you know rightly, were trying to get them out of a potentially vulnerable environment. And what we were seeing is a newly diagnosed cohort of people with aphasia who were so under-informed about their condition, and Nina that has a famous quote right of the public being woefully uninformed of the aphasia condition and you don't think it can get any worse until It does.   And I thought, gosh, wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to point them to some short education videos that are by people who have lived their same journey or a version of their same journey. So we fundraised and collaborated with a local production company to come up with these videos. And I'll share, Lyssa, we just learned last week that this video series has been awarded the ASHA 2025 Media Outreach Award. So it's an award winning series.   Lyssa Rome Yeah, that's fantastic, and it's so well deserved. They're really beautifully and professionally produced. And I think I really appreciated hearing from so many different people with aphasia about their experiences as the condition is sort of explained more. So thank you for sharing those and we'll put the links in our show notes along with links to the other articles that you've mentioned in this conversation in our show notes. So thanks.   Liz Hoover Yeah, and I'll just put a big shout out to my colleague, Jerry Kaplan, who's the amazing interviewer and facilitator in many of these videos, and the production company, which is Midnight Brunch. But again, the cinematography and the lighting. They're beautifully done. I think I'm very, very happy with them.   Lyssa Rome Yeah, congrats again on the award too. So to wrap up, I'm wondering if there's anything else that you want listeners to take away from this conversation or from the work that you've been doing on conversation treatments.   Liz Hoover I would just say that I would encourage everybody to try group treatment. It's a wonderful option for intervention for people, and to remind everyone of Barbara Shadden and Katie Strong's work, of that embedded storytelling that can come out in conversation, and of the wonderful Audrey Holland's words, of it being a moral imperative to help people tell their story and to converse. It's yeah… You'll drink the Kool Aid if you try it. Let me just put it that way. It's a wonderful intervention that seems to be meaningful for most clients I've ever had the privilege to work with.   Lyssa Rome I agree with that. And meaningful too, I think for clinicians who get to do the work.   Liz Hoover, thank you so much for your work and for coming to talk with us again, for making your second appearance on the podcast. It's been great talking with you.   Liz Hoover Thank you. It's been fun. I appreciate it.   Lyssa Rome And thanks also to our listeners for the references and resources mentioned in today's show. Please see our show notes. They're available on our website, www.aphasiaaccess.org. There, you can also become a member of our organization, browse our growing library of materials and find out about the Aphasia Access Academy. If you have an idea for a future podcast episode, email us at info@aphasia access.org.   Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access. For Aphasia Access Conversations. I'm Lyssa Rome.       Resources Walker-Batson, D., Curtis, S., Smith, P., & Ford, J. (1999). An alternative model for the treatment of aphasia: The Lifelink© approach. In R. Elman (Ed.), Group treatment for neurogenic communication disorders: The expert clinician's approach (pp. 67-75). Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann   Hoover, E.L., DeDe, G., Maas, E. (2021). A randomized controlled trial of the effects of group conversation treatment on monologic discourse in aphasia. Journal of Speech-Language and Hearing Research doi/10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00023 Hoover, E., Szabo, G., Kohen, F., Vitale, S., McCloskey, N., Maas, E., Kularni, V., & DeDe., G. (2025). The benefits of conversation group treatment for individuals with chronic aphasia: Updated evidence from a multisite randomized controlled trial on measures of language and communication. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology. DOI: 10.1044/2025_AJSLP-24-00279   Aphasia Resource Center at BU   Living with Aphasia video series Aphasia Access Podcast Episode #15: In Conversation with Liz Hoover

Trump is turning to the Texas National Guard to send troops to Chicago - but why Texas? Asha and Renato dig into why state control might give him a way around federal limits and what could happen if Illinois pushes back. And a US strike on alleged cartel ships in Venezuela - what does it mean for how Trump can use his war powers against anyone he deems a ‘threat?' Tune in, you won't want to miss it!Cruise: https://www.travelstore.com/group-travel/its-complicated-cruise-2026/ Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicatedFollow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.socialFollow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.socialFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a new day, a new episode and a new book! And Knife of Dreams kicks things off with a BANG!Galad makes some big moves in the Whitecloaks organisation.Rodel Ituralde starts his raids on the Seanchan in Tarabon, putting his grand plan in action.Suroth gets annoyed and takes Rodel Ituralde's bait.Pevara formally gets assigned the job of approaching the Black Tower about bonding Asha'man as warders, and learns Talene has been summoned by the Black Ajah Supreme Council.Alviarin smells a rat, and not just one of the rats in the Tower. She has Doesine and Yukiri watched.Perrin gets a visit from Galina after she's scooped up by Gaul and Neald and extracts a bit of information about the Shaido and Malden from her.Egwene arrives at the White Tower after being captured at the harbour. She learns she won't be stilled, but will be re-entered into the Novice book.Let us know what you thought!X - @BloodAndAshPodBluesky - @bloodandashes.bsky.socialEmail - moritz@bloodandashespodcast.comYouTube - Blood and AshesFacebook - BloodAndAshesPodcastWeb - www.bloodandashespodcast.com (Now with voicemail capabilities!)Discord - Blood and Ashes (If the link doesn't work, drop me a message and I'll email you a fresh one)Merch - Blood and Ashes Merch! (If you send in some good ideas, we'll use them too!)Enjoy!Mo, Willie and Jody

Can Trump actually fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook? It's something no president has ever tried before – Asha and Renato break down why it's such a big deal and likely headed to the Supreme Court. Plus, the FBI raid on John Bolton raises serious questions: Is Trump's DOJ crossing the line by targeting political opponents? Tune in and find out!Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicatedFollow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.socialFollow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.socialFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Humphrey's Executor: https://youtu.be/cS_xHqkQ26w?si=p9dvxMreVQs6qZu- Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

✦ Food is a story—its origins, makers, and how recipes travel globally. The series "ChefATL," produced by SCAD, explores the stories behind the foods that inspire Atlanta chefs. In collaboration with WABE, SCAD students spotlight Atlanta restaurateurs each episode. WABE arts reporter Summer Evans spoke with SCAD student Astrid Sims, and Dear and the Dove owner Terry Koval to learn more about the show, which involved over 100 students across nine different SCAD degree programs. ✦ Local music artists across genres are coming together for a festival that organizers say is "by Atlanta and for Atlanta." City Lights Collective Co-host Kim Drobes has more on this weekend's Mainline Music Festival. ✦ Each Friday, the Atlanta Contra Dance community comes together at the Decatur Recreational Center to experience the joy of dancing to live music. City Lights Collective member Gillian Anne Renault has more on this high-energy dance that has a low bar of entry. ✦ City Lights Collective member Shane Harrison spends his days as executive editor of ArtsATL looking for cultural events to share with readers. He joins us weekly to share highlights, and today his mix includes a breakdown of the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective's season opener, a new exhibition at The Sun ATL, and the Brookhaven Porchfest. ✦ Visual artist and music enthusiast Kosmo Vinyl bought his first LP when he was nine. He spent the next several decades immersed in music and began his professional career at London's pioneering indie label, "Stiff Records." In 1979, Kosmo started working exclusively with "The Clash," who were once billed as "The Only Band That Matters," and remained by their side until the punk icons disbanded in 1986. Over the years, Kosmo's record collection became legendary. In 2014, he began posting about his favorite releases on social media as part of his series, "Kosmo's Vinyl of the Week," and he joins us weekly to share the stories behind the records he treasures. Today, he tells us the story behind Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha." ✦ Artist, illustrator, and educator Faith Ringgold showed us our world through the eyes of young children in every medium you can think of –books, paintings, drawings, sculptures, even quilts. She trained and has been widely honored in the fine art and academic circles of New York City. Ringgold worked as an art teacher in New York City public schools for decades, focusing her work on those exceptional children, who have remained her lifelong muse. Now, the High Museum is presenting the most comprehensive exhibition to date of Faith Ringgold's art, featuring pieces from her children's books, including never-before-seen works. Curator Andrew Westover took a moment to chat with City Lights Collective producer Josh Thane about this extensive collection, which is on view through October 12.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Telehealth for speech therapy is under threat, and if Medicare pulls access, the consequences could ripple far beyond one program. Adults, families, and care partners lose critical care options, but that's just the start. A Medicare rollback could trigger private insurance and Medicaid to follow suit, resulting in reduced access across the board. In this episode, we explore why telehealth is crucial for patients who can't drive, for care partners balancing demanding schedules, and for clinicians serving rural and underserved communities. You'll also get advocacy tools, ready-to-use letter templates, and simple ways to mobilize your practice and patients to keep telehealth accessible.Find all of the advocacy tools you need here to participate in the telehealth call to action, or check out Katie's SLPs Blueprint to Medicare Success and get $100 off with the code FixSLP.Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10! Thank you to our sponsor, ⭐️ Befitting You Medical Supply ⭐️,  offering AAC devices with hands-on assessments, education, and support for patients and families. Check them out!New here? Subscribe, share with a colleague, and call the Minivan Meltdown line at fixslp.com to add your voice.

