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If you're an SLP who's wondering how you can effectively address complex skills relating to both language and executive functioning in the school systems… The primary challenge is that BOTH language and executive functioning are incredibly complicated. Even just focusing on one or the other can be overwhelming. Layer on the challenges with the way related service providers are expected to provide interventions in the schools, and it seems impossible. Unfortunately, that challenge has resulted in debates on whether executive functioning is more important than language and vice versa, which isn't useful. You don't have to decide which is more important. They both are. We need to find a way to address them both. I help clinicians do that with a concept I call “cycling”. What I do is teach clinicians a set of core treatment techniques that fit within a set of foundational areas that support language and executive functioning.That's why in this episode, I share how to target both language and executive functioning in direct intervention with enough depth that you get results. In this episode, I reveal:✅ When it's appropriate to think of language intervention in terms of working up a hierarchy of skills, and when it doesn't.✅ Why using treatment cycles is more effective than trying to pin down a “scope and sequence” for language and cognitive intervention.✅ How to use intervention cycles to build a language therapy system, and eventually move on to layering in more robust executive functioning support. ✅ Why layering other service delivery models outside of direct intervention is essential for generalization, and how to make sure support is happening outside your sessions. Additional resources mentioned in this episode:Free Training: Three Shifts to Turning Your Clinical Expertise Into a Scalable Language Therapy System Link here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languageWhy language therapy works better in cycles than in a linear sequence Link here: https://drkarenspeech.com/why-language-therapy-works-better-in-cycles-than-in-a-linear-sequence/You think you need a language therapy hierarchy. That's why your system never feels stable. Link here: https://drkarenspeech.com/you-think-you-need-a-language-therapy-hierarchy-thats-why-your-system-never-feels-stable/How to target both language and executive functioning in therapy with enough depth to get resultsLink here: https://drkarenspeech.com/how-to-target-both-language-and-executive-functioning-in-therapy-with-enough-depth-to-get-results/In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that gives speech pathologists a scalable framework for building language skills needed to thrive in school, social situations, and daily life. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapyI also mentioned School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers design scalable executive functioning interventions to ensure students get the scaffolding they need across the school day. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:Learn more about Renaissance:As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.We're proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.If you're a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. We're also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
This episode features Sinead, Katie and Patricia who are Practice Education Coordinators in both undergraduate and postgraduate Speech and Language Therapy courses. They talk about entry requirements, clinical placements and the practical aspects of being a student SLT.
Clinicians who are confidently delivering language and literacy interventions haven't found the perfect "therapy curriculum". They've learned how to build their own using three practices.In this episode, I share what those practices are, plus additional information on a free training I released that explains these concepts further. I cover:✅ The concept of "clinical containers", and how you can use them to design your language therapy system, informed by my doctoral research and experience working in the schools for 10+ years.✅ How to fill those linguistic containers over time using "asset stacking", so you're strategically adding layers of complexity one at a time.✅ How to structure your planning so it fits into a realistic schedule, so each block of "plan" time you get moves you towards building your complete language therapy system. In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that gives speech pathologists a scalable framework for building language skills needed to thrive in school, social situations, and daily life. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapyI also mentioned my free training called “Three Practices to Turn Your Clinical Expertise Into a Scalable Language Therapy System”. You can register for the training here: https://drkarenspeech.com/language Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:Learn more about Renaissance:As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.We're proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.If you're a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. We're also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
In this episode you will discover: Identity Is Shaped in Interaction — Narrative identity forms and reforms through relationships and stories shared with others — making connection a core ingredient of recovery, not a bonus Visual Methods Unlock What Words Cannot — Collage-making, photos, and art give people with aphasia a pathway into identity work that talk alone can't always reach. Identity Reconstruction Is a Long Game — People continue navigating complex, shifting identities for years after stroke. Our systems need to follow them farther into that journey, not stop too soon. Sit on Your Hands and Truly Listen — The most powerful thing you can offer is unhurried, attentive presence. Learning to wait and watch — rather than fill the silence — is a skill worth deliberately practicing. If you've ever felt like there's more to aphasia care than the therapy protocol in front of you, or wondered what identity-centered practice actually looks like in the real world, this conversation will give you both the framework and the practical insights you need. Welcome to the Aphasia Access Aphasia Conversations Podcast. I'm Katie Strong from Central Michigan University and a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group — a community dedicated to supporting better aphasia care. Rianne Brinkman is a speech-language pathologist and linguist from the Netherlands whose PhD project "Who Am I Now?" explores identity changes in people with aphasia through storytelling and creative arts-based approaches. Before her doctoral work — supported by the Dutch NWO Teacher Research Grant — she spent years as a clinician in rehabilitation and aphasia centers, and that deep clinical foundation shapes everything she brings to her research. She teaches in the Speech and Language Therapy program at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen and conducts her research at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht. Today's conversation feels especially personal to me. Like Rianne, I came to doctoral work after years of established clinical practice, and my own research centers on narrative identity and aphasia through the My Story Project and the PULSE framework. So, when she sought me out at a conference in 2019, I recognized immediately that we were kindred spirits working toward the same questions from different corners of the world. So, let's get into the conversation. Katie Strong: Well, before we dive into your work, I wanted to share something with our listeners. One of the things that drew me to this conversation is that we have a parallel story. We both came to do our PhDs after established clinical careers, and you're in the thick of that journey. I'd love to start with what made you decide to go back, and how did your clinical work shape what you wanted to pursue? Rianne Brinkman: I used to work in rehabilitation for a long time, and then I moved from one part of the Netherlands to another part, and there was not much work for me. So, I got the opportunity to help establish an aphasia center. And of course, if you look at the rehabilitation phase, that's far more deficit oriented, so that's very different than in the chronic phase, where an aphasia center comes into place. So, I really had to change my view of therapy. I had to establish a few groups on identity. I started reading on identity, on communicative participation, on how to do that in groups. So that's really where the interest came from. Katie Strong: I love hearing that. Sometimes as we go into a different phase or area of work, and it really re-shapes our thinking and how we engage with our clients or patients. Rianne Brinkman: Yeah, it does. And in those groups, I worked together a lot with creative therapists, and I learned so much from them, because then I realized that if you use narrative approaches, and you combine them with visual arts or arts therapy, that it can mean so much for somebody. They can get so many more means of expression. So, yeah, I learned a lot from that. Katie Strong: I love that! It is powerful. And I'm really looking forward to talking more about this. I was curious, you know, what the experience has been like from a clinician turned researcher, what you know, what's that actually been like for you? And has there been anything that surprised you most about the transition? Rianne Brinkman: I did not realize that much how much you yourself as a person influences the conversation with somebody with aphasia, you know that co-construction part. So that your identity aspects really influence how the conversation takes place and what somebody chooses to tell you or not. So that is really momentary, and so it's just a snapshot, really, when you do this. So, I became really aware of that. But also, your own norms and values and the way you listen and all those sorts of things. It's just a different way of doing therapy. And then you're doing it as research which is different. I think that's one thing, sometimes I'm a little bit too much the therapist, so I really have to be a researcher again, you know? So, you change between those roles. Katie Strong: Yes, it is a shift, right? Rianne Brinkman: Yeah, exactly, exactly. Katie Strong: Yeah. And thinking about how those two roles are different or powerful, sometimes combined. Well, let's talk a little bit about the work that you're doing. And I want to acknowledge that what we're talking about today really all comes out of your doctoral journey, which is really remarkable. I thought we could first talk about your 2025 scoping review that really mapped the landscape of what we know about identity changes in aphasia, and it also laid the groundwork for everything that followed. Could you walk us through that narrative identity model that came out of the review? Rianne Brinkman: Yeah. That was quite complex, because there's so much written about identity, and everybody defines it slightly in a different way, or uses different words. So, what we tried to do is really get a grip on that literature to see what was written on identity changes in aphasia, and what kind of theory was used. And what we saw was that everything is from a social constructionist perspective, really. But then there are many different philosophers and different authors that write about identity. So, what we tried to do was because, of course, Barbara Shadden, she's very foundational in this work. With her colleagues, she created the four domain interdisciplinary framework. So, we tried to use that in the model as one of the foundations. And then, of course, the work of Paul Ricoeur, who's a French philosopher who writes about that you only shape your identity through interaction with other people which gives meaning to the stories you share with other people. And the work of Bamberg, and he talks about dilemmatic spaces. So what it means, really, is that I think identity, you only shape in interaction, and we tried to visualize that in the model. So, there's an "I" part, and that's about you, the personal domains, and there's the "we" part, and that's about the social domains. We tried to visualize how those domains interact, including temporality, because you shape your identity in the here and now, but also through time. And then in the middle of the model, there's a head with interconnected gears, and that's where it all comes together. That's you at your identity, your narrative identity, a specific point in time. So that's the model in a nutshell. And then you've got, of course, all those personal domains, like your biography, agency and power, communicative abilities, your roles you fulfill in life. And then the social domains are, like your social situation, your cultural background, society and all of that works together, informing, shaping your identity. Katie Strong: It's powerful work, and it is complex. I appreciate the work that you led to be able to assimilate and give us this model for us to be really thinking about narrative identity in a way that takes all of those big thought leaders and helps it become more approachable to those of us that are interested in narrative identity as researchers, but also as clinicians. Rianne Brinkman: That's great. Thank you. Katie Strong: Thank you for that work. And then you have another recent paper. Congratulations, by the way! That paper just came out earlier this year in 2026 and I guess I should say to the listeners, we'll have both articles linked in the show notes, as well as some other resources that will be interesting to explore if you're into this topic. This 2026, article is really the first of its kind to look at identity in this early stage, six to eight weeks after admission to rehabilitation. So, I was hoping you could talk with us about who were these people and what were you doing together in these sessions? Rianne Brinkman: Yeah. So, it's the first session of a longitudinal study, so I'm following those people