Podcasts about wisconsin eau claire

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In this episode, Clayton chats with drummer Patrick Phelan IV, the current touring drummer for the Shucked First National Tour. Patrick shares how a random hangout in NYC led to his first Broadway subbing opportunity and how he's since built a career full of friendship, groove, and grit.We dive into his musical upbringing in Wisconsin, studying classical percussion at UW–Eau Claire, and how his early decision to leave veterinary studies for a life behind the drum kit changed everything. Patrick talks about balancing eight shows a week, playing pickleball and golf to stay sane on the road, and bleeding all over his snare in Dallas — literally.Patrick also opens up about:* His deep love for Yacht Rock and why he dreams of touring with Michael McDonald or Christopher Cross* Learning to play entire shows from Vimeo videos (with no charts!) — like his recent tour with Clay Aiken & Ruben Studdard* Why subbing on Shucked led to a national tour* Playing music for music's sake—not just for the showWhether you're a drummer, a theater musician, or someone trying to figure out how to break into the Broadway world, this episode is packed with real advice, honest stories, and some good laughs.Featured Topics:* Getting into musical theater through friendship and trust, not just auditions* Classical chops meeting country-pop grooves on Shucked* Why networking isn't just schmoozing—it's about real human connection* Staying musically inspired while playing the same show night after night* The role of joy, artistic outlets, and “pretending you're at your own rock concert” when playing in isolationAbout Patrick Phelan:Outside of Broadway, Patrick has toured internationally with Americana band Them Coulee Boys, recording the album Die Happy, which charted on the American Radio Album charts. He played for the Grammy-nominated Jazz Ensemble 1 at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and performed at PASIC with the UWEC percussion quartet. Patrick also teaches private lessons in drum set, concert percussion, and piano.Connect with Patrick:Instagram: @patrickphelan4Email: patrickphelan4@gmail.comCheck out the Broadway Bound and Beyond book and merch!Clayton Craddock founded Broadway Drumming 101, an in-depth online platform offering specialized mentorship and a carefully curated collection of resources tailored for aspiring and professional musicians.Clayton's Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical. As a skilled sub, he has contributed his talents to notable productions such as Motown, Evita, Cats, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, Rent, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, and Hadestown (tour), among many others. He has also appeared on major shows, including The View, Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and performed with legends like The Stylistics, The Delfonics, Mario Cantone, Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Kerry Butler, Christian Borle, Norm Lewis, Deniece Williams, Chuck Berry, and Ben E. King.Clayton proudly endorses Ahead Drum Cases, Paiste Cymbals, Innovative Percussion drumsticks, and Empire Ears.Learn more about Clayton Craddock here: www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Karen Conti chats with Dr. Adam Kunz, assistant professor at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, about the First Amendment and if it allows cult organizations to brainwash people. Dr. Kunz also talks about what can be done legally to extricate cult members from those organizations.

Chiayu Hsu is an active composer of contemporary concert music and associate professor of composition at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Born in Banciao, Taiwan, Chiayu frequently explores ideas of cultural fusion. She derives inspiration from places, poems, myths, and images. Particularly, the combination of Chinese elements and western techniques is a hallmark of her music.Chiayu's works have been performed by numerous orchestras and chamber groups worldwide. Last year, her solo clarinet piece was featured on Eric Schultz's album POLYGLOT.Host Stephen Anthony Rawson talks with Chiayu about several works from her catalogue, her musical language, traveling, and more!

Welcome to the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. I'm Jerry Hoepner. I'm a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and co-facilitator of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp, Blugold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, Young Person's Brain Injury Group, and Thursday Night Poets.  I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources. I'm today's host for an episode that will feature my friend and colleague, Dr. Warren Brown. I've been fortunate to work with Dr. Brown for the past two years and I'm excited to share the work he's been doing in service of the LPAA. Warren C. Brown, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders at Jackson State University. His research explores the intersections of traumatic brain injury (TBI), aphasia, and healthcare disparities, with a focus on cultural and linguistic diversity in clinical care. He serves as a facilitator for the Black Aphasia Group at the Aphasia Center of Acadiana and has published on topics related to brain injury, intersectionality, and patient-provider communication. Dr. Brown is an active member of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), National Black Association for speech Language Pathology (NBASLH), the Academy of Neurogenic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS), and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Take Aways: Learn about health disparities faced by Black Americans. Learn about the perceptions of Black Americans towards their healthcare providers. Dr. Brown will continue to facilitate the Black Aphasia Group affiliated with the Aphasia Center of Acadiana. Dr. Brown and his team to are hoping to publish an anthology project featuring entries from Black Americans with aphasia by fall of next year. Dr. Brown plans to organize a symposium on aphasia at Jackson State University with a focus on diversity. Dr. Brown plans to present a poster on the anthology project at the upcoming Aphasia Access Conference.   Interview Transcript:   Jerry Hoepner: Alright. Well, Warren, it's good to see you today. I'm fortunate to see you on a regular basis. So, I think this is the second time we've connected today. For different reasons. But I'm glad to have you here as a part of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. I'm hoping you can share a little bit about yourself. I know that some aphasia access affiliates will know you and know a little bit about your work. But I'd like others to get to know you and your work as well, so can you share a little bit about yourself?   