On our latest podcast, we chat about the episodes of Coronation Street shown in the UK between the 25th and the 29th August (Episodes #11,653 - 11,658). Sorry, we couldn't help it - this episode does get somewhat ranty towards the beginning thanks to Corrie's insane decision to publish spoilers about the massive twist in Friday's episode first thing in the morning, thus ruining the surprise for anyone foolish enough to scroll social media rather whilst munching on their Weetabix rather than switching straight to ITVX. And it was a great twist too! Definitely something that we're interested in seeing the fallout from at Number 13... Anyway, that wasn't even the main focus of the week - that particular spotlight, of course, falls on Asha, who had a bit of a mare of a day to flash back to on Monday, and on the same week that we're saying goodbye to the lovely Aadi, too! Also this week, Theo ramps up his control of Todd when he bans him from seeing Billy, whilst over at the Rovers - praise be! - Christina's back in town, and Jenny's feeling more than a little suspicious of her motives...  Up next on the podcast it's The Kabin, and we chat a bit about Adam Hussain's latest short film, Spice For Life, which made its way onto YouTube this week, and we round off the show with some feedback, including one listener's personal ranking of all the Rovers owners over the years - now that's a discussion we can really get behind! Street Talk - 00:13:26 The Kabin - 03:02:45 Feedback - 03:12:48

This podcast covers episodes 11,653 to 11,658. As Aadi prepares to say farewell to the street, Asha has a flashback to a horrendous shift at work. Tim and Sally learn that Joanie will be looked after by a relative who apparently only has one small spare room. With Kev in Majorca, Abi and Carl let their guard down and their secret tryst is finally discovered. Christina returns with a sad story about Dom and looking for George's services. Theo exerts his control and talks Todd out of celebrating Paul's birthday at the pub. Miles does some homophobic shoving. Dev's gone electric. Jenny disrespects the dead.

Asha Sharma leads AI product strategy at Microsoft, where she works with thousands of companies building AI products and has unique visibility into what's working (and what's not) across more than 15,000 startups and enterprises. Before Microsoft, Asha was COO at Instacart, and VP of Product & Engineering at Meta, notably leading product for Messenger.What you'll learn:1. Why we're moving from “product as artifact” to “product as organism” and what this means for builders2. Microsoft's “seasons” planning framework that allows them to adapt quickly in the AI era3. The death of the org chart: how agents are turning hierarchies into task networks and why “the loop, not the lane” is the new organizing principle4. Why post-training will soon see more investment than pre-training—and how to build your own AI moat with fine-tuning5. Her prediction for the “agentic society”—where org charts become work charts and agents outnumber humans in your company6. The three-phase pattern every successful AI company follows (and why most fail at phase one)7. The rise of code-native interfaces and why GUIs might be going the way of the desktop8. What Asha learned from Satya Nadella about optimism—Brought to you by:Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth: https://enterpret.com/lennyDX—The developer intelligence platform designed by leading researchers: http://getdx.com/lennyFin—The #1 AI agent for customer service: https://fin.ai/lenny—Transcript: ⁠https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-80000-companies-build-with-ai-asha-sharma⁠—My biggest takeaways (for paid newsletter subscribers): ⁠https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/171413445/my-biggest-takeaways-from-this-conversation⁠—Where to find Asha Sharma:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aboutasha/• Blog: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/author/asha-sharma/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Asha Sharma(04:18) From “product as artifact” to “product as organism”(06:20) The rise of post-training and the future of AI product development(09:10) Successful AI companies: patterns and pitfalls(12:01) The evolution of full-stack builders(14:15) “The loop, not the lane”—the new organizing principle(16:24) The future of user interfaces: from GUI to code-native(19:34) The rise of the agentic society(22:58) The “work chart” vs. the “org chart”(26:24) How Microsoft is using agents(28:23) Planning and strategy in the AI landscape(35:38) The importance of platform fundamentals(39:31) Lessons from industry giants(42:10) What's driving Asha(44:30) Reinforcement learning (RL) and optimization loops(49:19) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/• Cursor: https://cursor.com/• The rise of Cursor: The $300M ARR AI tool that engineers can't stop using | Michael Truell (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rise-of-cursor-michael-truell• Inside ChatGPT: The fastest growing product in history | Nick Turley (Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-chatgpt-nick-turley• GitHub: https://github.com• Dragon Medical One: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/health-solutions/clinical-workflow/dragon-medical-one• Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/• Building a magical AI code editor used by over 1 million developers in four months: The untold story of Windsurf | Varun Mohan (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-untold-story-of-windsurf-varun-mohan• Lovable: https://lovable.dev/• Building Lovable: $10M ARR in 60 days with 15 people | Anton Osika (CEO and co-founder): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-lovable-anton-osika• Bolt: http://bolt.com• Inside Bolt: From near-death to ~$40m ARR in 5 months—one of the fastest-growing products in history | Eric Simons (founder and CEO of StackBlitz): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-bolt-eric-simons• Replit: https://replit.com/•Behind the product: Replit | Amjad Masad (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-product-replit-amjad-masad• He saved OpenAI, invented the “Like” button, and built Google Maps: Bret Taylor on the future of careers, coding, agents, and more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/he-saved-openai-bret-taylor• Sierra: https://sierra.ai/• Spark: https://github.com/features/spark• Peter Yang on X: https://x.com/petergyang• How AI will impact product management: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ai-will-impact-product-management• Instacart: http://instacart.com/• Terminator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_(franchise)• Porch Group: https://porchgroup.com/• WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html• Satya Nadella on X: https://x.com/satyanadella• Perfect Match 360°: Artificial intelligence to find the perfect donor match: https://ivi-fertility.com/blog/perfect-match-360-artificial-intelligence-to-find-the-perfect-donor-match/• OpenAI's GPT-5 shows potential in healthcare with early cancer detection capabilities: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/openais-gpt-5-shows-potential-in-healthcare-with-early-cancer-detection-capabilities/articleshow/123173952.cms• F1: The Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16311594/• For All Mankind on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/for-all-mankind/umc.cmc.6wsi780sz5tdbqcf11k76mkp7• The Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/• Dewalt Powerstack: https://www.dewalt.com/powerstack• Regret Minimization Framework: https://s3.amazonaws.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/sites/2147500522/themes/2148012322/downloads/rLuObc2QuOwjLrinx5Yu_regret-minimization-framework.pdf—Recommended books:• The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World's Most Coveted Microchip: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machine-Jensen-Coveted-Microchip/dp/0593832698• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593466497Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.My biggest takeaways from this conversation: To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