over two years. And so, there are 22 people with aphasia. Unfortunately, two of them couldn't continue as one of them, I couldn't organize the reflection session, and one of them, I just couldn't reach anyone. But the other 20 people are still in the study, which is really amazing! Katie Strong: That is really amazing! Rianne Brinkman : Yeah, that's really nice. They're all middle aged people who range in age from their 30s to their 60s until 67. They also have different severities of aphasia. Some people were still clinical inpatient, some of them already were outpatient. And then I tried to elicit their story with visual participatory methods in combination with the narrative approach. So those sessions are quite long, sometimes two and a half to three hours, so it's a lot of time. It's really nice to just sit with them and connect. During the first session I did collage making. I just took a lot of magazines with me and scissors and glue and everything, and then we just sat down. And then I just let them start leafing through those magazines and see what appealed to them, what kind of images, what kind of words, what it's reflected about them. And then they created their collage. And then, of course, you look at what kind of images do they choose, but also, how do they position them? How do they create their collage. Is there some kind of reason behind things? You discuss that, but also how do they get across what they do? You know, some people think for a long time and are hesitant to act. Some people start straight away. Some people tear the images. Some people cut them really neatly. So, everybody behaves in a different way, and that reflects something on your identity also. So, I always ask questions about that. And then when we finish the work, a proxy comes in and we reflect on the work of the person with the face yet together to get perspective. Katie Strong: That's really fantastic. So, you're, you're coming into either the hospital room or their home, is that where the work is done? Rianne Brinkman: Yeah, so usually the speech therapist, who's in charge books a room for me in the rehabilitation center. Or I just go to the homes of the people. Katie Strong: Well, I'm excited to talk about what you found out, but, but before we get into that, I just have to ask about the tattoo, because it's an integral part of this work. And it stopped me when I read it. And the title from the paper comes from the tattoo on one of your participants. So, could you talk to us about that? Rianne Brinkman: Of course. There's one lady, and I was analyzing the session, because, of course, she will need to transcribe them. And then I saw her doing her hair in a ponytail, and I saw her arm, and I thought, "Oh, she's got a really nice tattoo there." So, I sent her a text, and I said, "What does that tattoo mean to you? What is it? "And then she told me that it was a tattoo that said, leave the thorn, enjoy the rose. And that's from a music play from Handel. And her father really enjoyed that. But her father passed away, so that tattoo was a memory tribute to her father, but also it reflects how she sees life, that you have to try to stay optimistic whatever happens. And I think that voice of positivity is a very important voice in all the stories of all the participants. Everybody said that. So, I thought, oh yeah. Even when something really bad happens, bad happens, people try to stay positive. So, it reflected a very important, yeah, result of the data, really. So, I thought, I'm going to make that the title. Katie Strong: It really is beautiful. So, so the rose bush. You develop this beautiful rose bush image to represent what you found across the participants. Walk us through that. And what does the rose bush capture about what identity looks like at that early stage of recovery? Rianne Brinkman: So, we used different methodology of analysis. So we listened to the voices that were reflected in the stories of people with aphasia, and then we realized that there are many contrapuntal voices, so it's very ambiguous. Really, very complex. So, we thought, we cannot just do a thematic analysis. We have to show that one experience can be both positive or negative or whatever. And that's why we came to those tensions and in that rose bush, so at the stem you see, for example, where you see the branches, and at the stem it's, for example, the tension between disconnection and connection. And connection is at the rose and disconnection at the stem, another tension is agency and disempowerment, and another one is living loss and personal growth. And then what we found was that people had coping voices and affirmative voices, but also challenging voices. And what we did was we put the challenging voices at the thorns and the coping and affirmative voices at the roses to reflect that they used that both to make sense of aphasia and of their identity, really. And so, they were moving along those branches, really. Sometimes they felt connected. Sometimes disconnected. Sometimes they grieved. Sometimes they cope by staying positive or focusing on the present. So that's how we tried to show that it's very complex that people move along those tensions, that it's never static. And those three existential tensions were really very tangible in the data. Katie Strong: It's just such powerful work. When I was reading it and I. I was talking with one of my students, she was saying she actually became pretty emotional when she was reading about all of that as well. It's really, really powerful work. And what I find so interesting, and you mentioned it earlier, but this role of the visual methods, the collage making, images as a way into identity. Could you paint a picture of what that actually looked like to sit with a participant in those sessions? Rianne Brinkman: Yeah. Well you really have to sit on your hands. And I learned a lot from my colleagues, creative therapists, because when I first did this…because sometimes people feel a bit awkward. You know that they all of a sudden have to draw something, or that they have to cut images from a magazine. And then you want to do something to help them feel less awkward. You shouldn't really. You should just let that happen and let that session develop. That's very important. So, I really learned to just tell them, "you are looking the magazines and you see what appeals to you. And I'll just give you some time to get into that" and then you just wait. And while you're waiting, you can just see, for example, if somebody finds it really hard, and then you can also see how long they look at an image, for example, if it means something to them. Or they stop on a certain page all the time. And then you can help them a little bit and say, "Oh, you're looking a long time at this image. Maybe, is this something that appeals to you for some reason?" And then you can help them. But also, very often, people just know what to do. I don't know. It's very intuitive. So first, they don't know what they will choose, or they don't know what kind of collage it will be. But it comes to them for some reason. Katie Strong: Yeah, it's interesting. I think we had talked about this previously, but a person with aphasia and research collaborator that I worked with, Todd Berreth, and I did some, we called it. We the "cut-up" style using images to be able create a story about yourself and integrate those pieces. And it was so interesting to watch people who came to our workshop, and just as you're saying, like how they chose and what they did. Some people were very, "I know what I'm doing", and others were hesitant, or wanted to take their work home before finalizing it and everything in between. Rianne Brinkman: Yeah, that's very that's very nice. You really get that extra layer, I think. And also, when people really can't talk very well, you know, they can maybe say yes or no and sometimes a word, you know, then it's very hard to talk about your identity. Using images then that really helps. So, I remember one lady, she couldn't talk very well, but she was very creative. And she started, you know, with those magazines, and then straight away, there was that butterfly symbolizing her mom, connection to her mother. And maybe, I think we would never have reached that trying to do this in words. So, yeah, very powerful. Katie Strong: Thank you. Another thing I wanted to talk about is that you use something called the Listening Guide as part of your analysis. And I'm thinking that a lot of our listeners may not have come across this before. Could you give a sense of what it really means to listen in the way that that approach demands? Rianne Brinkman: Yes. So, what you do is, first you well, you listen to the plot of the story. So, you listen to, what does this story contain? What's the big line of the story? And you write that down. And then you look again at the data, and then you look at all the "I" positions and I also look at the "me" positions. So, everything that's "I" and "me". You get that out and you create "I-poems". We created all those "I-poems" about certain experiences. I could give maybe an example of one. This one is a bit connected to, on the one hand, feeling very sad that somebody suffered from stroke and aphasia, and on the other hand, tried to stay positive. So, I've got one here. I was crying last weekend. I realized, Oh no, this happened to me. I have to deal with this. I have changed. I also stayed positive that I will be okay. I just say it will be okay and I won't think negatively. So, then you get an "I-poem" that reflects different voices, like, in this case, the voice of grief and positivity. Then you look at those voices. In the next step, you look at the contrapuntal voices, and like grief and positivity are very contrapuntal. So very often, I think also we as human beings do the same, you know, you talk to yourself in your head, you know. And you've got all those different positions towards an experience. And those are the contrapuntal voices. And what we tried to do, so we adapted this approach by Gilligan and Eddy, and we tried to incorporate the visuals, the visual data, and also embodiment, because sometimes people with aphasia do very interesting things. They give a lot of information, non-verbally. Also you want to be sure that you really understood the person, so checking if you're on the same page is very important also. Sometimes you have to interpret what somebody means, or you have to give words to what somebody says as a researcher, which is the ethical part, of course, which is hard sometimes, but you can't avoid that. So, yeah, so that's how we integrated all the data. And tried to get those stories out and get the depth of the depth of the story. Katie Strong: I love it. That's really fascinating. And the "I-poems" are really powerful. And I think we'll put a link to the Listening Guide reference in the show notes if people are interested in learning more about that technique. You mentioned earlier that this is a longitudinal study that you're undertaking for your dissertation work, which is pretty amazing. I mean, very amazing. And you're, you're two years into this longitudinal study, and this paper we've been talking about is the six to eight week snapshot. What are you most curious about as you continue following those participants over time? And also, what do you want clinicians who are listening today to take away from what you've already found? Rianne Brinkman: Tomorrow, I'm doing another two sessions. One of them is the last session with somebody with P5 and with another person, P4. I think I am about I'm halfway through. Well, I'm almost, I think I've got another year to go to have collected all the data. And what I see really is that it's very clear that identity formation and reconstructing, renegotiating your identity, is a very long and complex process, and that at different points in time, different things happen. You see different patterns also along those moments in time that I'm doing the sessions. What I also realize, I'm not sure how that is in states, but in the Netherlands, I think communicative access, for example, if you want to start working again, you know, to understand what all the letters you get the process, and that it's very hard. Also in health care. And people are really struggling with that, and get really a lot of stress from this, and that it's very unclear often, and that people feel very uncertain. And I think we've got to realize that we should take a longer role in this. You know, not stop too soon, or just at least keep, well, the finger on the pulse, like we say in Netherlands, just keep following people. I think that's very important. And I also realized that the combination of a narrative approach with visual participatory methods really gives you a lot of information. And I also think the listening skills, to really listen to that story and try to get that story out, that gives you such a powerful connection with somebody. So, every time I see them again, I'm really curious, and they're really happy to share their story again and to show me where they are at that point in time. Yeah, and then I'm working together with colleagues with aphasia also, which is really great because they learn from each other. You know, that's nice. Katie Strong: I love all of that. And I think maybe one of the things I'd like to reiterate, or we could talk about a little bit more, is that what I think I hear you're saying is we know aphasia is a chronic change to their life and the way they communicate and how they can connect with others, and ultimately how that impacts who they are, as people, or their identity. And our health care systems, I know in the US, we're set up for lots of intervention, or maybe the most that they're going to get, even if it's just a little, early in that phase, and then having them have to navigate that process on their own, as they become farther from having the stroke. And this work showcases their journey along the way. But I just wonder is there something that a clinician who's listening could implement or do with their client, wherever they're seeing them, in the journey? Rianne Brinkman: I