Warren Brown: Yes, sir. Well, thanks for having me. For sure, this is an honor. I'm a recent graduate from the University of Louisiana and Lafayette. With my PhD. I studied under multiple folks. There. I studied under Anthony Salvatore, Dr. Judith Oxley, and Dr. Jamie Azios. My main areas of interest are traumatic brain injury, aphasia, and all neurogenic disorders related to marginalized populations. Prior to my doc program, I was a practicing clinician for 11 years or so I practiced in mainly acute care hospitals long term, acute care, hospitals, home health, and predominantly in Southern Louisiana. So, and I did a little bit of private practice. I did everything but child language disorders. So I prided myself when I started my doc program as being a clinician first, and thinking about clinical issues, first, because I was gracious enough to get a lot of great experience in my timeframe, so I kind of had a better idea about, you know the areas that I was most mostly interested in prior to going into my doc program. So, I'm married. I have 3 kids Wes, Evie, and Wells, which is my newborn and a lovely wife, Tatiana. I'm a new faculty member at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, and I love my job, and I love my students, and I love my research endeavors that I've done thus far. So, you know I'm fortunate enough to work with you, Dr. Hepner, Dr. Louise Keegan, Dr. Jamie Azios Dr. Judith Oxley. Still Dr. Anthony Salvatory. Still Theresa Gray, a few other folks. I'm just happy that Dr. Brandy Newkirk-Turner as well at Jackson State. I'm happy that I have a great group of mentors to ask questions to and bother from time to time. So, I'm just grateful. So yes, sir.   Jerry Hoepner: Well, yeah, it's been really fun working with you and getting to know you. And certainly, that really strong, diverse group of mentors is something to build upon for sure. That's a great group of people. So privileged to be a part of that a couple of things that we were going to talk about today. I want to get to your work with the black Americans with aphasia group, and I want to get to some of the new work that you've been doing on an anthology. I'll kind of leave it at that, for now you were gracious enough to share a manuscript. That you and Dr. Azios have under review right now. I know it's not quite published, but I'm wondering if you're willing to give us just a little bit of a preview of that work, and I have a few things that I just think were really powerful from reading that manuscript, and I'm interested in your thoughts on it. So, do you want to tell us a little bit about, like the general context of that manuscript?   Warren Brown: Yes, sir, so this was. This was actually a part of my dissertation. My dissertation was a mixed methods. Research project on healthcare encounters of African Americans with aphasia and without aphasia. But I was lucky enough to capture 8 interviews from a qualitative standpoint for that dissertation from African Americans with aphasia from across the United States. Different age ranges different levels of severity and obviously different etiologies from which caused them to acquire aphasia. The paper really came about, because, again, clinically, you know, I always realized that individuals who had aphasia who were black, had a lot of different experiences when it came to healthcare providers and practitioners. And oftentimes, when I would go into a home or see them in a hospital, they would be surprised that I was the individual to see them right. They would think I was a dietary staff member. They would think I was DNA. They would think I was a nurse, everything but a speech pathologist. So, when I had the opportunity to lead or facilitate a group which was the California the conversational group with Dr. Teresa Gray. You know I love to hear the different experiences that those individuals were having, as well coinciding with what I knew what was going on in the field. So that's what spawned this idea about understanding the dynamics of what you know. These encounters were from a deeper perspective. So originally it was going to be just a regular project with Dr. Azios and I, but we felt it'd be better if we made it a larger scale project and added to a portion of my dissertation. So, we did so. We really look to understand those lived experiences of those individuals, how those healthcare encounters went for them before and after they acquired aphasia, and trying to understand, like different strategies and challenges, that you know they may have had to use to overcome some of those issues, and how, you know we could take what they were saying, and make that accessible to practicing clinicians to understand how to work with diverse populations a bit more you know. Yes, sir, so.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, I mean, I found a couple of points that well, actually, several within the background. And literature review that really struck me. There's several of these statistics, but a couple that really stood out to me were the percent of deaths among black Americans during the Covid pandemic. And just you know the marked difference between the amount of actual African Americans in those communities and the numbers that died. Which were that was just really striking to me. And then the other one. The other context that you wrote about was the study of 85 black Americans. That were a part of a VA. Study, a veterans affairs study and really just talked about their, you know, their feelings of being stereotyped by the professionals that we're dealing with them, treated and labeled as if they were uneducated, and addicts and angry and poor, and those really set the context for the study. Wondering if you can just kind of weigh in on those and other kinds of striking background pieces of information.   Warren Brown: Yes, sir, so you know, it's known that you know there is racial bias when it comes to African Americans in general, just because of how society is. But you know oftentimes in neurogenic disorders it's unstudied, right? You don't look at race and ethnicity as factors as being contributing factors to some of the issues that the populations that we service are dealing with, you know, looking at Covid alone. You know, we added, that I added that statistic because you know it just kind of highlighted how much racial disparities really are prevalent right and not just individuals with aphasia, but individuals who have a multitude of you call it metabolic issues, right or just issues in general when it comes to healthcare, and how sometimes these issues go unserviced or underserviced, or these individuals are not educated about what they need to do or what they need to accomplish, from a healthcare practitioner which ultimately leads to poorer outcomes across that population. You know. One of the things that we listed in that paper was also about just black women in general, right? Black women are twice as likely to have low birth weights of infants when compared to white women, and they also face lower rates of prenatal care right? Although that doesn't have much to do with aphasia. I think that that speaks to a larger picture than that.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah.   Warren Brown: You know. Sometimes African Americans are looked down upon the most across our society. And why? That is, you know, it's a multitude of reasons, right? There is no one pinpointed answer for that, and it just kind of paints to the goes to the bigger picture of racial bias, and how patient and provider communication is just poor across the board, and you know, and it could be because of communication styles are different, right? It could be because of the practitioners. You know the old mindset was that the practitioner is always right, so they should. You know the patient should listen to what they're saying, and it's not. It wasn't necessarily a patient center or person-centered approach like it is nowadays. And some practitioners, especially in the South. They still are under that mind, right? Not necessarily in the South, probably across the board in the United States. Right? So, I think that you know those biases, and some of that lack of communication or poor communication it just contributes to the poor perceptions and stereotypes that are out there in African Americans and black people you know, because regardless. When a black person gets sick, you know, they may be scared to