You're listening to Burnt Toast! Today, my guest is Ash Brandin of Screen Time Strategies, also know as The Gamer Educator on Instagram. Ash is also the author of a fantastic new book, Power On: Managing Screen Time to Benefit the Whole Family. Ash joined us last year to talk about how our attitudes towards screen time can be…diet-adjacent. I asked them to come back on the podcast this week because a lot of us are heading into back-to-school mode, which in my experience can mean feelingsss about screen routines. There are A LOT of really powerful reframings in this episode that might blow your mind—and make your parenting just a little bit easier. So give this one a listen and share it with anyone in your life who's also struggling with kids and screen time.Today's episode is free but if you value this conversation, please consider supporting our work with a paid subscription. Burnt Toast is 100% reader- and listener-supported. We literally can't do this without you! PS. You can take 10 percent off Power On, or any book we talk about on the podcast, if you order it from the Burnt Toast Bookshop, along with a copy of Fat Talk! (This also applies if you've previously bought Fat Talk from them. Just use the code FATTALK at checkout.)Episode 208 TranscriptVirginiaFor anyone who missed your last episode, can you just quickly tell us who you are and what you do?AshI'm Ash Brandin. I use they/them pronouns.I am a middle school teacher by day, and then with my online presence, I help families and caregivers better understand and manage all things technology—screen time, screens. My goal is to reframe the way that we look at them as caregivers, to find a balance between freaking out about them and allowing total access. To find a way that works for us. VirginiaWe are here today to talk about your brilliant new book, which is called Power On: Managing Screen Time to Benefit the Whole Family. I can't underscore enough how much everybody needs a copy of this book. I have already turned back to it multiple times since reading it a few months ago. It just really helps ground us in so many aspects of this conversation that we don't usually have.AshI'm so glad to hear that it's helpful! If people are new to who I am, I have sort of three central tenets of the work that I do: * Screen time is a social inequity issue. * Screens can be part of our lives without being the center of our lives. * Screens and screen time should benefit whole families.Especially in the last few years, we have seen a trend toward panic around technology and screens and smartphones and social media. I think that there are many reasons to be concerned around technology and its influence, especially with kids. But what's missing in a lot of those conversations is a sense of empowerment about what families can reasonably do. When we focus solely on the fear, it ends up just putting caregivers in a place of feeling bad.VirginiaYou feel like you're getting it wrong all the time.AshShame isn't empowering. No one is like, “Well, I feel terrible about myself, so now I feel equipped to go make a change,” right?Empowerment is what's missing in so many of those conversations and other books and things that have come out, because it's way harder. It's so much harder to talk about what you can really do and reasonably control in a sustainable way. But I'm an educator, and I really firmly believe that if anyone's in this sort of advice type space, be it online or elsewhere, that they need to be trying to empower and help families instead of just capitalizing on fear.VirginiaWhat I found most powerful is that you really give us permission to say: What need is screen time meeting right now? And this includes caregivers' needs. So not just “what need is this meeting for my child,” but what need is this meeting for me? I am here recording with you right now because iPads are meeting the need of children have a day off school on a day when I need to work. We won't be interrupted unless I have to approve a screen time request, which I might in 20 minutes.I got divorced a couple years ago, and my kids get a lot more screen time now. Because they move back and forth between two homes, and each only has one adult in it. Giving myself permission to recognize that I have needs really got me through a lot of adjusting to this new rhythm of our family.AshAbsolutely. And when we're thinking about what the need is, we also need to know that it's going to change. So often in parenting, it feels like we have to come up with one set of rules and they have to work for everything in perpetuity without adjustment. That just sets us up for a sense of failure if we're like, well, I had this magical plan that someone told me was going to work, and it didn't. So I must be the problem, right? It all comes back to that “well, it's my fault” place.VirginiaWhich is screens as diet culture.AshAll over again. We're back at it. It's just not helpful. If instead, we're thinking about what is my need right now? Sometimes it's “I have to work.” And sometimes it's “my kid is sick and they just need to relax.” Sometimes it's, as you were alluding to earlier, it's we've all just had a day, right? We've been run ragged, and we just need a break, and that need is going to dictate very different things. If my kid is laid up on the couch and throwing up, then what screen time is going to be doing for them is very different than If I'm trying to work and I want them to be reasonably engaged in content and trying to maybe learn something. And that's fine. Being able to center “this is what I need right now,” or “this is what we need right now,” puts us in a place of feeling like we're making it work for us. Instead of feeling like we're always coming up against some rule that we're not going to quite live up to.VirginiaI'd love to talk about the inequity piece a little more too. As I said, going from a two parent household to a one parent household, which is still a highly privileged environment—but even just that small shift made me realize, wait a second. I think all the screen time guidance is just for typical American nuclear families. Ideally, with a stay at home parent.So can you talk about why so much of the standard guidance doesn't apply to most of our families?AshIt's not even just a stay at home parent. It's assuming that there is always at least one caregiver who is fully able to be present. Mom, default parent, is making dinner, and Dad is relaxing after work and is monitoring what the kids are doing, right? And it's one of those times where I'm like, have you met a family?VirginiaPeople are seven different places at once. It's just not that simple.AshIt's not that simple, right? It's like, have you spent five minutes in a typical household in the last 10 years? This is not how it's going, right?So the beginning of the book helps people unlearn and relearn what we may have heard around screens, including what research really does or doesn't say around screens, and this social inequity piece. Because especially since the onset of COVID, screens are filling in systemic gaps for the vast majority of families.I'm a family with two caregivers in the home. We both work, but we're both very present caregivers. So we're definitely kind of a rarity, that we're very privileged. We're both around a lot of the time. And we are still using screens to fill some of those gaps.So whether it's we don't really have a backyard, or people are in a neighborhood where they can't send their kids outside, or they don't have a park or a playground. They don't have other kids in the neighborhood, or it's not a safe climate. Or you live in an apartment and you can't have your neighbors complain for the fifth time that your kids are stomping around and being loud. Whatever it is—a lack of daycare, affordable after school care —those are all gaps. They all have to be filled. And we used to have different ways of filling those gaps, and they've slowly become less accessible or less available. So something has to fill them. What ends up often filling them is screens. And I'm not saying that that's necessarily a good thing. I'd rather live in a world in which everyone is having their needs met accessibly and equitably. But that's a much harder conversation, and is one that we don't have very much say in. We participate in that, and we might vote for certain people, but that's about all we can really do reasonably. So, in the meantime, we have to fill that in with something and so screens are often going to fill that in.Especially if you look at caregivers who have less privilege, who are maybe single caregivers, caregivers of color, people living in poverty—all of those aspects of scarcity impacts their bandwidth. Their capacity as a caregiver is less and spread thinner, and all of that takes away from a caregiver's ability to be present. And there were some really interesting studies that were done around just the way that having less capacity affects you as a caregiver.And when I saw that data, I thought, well, of course. Of course people are turning to screens because they have nothing else to give from. And when we think of it that way, it's hard to see that as some sort of personal failure, right? When we see it instead as, oh, this is out of necessity. It reframes the question as “How do I make screens work for me,” as opposed to, “I'm bad for using screens.”VirginiaRight. How do I use screen time to meet these needs and to hopefully build up my capacity so that I can be more present with my kids? I think people think if you're using a lot of screens, you're really never present. It's that stereotype of the parent on the playground staring at their phone, instead of watching the kid play. When maybe the reason we're at the playground is so my kid can play and I can answer some work emails. That doesn't mean I'm not present at other points