think using creative arts is always a good idea. You could keep it really simple. You could just ask them to bring a special object or to show a photo that they're proud of, or make a collage, or use Legos to build with. So, I think that's a good possibility. And also, I think a peer contact is very important. So do that together with a little group or people that are interested in exploring and sharing their stories. And I think we should realize that it's important to check in. So even if you finish therapy with somebody, then it's a good thing after a few months, to ask how they how they are, and stand still with the process. That's something very important also. Katie Strong: And sometimes harder to do than it would seem, but I think, as you're talking it seems like connecting people with peers and following up. I know here in the states, making sure they're a part of a support group so that they can have a community to be able to connect with. Rianne Brinkman: Yes, because what I've seen a lot is that after a while, there's that phase of uncertainty, really. You don't know if you can get your work back, maybe in a different form, maybe not. And then there's no therapy anymore. And then how are you going to navigate all that uncertainty? And I think that usually speech therapy has stopped. I think then it's hard, of course, because it's not always doable, but I think it would be a very good moment. So, after eight months to really start up something again and then really discuss the identity of somebody. Really use narrative approaches to help them renegotiate all those dilemmas that they're experiencing. Katie Strong: Yeah, and certainly, I guess you know, advocacy work on big levels to recognize that people should be able to access therapy whenever they feel like they need it. Rianne Brinkman: Yeah, definitely. Katie Strong: We've got some work to do. I appreciate this conversation, and I just wanted to let the listeners know that Rianne and I have been in conversation since we met at the International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference in Philadelphia in 2019 and what started as a conversation in a parking lot I might add, has grown into some real research and educational collaboration. And Rianne, together with Sabine Corsten and Bianca Spelker, we have been developing and studying training programs for future SLPs in life storytelling approaches across three countries, so the US, Germany and the Netherlands and Rianne, I was hoping you could tell our listeners a bit about what we're actually building together and what you're learning from that work about what students need most before they walk into the room and try to do this identity centered practice, style of work. Rianne Brinkman: Well, we based it a lot on your work, of course, and the My Story project and Narraktiv from Sabine. So, Katie you started this in the US, and then we thought, "oh, this would be great in the Netherlands and in Germany also." The students first of course, need to be trained in supportive communication techniques, because that's very important for them. I think in the Netherlands, it's maybe a little bit different than in the States and in Germany, because I work with students that are still in their bachelors. So they've had only one year of theory, and they haven't done their training or internship yet. Although some of them have. And then you see a very different student. So, but I've got the students that are really for the first time meeting someone with aphasia, for example. And they're very scared, because they think, "Oh, am I able to adapt my communication and what if somebody's going to cry, or what if that story is really going to touch me?" So, you really need to prepare them with a lot of information about what narrative identity is and also what identity work entails. We also must train on how you can really, truly listen. Active listening skills from that nice paper you wrote with Barbara Shadden on the power of story and taking the PULSE of people with aphasia. Appreciating their uniqueness, And also what we do in the Netherlands is practicing with them how they use visual methods, creative methods, to use in their sessions with the people with aphasia. And then once they start, I always say to them, "Well, at least the first session maybe is very exciting, but you're there, you're listening, you're engaged. That's already means so much to somebody if you do that, if you truly listen." And then after one session, they realize that, and then it goes really nicely. Katie Strong: There's this that feeling very uncomfortable and not sure where to go. And then being able to let that person with aphasia kind of take you on that journey. Rianne Brinkman: Yeah. That's so nice because it contributes to both, to the person with aphasia who participates, and also to the students and their development. Katie Strong: I strongly believe you can't do identity, story based work without being influenced yourself, by the work Rianne Brinkman: Yeah, definitely. Katie Strong: Well, before we wrap up, I would be remiss if we didn't talk about some tips or strategies, resources or readings for clinicians who are interested in implementing identity, focused story work into their practice. So, can you share a few things with us? Rianne Brinkman: Definitely. Yeah. When I started this work, I really liked the work of Carol Pound and her colleagues, and that's a book called Beyond Aphasia. It's very interesting theoretically, but also very practical. It really helped me to develop methods for my aphasia group to talk about identity. I really think that's a very good book. And then also the book of Barbara Shadden and her colleagues on Neurogenic Communication Disorders. There are some really practical cases in there, and it's very broad. It's not only about aphasia, but also a different neurogenic disorders. And I what I really like is it's such a nuanced theoretical perspective; they gather lots of theory, but they do that in such a good way. It's a very book. Katie Strong: Yeah, I agree, both Carol Pound and Barbara Shadden's work. It's approachable, but it does have the meat of the theory in it. Rianne Brinkman: Yeah. So that's helped me a lot. And what I said earlier, the paper you wrote with Barbara on the power of story, I think that's very helpful to better understand what happens when you use narrative interventions, and what kind of interventions there are. And then, of course, the different interventions, like the work of Sabine Corsten on Narraktiv in your work, on My Story. And I have a book but it's only in Dutch. I attempted to share all those methods I created for the group, and it's very practice based. So that's why I started later on my PhD. But those practice-based methods are combined in a book, but it's only in Dutch. Katie Strong: It looks fabulous. I'm not able to access it with my limited language skills, but we'll make sure to have all of those references listed in the show notes so people can explore and take a look around it. And I think you know your book that you're talking about, Rianne even though it is all in Dutch, so maybe not accessible to everyone, but it's got beautiful graphics and photos and things like that you can get an essence of what it is that you're expressing. Rianne Brinkman: It's all, it's all painted or drawn by Reno Hubers. He's a Dutch person with aphasia, and he was in one of my groups. And then every time I was reading about something, he was just drawing it or painting it. And I thought, "Oh, I really need to ask him help me make the images for this book." So, it was together with him that we created this. Katie Strong: Beautiful. And what a great story. Thank you for being here with me today. And I don't know if you have anything else you want to add before we wrap up our conversation. Rianne Brinkman: Well, thank you for inviting me. But also, I want to say thank you to my team, because they really stimulate me to think differently about identity. I've got a very interprofessional team, and that's really helpful. And also, of course, our identity group meetings with you and Sabine and Bianca and Barbara. That's very helpful to shape my thinking on identity. And, of course, the participants of my research who are so open and vulnerable and want to share their stories. I would like to acknowledge that that's very important. Katie Strong: For sure! We sure appreciate you sharing your experiences with us and look forward to what's to come from the longitudinal study. We wish you well in your studies as well. Thanks Rianne. What strikes me most about this conversation is how Rianne's work reminds us that identity reconstruction isn't a detour from aphasia care — it is aphasia care. And the tools she brings, the collage, the listening guide, the willingness to simply sit and wait, are more accessible than we might think. What began as a chance conversation in a parking lot in Philadelphia in 2019 has grown into something neither of us anticipated. Rianne, together with colleagues Sabine Corsten and Bianca Spelker, and alongside my own work through the Strong Story Lab, we have been developing and studying training programs for future clinicians in life storytelling approaches — across the US, Germany, and the Netherlands. It is the kind of international collaboration that only happens when people are genuinely working toward the same thing. On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening. For references and resources mentioned in today's show, please see our show notes, available on our website at 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@aphasiaaccess.org. For Aphasia Access Conversations, here at Central Michigan University in the Strong Story Lab, I'm Katie Strong. Resources Brinkman, R. (2018). Bouwen aan identiteit. behandeling van afasie – met 25 werkvormen [Building identity. Breindok. Treatment of aphasia – with 25 methods]. http://refhub.elsevier.com/S0021-9924(26)00012-2/sbref0006 Brinkman, R., Cardol, M., Neijenhuis, K., Luinge, M., & Leget, C. (2026). "Leave the thorn, enjoy the rose" identity formation of people with aphasia in the early rehabilitation phase. Journal of Communication Disorders, 120, 106627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2026.106627 Brinkman, R., Neijenhuis, K., Cardol, M., & Leget, C. (2024). Who am I now? A scoping review on identity changes in post-stroke aphasia. Disability and Rehabilitation, 47(5), 1081-1099. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2024.2367606 Gilligan C., & Eddy J. (2017). Listening as a path to psychological discovery: An introduction to the Listening Guide. Perspectives on Medical Education, 6(2),76-81. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40037-017-0335-3 Pound, C., Parr, S., Lindsay, J., & Woolf, C. (2000). Beyond aphasia: Therapies for living with communication disability. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315169057 Shadden, B. B., Hagstrom, F., & Koski, P. R. (2008). Neurogenic communication disorders: Life stories and the narrative self. Plural Publishing. https://www.pluralpublishing.com/publications/neurogenic-communication-disorders-life-stories-and-the-narrative-self Strong, K. A., & Shadden, B. B. (2020). The power of story in identity renegotiation: Clinical approaches to supporting persons living with aphasia. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 5(2), 371-383. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_PERSP-19-00145
In episode 255 of De Facto Leaders, I elaborate on the concept of using vocabulary as a large “container”, so you can design sessions efficiently without sacrificing quality.I talk about why more experienced clinicians often struggle to make their interventions scalable, and why this gets in the way of carryover.I also share the five “containers” I use in my Language Therapy Advance Foundations program that can support skills like reading, writing, spelling, and language processing in ways that can be reinforced outside sessions. If you have a ton of knowledge relating to language and executive functioning, but don't know how to organize it into a cohesive system…If you're getting results in sessions, but it takes a ton of effort on your part and consumes all your capacity…If you're able to scaffold and model “on-the-fly”, but struggle to explain your techniques to others so they can replicate them…Then you'll find this concept of “containers” really useful.In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that gives speech pathologists a framework for building language skills needed to thrive in school, social situations, and daily life. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapyYou can view this episode on the blog to see the screenshare here: https://drkarenspeech.com/five-clinical-containers-to-design-your-language-therapy-system/The handout referenced in this episode is the session handout for my “Three Shifts to Creating a Scalable Language Therapy System” session. You can sign up for this free online session here: https://drkarenspeech.com/language Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:Learn more about Renaissance:As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.We're proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.If you're a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. We're also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
A recap of some of yesterday’s No Kings protests across Southern California. A new family support group for Mandarin-speaking families in San Gabriel Valley debuts tomorrow. Dodger baseball comes to the city of Ontario. The Pacific Palisades gets back its hometown paper. Plus, more. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!Support the show: https://laist.com
James revisits his common theme of the tongue and our speech. He offers us a profound form of "speech therapy" by illustrating how slander, gossip, and defamation elevate us to a position of judgment over others, which is not the way believers should communicate. God only is the true judge. We must remember our identity and God's sovereignty and not fall into foolish talking.