go and talk to a practitioner because of where they live. That might be the only practitioner or specialist that they can see, and they are a family member, or a friend might have had a bad experience. Therefore, they're hesitant to go to that person, and they'll just deal with the issue themselves. And that's where you know. I think a lot of the differences are when it comes to African Americans and healthcare providers. And I've seen that as well with individuals who have acquired language disorders. Right? I've had patients particularly. Tell me when I was practicing that. You know, Warren, we want you to come back, but we don't want the other girl to come back, right? Because you're listening to what I'm saying. You actually are educating us about what's going on more so than just what the language issue is right. And I think that points to the picture of just them feeling comfortable with me, because I'm most of the time with the same ethnicity, right? Same race. And I'm genuine, right? I do the same with any patient that I encounter. But obviously, sometimes, when it's African Americans, and I know what the assumption is, and I understand some of those experiences are, you know I try to go a little bit more. I try to. I try to go the extra mile for them. So, this.   Jerry Hoepner: And I think there's it's interesting. And throughout the paper there's parallels to some of the work that you and I and Dr. Keegan have done on healthcare perceptions in traumatic brain injury. That you know you mentioned that idea of providers still following it, falling into that provider centered care rather than person centered care. And I think that's a problem across the board for some providers, because that's evident in our research. But we don't have you know, we're not even representing the black Americans within that group. And I know that the problem is more pervasive when it comes to services for black Americans and other colored people as well. You know the one number that really struck me from the study in Chicago, 70% of.   Warren Brown: 70%.   Jerry Hoepner: From Covid.   Warren Brown: Yeah.   Jerry Hoepner: Were black Americans in Chicago, and only 30% of their populations or population was black Americans. That's just. You can't help but be startled by those kind of disparities, because clearly there's something.   Warren Brown: Up in there.   Jerry Hoepner: Something that.   Warren Brown: And these are these are fairly new studies. Right? I mean, the stat for Louisiana was 70 70.5% of this, and they only represent 33% of the State's population. Right? We're African American people. So that. That's you know. My personally, my dad didn't leave his house for a year and a half during Covid he would not go to church. He didn't leave right, and he was terrified. Terrified. You know. I know he had at least 4 or 5 people that died that he knew. You know. So, I mean, it's daunting right especially if you're not educated, or you're not understanding. I had a great relationship with a practitioner that could educate you on, you know the do's and the don'ts of what you should or shouldn't be doing so. Yes, sir.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, absolutely. I kind of broke down the article into 3, like major areas of interest and topics. And I'll just kind of lay out the 1st one being those challenges with healthcare providers. I couldn't help but put down. This one quote was like being put in a damn box, and we had a little conversation about that earlier, but We also talked about this like this lack of knowledge about stroke and that healthcare literacy creating this fear like. And you even mentioned that with your dad, right? This fear that I don't even want to go into that healthcare context. But then this like laundry list of things that we hear in a lot of studies about healthcare perceptions, healthcare providers are dismissive, dismissive, and you feel vulnerable in that context, you don't have control or agency. Those kinds of things that we don't hear in in those other studies about healthcare perceptions are things like. There was a clear. There was a clear prejudice against me. Right? There was this neglect by providers. One lady I had to write this down, wrote. I don't talk to my dog like that, you know, like.   Warren Brown: That's right.   Jerry Hoepner: So.   Warren Brown: That's right.   Jerry Hoepner: And then, you know, just a lack of inclusion in decisions in in the whole entire process. And just feeling that sense of people looking down on you, and that you know that this is kind of the expectation. So I'm really interested to get your thoughts about. You know that that issue of those challenges in terms of working with healthcare providers. How many of those are communication based? And what's kind of bias and kind of sorting some of that out, because we know some happens a little bit to everyone in that context. But certainly, this is different.   Warren Brown: Yeah, I think that you know we all have personal biases that, you know are inherently that we are. You know that we're introduced to that from an environmental standpoint. But you know, one would assume that when you become a healthcare practitioner provider, you know you have to be open-minded because, you understand, you're going to be dealing with so many different types of people from all walks of life. And unfortunately you know, these disparities still are there, and this particular study showed that they're still there, right one of the examples you just gave about the young lady that said, you know I wouldn't let my dog talk to me like that right? I remember in in her Transcript she also stated that you know, in multiple visits that she went to her physician would talk through her or over her, where she just totally felt dismissed, or one interaction she had. She had a friend who was white that brought her to the doctor, and they felt as if the friend was the patient, and she was the patient caregiver right? And I think that really broke her down. She literally stayed out of therapy or avoided therapy for a long time because of that. And obviously that affected her outcomes right. But I think the bigger picture is that it's a little bit of both, Dr. Hoepner. I think it's a lot of bias, and it's also poor communication. You know, I think, and some of that's not on the physicians themselves. Some of them, I'm sure, are compassionate. I think some of that is on the larger system systemic issues that are out there. Right? You know you have. They have insurance deadlines; they have time frames. They have. Probably some of them are overwhelmed with patient care in general. But I still think that you know to be truly compassionate, you know you need to understand what you're getting into as a practitioner, and still with individuals that you know may not understand some of the dynamics of some of the diseases or illnesses that they have. You have to find a way to provide them services that they need. Right? I think the communication is key, because it always goes back to communication. Right individuals who are educated, which a lot of these folks are. Some of these folks in the study. I had PhD. Some of them were medical doctors, right? Some of them have master's degrees. A lot of them still stated that their health literacy was poor when it came to symptomology, of strokes, symptomology of not just strokes, but them acquiring aphasia what that truly meant, and how that might affect their daily lives. Right. One of the individuals she stated that she didn't realize that you know aphasia was a thing until she had it. She didn't realize that she was having multiple strokes right