of the day.AshOf course. You're seeing one moment. I always find that so frustrating. It just really feels like you you cannot win. If I were sitting there staring at my child's every move in the park, someone would be like, “you're being a helicopter,” right? And if I look at my phone because I'm trying to make the grocery pickup order—because I would rather my child have time at the playground than we spend our only free hour in the grocery store and having to manage a kid in the grocery store and not having fun together, right? Instead I'm placing a pickup order and they're getting to run around on the playground. Now also somehow I'm failing because I'm looking at my phone instead of my kid. But also, we want kids to have independent time, and not need constant input. It really feels like you just can't win sometimes. And being able to take a step back and really focus on what need is this meeting? And if it's ours, and if it is helping me be more present and connected, that's a win. When I make dinner in the evening, my kid is often having screen time, and I will put in an AirPod and listen to a podcast, often Burnt Toast, and that's my decompression. Because I come home straight from work and other things. I'm not getting much time to really decompress.VirginiaYou need that airlock time, where you can decompress and then be ready to be present at dinner.I'm sure I've told you this before, but I reported a piece on screen time for Parents Magazine, probably almost 10 years ago at this point, because I think my older child was three or four. And I interviewed this Harvard researcher, this older white man, and I gave him this the dinner time example. I said, I'm cooking dinner. My kid is watching Peppa Pig so that I can cook dinner, and take a breath. And then we eat dinner together. And he said, “Why don't you involve her in cooking dinner? Why don't you give her a bag of flour to play with while you cook dinner?”AshOf all the things!VirginiaAnd I said to him: Because it's 5pm on a Wednesday and who's coming to clean the flour off the ceiling?AshA bag of flour. Of all the things to go to! VirginiaHe was like, “kids love to make a happy mess in the kitchen!” I was like, well I don't love that. And it was just exactly that. My need didn't matter to him at all. He was like, “h, well, if you just want to pacify your children…” I was like, I do, yes, in that moment.AshWell, and I think that's another part of it is that someone says it to us like that, and we're like, “well, I can't say yes,” right? But in the moment, yeah, there are times where it's like, I need you to be quiet. And as hard as this can be to think, sometimes it's like right now, I need you to be quiet and convenient because of the situation we're in. And that doesn't mean we're constantly expecting that of them, and hopefully that's not something we're doing all the time. But if the need is, oh my God, we're all melting down, and if we don't eat in the next 15 minutes, we're going to have a two hour DEFCON1 emergency on our hands, then, yeah, I'm gonna throw Peppa Pig on so that we can all become better regulated humans in the next 15 minutes and not have a hungry meltdown. And that sounds like a much better alternative to me!VirginiaThan flour all over my kitchen on a Wednesday, right? I mean, I'll never not be mad about it. It's truly the worst parenting advice I've ever received. So thank you for giving us all more space as caregivers to be able to articulate our own needs and articulate what we need to be present. It's what we can do in the face of gaps in the care system that leave us holding so much.That said: I think there are some nitty gritty aspects of this that we all struggle wit, so I want to talk about some of the nuts and bolts pieces. One of my biggest struggles is still the question of how much time is too much time? But you argue that time really isn't the measure we should be using. As you're saying, that need is going to vary day to day, and all the guidance that's been telling us, like, 30 minutes at this age, an hour at this age, all of that is not particularly germane to our lives. So can you explain both why time is less what we should fixate on? And then how do I release myself? How do I divest from the screen time diet culture?AshOh man, I wish I had a magic bullet for that one. We'll see what I can do.When I was writing this and thinking about it and making content about it, I kept thinking about you. Because the original time guidelines that everyone speaks back to—they're from the AAP. And they have not actually been used in about 10 years, but people still bring them up all the time. The “no time under two” and “up to an hour up to age five” and “one to two hours, five to 12.” And if you really dig in, I was following footnote after footnote for a while, trying to really find where did this actually come from? It's not based on some study that found that that's the ideal amount of time. It really came from a desire to find this middle ground of time spent being physically idle. These guidelines are about wanting to avoid childhood obesity.VirginiaOf course.AshIt all comes back, right?VirginiaI should have guessed it.AshAnd so in their original recommendations, the AAP note that partially this is to encourage a balance with physical movement. Which, of course, assumes that if you are not sitting watching TV or using an iPad, that you will be playing volleyball or something.VirginiaYou'll automatically be outside running around.AshExactly, of course, those are the only options.VirginiaIt also assumes that screen time is never physical. But a lot of kids are very physical when they're watching screens.AshExactly. And it, of course, immediately also imposes a morality of one of these things is better—moving your body is always better than a screen, which is not always going to be true, right? All these things have nuance in them. But I thought that was so interesting, and it shouldn't have surprised me, and yet somehow it still did. And of course it is good to find movement that is helpful for you and to give your kids an enjoyment of being outside or moving their bodies, or playing a sport. And putting all of that in opposition to something else they may enjoy, like a screen, really quickly goes to that diet culture piece of “well, how many minutes have you been doing that?” Because now we have to offset it with however many minutes you should be running laps or whatever.So those original recommendations are coming from a place of already trying to mitigate the negatives of sitting and doing something sort of passively leisurely. And in the last 10 years, they've moved away from that, and they now recommend what's called making a family media plan. Which actually I think is way better, because it is much more prioritizing what are you using this for? Can you be doing it together? What can you do? It's much more reasonable, I think. But many people still go back to those original recommendations, because like you said, it's a number. It's simple. Just tell me.VirginiaWe love to grab onto a number and grade ourselves.AshJust tell me how much time so that I can tell myself I'm I'm doing a good job, right? But you know, time is just one piece of information. It can be so specific with what am I using that time to do? If I'm sitting on my computer and doing work for an hour and a half, technically, that is screen time, but it is going to affect me a lot differently than if I'm watching Netflix or scrolling my phone for an hour and a half. I will feel very different after those things. And I think it's really important to be aware of that, and to make our kids aware of that from an early age, so that they are thinking about more than just, oh, it's been X amount of minutes. And therefore this is okay or not okay.Because all brains and all screens are different. And so one kid can watch 20 minutes of Paw Patrol, and they're going to be bouncing off the walls, because, for whatever reason, that's just a show that's really stimulating for them. And somebody else can sit and watch an hour and a half of something, and they'll be completely fine. So if you have a kid that is the first kid, and after 20 minutes, you're like, oh my god, it's not even half an hour. This is supposed to be an okay amount. This is how they're acting. We're right back to that “something's wrong. I'm wrong. They're bad,” as opposed to, “What is this telling me? What's something we could do differently? Could we try a different show? Could we try maybe having some physical movement before or after, see if that makes a difference?” It just puts us more in a place of being curious to figure out again, how do I make this work for me? What is my need? How do I make it work for us?And not to rattle on too long, but there was a big study done in the UK, involving over 120,000 kids. And they were trying to find what they called “the Goldilocks amount of time.”VirginiaYes. This is fascinating.AshSo it's the amount of time where benefit starts to wane. Where we are in that “just