In this episode, I'm sharing my top resources for clinicians to explain why we do what we do in language therapy, and how parents and colleagues can support skills outside of sessions.I share:How to answer the dreaded “Is there an app for that?” question. Why language therapy doesn't come in a standard curriculum (plus resources you can share to explain the essentials behind vocabulary intervention).How parents can reinforce language at home (and when and if tech actually helps)Plus I share an opportunity for therapists who want to learn the “Essential 5” framework and who are also interested in getting referrals for private clients. Resources mentioned in this episode:The Language Therapy Success Path article that shows how to cycle through a set of strategies to hit both higher level language (inferencing, problem-solving) as well as foundational language skills (vocabulary, syntax): https://drkarenspeech.com/the-language-therapy-success-path-for-slps/The Ultimate Guide to Language Therapy article that defines the "Essential 5" components (morphology, phonology, orthography, semantics, syntax) and explains why there isn't a boxed curriculum for language therapy: https://drkarenspeech.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-language-therapy/Semantic Feature Analysis for Adjectives article that shares two videos from Language Therapy Advance Foundations that provide a walkthrough of how to do word study with adjectives in a way that builds deep understanding: https://drkarenspeech.com/semantic-feature-analysis-adjectives/Ultimate Guide to Sentence Structure: My free guide that explains the "how" and the "why" behind studying sentence structure in a way that's digestible for parents and professionals without a speech pathology background: https://drkarenspeech.com/sentencestructureIn this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that gives speech pathologists a framework for building language skills needed to thrive in school, social situations, and daily life. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy
In this special edition of the SEND Network Podcast, recorded at the Tes SEND Show, we speak with a range of speakers, exhibitors, and guests to capture their insights, experiences, and reflections from across the event.From classroom innovation to inclusive practice and whole-school approaches, this episode brings together voices from across the SEND community sharing what inspired them at this year's show.Featuring:00:43 - Dr. Asha Patel, Clinical Psychologist & CEO, Innovating Minds02:16 - Tom Rees, Chief Executive of Ormiston Academies Trust and Strategic Advisor, SEND, DfE03:05 - Dame Christine Lenehan, Strategic Advisor, SEND, DfE03:45 - Dr Becky Baxter, Director of Education and Speech and Language Therapy, Down Syndrome UK05:10 - Maria Taylor, International Director of Training06:42 - Richard Lightfoot, Assistant Head Teacher08:11 - Linda Francis, Head Teacher09:29 - Stuart Plumridge, Nessy13:30 - Cheryl Warren, Aperion Training16:54 - Kirsty Maidment, AQA18:43 - Lee Blemings, Guru Ltd
Most of us know that it's important to work on vocabulary in language and literacy intervention? But how do we know what words to pick? Should we be working on specific words, or should we be focusing on strategies?If we DO work on words, how can we possibly keep up with the pace of the curriculum (and should we even try)?I get these questions ALL the time from SLPs and other professionals supporting language and literacy, which is why this is something I help you navigate in both my Vocabulary Foundation and Language Therapy Advance Foundations program.In episode 240 of De Facto Leaders, I share how I answer these questions about prioritization, vocabulary selection, and word-learning strategies. In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs and other service providers create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/You can check out the Vocabulary Foundation and other programs in my language therapy suite on my products and services page here: https://drkarenspeech.com/products-and-services/ We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
In this episode we speak with two final year Speech and Language Therapy students Aine and Holly about the profession, the importance of student placements and the work of the Clinical Therapies Society in UCC.
Ever feel overwhelmed being the only SLP in your district without a network of fellow clinicians for support? You're not alone; many in similar situations face these challenges.In this episode, I'm sharing a case study of an SLP who, despite being the sole clinician in her district, felt the pressure of not having a trusted system she could rely on for language therapy. Searching for a structured, effective approach, she turned to the Language Therapy Advance Foundations program. There, she developed a reliable system she could bring to her team, transforming her therapy sessions and instilling confidence in her practice.I also reflect on ways you can gain a sense of belonging, even if you're the only one in your discipline.In this episode, I'll share:✅ Managing the challenges and isolation of being the only SLP in a district while building a trustworthy framework for therapy.✅ Developing a system that empowers you to handle your caseload with confidence, even without peer support.✅ Creating a dependable, efficient approach to language therapy that benefits both the clinician's peace of mind and the students' progress.Join us as we explore how this solo SLP navigated her unique situation and emerged with a structured system she could trust and share with her team.In this episode, I mentioned this previous podcast interview: EP 109: Can my principal evaluate me if they've never done my job? (with Eric Makelky) here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-109-can-my-principal-evaluate-me-if-theyve-never-done-my-job-with-eric-makelky/This case study came from a member of Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that gives SLPs and other service providers create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
Ever feel like you should have language therapy figured out by now, but you're still struggling? Even experienced clinicians can feel that way.In this episode, I'm sharing a case study of a seasoned SLP who, despite years of experience, felt like she was missing a key piece of the puzzle when it came to language therapy. Battling decision fatigue and a lack of a reliable system, she joined my Language Therapy Advance Foundations program and created a reliable system that made her feel confident showing up to sessions.In this episode, we'll discuss:✅ Overcoming the feeling of inadequacy as a veteran clinician and acknowledging the need for a more structured approach to language therapy.✅ How streamlining decision-making allowed for more focused therapy sessions. ✅ Strategies for working on language skills that support executive functioning. ✅ Creating a predictable, efficient system for building language skills that support reading and writing. This case study came from a member of Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that gives SLPs and other service providers create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
In this episode we are speaking with Irene Walsh, recently retired Associate Professor of Speech and Language Therapy in Trinity College Dublin. Irene discusses her career as a Speech and Language Therapist from being in the first SLT class in Trinity College to the highs and lows of her career as a clinician, author and associate professor.
A report, ‘SLTs on the tight rope: Learning from the experiences of disabled SLTs in the workplace' (April 2025) by Mélanie Gréaux explores the experiences of disabled Speech and Language Therapists and what we can do to promote disability inclusion in the speech and language therapy profession. (You can hear more about this in the first podcast of this set of two.)In this second podcast some of our members with disability discuss importance of the report and issues it raises including the:Challenges disabled SLTs and SLT students face in the workplace;Impact of ableism;How colleagues can engage;Value their disabilities bring to the profession. With thanks to panellists:Jodee Simpson - Highly Specialist autistic Speech and Language Therapist and Masters Research student and co-founder of the Neurodivergent SLT networkClaire Westwood - Designated Clinical Officer for SEND - Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Suzi Willis – Senior Lecturer in Speech & Language Therapy & MSc (pre-reg) SLT Programme Lead, Manchester Metropolitan University (All the panellists are members of the RCSLT's Disability Working Group and Jodee also represents the RCSLT's Neurodiversity Working Group)Please be aware that the views expressed are those of the guests and not the RCSLT.Please do take a few moments to respond to our podcast survey: uk.surveymonkey.com/r/LG5HC3R
In this episode, I interview Connie, a student from the Language Therapy Advance Foundations program. She shares her practical experiences and results achieved with her students. Key highlights include:✅ Engaging a Disengaged Student: Connie discusses her strategies for working with a high school student who was bored with therapy, emphasizing the use of engaging books to enhance vocabulary learning.✅ Time Efficiency: Learn how Connie cut her preparation time in half by implementing the frameworks taught in our program, allowing for more focused and effective sessions.✅ Achieving Generalization: Connie reports significant progress in several of her students who had previously plateaued, particularly in their ability to generalize syntax skills.This episode offers actionable insights for language therapists looking to improve engagement and outcomes in their practice.Ready to elevate your language therapy skills? Join Language Therapy Advance Foundations and start transforming your therapy approach today. Learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
Earlier this week Alan Morrissey spoke about the near 200% increase in the number of children waiting over one year for initial speech and language therapy in the last three years. During the chat, we heard calls for ‘less talk and more action' to reduce waiting times for special needs supports In Clare. Alan spoke with Kilfenora native Deirdre Linnane, who told us about her son, Jack. The two-year-old is among the children awaiting an assessment of needs, as well as speech and language therapy. Deirdre told us she feels her son is being let down by the system. On Fridays Morning Focus, Alan Morrissey was joined by Michelle Ryan a listener who knows all about the system. Michelle, who lives in Inch, is a parent of two autistic children, and both have been diagnosed through the CDNT – Children's Disability Network Team - in Clare. NDA hope to hear from families on their experience of the Children's Disability Network Team service model. Further details and survey link can be found at the following link: https://nda.ie/news/we-would-like-to-hear-from-families-on-their-experience-of-the-childrens-disability-network-team-service-model
If you're tired of feeling underappreciated and held back by the school system, this episode is for you!Joining me today is Kim Willard, SLP and founder of Empower YOU Speech and Language Therapy in Spring Hill, Tennessee. After a new school position did not live up to her expectations following a move, Kim realized something had to change.Kim decided to open her private practice after joining the Start Your Private Practice Program back in 2023, and it's been amazing to watch her create success on her own terms. In this episode, Kim shares what it's like to run a mobile private practice that reflects her priorities and gives her the job satisfaction she's always wanted.As a speech therapist with over 18 years of experience and a graduate of stuttering therapy, Kim Willard believes that everyone can become a confident communicator, regardless of their differences. Her practice, Empower YOU, is centered around making speech and language therapy a meaningful and joyful experience for all types of learners. She takes a child-centered approach to therapy sessions, supporting connection over compliance. Her greatest pleasure is to see a child fall in love with learning, share their unique thoughts with the world, and feel as special as they are. In Today's Episode, We Discuss:Dealing with career disappointment following an exciting move Navigating private practice while working full-time, and when she realized she could quit her jobWhat Kim's day-to-day looks like running her own practiceLearning to believe in your skillset and charge what you're worthDeveloping working relationships that lead to referrals (and not competition!)I hope Kim's inspiring story reminds you it's never too late to pivot and start calling the shots yourself. You have so much to offer, and you deserve to charge your worth!If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help support SLPs and OTs (like Kim) who want our help to start and grow their practices, please visit www.IndependentClinician.com/resources.Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned: Check out Kim's website: www.empoweryouspeech.comFollow Kim on Instagram: www.instagram.com/empoweryouspeechLearn more about our programs: www.IndependentClinician.com/resourcesWhere We Can Connect: Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/Mentioned in this episode:Enrollment for the Start Your Private Practice Program is OPEN! Join Now to snag the extra bonuses: www.PrivatePracticeCourse.com
In this week's episode Dr Vishnu Nair lays groundwork for his keynote address at the SPA Conference on a Critical and Decolonial Vision for Speech and Language Therapy. He discusses communication as an embodied experience for - and the knowledge of - people who live with disability, critically examining historical and current power dynamics in the profession, essentialism and its impact on practice, and the variety of ways of knowing needed to address these. Resources: Nair, V. K., Brea-Spahn, M. R., & Yu, B. (2024). Decolonizing Speech Language“Pathology”: Critical Foundational Concepts for Research, Pedagogy and Praxis. Journalof Critical Study of Communication and Disability,2(2), 71–94. https://doi.org/10.48516/jcscd_2024vol2iss2.28 Pillay, M., & Kathard, H. (2015). Decolonizing health professionals' education: Audiology & speech therapy in South Africa. African Journal of Rhetoric, 7(1), 193-227. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC172807 SPA Resources: SPA 2025 Conference: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/CPD-events/SPA-conference/2025/Home.aspx Speak Up S6E30 Speech Pathology Week: Speech pathologists communicating their way: https://soundcloud.com/speechpathologyaustralia/speech-pathology-week-speech-pathologists-communicating-their-way-s6e30 Speak Up S5E9 Translanguaging and linguistic justice: https://soundcloud.com/speechpathologyaustralia/s05e09-final Speech Pathology Australia acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of lands, seas and waters throughout Australia, and pay respect to Elders past and present. We recognise that the health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are grounded in continued connection to culture, country, language and community and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. Free access to transcripts for podcast episodes are available via the SPA Learning Hub (https://learninghub.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/), you will need to sign in or create an account. For more information, please see our Bio or for further enquiries, email speakuppodcast@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au Disclaimer: © (2025) The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited. All rights reserved. Important Notice, Please read: The views expressed in this presentation and reproduced in these materials are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited (“the Association”). The Association makes no warranty or representation in relation to the content, currency or accuracy of any of the materials comprised in this recording. The Association expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability for negligence) in respect of use of these materials and the information contained within them. The Association recommends you seek independent professional advice prior to making any decision involving matters outlined in this recording including in any of the materials referred to or otherwise incorporated into this recording. Except as otherwise stated, copyright and all other intellectual property rights comprised in the presentation and these materials, remain the exclusive property of the Association. Except with the Association's prior written approval you must not, in whole or part, reproduce, modify, adapt, distribute, publish or electronically communicate (including by online means) this recording or any of these materials.