until it happened, and she just felt like she would bounce back and go back to her daily life and be fine and go about her normal business. But you know it's hard to pinpoint exactly how to fix it. But this study is, I guess, one step towards trying to understand the different dynamics from multiple perspectives. And I think what makes it super unique is this qualitative study is really, really, it's very in depth. That's why it's so long right? It's a long paper. But we felt it necessary to put these quotes in, because these individuals, these interviews long and you can't help but be compassionate and understand each individual's perspective on what their experiences were right. You know, because this dynamic, this really changed their lives. And I know aphasia changed the lives of a lot of different people and caregivers right. Anytime you have a failure or even a brain injury. Right? It changes we know that. But I think compounded with the racial and ethnic tension or societal views that these individuals suffered with prior to having those injuries. This acquiring aphasia only makes whatever was going on a bit worse, because the inability to communicate or even comprehend what's going on around you, right being overstimulated, not necessarily being able to do on your own, or do for yourself, especially with a practitioner on something that's unknown to you is again. That's a daunting thing like you really don't know what to do, and if you feel dismissed, or if you feel as if a practitioner is talking down to you, what would make you, as an individual, want to go back? You know the a good example, I can say, is customer service right? If you go to a restaurant and you receive poor customer service from a from a waitress, will you give them a tip probably, maybe, or you might give them a less amount of tip that you would have gave given to a person who gave you better customer service right? This is a good example of what a physician interaction and communication is with a patient right. Sometimes these individuals just won't go back right or might not go back to any practitioner one of the individuals in the interviews. He literally said that you know he had a few poor encounters, so he switches doctors regularly because a lot of them don't understand him and won't try to understand him. So, you know, it's problematic. It's definitely problematic.   Jerry Hoepner: And you hit the customer service thing right on the head, because one of the things that I was struck by, and I've done work kind of parallel to this. And brain injury is that relationship and the importance of starting to build an authentic relationship in terms of mitigating some of the other communication problems, right? Like, if you invest a little bit in like getting to know that human being. You start to humanize them, and you start to, you know, want to have good outcomes for them, and that results in in better care. And it comes right down to that. That patient centered versus provider centered communication. Right? If you open up the door on the front end to investing a little bit in a relationship building, it seems like the goodness follows right like you're saying earlier, like, these physicians aren't bad people right? It's just, you know, they're in a system that says, Go, go. And then they have these biases that they might not even be aware of. And the next thing you know, they're out, you know, on the way out the door, and care hasn't happened in the way that it should. But I'm just struck by the fact that that was like a mitigating factor for people like just a little investment get to know that person. And then everything changes so.   Warren Brown: That's right. I think I think that's what you know. Someone asked me a while back. Why, like our Black aphasia group. Why is it so successful? Right? It's because it's not if I don't. The way that I approached it. I didn't approach it as me, Warren brown as an SLP. Right? I approached it, me, Warren Brown is trying to understand these people's stories and get to know them, and fully. How can I, as an SLP, help you right? And I think that's why our group is so successful, right? And why people keep coming back. Because if they didn't feel like it was a genuine interaction, I can assure you they wouldn't come back. Because I genuinely look forward to the group like the group members do, because I love talking to these folks. These are folks of my family, right? And that's the type of community that you know. Practitioners can make it like that right?   Jerry Hoepner: Okay.   Warren Brown: You know, in certain rehabs. That's what it is. It's a familiar environment. At certain places. I know some of the ones that I used to work at. So, you know, but I definitely understand the dynamics of health care have changed right as time has progressed, and that's due to a multitude of reasons. But care doesn't have to change. Right practitioners can change for the better. If you fully try to understand and invest time and energy and being genuine into the folks that you're seeing right. I truly believe that so.   Jerry Hoepner: Agreed, you know, and when I kind of listed a bunch of priorities, or what black people with aphasia want this? Isn't it an outlandish list by any means like, I've got this big, long list of things that are problems. And then they say they just want to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect. They want.   Warren Brown: Right.   Jerry Hoepner: Heard, and they want to be treated like human beings. That's not unreasonable. So, it's not like they've got this big, long list of you got to do this. This I just think that's pretty interesting in light of all of the struggles that they're facing like. If you could give us these 4 or 5 things we could. We could work with.   Warren Brown: Yes, sir, and I. And I think even with that the you know, interpretation of respect is different from everyone. But I think ultimately, no matter what race, no matter what ethnicity, what creed you are. Respect is respect, you know, treating people the way you want to be treated right. I mean, that's what it is. And you know, talking to people the way that you want to be spoken to. Right? That's what it is. And I think, like you said, it's so simplistic it should be natural. But obviously it's not for some people right?   Jerry Hoepner: Okay.   Warren Brown: And that's and that's problematic. But hopefully, it's hopefully, we're trying to change that. So you know.   Jerry Hoepner: Yep. yeah. Finding a way to make those priorities on the front end. I think that really makes sense. The other thing I wanted to talk to you about kind of get your take on. This is along with the challenges and along with kind of these desires. What people with aphasia want? I just noticed a lot of strengths that I'm not seeing in some of the other research that's out there from the perspective of survivors of brain injury and so forth. Things that I just saw flowing through like this idea of self-reliance like I learned, I gotta rely on myself, I rely on my faith and my religious beliefs. And then this really struck me, this, this cultural community, where one of the one of the participants said something to the extent of, We always stay in each in each other's business, kind of like, whether we want it or not, whether they want it or not, and that allows them to help each other. I'd just like to get your thoughts on that, because that seems like such a strength of this community.   