right”amount. Before that, might still be okay, but after that we're going to start seeing some negative impacts, particularly when it comes to behavior, for example.What they found in general was that the Goldilocks number tended to be around, I think, an hour and 40 minutes a day. Something around an hour and a half a day. But if you looked at certain types of screens, for computers or TV, it was much higher than that. It was closer to three hours a day before you started seeing some negative impacts. And even for things like smartphones, it was over an hour a day. But what I found so so interesting, is that they looked at both statistical significance, but also what they called “minimally important difference,” which was when you would actually notice these negative changes, subjectively, as a caregiver.So this meant how much would a kid have to be on a screen for their adult at home to actually notice “this is having an impact on you,” regularly. And that amount was over four and a half hours a day on screens.VirginiaBefore caregivers were like, “Okay, this is too much!” And the fact that the statistically significant findings for the minutia of what the researchers looking at is so different from what you as a caregiver are going to actually be thrown by. That was really mind blowing to me.AshRight, And that doesn't mean that statistical significance isn't important, necessarily. But we're talking about real minutiae. And that doesn't always mean that you will notice any difference in your actual life.Of course, some people are going to hear this and go, “But I don't want my kid on a screen for four and a half hours.” Sure. That's completely reasonable. And if your kid is having a hard time after an hour, still reasonable, still important. That's why we can think less about how many minutes has it been exactly, and more, what am I noticing? Because if I'm coming back to the need and you're like, okay, I have a meeting and I need an hour, right? If you know, “I cannot have them use their iPad for an hour, because they tend to become a dysregulated mess in 25 minutes,” that's much more useful information than “Well, it says they're allowed to have an hour of screen time per day so this should be fine because it's an hour.”VirginiaRight.AshIt sets you up for more success.VirginiaAnd if you know your kid can handle that hour fine and can, in fact, handle more fine, it doesn't mean, “well you had an hour of screen time while I was in a meeting so now we can't watch a show together later to relax together.” You don't have to take away and be that granular with the math of the screens. You can be like, yeah, we needed an extra hour for this meeting, and we'll still be able to watch our show later. Because that's what I notice with my kids. If I start to try to take away from some other screen time, then it's like, “Oh, god, wait, but that's the routine I'm used to!” You can't change it, and that's fair.AshYes, absolutely. And I would feel that way too, right? If someone were giving me something extra because it was a convenience to them, but then later was like, “oh, well, I have to take that from somewhere.” But they didn't tell me that. I would be like, Excuse me, that's weird. That's not how that works, right? This was a favor to you, right?VirginiaYeah, exactly. I didn't interrupt your meeting. You're welcome, Mom.Where the time anxiety does tend to kick in, though, is that so often it's hard for kids to transition off screens. So then parents think, “Well, it was too much time,” or, “The screen is bad.” This is another very powerful reframing in your work. So walk us through why just because a kid is having a hard time getting off screens doesn't mean it was too much and it doesn't mean that screens are evil? AshSo an example I use many times that you can tweak to be whatever thing would come up for your kid is bath time. I think especially when kids are in that sort of toddler, three, four age. When my kid was that age, we had a phase where transitioning to and from the bathtub was very hard. Getting into it was hard. But then getting out of it was hard.VirginiaThey don't ever want to get in. And then they never want to leave.AshThey never want to get out, right? And in those moments when my kid was really struggling to get out of the bathtub, imagine how it would sound if I was like, “Well, it it's the bathtub's fault.” Like it's the bath's fault that they are having such a hard time, it's because of the bubbles, and it smells too good, and I've made it too appealing and the water's too warm. Like, I mean, I sound unhinged, right?Virginia“We're going to stop bathing you.”AshExactly. We would not say, “Well, we can't have baths anymore.” Or when we go to the fun playground, and it's really hard to leave the fun playground, we don't blame the playground. When we're in the grocery store and they don't want to leave whichever aisle, we don't blame the grocery store. And we also don't stop taking them to the grocery store. We don't stop going to playgrounds. We don't stop having baths. Instead, we make different decisions, right? We try different things. We start a timer. We have a different transition. We talk about it beforehand. We strategize, we try things.VirginiaGive a “Hey, we're leaving in a few minutes!” so they're not caught off guard.AshExactly. We talk about it. Hey, last time it was really hard to leave here, we kind of let them know ahead of time, or we race them to the car. We find some way to make it more fun, to make the transition easier, right? We get creative, because we know that, hey, they're going to have to leave the grocery store. They're going to have to take baths in a reasonable amount of time as they grow up into their lives. We recognize the skill that's happening underneath it.And I think with screens, we don't always see those underlying skills, because we see it as this sort of superfluous thing, right? It's not needed. It's not necessary. Well, neither is going to a playground, technically.A lot of what we do is not technically required, but the skill underneath is still there. So when they are struggling with ending screen time, is it really the screen, or is it that it's hard to stop doing something fun. It's hard to stop in the middle of something. It's hard to stop if you have been playing for 20 minutes and you've lost every single race and you don't want to stop when you've just felt like you've lost over and over again, right? You want one more shot to one more shot, right?People are going to think, “Well, but screens are so much different than those other things.” Yes, a screen is designed differently than a playground or a bath. But we are going to have kids who are navigating a technological and digital world that we are struggle to even imagine, right? We're seeing glimpses of it, but it's going to be different than what we're experiencing now, and we want our kids to be able to navigate that with success. And that comes back to seeing the skills underneath. So when they're struggling with something like that, taking the screen out of it, and asking yourself, how would I handle this if it were anything else. How would I handle this if it were they're struggling to leave a friend's house? I probably wouldn't blame the friend, and I wouldn't blame their house, and I wouldn't blame their boys.VirginiaWe're never seeing that child again! Ash I would validate and I would tell them, it's hard. And I would still tell them “we're ending,” and we would talk about strategies to make it easier next time. And we would get curious and try something, and we would be showing our kids that, “hey, it's it's okay to have a hard time doing that thing. It's okay to have feelings about it. And we're still gonna do it. We're still going to end that thing.”Most of the time, the things that we are struggling with when it comes to screens actually boil down to one of three things, I call them the ABCs. It's either Access, which could be time, or when they're having it, or how much. Behavior, which you're kind of bringing up here. And Content, what's on the screen, what they're playing, what they what they have access to.And so sometimes we might think that the problem we're seeing in front of us is a behavior problem, right? I told them to put the screen away. They're not putting the screen away. That's a behavior problem. But sometimes it actually could be because it's an access issue, right? It's more time than they can really handle at that given moment. Or it could be content, because it's content that makes it harder to start and stop. So a big part of the book is really figuring out, how do I know what problem I'm even really dealing with here? And then what are some potential things that I can do about it? To try to problem solve, try to make changes and see if this helps, and if it helps, great, keep it. And if not, I can get curious and try something else. And so a lot of it is strategies to try and ways to kind of, you know, backwards engineer what might be going on, to figure out how to make it work for