A Clare TD is demanding action on what's been described as "shocking" primary care waiting lists in this county. In the year to last December, the number of people waiting for appointments in the MidWest grew by 23% to 23,853. Almost half of these patients are waiting for either Physiotherapy or Speech and Language Therapy assessments. Shannon Sinn Féin Deputy Donna McGettigan has been telling Clare FM's Daragh Dolan that she believes a special taskforce is required.
Welcome to the fourth episode in our RCSLT AI series. In this episode we chat with Dr Richard Cave, Project Manager SLT at MND Association and Consultant Speech and Language Therapist, about his work in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Richard has backgrounds in both computing and speech and language therapy and he brings these together in his work with voice banking and AI, working with Goggle, MNDA and most recently in his PhD research at UCL.We cover:Richard's journey with AI and speech and language therapy.What are the opportunities with AI?What are the things to be cautious about? How can we ensure people are not left out.Why speech and language therapists need to be in this space.Interviewees:Dr Richard Cave, Project Manager SLT at MND Association and Consultant Speech and Language Therapist.Resources:Centre for Digital Language Inclusion: https://www.cdl-inclusion.com/RCSLT Artificial Intelligence resources: https://www.rcslt.org/members/delivering-quality-services/artificial-intelligence-resources/ Please be aware that the views expressed are those of the guests and not the RCSLT.Please do take a few moments to respond to our podcast survey: uk.surveymonkey.com/r/LG5HC3R
If you want to get into private practice with purpose and confidence, this episode is for you! My guest today is Eliana Provenzano-Lewis. Eliana is a bilingual speech-language pathologist with a pediatric private practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She started Monarch Speech and Language Therapy in 2023 after feeling determined to explore different work environments.Using what she learned in the Grow Your Private Practice program, Eliana is expanding her services to include parent coaching, educational workshops, and plans for hiring other therapists to grow her reach.In this episode, Eliana shares the challenges and triumphs of private practice, as well as how she's creating a flexible career that aligns with her values and family life.Eliana is a nationally certified and state licensed Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist in the state of Oklahoma. She received a double bachelor's degree in Communication and Sciences Disorders and Spanish. She then completed her Master's degree of Science, in Communication Sciences & Disorders. Eliana earned all her degrees at Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Eliana's area of special interests include working with Early Intervention and Bilingualism (Spanish/English). Additionally, Eliana is very passionate about using a whole-child, and family-centered approach by teaching, advocating, and assisting caregivers with getting their child all the support they need across multiple environments (home, school, community) as soon as possible. During her free time, Eliana enjoys spending time with family and friends, enjoying time outdoors, exercising, listening to audiobooks, cooking, being a plant and dog mom, and trying new restaurants in the Tulsa area with her Husband, Dereck. In Today's Episode, We Discuss:Eliana's background in SLP and what it was like graduating during the pandemicHow she embraced her niche of bilingual therapyEliana's advice for balancing school contracts and private clientsHow a client-first approach takes the pressure off of marketing yourselfThe inspiration behind Eliana's practice and what it means to her and othersI hope Eliana's story inspires you to take the first steps toward building a practice that will give you the kind of life you've always wanted! If you'd like to learn more about our programs and how we support SLPs and OTs in starting and growing their practice, just like Eliana did on her journey, please visit www.independentclinician.com/resources.Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned: Learn more about our Private Practice Programs: www.independentclinician.com/resourcesCheck out Eliana's practice: www.monarch-tulsa.comFollow Monarch Speech on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monarchtulsa/Where We Can Connect: Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199Follow Me on Instagram:
In this, the third of our conversations around AI in speech and language therapy, we look at AI as a tool for people who have aphasia - a language disorder that affects a person's ability to speak and understand. Caitlin Longman, Accessibility Lead at the Stroke Association tells us about her work with people with aphasia and we hear from some of them about how they are using AI and also what are their concerns. Dr Abi Roper, an academic speech and language therapist and self-confessed 'techy' tells us about her research into AI to support aphasia.Interviewees:Caitlin Longman, Accessibility Lead at the Stroke Association, guest lecturer at Strathclyde University.Abi Roper, Speech and Language Therapy research fellow at City University and Joint chair of the Computers in Therapy CEN.Resources:For RCSLT Members only:Artificial Intelligence resources: www.rcslt.org/members/delivering…ligence-resources/Integrating Generative AI in speech and language therapy: a practical guide www.rcsltcpd.org.uk/lessons/ai-in-slt/Open access:Computers in Therapy CEN (‘CITCEN') citcen.org/Co-Pilot copilot.microsoft.com/ChatGPT chatgpt.com/Image gen Free AI Image Generator - Image Creator in BingFactsheets from AbilityNet about AI abilitynet.org.uk/factsheets/what-…-how-do-i-use-itFree webinar from AbilityNet about how AI can help disabled people abilitynet.org.uk/webinars/how-can…-disabled-peopleWebinar series from the Health Foundation about AI and the NHS (exploring priorities and anticipating the future) www.health.org.uk/about-the-health…re-of-healthcareA guide from the NHS Confederation on AI: "AI in healthcare: navigating the noise". www.nhsconfed.org/publications/ai-healthcareBlog from NHS England ‘How artificial intelligence is helping to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients'. www.england.nhs.uk/blog/how-artifi…troke-patients/Research:AI technologies in therapy - experiences and perceptions of SLPsSuh, H., Dangol, A., Meadan, H., Miller, C. A., & Kientz, J. A. (2024, June). Opportunities and challenges for AI-based support for speech-language pathologists. In Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Symposium on Human-Computer InteracPlease be aware that the views expressed are those of the guests and not the RCSLT.Please do take a few moments to respond to our podcast survey: uk.surveymonkey.com/r/LG5HC3R
For episode 196 of De Facto Leaders, I share a Q & A session where I talk through how to write language therapy goals that are both trackable and functional.This is just one of many Q & A sessions I'm planning on sharing where I talk through how to find the balance between focusing on external behaviors that allow us to document progress and internal cognitive processes.I also talk about when to focus on “observable” language skills vs. strategy-based goals; especially when addressing both language and executive functioning skills. Throughout the session, you'll hear examples related to working on skills like syntax, semantic feature study, vocabulary, and cognitive processes that support language comprehension. This Q & A session was done in the member's group for Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs build a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here : https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
Multi-disciplinary artist Tim Arnold in conversation with Sandy Chappell, a Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist with over 30 years of experience. Sandy specialises in working with pre-school and primary school children who have speech and language disorders. She is the founder of Chatterbox Speech and Language Therapy in North Yorkshire and a passionate advocate for screen-free activities that promote early speech and language development. Sandy is also a member of the Health Professionals for Safer Screens campaign group. For more information on Sandy Chappell, please visit: http://www.chatterbox-slt.co.uk/ Health For more information on Health Professionals for Safer Screens, please visit: https://healthprofessionalsforsaferscreens.org/ Arts If you support a more mindful approach to screen use, join our community and learn more about the film, album, and theatre show of Super Connected: http://superconnected.technology/ This podcast is independently produced and not sponsored. If you appreciate the content created by The Tim Arnold Company, consider supporting on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/timarnoldmusic
Have you ever been typing out a word and all of the sudden it becomes completely foreign? Like it's gone... weird. Wordnesia is very real. That moment when words, yes including our own names, go from everyday acceptable to downright bizarre happens to most of us. So should we be worried? Or, as our guest says, should we just enjoy language? THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Check out The Quicky Instagram here Liked this episode? Listen to these: Skibidy Rizz Ohio? Gen Alpha Has Entered The Chat Queer To Non Binary: The Evolution Of LGBTIQA+ Terminology Why Is Everyone Freaking Out About The Curriculum? Want to try MOVE by Mamamia?Click here to start a seven-day free trial of our exercise app. GET IN TOUCH Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. If you're looking for something else to listen to why not check out our award winning parenting podcast How To Build A Human.Or click here to listen to the hosts of Mamamia Out Loud open up about creativity and how they stay inspired. CONTACT US Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Send us an email at thequicky@mamamia.com.au CREDITS Host: Claire Murphy With thanks to: Daniel Midgley, Linguist, Author, Science Communication & host of linguistics podcast Because Language. Senior Producer: Taylah StranoAudio Producer: Lu Hill Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stephen Davidson offers insights into the unique challenges and techniques involved in working with transmasculine singers. From the effects of hormone replacement therapy to practical vocal exercises, Stephen shares invaluable advice for singing teachers and vocal coaches looking to provide inclusive and supportive training in the voice studio. QUOTE‘Anything you can do to help create space, and relaxation, and settle in a nice warm chest voice is always the first port of call.' Click for presenter biosRELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS Singing Teachers Talk Ep.155 Part