Warren Brown: Yes, sir, that's a that's a loaded question, but I can definitely break it down. So, I love that question, though I think that you know, from perspective of self-reliance. That's definitely a cultural thing, right? Because, you know, personally, I'm 38. So, I was raised to not be dependent on someone else, because you really can't depend on what someone else can do for you outside of what you can do for yourself. That is something that is instilled at a young age and I went to Southern for my master's right Southern university in Baton Rouge, which is a historically black college or whatnot. And you know, at Southern they taught us the same thing, because, you know, as you know, our field is predominantly white women, right? Less than 5% African Americans, even less percent African American men. And at Southern they always said, You have to work twice as hard in order to be in this field and be successful. And they instilled that in us so much right. Because you really have to understand that you know society has painted this picture that things are against you and these individuals, with aphasia in their own careers, have had this same type of battle and everything that they've gone through. So, they've always had to prevail. And some of these individuals in this group. They went through the Jim Crow South right they went through struggles of individuals, fully talking down to them, having separate everything, having to deal with parents and grandparents that, you know, had to bow down to certain people because of the societal norms at the time, so that self-reliance, you know, always was there, because they always had to work harder in order to achieve what even was fair or normal for other people right? And that paints it to a bigger picture, even goes back to the level of respect. Right? If you work twice if you feel like you working harder than someone else for a job. And you know you're more qualified. Right? That's something that that you feel you're owed. But to some black people you understand that I'm not old. Anything right? That's just how society paints it. It is what it is, and I think that goes back to that point. And I'm sorry. What was the other question? I was trying to.   Jerry Hoepner: So, I think just that that cultural community.   Warren Brown: The cultural. Yes, sir.   Jerry Hoepner: Others, business and.   Warren Brown: So that kind of touched on it, like I think from a cultural standpoint, you know I am my brother's keeper. Right. You may or may not know this, but I'm in a I'm in a predominantly African American fraternity. Right? We're the oldest fraternity, and that's something that we learned right. You. You never go anyplace by yourself. You always have your brother with you. I always have you know I am my brother's keeper, and that goes from, you know, not just African American males, but African American females, and vice versa, because that sense of community, you know. Again, we talked about it earlier with the Speech acts is unspoken, things that we understand inherently, that as an African American or a black person, you're going to endure in life, and you have to just suck it up and swallow your pride and deal with it. But we all are going through that struggle right, and I think some demographic groups can relate to that. But obviously some groups can't as much right. It's harder to you can empathize. But you may not fully understand, just because the dynamics are different, right? And I'm not saying that all black people have that experience. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying that a lot of black people feel like that. And that was inherent in the interviews as well. Because this group, you know, they, we talk about community. We talk about personal experiences and regardless. If some of them had a PhD., a MD a Ms., a BA right behind their names. All of them had the same experiences. Right? I have to highlight one of the folks in the group. He went to Harvard. He was the second African American person to graduate with a PhD. From the State of Mississippi. Right, you could. I could only imagine. And he did this in the seventies. I could only imagine the struggle that he had to go through right to attain a degree like that from a school like that coming from where he came from. So you know something that you know other people's family members may have done, you know, is probably much more meaningful to him because of the struggle he had to go through, and I think that is where the community comes in because African Americans acknowledge that right? I was always told. Like, you know, school is important. Education is important, you know, education to get you a lot further in life than sports and all these other things, because, you know, it was always instilled that in education, you know, knowledge is power and you know these older folks. I call them older folks. No offense, right? No ageism here. But you know the 70 plus right. Those individuals who have doctorates and really are fully educated. Their battle and struggle was much harder than mine coming through school right? And I. And that's a level of respect, a level of community that we all know how to respect. And I think you know, when it comes to community, that's something that we all can recognize as a culture. And with this particular group, that's something that's respected across the board because, regardless of the level of severity of aphasia, they have every individual in that group respects one another. They check on one another. They listen to stories about one another. They know about each other's family right? Milestones. It's phenomenal, right. When I got my doctorate. They were the 1st people to congratulate me right. When someone had another struggle in the group. We were the 1st to say a prayer for them and why? That is cultural. It's a traditional thing. I mean, it probably ties back to slavery before the great migration, right? And folks moved up and all around from the south to different parts of the North. Right? That's something that is always probably going to be there. And that's a cultural thing that you know, is really unspoken a lot of times. So.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah. You know, you talked about the people in the study, the people with PhDs and master's degrees and physicians. One of the stories I kind of connected with was Ann Story. She was a physician prior to her stroke, and had acknowledged that she had colleagues that she would refer black Americans to, and colleagues she wouldn't and then she had the stroke, and she had this very personal, insider experience. I don't know if you want to just say a couple of things about that.   Warren Brown: Yes, sir, she actually, I'm glad you said that she actually definitely said that she referred people to certain practitioners because she knew certain physicians with had more empathy than others. Right now, her experience was a little bit different, right? She didn't really have any negative experiences with practitioners, but also all of them knew she was a medical doctor, right? And I think that you know that level of information is different, because had they not known who knows what her story would have been right as opposed to the individual with the PhD. They didn't know he had a PhD. Because at the time of his stroke he couldn't talk, so it wasn't until his wife came and alerted them as to who he was and where he worked, that some of that stuff shifted, and obviously it shifted when he went to different facilities as well. But Ann's experience was very, very different than some of the other individuals, but I think that even with that she was much more conscious about her experiences as well, because she kind of had a better anticipation about what she was supposed to receive and how services were supposed to go for her right. And that goes back to the bigger picture of healthcare literacy right? Obviously, her literacy and understanding of how healthcare works was a bit better because she was a medical doctor, and I think even just. Her journey with aphasia was a bit better in a lot of different ways as well. Yes, sir.