you, how to make it better.VirginiaIt's so helpful to feel like, okay, there's always one more thing I can tweak and adjust. Versus “it's all a failure. We have to throw it out.” That kind of all or nothing thinking that really is never productive. The reason I think it's so helpful that you draw that parallel with the bath or the play date is it reminds us that there are some kids for whom transitions are just always very difficult—like across the board. So you're not just seeing a screen time problem. You're being reminded “My kid is really building skills around transitions. We don't have them yet.” We hope we will have them at some point. But this is actually an opportunity to work on that, as opposed to a problem. We can actually practice some of these transition skills.AshAnd I really like coming back to the skill, because if we're thinking of it as a skill, then we're probably more likely to tell our kids that it's a skill, too. Because if we're just thinking of it as like, well, it's a screen. It's the screen's fault, it's the screen's fault. Then we might not say those literal words to our kids, but we might say, like, it's always so hard to turn off the TV. Why is that, right? We're talking about it as if it's this sort of amorphous, like it's only about the television, or it's only about the iPad, and we're missing the part of making it clear to our kids that, hey, this is a skill that you're working on, and we work on this skill in different ways.VirginiaI did some good repair with my kids after reading your book. Because I was definitely falling into the trap of talking about screen addiction. I thought I was saying to them, “It's not your fault. The screens are programmed to be bad for us in this way” So I thought, I was like at least not blaming them, but being like, we need less screens because they're so dangerous.But then I read your book, and I was like, oh, that's not helpful either. And I did have one of my kids saying, “Am I bad because I want to watch screens all the time?” And I was like, oh, that's too concrete and scary.And again, to draw the parallel with diet culture: It's just like telling kids sugar is bad, and then they think they're bad because they like sugar. So I did do some repair. I was like, “I read this book and now I've learned that that was not right.” They were like, oh, okay. We're healing in my house from that, so thank you.AshOh, you're very welcome, and I'm glad to hear that!I think about those parallels with food all the time, because sometimes it just helps me think, like, wait, would I be wanting to send this message about food or exercise or whatever? And if the answer is no, then how can I tweak it so that I'm sending a message I'd be okay with applying to other things. And I like being able to make those parallels with my kid. In my household right now, we're practicing flexibility. Flexibility is a skill that we're working on in so many parts of our lives. And when I say we, I do mean we. Me, everybody is working on this.VirginiaParents can use more flexibility, for sure.AshAbsolutely. And so like, when those moments are coming up, you know, I'm trying to say, like, hey, like, what skill is this right now? Who's having to be flexible right now? Flexible can be a good thing, right? We might be flexible by saying yes to eating dinner on the couch and watching a TV show. That's flexibility. Flexibility isn't just adjust your plans to be more convenient to me, child, so that I can go do something as an adult. And coming back to those skills so they can see, oh, okay, this isn't actually just about screens. This applies to every part of these of my life, or these different parts of my life, and if I'm working on it here, oh, wow, it feels easier over there. And so they can see that this applies throughout their life, and kind of feel more of that buy in of like, oh, I'm getting better at that. Or that was easier. That was harder. We want them to see that across the board.VirginiaOh, my God, absolutely.Let's talk about screens and neurodivergence a little bit. So one of my kiddos is neurodivergent, and I can both see how screens are wonderful for them at the end of a school day, when they come home and they're really depleted. Screen time is the thing they need to rest and regulate. And they love the world building games, which gives them this whole world to control and explore. And there's so much there that's wonderful.And, they definitely struggle more than their sibling with this transition piece, with getting off it. One kid will naturally put down the iPad at some point and go outside for a bit, and this kid will not. And it creates more anxiety for parents. Because neurodivergent kids may both need screens—in ways that maybe we're not totally comfortable with, but need to get comfortable with—and then struggle with the transition piece. So how do you think about this question differently with neurodivergence? Or or is it really the same thing you're just having to drill in differently?AshI think it is ultimately the same thing, but it certainly is going to feel quite more heightened. And I think especially for certain aspects of neurodivergence, especially, I think it feels really heightened because of some of the ways that they might be discussed, particularly online, when it comes to how they relate to technology. I think about ADHD, we'll see that a lot. Where I'll see many things online about, like, “kids with ADHD should never be on a screen. They should never be on a device, because they are so dopamine-seeking.” And I have to just say that I find that to be such an ableist framing. Because with ADHD, we're talking about a dopamine deficient brain. And I don't think that we would be having that same conversation about someone needing insulin, right? Like, we wouldn't be saying, like, oh yeah, nope, they can't take that insulin. VirginiaThey're just craving that insulin they need to stay alive.AshA kid seeking a thing that they're that they are somehow deficient in—that's not some sort of defiant behavior. VirginiaNo, it's a pretty adaptive strategy.AshAbsolutely, it is. And we want kids to know that nobody's brain is good or bad, right? There's not a good brain or a bad brain. There are all brains are going to have things that are easier or harder. And it's about learning the brain that you're in, and what works or doesn't work for the brain that you're in.And all brains are different, right? Neurotypical brains and neurodivergent brains within those categories are obviously going to be vastly different. What works for one won't work for another, and being able to figure out what works for them, instead of just, “because you have this kind of brain, you shouldn't ever do this thing,” that's going to set them up for more success. And I think it's great that you mentioned both how a screen can be so regulating, particularly for neurodivergent brains, and then the double-edged sword of that is that then you have to stop. VirginiaTransition off back into the world.AshSo if the pain point is a transition, what is it really coming from? Is it coming from the executive function piece of “I don't know how to find a place to stop?” A lot of people, particularly kids ADHD, they often like games that are more open-ended. So they might like something like a Minecraft or an Animal Crossing or the Sims where you can hyperfocus and deep dive into something. But what's difficult about that is that, you know, if I play Mario Kart, the level ends, it's a very obvious ending.VirginiaRight? And you can say, “One more level, and we're done.”AshExactly. We've reached the end of the championship. I'm on the podium. I quit now, right?But there's a never ending series of of tasks with a more open-ended game. And especially if I'm in my hyper focus zone, right? I can just be thinking, like, well, then I can do this and this and this and this and this, right?And I'm adding on to my list, and the last thing I want to do in that moment is get pulled out of it when I'm really feeling like I'm in the zone. So if that's the kind of transition that's difficult. And it's much less about games and more about “how do I stop in the middle of a project?” Because that's essentially what that is.And that would apply if I'm at school and I'm in the middle of an essay and we're finishing it up tomorrow. Or I'm trying to decorate a cake, and we're trying to walk out the door and I have to stop what I'm doing and come back later. So one of the tricks that I have found really helpful is to ask the question of, “How will you know when you're done?” Or how will you know you're at a stopping point? What would a stopping point be today? And getting them to sort of even visualize it, or say it out loud, so that they can think about, “Oh, here's how I basically break down a giant task into smaller pieces,” because that's essentially what that is.VirginiaThat's a great tip. Ash“Okay, you have five minutes. What is the last thing you're going to do today?” Because then it's concrete in terms of, like, I'm not asking the last