One: Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice Studios with Dr Shannon Coates Singing Teachers Talk Ep.156 Part Two: Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Voice Studios with Dr Shannon Coates The Alexander Technique Singing Teachers Talk Ep.138 Exploring the Benefits of The Alexander Technique for Singers with Patrick Ardagh-Walter Singing Teachers Talk Ep.169 How to Use Gesture for Better Singing with Heather Baker Arthur Lessac Chris Johnson & Teach Voice Mentioned Artists/Characters/Songs: Hosier; Orpheus from Hadestown; Summertime by George Gershwin One Weird Trick, A User's Guide to Transgender Voice by Liz Jackson Hearns Queering Vocal Pedagogy by William Sauerland NewMusicShelf Anthology of New Music Trans & Nonbinary Voices curated by Aidan K. Feltkamp ABOUT THE GUEST Stephen is a voice coach for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people, conductor of London Trans Choir, and is a trans man himself. He has studied voice widely, including with Alexandros Constansis and Kate Hammett Vaughn, and as part of his actor training. He has taught voice for trans folks with the Speech and Language Therapy department at the Tavistock and Portman Gender Clinic, and is now teaching privately. Stephen also leads regular masterclasses for voice teachers and voice users, and is the author of Transmasculine Voice - A Guide to Vocal Euphoria. Guest Website: londontranschoir.com BAST Training is here to help singers gain the confidence, knowledge, skills & understanding required to be a successful singing teacher. Website: basttraining.com | Subscribe | Email Us | Join the Free FB Group "I am so glad I took the course! It has given me the confidence to move forward in my teaching knowing that I am practising safely, with a wealth of knowledge and support that I simply didn't have before! The training is comprehensive, immediately applicable, massively informative and so engaging! LOVED it!" Hayley Ross, UK...more testimonials
Kieran O' Loughlin, who lives in Ennis, has run into difficulties in getting Speech and Language Therapy for his young son. He has been told that his son Jack, who is autistic, cannot currently be provided with speech and language therapy due to staffing issues. Picture (c) Elena KHarchenko via Canva.com
Thinking about starting your private practice on the side? You're going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories with SLP Instagram hero Dr. Dani Gaff! Dr. Dani Gaff aka The Messy SLP launched her practice, Messy Speech and Language Therapy, part-time on the side of her school job. However, the joy and fulfillment she found in private practice, coupled with the autonomy it provided, ultimately convinced her to take the plunge to go full-time. Dani is an alum of the Start Your Private Practice Program and in this episode, she shares her journey from being a part-time private practitioner to fully shifting into full-time private practice. Dani also discusses the financial benefits she discovered, and how she nearly doubled her income by combining school contracts with her private practice work. Despite the challenges and uncertainties, she is loving the unparalleled freedom and fulfillment she now experiences.Dr. Dani Gaff, aka The Messy SLP, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist and private practice owner in South Bend, Indiana. She is the owner and sole SLP at Messy Speech and Language Therapy, LLC, and is wrapping up her first year of working full-time for herself. Dani has worked in a variety of settings and has created a sensory-friendly office for families and kids of all ages to enjoy. Outside of her clinical time, Dani is passionate about reaching graduate students and helping them find balance.When she's not wearing her SLP hat, Dani is a volleyball coach, a basketball coach's wife, a dog mom, and loves being active. In Today's Episode, We Discuss:The wake-up call that burnout leads to in many SLPs What happens when you set boundaries in your careerWhat led Dani to start her private practice on the side The creativity and freedom you can get in your private practice The sheer joy you feel when you have your own private practice What's possible financially when you are a private practice owner How you can create a flexible work schedule that fits in with your life, not the other way around Dani's plan to expand her private practice The different phases of business and how to find what works for youI hope you loved this episode with Dani! She is a perfect example of someone who started her private practice on the side, but ultimately transitioned to full-time after the realization that private practice offered her the joy and flexibility she was missing in her previous roles.Want to start your private practice "on the side"? We would love to help you - just like we helped Dani - in the Start Your Private Practice Program. To learn more, please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com. Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned: Visit The Messy SLP website: https://www.themessyslp.com/Follow The Messy SLP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themessyslp/Follow The Messy SLP on Facebook:
Guest: Matthew Guggemos, MS, CCC-SLP - Join us as we sit down with the extraordinary speech therapist and professional drummer Matthew Guggemos for an unforgettable exploration of the intersection of speech therapy and music mastery. Uncover the secrets of meta-learning and the transformative power of embracing diverse skills. From the beat of the drum to the cadence of communication, Matthew shares profound insights on how being a musician enhances the therapist's toolkit. Music may have a reputation for being a soft science, but there are multiple evidence-based and practical ways of using music to increase the efficacy of speech therapy. For example, helping to distinguish signal-to-noise in this world of increasing noise and distraction. Tune in to this rhythm-infused episode to groove your way through the world of speech therapy CEUs. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your journey, there's something for everyone in this harmonious blend of expertise and music magic.
Today, I'm excited to discuss the profound impact of early language and speech experiences on cognitive and academic skills, specifically reading skills. Joining us is a seasoned expert in the field, Stacy Payne, a speech-language pathologist and the founder of Bright Beginnings Pediatric Services. Stacy shares her insights on the importance of creating a language-rich environment for children from an early age. She explains how these early interactions, much more than simple bedtime stories, are integral to cognitive development. Through everyday activities and conversations, parents and caregivers can significantly influence a child's language acquisition and communication skills. We also explore the complexity of the developing brain and how language and communication skills evolve throughout childhood. Stacy highlights the importance of repetition in creating new neural pathways and how incorporating language-building strategies into daily routines, like grocery shopping, can make a huge difference. For those concerned about missing critical language milestones in early childhood, Stacy offers reassurance that the brain can learn new skills and adapt at any age. She also shares exciting opportunities to maximize learning during the summer months, including intensive skill-building camps provided by Bright Beginnings Pediatric Services. This is definitely a conversation you don't want to miss! Show Notes: [2:33] - Speech and language therapy addresses more than just articulation. [3:47] - Stacy explains that speech and language pathology includes everything “above the waist.” [5:01] - It is anything that can get in the way of a person communicating. [7:15] - Language doesn't just include verbal communication. The brain is very complex and we have a lot of modalities to communicate. [8:36] - Stacy explains how language and communication develop in an infant's developing brain. [12:17] - We need to be able to provide a language-rich environment for our developing children. [13:52] - There are so many opportunities in simple day-to-day interactions to integrate language development strategies. [15:12] - The brain requires repetition to develop a new skill and create a new neural pathway. [16:51] - Build language into your day. Think about the countless opportunities at the grocery store. [19:04] - Stacy describes some of the important considerations if a child is growing up in a household of multiple languages. [22:28] - It is important to continue these conversations throughout the child's life, not just in the early years. [24:39] - Talking through things is also a form of modeling. These are all teaching and learning moments. [26:39] - A lot of times, people don't have the words to express themselves. [28:08] - After articulation, pay attention to reading and writing. [31:30] - Sometimes we forget about the things that we can pull into language development as we work on goals and articulation. [33:35] - Stacy discusses cognitive training that speech-language pathologists go through that are typically unexpected by most people. [35:06] - If something is missed in childhood, it's not forever. The brain can still learn new things and how to do things in new ways. [41:26] - We can maximize the summer months to work intensively on these skills. Stacy shares the summer camps available. About Our Guest: Stacy St. Amant Payne is a licensed speech-language pathologist who holds the Certificate of Clinical Competency awarded by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association, a certified lactation educator, a certified ADHD-Rehabilitation Services Provider, and an extensively trained clinician and lecturer in the areas of dysphagia, motor speech disorders, reading disabilities, language-based learning disorders, and ADHD. She is the recipient of several ACE awards from ASHA for her ongoing commitment to continuing education. Stacy founded Bright Beginnings Pediatric Services over 10 years ago after 20 years in the field of medical speech pathology, with a mission to help children in the community who are experiencing feeding, speech, language, reading, and learning challenges. Connect with Stacy Payne: Bright Beginnings Pediatric Services Website BBPSLA on Instagram YouTube Channel Links and Related Resources: Top 5 Signs You Need a Speech and Language Pathologist Episode 102: Everyday Activities That Help Build Language Skills with Stefanie Trenholme Writing Disorders in Children: The Language Link Connect with Us: Get on our Email List Book a Consultation Get Support and Connect with a ChildNEXUS Provider Register for Our Self-Paced Mini Courses with LIVE AMA Sessions The Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, the views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not considered treatment and do not necessarily reflect those of ChildNEXUS, Inc. or the host, Dr. Karen Wilson.