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that's really important to have that that perspective and that kind of juxtaposition. Well, I do want to make sure we have some time to talk a little bit about your role in running the Black aphasia group, and how that's changed your clinical perspective, your research perspectives kind of what you've learned in that. In that context.   Warren Brown: Absolutely so. Originally, I was gung ho! About brain injury. Only, right? I didn't really necessarily want to go into aphasia as much as I am, because my premise for going to get the PhD. Or really one of the main reasons why was I wanted to study sports, related concussions mostly. But once I got into the program and I learned about some of the different, the different profs, some of their interests, you know. I couldn't help myself, but dip into it some, and I got an opportunity at the last Aphasia conference to meet Teresa Gray and she allowed me to facilitate her group out in California, and then we started our own group through the aphasia center of Acadiana with Dr. Azios and Miss Rose Shelf. So, you know, I still run that group. It's still affiliated with the aphasia center of Acadiana. Although I'm in Jackson State. I asked Dr. Azios if we could continue to do that because I think that that connection to an aphasia center is integral. Because I think that you know with the group, that's what we're known for. And that's what we're going to stay as long as they'll have me. So. You know, with that group I've learned so much more than what I knew before, as far as compassion, as far as empathy. As far as, although you might be the expert or the practitioner, you still need to understand the dynamics of the individuals that you're seeing just hearing some of their stories, and even personally, as a practitioner, some of the things that I used to do right, which were probably wrong, because that's how I was trained originally in the beginning, you know, and I shifted throughout my career as well, because I understood a lot more, but I think even more so now, I really fully understand. And that's kind of what I teach a lot of the students that I have right how to understand the dynamics of people that you're working with and the students at Jackson State. They have an opportunity now where they actually come on with the group, and I allow them to have somewhat of a conversational type of discourse with the members, so they can understand those dynamics, for whenever they get out in the field to understand how to work with diverse people with aphasia. So, one of the things that you know, we were able to start with the group members. And this was all the group members. They wanted to create an anthology, right? Because they stated that they wanted to document right their journeys and journeys for other people who are African Americans or of color to understand. You know what you may or may not go through right that you are not alone, that you aren't in a damn box by yourself. Right? They wanted to understand that also for caregivers what to do, because all of these individuals literally stated, they all were oblivious to aphasia prior to this, prior to acquiring it. So this anthology is serving, as you know, just a guide or tool to use for individuals and for other individuals with aphasia who may or may not be of color to relate with right and for individuals to understand like, Hey, you know, this is what I went through. You know I am black with aphasia. This is also to get other people who are black with aphasia in their caregivers to understand that. Hey? We have a group for us out there that you may or may not want to be a part of and last week we actually added a new member. So that was wonderful. But so far, we have multiple different entries. The group participants have entered essays. They've entered poetry. Some have done checklists, some have done prayers some have even one. We have one from a caregiver. Her husband has aphasia. She comes to the group as well. We love her. She's actually a compound pharmacist. She wrote about her perspective as a caregiver in the anthology as well. So.   Jerry Hoepner: Cool.   Warren Brown: Me. Being in Jackson state. I got lucky enough to talk with Dr. Brandon Newkirk Turner, and Dr. Morris is that the University of Saint Augustine. They connected me with Dr. Mcdaniels, who's over the Humanity Society in Mississippi, and she's gonna help us to get it out there. So.   Jerry Hoepner: Awesome.   Warren Brown: And recently we started a collaboration with one of the art, the Black art History professors at Jackson State, Dr. Brittany, Meinberg. We're actually going to make it aphasia friendly. So, whereas we're gonna have mirrored pictures of the entries and the pictures of those entries from an abstract standpoint for individuals who have aphasia so they can read it and be aphasia friendly as well. So yes, sir, that's the idea, and hopefully we'll have something by the fall of next year. So.   Jerry Hoepner: Because.   Warren Brown: At JSU, we're going to be doing a symposium on aphasia. And obviously, since it's an HBCU we're gonna have some focus on diversity with that as well. So yes, sir.   Jerry Hoepner: Well, I'm excited to see that anthology come to fruition and look forward to kind of keeping an eye out for that and everyone out there who's listening. Keep an eye out for that as well. Just a handful. 2 or 3 more questions I want to ask. Just find out a little bit more about your experience. I know that you've had opportunities to work alongside of some great researchers and clinicians. I want to get your perspectives on that. And yeah, share a little bit about that, and how that's prepared you to be like a brand new professor this year. So.   Warren Brown: Yes, yes, sir, absolutely you know. I can honestly say it's truly been a blessing since I started at UL, and I'm done now to be able to encounter all the folks that I have. You know, from Dr. Salvatore to Dr. Michael Canito to you. Right, Dr. Hoepner to Dr. Louise Keegan, Dr. Azios, Oxley Ryan, Nelson. You know the list goes on right. Everybody that I've worked with and spoken to all have different perspectives of our research, you know, and I and I take pieces from everyone that I've worked with to understand how I want to approach things right, because my love is always going to be diversity right in whatever area that I'm in. And you know, I think that's what makes me a little bit unique, right? Because my perspective is always looking at the population that I mainly care the most about right. And you know understanding the different dynamics about how you all have what you all have done. And from reading, all of you guys work, I call it borderline stalking. You guys work right? I remember the 1st time I met you, Dr. Hoepner, I was terrified to talk to you, man I really was, and then, when you introduce yourself to me, I was quiet, and I was like, he's normal. He's not like, I thought he was. So, I was like, Okay, this, this is cool. So, and Dr. Jamie said, just go talk to him. He's cool. Go talk to him. I was like Okay, but I use it as an example, because, you know we're all human, and I think that you know sometimes, you know, as a new researcher, as a novice researcher, as a student, you know, you get overwhelmed with the people that you're reading about, the books