thing, and it will take you half an hour, right? I'm at, we have five minutes. What's the last thing you're wrapping up? What are you going to do?Then, if it's someone who's very focused in this world, and they're very into that world, then that last thing can also be our transition out of it. As they're turning it off, the very first thing we're saying to them is, “So what was that last thing you were doing?”VirginiaOh, that's nice.AshThen they're telling it to us, and then we can get curious. We can ask questions. We can get a little into their world to help them transition out of that world. That doesn't mean that we have to understand what they're telling us, frankly. It doesn't mean we have to know all the nuance. But we can show that interest. I think this is also really, really important, because then we are showing them it's not us versus the screen. We're not opposing the screen, like it's the enemy or something. And we're showing them, “Hey, I can tell you're interested in this, so I'm interested in it because you are.” Like, I care about you, so I want to know more.VirginiaAnd then they can invite you into their world, which what a lot of neurodivergent kids need. We're asking them to be part of the larger world all the time. And how nice we can meet them where they are a little more.AshAbsolutely. The other thing I would say is that something I think people don't always realize, especially if they don't play games as much, or if they are not neurodivergent and playing games, is they might miss that video games actually are extremely well-accommodated worlds, in terms of accommodating neurodivergence.So thinking about something like ADHD, to go back to that example, it's like, okay, some really common classroom accommodations for ADHD, from the educator perspective, the accommodations I see a lot are frequent check ins, having a checklist, breaking down a large task into smaller chunks, objectives, having a visual organizer.Well, I think about a video game, and it's like, okay, if I want to know what I have available to me, I can press the pause menu and see my inventory at any time. If I want to know what I should be doing, because I have forgotten, I can look at a menu and see, like, what's my objective right now? Or I can bring up the map and it will show me where I supposed to be going. If I start to deviate from what I'm supposed to be doing, the game will often be like, “Hey, don't forget, you're supposed to be going over there!” It'll get me back on task. If I'm trying to make a potion that has eight ingredients, the game will list them all out for me, and it will check them off as I go, so I can visually see how I'm how I'm achieving this task. It does a lot of that accommodation for me. And those accommodations are not as common in the real world, or at least not as easily achieved.And so a lot of neurodivergent kids will succeed easily in these game worlds. And we might think “oh because it's addicting, or the algorithm, or it's just because they love it” But there are often these structural design differences that actually make it more accessible to them.And if we notice, oh, wow, they have no problem knowing what to do when they're playing Zelda, because they just keep checking their objective list all the time or whatever—that's great information.VirginiaAnd helps us think, how can we do that in real life? AshExactly. We can go to them and say, hey, I noticed you, you seem to check your inventory a lot when you're playing that game. How do we make it so that when you look in your closet, you can just as easily see what shirts you own. Whatever the thing may be, so that we're showing them, “hey, bring that into the rest of your world that works for you here.” Let's make it work for you elsewhere, instead of thinking of it as a reason they're obsessed with screens, and now we resent the screens for that. Bring that in so that it can benefit the rest of their lives.VirginiaI'm now like, okay, that just reframes something else very important for me. You have such a helpful way of helping us divest from the guilt and the shame and actually look at this in a positive and empowering way for us and our kids. And I'm just so grateful for it. It really is a game changer for me.AshOh, thank you so much. I'm so glad to hear that it was helpful and empowering for you, and I just hope that it can be that for others as well.ButterAshSo my family and I have been lucky enough to spend quite a lot of time in Japan. And one of the wonderful things about Japan is they have a very huge bike culture. I think people think of the Netherlands as Bike cCentral, but Japan kind of rivals them.And they have a particular kind of bike that you cannot get in the United States. It's called a Mamachari, which is like a portmanteau of mom and chariot. And it's sort of like a cargo bike, but they are constructed a little differently and have some features that I love. And so when I've been in Japan, we are on those bikes. I'm always like, I love this kind of bike. I want this kind of bike for me forever. And my recent Butter has been trying to find something like that that I can have in my day to day life. And I found something recently, and got a lovely step through bike on Facebook Marketplace. VirginiaSo cool! That's exciting to find on marketplace, too.AshOh yes, having a bike that like I actually enjoy riding, I had my old bike from being a teenager, and it just was not functional. I was like, “This is not fun.” And now having one that I enjoy, I'm like, oh yes. I feel like a kid again. It's lovely.VirginiaThat's a great Butter. My Butter is something both my kids and my pets and I are all really enjoying. I'm gonna drop a link in the chat for you. It is called a floof, and it is basically a human-sized dog bed that I found on Etsy. It's like, lined with fake fur.AshMy God. I'm looking at it right now.VirginiaIsn't it hilarious?AshWow. I'm so glad you sent a picture, because that is not what I was picturing?Virginia I can't describe it accurately. It's like a cross between a human-sized dog bed and a shopping bag? Sort of? AshYes, yes, wow. It's like a hot tub.VirginiaIt's like a hot tub, but no water. You just sit in it. I think they call it a cuddle cave. I don't understand how to explain it, but it's the floof. And it's in our family room. And it's not inexpensive, but it does basically replace a chair. So if you think of it as a furniture purchase, it's not so bad. There's always at least a cat or a dog sleeping in it. Frequently a child is in it. My boyfriend likes to be in it. Everyone gravitates towards it. And you can put pillows in it or a blanket.Neurodivergent people, in particular, really love it, because I think it provides a lot of sensory feedback? And it's very enclosed and cozy. It's great for the day we're having today, which is a very laid back, low demand, watch as much screen as you want, kind of day. So I've got one kid bundled into the floof right now with a bunch of blankets in her iPad, and she's so happy. AshOh my gosh. Also, it kind of looks like the person is sitting in a giant pita, which I also love.VirginiaThat's what it is! It's like a giant pita, but soft and cozy. It's like being in a pita pocket. And I'm sure there are less expensive versions, this was like, 300 something dollars, so it is an investment. But they're handmade by some delightful person in the Netherlands.Whenever we have play dates, there are always two or three kids, snuggled up in it together. There's something extremely addictive about it. I don't know. I don't really know how to explain why it's great, but it's great.AshOh, that is lovely.VirginiaAll right, well tell obviously, everyone needs to go to their bookstore and get Power On: Managing Screen Time to Benefit the Whole Family. Where else can we find you, Ash? How can we support your work?AshYou can find me on Instagram at the gamer educator, and I also cross post my Instagram posts to Substack, and I'm on Substack as Screen Time Strategies. It's all the same content, just that way you're getting it in your inbox without, without having to go to Instagram. So if that's something that you are trying to maybe move away from, get it via Substack. And my book Power On: Managing Screen Time to Benefit the Whole Family is available starting August 26 is when it fully releases.VirginiaAmazing. Thank you so much. This was really great.AshThank you so much for having me back.The Burnt Toast Podcast is produced and hosted by Virginia Sole-Smith (follow me on Instagram) and Corinne Fay, who runs @SellTradePlus, and Big Undies.The Burnt Toast logo is by Deanna Lowe.Our theme music is by Farideh.Tommy Harron is our audio engineer.Thanks for listening and for supporting anti-diet, body liberation journalism! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com/subscribe