Send us a Text Message.On this episode of the Mer Herosner Podcast, Dr. Shushan Karapetian, Director of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, joins Vic and Mike for a very interesting conversation
Jennifer Black combines expertise in early development with management consulting, exploring ways of helping systems grow—family systems and organizational systems. As a speech and language pathologist, a trainer in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, and a trainer in the NCAST model from the Parent-Infant-Child Institute, she brings her considerable skills to this talk, including a consideration of how to facilitate communication in families in indigenous communities in Hawaii and Alaska.
Wondering how private practice can help you get more flexibility in your life? This episode of Private Practice Success Stories is for you! I sat down with Evelyn Pierce-Ruhland, a pediatric speech-language pathologist with a private practice in Kingsville, Ohio called Inspire Speech and Language Therapy. After working in the schools for 10 years she was overwhelmed by the high caseloads, paperwork, and long hours. Feeling the burnout, Evelyn quit her job, joined the Start program, and had her first client within two weeks! In this episode, she talks about how the marketing tactics from the Start program helped her build her caseload to start seeing pediatric clients in local libraries across her rural area. She also discusses how the flexibility of having her own private practice gives her the power to make her own schedule and have more work-life balance. Evelyn Pierce-Ruhland has been an SLP for over 30 years. She worked for 11 years and then had the privilege of taking time off to homeschool her children. She returned to work 4 years ago just before COVID hit. She has worked in a private clinic with OT/PT, an ENT's office, the schools, and now has her own private practice. She specializes in working with the pediatric population. She enjoys working with families as they begin their journey toward full communication with their child. In Today's Episode, We Discuss:When Evelyn got her first real taste of private practiceHow the field has changed and why clinicians are more burned out than everHow Evelyn got her first client within the first two weeksHow the Start program helped Evelyn market her businessHow you can perfect your pricing for your practiceWhat a typical day looks like as a private practice ownerTypes of payment options you can offer in your private practiceThe flexibility I hope you loved hearing from Evelyn! She is a perfect example of someone who took a chance on herself by joining the Start program and found the work-life balance she knew she deserved. If you would like to know more about our programs and how we help support SLPs and OTs who want our help to start and grow their practices, please visit www.independentclinician.com/resources.Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned: Visit Evelyn's website: https://inspirespeechtherapy.com/Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspireSpeechTherapyLearn more about our programs: www.independentclinician.com/resourcesWhere We Can Connect: Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199Follow Me on Instagram:
Language therapy often focuses on early intervention; but what happens if students continue to struggle with language in the high school years? Many SLPs are pressured to drop students from their caseloads or move to a consult-only model when students transition to secondary school.Yet that often means many students enter adulthood lacking skills that have a significant impact on their ability to access advanced education or job opportunities. If students don't have a solid grasp on complex syntax, they'll continue to struggle:…Getting the “gist” of things and explaining/recalling past events.…Writing extended responses or forming cohesive narratives for academic reports, job applications, and work-related communication.…Understanding temporal or causal vocabulary that supports time-perception and future thinking.…Engaging in inner dialogue for strategic planning and self-regulation.Building sentence structure is NOT just a skill for students in late elementary school doing Language Arts assignments. It's a LIFE skill, and students who don't have a solid foundation will continue to struggle in adulthood. That's why I invited Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz to the De Facto Leaders podcast to share success stories from her experiences with language therapy at the high school level. Tiffany is a bilingual high school SLP from Southern California who has primarily worked in the school systems. She's also a member of Language Therapy Advance Foundations, and many of the strategies we discuss in this conversation are things I cover in that program. In this conversation, we discuss:✅What if everyone else is working on high-level comprehension, but our students still need work at the word and sentence level?✅Does therapy have to mimic classroom activities to be aligned with the curriculum? ✅Can we make a dent in language for high school students, or is it “too little, too late'?✅Will students be bored and disengaged if they're still going to speech in high school? ✅How complex syntax can impact daily functioning and future career opportunities. You can connect with Tiffany by searching her name on Facebook.We also discussed the Expanding Expression Tool by Sara Smith, and you can learn more about that resource here: https://www.expandingexpression.com/In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy that supports syntax and vocabulary students need to thrive in school and beyond. Learn more about how to become a member here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/
Is your work impacting your mental health? You're not alone. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Renée Bruder to talk about how starting a private practice allowed her to finally start prioritizing her own mental health and self-care.I got to know Renée during her time in the Grow Your Private Practice Program where it's been amazing to watch her practice grow to be exactly what she needs. In this episode, she talks about her mental health, how she's embraced the neurodiversity movement and shifted her practice to work more with autistic children and Gestalt Language Processors, and her goals of expanding her income streams, hiring, and moving to a larger office space.If you've been thinking about starting or growing a private practice and want to make sure you're prioritizing your health in the process, this is a must-listen episode!Renée Bruder is a pediatric speech language pathologist and owner of Heyday Speech & Language Therapy just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She began her practice a little over a year ago with the goal of creating the work-life balance she so desperately needed. Her practice mission is to be committed to providing effective therapy services using a child-led, play-based approach that values and honors each child's strengths while providing support and guidance toward authentic and meaningful communication. In Today's Episode, We Discuss:Renée's journey into speech and why she decided to start a private practiceThe impact her career had on her mental health The types of clients that Renée works with in her private practiceHow Renée was finally able to prioritize self-care with her private practiceWhy private practice is a great option for neurodiverse individuals Why Renée decided to take a neurodiversity-affirming approach in her private practiceHow she plans to grow her private practice in the futureTips for marketing your private practiceThe momentum that builds when you start growing your practiceI hope you enjoyed this conversation with Renée! She is a perfect example of someone who didn't let herself stay stuck in a position or a role that wasn't serving her, and instead created a life and a career for herself that is supportive and flexible, which is not only helping her but helping her clients too.If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help support SLPs and OTs who want our help to start and grow their practices, please visit https://independentclinician.com/learn-with-jena/Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned: Visit the Heydey Speech website: https://www.heydayspeech.com/Follow Heydey Speech on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heydayspeechslp/Follow Heydey Speech on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heydayspeechWhere We Can Connect: Follow the Podcast:
In this episode our guest is Ms. Liza Selvarajah. Liza is a speech therapist who works with neurodiverse children and their families. She came to the cafe to share the importance of understanding and embracing different communication methods for non-speaking children, the benefits of neurodiverse affirming therapy and tips for working with a speech therapist. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!Some key takeaways:A speech therapist cannot force a child to speak but they can help you understand how to improve communication with your childObservation is importantTeaching children how to interact with differently abled peers is importantShare stories about your day with your childrenProfessional reports do not need to be hurtful to be effectiveAbout Liza SelvarajahLiza Selvarajah is a Speech and Language Pathologist but she prefers “speech therapist” without the pathologizing aspect. She is a wife and mother and enjoys therapy (in both directions) offering and receiving, as well as music (singing, playing piano, performing). She owns a company called Montreal Speech therapy, co-hosts a podcast called “The Bold SLP”, and just finished offering a course with the Bold SLP called “Strategies to prevent harm in bilingual and multicultural evaluations”. She is fluent in English, French and American Sign Language. The Bold SLP - theboldslpcollectiveThe Good Health Cafewww.thegoodhealthcafe.comFacebook and Instagram: @thegoodhealthcafeSign up for our mailing list: https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com/submit-your-questionThe Good Health Cafe Feedback Formhttps://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com/submit-your-question@thegoodhealthcafe on Instagram and FacebookSponsor Info:The Good Health Candle Companywww.goodhealthcandle.com@goodhealthcandle on Instagram and Facebook
In this episode, we speak with pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist Becky Wilson, about the link between language disorders and academics and how targeting underlying language skills helps support students learning. Throughout the episode Becky discusses ways reading, math, and all areas of school are interwoven with underlying language skills and ways as a speech-pathologist she targets these skills to develop a child's overall academic learning. Becky Willson, MS, CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist specializing in language and literacy for grades K-12. She has a private practice in Houston, Texas where she has served students with learning differences for the past 23 years. Becky's prior experience includes classroom teaching in language-based learning disabilities programs at the elementary and middle school levels. Becky recognizes that language is the foundation for literacy, and the cornerstone for learning in all school subjects and she is dedicated to providing high-quality, multi-sensory intervention that produces results. Her goal is to help children and adolescents reach their highest academic potential, and support educators and families. Links:Becky Wilson's WebsiteThe Parish School Sponsors:Soccor Shots Houston M/I HomesSupport the showSupport the show
Interested in offering innovative therapy services in your own private practice? You're going to love this episode! I sat down with Mary Hadley, a Start and Grow program student, to discuss how she took the leap into private practice after facing a pivotal moment in her career. Now, she's offering a very innovative therapy model for teens who need help with social communication.Join us as Mary discusses how being in private practice has given her career fulfillment, flexibility for her family, and financial success as she's earning significantly more than she was as a school SLP. Y'all, Mary was considering leaving the profession, but starting a private practice helped her turn things around. This is a can't-miss episode! Mary is a highly experienced, certified speech-language pathologist and founder of Signpost Speech and Language Therapy. She specializes in evaluating and treating social communication and executive functioning issues for children, adolescents, and adults. In Today's Episode, We Discuss:When Mary realized she wanted to start a private practiceThe immense need for speech private practices The earning potential as a private practice ownerTips for overcoming imposter syndromeHow Mary's private practice is set up to allow time for her family How her private practice is growing Mary's plans for the future of her private practiceTips for managing taxes and accounting for your private practiceWhy you don't need social media for your business if you don't want itI hope you loved this conversation with Mary! Her determination to find balance, stay true to herself, and build a thriving private practice is truly inspiring. She's a shining example of someone who decided to take control of her destiny and accomplished something truly amazing! Her innovative approach to working with kids with social communication deficits in after-school programs is so, so cool. Want to learn how to grow your private practice and expand your income by offering innovative therapy services? Come join the Grow Your Private Practice Program! To learn more, please visit www.GrowYourPrivatePractice.com.Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned: Visit the Signpost Speech website: https://www.signpostspeech.com/Follow Mary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SignpostspeechVisit the Ensemble Therapy website: https://www.ensembletherapy.com/social-communication-groupsWhere We Can Connect: Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/Connect on Facebook:
On today's episode I have special guest, Alice. Alice is 25, autistic and studying speech and language therapy. I've known Alice for quite a while now - we both knew each other growing up and we were both late-diagnosed as Autistic so this should be an interesting chat! Links to things Alice mentioned: Purple Ella's Discord: https://direct.me/purpleella Right to choose: psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose-asd/ More about being a Speech & Language Therapist: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles My 21andsensory links: @21andsensory on Instagram: www.instagram.com/21andsensory @21andsensory on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@21andsensory 21andsensory on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/21andsensory 21andsensory Blog: 21andsensory.wordpress.com @21andsensory on Twitter: twitter.com/21andsensory
Transcript In this episode we review two books about bilingual parenting: Bilingual success stories around the world by Adam Beck and Bilingual families. A practical language planning guide by Eowyn Crisfield. We get the parental perspective from Maria Papantoniou, a Greek-speaking mother raising her child bilingually in the UK together with her Greek-speaking husband, and Sam Timmermans, a Dutch-speaking father who until recently lived in the UK with his wife and two children. Language scientist Ludovica Serratrice joins me to evaluate the books from a research perspective. Ludovica is Professor of Bi-Multilingualism at the University of Reading in the UK, where she is also Director of the Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism and where she teaches on the BSc in Speech and Language Therapy. Read more about her research on the language development and processing of bilingual children and adults here. In Let's Klets we speak to Daphne Vlachojannis, mother to three multilingual children, currently living in Greece. She tells us how she went about writing (and re-writing) her family language plan as her family expanded and moved countries. You can read more about Daphne and the work she is doing as a consultant at Raising Bilingual Children here. During this episode I referred to an earlier episode of the podcast with Eowyn. That was our very first episode How to plan for a bilingual child. I also mentioned the Planting Languages project. Their website shares materials in several languages which can be used by parents and professionals to think about which resources are available, the family goals, and many other factors which come into play when writing a family language plan.