that you're using or books that you're reading. These are the folks that are writing it. And hopefully, one day you can get to that level to impact students like myself, like I was, or students that are out there, up and coming students. So, you know, I think, that all the work that everyone is that I've learned under and still learning under, you know, it's important, because this is all. This is all, how we all are contributing to the field and how we're making the field better. Right? I think that's the ultimate goal ultimately is to serve the population of individuals that we're treating. It's never about me, right? It's never about you. It's never about any of this is about the work that we're doing to improve outcomes, to improve the populations that we serve. And you know, clinically, I've worked with some phenomenal clinicians. When I was a clinic, when I was a clinician when I was a full-time clinician and you know I've had great clinicians that I've worked under and with, and horrible at the same time. I think we all have, and you know, when I was in administration I would fire and hire people left and right. I would let people know if they were horrible, and I would just go on and keep moving. But I think you know now that I've shifted to research and understanding how clinicians think to a certain degree. You know, I can understand why some clinicians practice the way they do or did, because they were ignorant to what's out there, you know. Earlier on in my career I was oblivious to aphasia. I heard nothing about it. I work in acute care hospitals, major acute hospitals because they weren't that popular in the South, right? It wasn't really until I got to Southern, and I taught undergrad for a while. And you know in some of the text that I was reading. I read about it, and I was like, Oh, I never knew that was a thing right, because they weren't offered. We had Parkinson's groups. But we never had aphasia group, right? And I think that you know, and TBI groups that we have that as well. But I think these groups are much more impactful because they do serve as a sense of community for a multitude of people. And these groups are places where individuals can go when they plateau out of therapy. And I want to say something on that, too. That's actually one of the topics we wrote about in the anthology. What does it feel like to be plateaued or told you plateaued in therapy? Right? And it's just amazing how you know as a clinician, you say that to someone right? Or you meet, you met Max level of potential. You say that to someone, but you don't fully understand the mental or the impact that you have on an individual when you say that right? And that was something we talked about. And now they're writing about it. And I'm like man. I never thought about that as a clinician. So I say that to say even I'm still learning right. That's something we should know. But you don't think about it from a clinical standpoint, because that's a standardized thing. But to an individual who's suffering from or had to endure what you're saying to them, it's a totally different perspective. Right? So, you know, I'm learning that. And I'm learning how to be more compassionate, too. So yes, sir, I'm learning a lot. I love it. I love it so.   Jerry Hoepner: We are well on your way, and you will make that impact on a lot of students. I'm sure you already have. Well, just to kind of bring things to a close. I want to end with a lighter note hopefully, a lighter note. What brings you peace in the midst of this sometimes crazy world that we're living in.   Warren Brown: Oh, man, I love! I love my kids and my wife. I love my kids and my wife. They bring me peace. I'm a I'm a classic car collector. I love my classics, too. I have them. Can I share about that?   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely.   Warren Brown: So, I have a 1969, a 396 Chevelle that I bought years ago. And we're restoring that we're almost done with that. I just have to get it painted. And recently I bought a 1985 K. 5 Chevy Blazer that we started to restore as well. It's a smaller engine. It's a 305, but that's something that brings me peace as well. You know my dad was a jack of all trades. So, I learned at a young age how to construct houses, how to do plumbing electrical fix cars. That's why I went to college, so I didn't want to do that full time. So, but one thing about it is that you know, I learned how to do all those things, so I can teach that to my kids. And hopefully, that's our family time. You know that we do these things together. That's what truly brings me peace, my family, and a lot of my friends. So, for sure. Yes, sir.   Jerry Hoepner: Well, that's fantastic. And obviously you and I could talk all day. We need to wrap things up. Hopefully. We'll get to see you at the Aphasia Access Leadership Summit and connect there.   Warren Brown: I'll be there. Yes, sir.   01:05:02.260 --> 01:05:11.929 Jerry Hoepner: Connect with a whole bunch of new people. That you haven't met yet, too. So, thank you so much. Warren and I look forward to talking to you again soon.   Warren Brown: Thanks, Dr. Hoepner. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.   Jerry Hoepner: You're so welcome. On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening to this episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. For more information on Aphasia Access and to access our growing library of materials go to www.aphasiaaccess.org. If you have an idea for a future podcast series or topic, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access.

How are teens using social media today, and what challenges are they facing? In this week's episode, we sit down with Dr. Justin Patchin, Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, to explore these pressing questions and more.Here's what you'll learn:

******Support the channel****** Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao   ******Follow me on****** Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/ The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT   This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/   Dr. Michael Axelrod is Director of the Human Development Center and a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. He is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and Licensed Psychologist. He is editor of Investigating School Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies.   In this episode, we focus on Investigating School Psychology. We first talk about what school psychology is, why such a book is needed, why school psychology is susceptible to pseudoscience, cognitive errors and fallacies, and historical examples of pseudoscience. We then explore contemporary examples, like zero-tolerance policies; prevention of suicide and risky behaviors; IQ tests; projective drawings; learning styles; and motivational theories. Finally, we discuss what educators can learn from this. -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, IGOR N, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, NIKLAS CARLSSON, GEORGE CHORIATIS, VALENTIN STEINMANN, PER KRAULIS, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, MASOUD ALIMOHAMMADI, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, ERIK ENGMAN, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, STARRY, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航 豊川, TONY BARRETT, BENJAMIN GELBART, AND NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, AL NICK ORTIZ, NICK GOLDEN, AND CHRISTINE GLASS! AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, BOGDAN KANIVETS, ROSEY, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!