When tragedy struck his family, Ritesh Shah asked himself a simple question: “How do I continue the oath I took as a pharmacist?” The answer became opening New Jersey's first (and only) charitable pharmacy alongside President Joseph Howe, which has provided thousands of free prescriptions to uninsured and underserved patients since 2022. In this episode, Ritesh opens up about the loss that changed his life, the launch of his autobiography Pills to Purpose, and his mission to make sure that no one is left behind because of the cost of medication. Buy Now: Pills to Purpose: From the Pharmacy to the Frontlines: Healing Beyond the Counter: https://www.amazon.com/Pills-Purpose-Pharmacy-Frontlines-Healing/dp/B0FL26WT2Q/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0  00:00 – Introduction to Ritesh Shah & his mission  02:23 – From India to independent pharmacy in New Jersey  05:52 – Building seven pharmacies and leading Legacy Pharmacy Group  07:44 – Losing his sister & the inspiration for a charitable pharmacy  09:44 – Opening New Jersey's first charitable pharmacy in 2022  13:27 – Training the next generation: preceptor programs & students  20:20 – How BestRx supported the mission during the pandemic  26:05 – The vital role of his wife Asha in making it possible  44:23 – Pills to Purpose: A pharmacist's story  Hosted By: Mark Bivins | Chief Growth Officer, RedSail Technologies & Hemal Desai | President, BestRx Guest: Ritesh Shah, RPh | CEO & Managing Partner at Legacy Pharmacy Group & NJLEAF  & Joseph Howe | President, Ritesh Shah Charitable Pharmacy  Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

Do you feel like most CEUs aren't very beneficial? You're not alone—60% of my audience across the field feels the same way.That's why I created The ABA Speech Connection CEU Membership—a program designed to foster collaboration, provide access to current research, and deliver engaging, practical CEUs that actually help you support your learners in communicating with the world.ABA Speech Connection is both ASHA and ACE approved, with a strong focus on meaningful outcomes. Since launching, more than 500 professionals have joined. Each month, members can attend at least one live course (often more) and access our growing catalog of CEUs. Whether you're an SLP, RBT, or BCBA, you'll find everything you need to earn your continuing education in one place.Membership is just $25 per month or $247 per year, with group pricing available as well.What's Inside:ASHA and ACE approved CEUs.A space for collaboration for SLPs, RBTs, and BCBAs. Mentioned In This Episode:Speech Membership - ABA Speech  ABA Speech: Home

SLP malpractice insurance without ASHA Membership (or the CCC), fact or fiction? In this Fix SLP Summer School episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, discuss affordable liability coverage options for licensed SLPs who choose not to maintain ASHA membership or the CCC. They explain the ProLiability/AMBA partnership, why it's not your only option, what policies and riders are important (malpractice, general liability, E&O, license defense), and how to shop smart for rates that fit your risk and setting.Plus: our first sponsor, ⭐️ Remedy ⭐️, an EMR built by SLPs, offering early access with 50% off your first two months. Check them out! PLUS, a quick Michigan update: Health Policy Committee vote scheduled for HB 4484.New here? Subscribe, share with a colleague, and call the Minivan Meltdown line at fixslp.com to add your voice.

This podcast covers episodes 11,647 to 11,652. When Kit accosts a badly parked motorist, he sets a remarkable chain of events into action. Steve buys apology lager for Tyrone but then gets in his bad books again by giving him a show no one wants to see. Carl has to think quick when he finds Tracy in his hotel room, ready for action. Dee Dee is conflicted about a romantic opportunity with one of her clients. Tim and Sally are shocked to learn that Brody had plans to abscond with his sisters. Aadi decides that moving to India might be for the best, while Asha hides an upsetting incident at work. Olly's a midnight creeper. Tracy's a lurker. Costello is baffling.

Can the Trump DOJ make a criminal case against Adam Schiff and Letitia James? And can he really do this in other cities across the country? Asha and Renato dig in and explore potential charges and defenses. Also, Gavin Newsom is hitting back against Trump on social media.  How can other Democrats do the same. Tune in to get the whole story! Cruise with us: https://www.travelstore.com/group-travel/its-complicated-cruise-2026/ Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/ Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicated Follow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.social Follow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.social Follow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/ Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Trump's federal law enforcement and military takeover of D.C. legal? And can he really do this in other cities across the country? Asha and Renato do a deep dive with a special guest to look at what to expect. Also, big surprise (not) -- a judge denies the release of grand jury transcripts in Ghislaine Maxwell's case and the judge calls out the Trump administration's shenanigans. Tune in to get the whole story! Cruise with us: https://www.travelstore.com/group-travel/its-complicated-cruise-2026/ Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/ Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicated Follow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.social Follow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.social Follow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/ Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Emerald and Ran join Bennett's Adventure Team and head into the heart of the Sunspray Summer Resort and beyond! What hidden adventures and mysteries await in the shadows of the Asha's colorful paints? Tune in and find out!BlueSky: @TheResonanceDiscord: discord.gg/theresonanceWebsite: https://shows.acast.com/theresonanceSupport Us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/theresonancePodcast Store on RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/TheResonance/shop?asc=uMusic Used:Voyage Suite by HOYO-MiXOriginal Music by HOYO-MiX Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Trump distract his base from his involvement in the Epstein files scandal? Asha and Renato discuss the Ghislane Maxwell interview and the “Russia hoax” distraction. Plus, why Trump wants the FBI to arrest Texas legislators. Stay tuned to the end for another big announcement for It's Complicated! Virtual Meet and Greet Aug 13th: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ulj-YG6M8kS_691M0FALjfmFfLYa_OpBnph9e1Co8ftUQjlOV1hIN0s3SjhSODc0WkMyV1I5WFpZNCQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl Cruise with us: https://www.travelstore.com/group-travel/its-complicated-cruise-2026/ Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/ Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicated Follow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.social Follow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.social Follow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/ Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

***The Asha Christina Tapes***ANGELS!!!! In this epsiode, I explain how to be a quality queen !!!hope that you all enjoy this video, let me know what other kind of videos you guys would like to see in the comment section below!!!!

Could Ghislaine Maxwell get a Get Out of Jail Free card? She might -- from Trump or even the Supreme Court. Asha and Renato discuss the various legal escape routes Maxwell may try to use to avoid serving her full sentence. Plus, why Trump is taking on Rupert Murdoch in court. Stay tuned to the end for a big announcement for It's Complicated! Asha Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/ Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/its-complicated Follow Asha on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.social Follow Renato on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/renatomariotti.bsky.social Follow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/ Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Legal AF Substack: https://substack.com/@legalaf Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode originally appeared on The Prosecutors: Legal Briefs. Subscribe for our take on breaking news in true crime. The Asha Degree disappearance, which had been cold for 25 years, has heated up in the last six months, with law enforcement executing search warrants and casting suspicion on Roy and Connie Dedmon and their daughters. Skip Foster was the editor in chief of the Shelby Star when Asha disappeared, and now he has taken on the role of the Dedmon family spokesman. In this exclusive interview, Skip shares the Dedmon side of the story.Check out our new True Crime Substack the True Crime TimesGet Prosecutors Podcast MerchJoin the Gallery on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFollow us on InstagramCheck out our website for case resources:Hang out with us on TikTokSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.