Language Therapy with Dr. K which was hosted on this channel for the past 3 years now has its own separate chanel. Search and subscribe to the new channel wherever you get your podcasts to receive the upcoming episodes of the beloved podcast series!
Our staff shortages in special education are not short-term or temporary. They are here to stay for a long time and that means we need to get serious about how staff shortages are impacting individual children and what we can do to move forward without playing the waiting game of "when we get staff, this will be better". Exploring the Consequences of Staff Shortages: Remember, staff shortages impact each child's education differently and it's important to figure out which of these 4 areas have been impacted most before we seek solutions. Limited Individualized Attention Delayed Progress Increased Workload for Existing Staff Impacted Collaborative Efforts We need to stop writing IEPs the same way we did just a few years ago. It's time for us to figure out what has worked in the past, what tools we have available today, and how can we design an IEP for the future. Recommended Resource for Speech and Language Therapy for Young Learners Visit PenquinSmart: https://www.mypenguinsmart.com/ Additional Links Mentioned In This Episode: Master IEP Coach® Certificate Program https://www.masteriepcoach.com/course FAST TRACK: Start Your Own IEP Coaching Practice https://www.masteriepcoach.com/mentorship Download 12 IEP Questions You Need to Ask https://www.masteriepcoach.com/masterclass Find All the Special Education Inner Circle Podcast Episodeshttps://www.catherinewhitcher.com/blog
Taking a language sample for your speech therapy assessments can feel daunting because you are on a time crunch to get all your assessments done. And, if your students aren't the most chatty, it can be really difficult to get those 50-100 utterances. Even though informal language samples can feel like a pain, it is a great assessment tool that can give you valuable information about your student's language development. Today on the Real Talk SLP podcast, I have Allison Fors on the podcast to share her best tips for collecting a language sample! Language Sample Tips Discussed in This Episode: Language samples are critical for assessing one's speech and they allow us to gather a variety of data to look at a student's syntax, morphology, semantics, comprehension and narrative language. Tips for taking language samplesHow to encourage student participation during a language sampleTools and materials for collecting language samples Need Support with Grammar Intervention for Your Prek-5th Grade Caseload? If you have been struggling with where to begin with grammar intervention and how to embed evidence-based strategies into your therapy activities, come attend the LIVE webinar “Effective Grammar Strategies for Language Therapy” with Allison Fors and myself! You will get one hour of Clinical Maintainance Hours, resources and tools for where to start in therapy, and LOTS of therapy ideas you can implement tomorrow (we are giving you ready-to-go resources with your ticket.) Get on the waitlist for the webinar and receive a promo code for $5 off when ticket sales open up. Tips for Taking Language Samples by Allison ForsGrammar Development Handouts by Allison ForsPicture Scenes for Speech Therapy Blog Post by Allison Fors Picture Scenes for Speech Therapy Blog Post by Felice ClarkBilingual Assessment Cheat Sheets Resource by Felice Clark Audacity How to Stay Connected with Allison Fors InstagramWebsiteFacebook The post Ep 96 Easy Tips for Collecting Language Samples appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.
As SLPs, we are juggling A LOT! Especially if we work in the school setting. Between the high caseloads, piles of paperwork, and trying to stay up-to-date with best practices, it's easy to get overwhelmed with the job. And, staying inspired about being an SLP when you feel ineffective with the giant workload given to you is real. In today's episode of the Real Talk SLP podcast, I will break down an SLP inspirational quote by Arthur Ash that helped me push through when things were rough in my job. I hope that this helps bring new inspiration in dealing with some very difficult work environments. Here are some points I share in the episode: Start where you areIt's okay to be a beginner at something. Working with staff on a new collaborative service model or trying to get them on board with trying a strategy takes time. It's okay to start small.Use what you haveDon't go prepping tons of materials when you are overwhelmed. Use what you already have prepped. Then, use it over and over again. Join the Themed Therapy SLP membership if you need Prek-5th grade themed-based materials to help you plan with less stress. Use your abilities to bring to life your sessions. Your students come to see you above all else.Do what you canWhen we serve high caseloads or heavy workloads with many different needs, it's easy to think you aren't doing enough for your students. Find small ways to make a difference in your students' lives.Sometimes we must think outside the box for creative ways to serve our students well.Advocate for your students, your workload, your space, etc., but during the process of that, remember that small steps lead to big leaps. The change will happen if you keep moving forward, no matter how small the step is. Do what you canWhen we serve high caseloads or heavy workloads with many different needs, it's easy to think you aren't doing enough for your students. Find small ways to make a difference in your students' lives.Sometimes we must think outside the box for creative ways to serve our students well.Advocate for your students, your workload, your space, etc., but during the process of that, remember that small steps lead to big leaps. The change will happen if you keep moving forward, no matter how small the step is. Need Support with Grammar Intervention for Your Prek-5th Grade Caseload? If you have been struggling with where to begin with grammar intervention and how to embed evidence-based strategies into your therapy activities, come attend the LIVE webinar “Effective Grammar Strategies for Language Therapy” with Allison Fors and myself! You will get one hour of Clinical Maintainance Hours, resources and tools for where to start in therapy, and LOTS of therapy ideas you can implement tomorrow (we are giving you ready-to-go resources with your ticket.) Get on the waitlist for the webinar and receive a promo code for $5 off when ticket sales open up. The post SLP Inspirational Quote When Overwhelmed appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.
What is Armenian mother guilt in the diaspora? How can a pandemic impact language dynamics in the home? Why is it that our professional expertise, competence, and training often disappear when it comes to things Armenian, our families, and our own children? Join Dr. K and Dr. Lori Mesrobian, USC professor of Spanish, as they discuss the extra complications of transmitting Armenian during the pandemic, the intense grief, disappointment, and shame associated with fears of loss, and the need for local and global language resources.
We get a lot of questions about Speech and Language Therapy careers. It's a hugely rewarding area of work where you support and care for people of all ages who have difficulties with speech, language, communication, eating, drinking and swallowing. York graduate Jess is a Speech and Language Therapist working with adults with learning disabilities. Find out about what she does each day and how she got there. As always, full transcript and useful links can be found on our blog. Jess's bio: Jess graduated as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2019 and now works as an NHS Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in an Intensive Support Team for adults with learning disabilities. Jess is also a Speech and Language Therapist for the Down Syndrome Training and Support Service.
Rich Stephens joins Chaya Goldstein-Schuff to talk about his smashing success of Camp SAY Australia, the first-ever sleep away camp for young people who stutter. Rich shares what made the camp experience so special, the power of radical empathy, the unforgettable fun morning songs, and upcoming programming in the land Down Under. Rich Stephens is a person who stutters and is the President and Programming Director of The Stuttering Association For The Young Australia (SAY: Australia), which is the first International arm of SAY, founded in America in 2001 by Taro Alexander. Rich is also the Camp Director at Camp SAY: Australia, Associate Camp Director at Camp SAY in America, and is the Australian Development Chair of the World Stuttering Network established in 2020. Prior to launching SAY: Australia in 2019, Rich lived in Manchester, UK. Rich spent 6 years working as a Psychiatric Nurse, with his work taking him across the UK, Dublin-Ireland, and Wellington New Zealand. Rich completed his BSc studies in Speech & Language Therapy and MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuroimaging at the University of Manchester. During his BSc studies, Rich first volunteered at Camp SAY in 2015 as a bunk counselor, and fast forward several years later is now bringing a new approach to supporting young people who stutter in Australia. Links: SAY:AUOfficial Blog of SAY AustraliaInstagramFacebookSAY Morning songs Rich Stephens, President and Program Director email: rich@sayaustralia.org.au
Are you up for a game of Belote? How did a French trick-taking card game gain such ubiquitous popularity both in Armenia and the diaspora? What is the special Armenian twist (hint: the bazar element) with its own language dynamics and social hierarchy? Though full of French, Turkish, and Russian words, why is it perceived as such an Armenian domain by players? Join Dr. K with research assistant and USC student Sarkis Tricha as they explore the roots and origins of Belote, the various game-specific terms used by speakers of Eastern and Western Armenian, the social dynamics and implications of the game, and the importance of using language as a means to play! For more, visit armenian.usc.edu.
Episode: 3281 Dyslexia and Orton-Gillingham Multisensory Reading Instruction. Today, dyslexia and reading.