In this episode, Spencer Ellison and Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp read a hypothetical case vignette of a client who engages in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), has experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviors, or is experiencing significant depression. They then tell us how willing therapists are to treat each case (self-injury vs. suicide vs. depression), if therapists would accept them into their clinical practice, and if it depends on the therapists' (1) liability concerns, (2) comfort/skill confidence to treat self-harm, (3) attitude toward self-harm in general, and (4) attitude towards clients who self-harm.Learn more about Dr. Muehlenkamp at her University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire faculty page here, and see her growing list of peer-reviewed publications on Google Scholar here. Learn more about Trinity Equestrian Center at www.trinity-ec.com. Below are a couple research studies referenced in this episode:Levi-Belz, Y., Barzilay, S., Levy, D., & David, O. (2020). To treat or not to treat: The effect of hypothetical patients' suicidal severity on therapists' willingness to treat. Archives of Suicide Research, 24(3), 355-366.Groth, T., & Boccio, D. E. (2019). Psychologists' willingness to provide services to individuals at risk of suicide. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 49(5), 1241-1254.Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it's a good fit.Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at thepsychologyofselfinjury@gmail.comWant to be involved in research? Send us a message at thepsychologyofselfinjury@gmail.com and we will see if we can match you to an active study.Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal." Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: ExploringSelf-Harm & Mental Health podcast Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: ExploringSelf-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

On episode 252, Dr. Richard Cash and Emily Kircher-Morris talk about the importance of self-regulation in education. They discuss the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive aspects, the critical role emotions play in learning, and the necessity of teaching metacognitive skills to students. It's not only about school, they discuss parental support in developing self-regulation at home, and the unique needs of twice-exceptional learners. This is an updated version of an encore conversation. Takeaways Self-regulation consists of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions. Emotions significantly impact a child's ability to focus and learn. Metacognition involves reflecting on one's own thinking processes. Teaching kids to manage their feelings is crucial for learning. Parents should actively listen to their children to support self-regulation. Every child is unique, and teaching should reflect that individuality. Reflection time is often lacking in the school day. Homework should be reframed as home study to promote self-regulation. Get your podcast swag just in time for the holiday season! Clinicians, check out our courses, which can help you move toward a more neurodiversity-affirming therapy environment. Also, consider joining our Therapist Hub, which will open for new members soon! The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you can also join our private Facebook group. For more information go to NeurodiversityPodcast.com. Dr. Richard M Cash received a bachelor of arts degree in theater from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He then attended the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, where he received a post-baccalaureate degree in elementary education. Dr. Cash later obtained a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He returned to St. Thomas and received a doctoral degree in educational leadership. Dr. Cash has served as the Administrator of Gifted Programs in Rochester, Minnesota, and the Director of Gifted Programs for the Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota. He now provides workshops, presentations, and staff-development sessions throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He's the author of Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Helping Students Learn How to Learn. BACKGROUND READING Richard Cash's website Self-Regulation in the Classroom Facebook

Episode 452 / Liv Aanrud earned her B.F.A in painting from the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire(2001) and her M.F.A from Mason Gross School of Art, Rutgers University(2011). She has taught at ARTworks Charter School, Santa Barbara City College, the Armory Center for the Arts, and has designed and led textile workshops in the U.S and Canada. Aanrud's work has been the subject of one-person exhibitions at Kravets Wehby Gallery in New York City, and  BozoMag, New Image Art, Arvia, 1700 Naud and TSA-LA in Los Angeles. Solo shows also include Finlandia University in Hancock MI, Sierra Nevada College, Lake Tahoe, Pamela Salisbury Gallery, and John Davis Gallery, Hudson, NY, Oasis Gallery, Marquette, MI and Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects, New York City. Her work has been shown in group exhibitions across the U.S., Taiwan, Germany, and Spain. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. S&V Sponsored by the NY Studio School: The 60-credit, two-year MFA curriculum immerses aspiring artists in a rigorous program of study – awakening students' imagination, ambition and dedication to artistic production. Each semester begins with an intensive two-week Marathon developed to ignite new ideas and generate momentum. The first year offers a range of studio classes, with a shift to personal development in the second year. Classes are bolstered by the Evening Lecture Series, technical workshops, one-on-one faculty guidance, group critiques, visiting artists, and faculty-guided trips. The weekly Critical Studies seminar explores a range of theoretical approaches to artmaking and culminates in a written thesis paper and Thesis Exhibition. NYSS faculty are internationally distinguished artists and teachers, dedicated to the School's experiential pedagogy.  They encourage students to work hard and think searchingly, establishing ethical and philosophical frameworks for their life's work. Enrollment is limited to 15 MFA candidates per cohort each academic year. The priority application deadline for programs starting fall 2025 is January 15, 2025 - apply today at nyss.org.  

Welcome to Season Two of Business Matters! Coming to you from the WIN Technology Studio, and a special thank you to our media sponsor, Royal Credit Union. In this episode, Chief Financial Officer, Danielle Kummer, sits down with Harlie Juedes from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to discuss ways small businesses can successfully navigate the holiday season. Harlie shares valuable insights and strategies tailored for local business owners, covering everything from inventory management and marketing tips to customer service.

Sam Romanski is the Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning at Stetson University working directly with the men's basketball, beach volleyball, Men's Soccer, men's golf, women's golf programs in addition to assisting with football. Romanski came to Stetson in 2022 following a stint with the University of Wisconsin football team as an intern strength coach for the 2021 season. Prior to that he was a graduate assistant coach at North Dakota State University from 2020-2021, primarily working with the football and track & field programs. Romanski got his coaching career started as a Strength and conditioning intern at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 2016-2017. From there he garnered experience as an intern at Stanford University in 2018 with football and basketball, and with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire sports performance department in 2019. An athlete in his own right, Romanski is a former two-time NCAA Division III football All-American at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He is an avid beach goer and continues to strength train and stay active. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Sport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comCerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

This hour, we look at how political campaigns use music, from the history of political jingles to how Harris and Trump are using music in the 2024 election. GUESTS: Dana Gorzelany-Mostak: Associate professor of music at Georgia College; she is the founder of Trax on the Trail and the author of Tracks on the Trail: Popular Music, Race, and the US Presidency Charlie Harding: Music journalist, songwriter, producer, adjunct professor of music at New York University, and the co-creator and co-host of the Switched on Pop podcast Eric Kasper: Professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the author of Don't Stop Thinking About the Music: The Politics of Songs and Musicians in Presidential Campaigns Justin Patch: Associate professor and chair of music at Vassar College and the author of The Art of Populism in US Politics: Pro-Trump DIY Popular Culture The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired August 22, 2024.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Drewby and Yergy head to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to discuss the case of Alexander Lehman Sidney Woodworth, known as Alex to his family and friends. Alex was an intelligent young man with a bright future. He graduated from Osceola High School in 2012 with excellent grades and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in philosophy and biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2017. When he wasn't studying, Alex worked as a barista at Racy D'Lenes Coffee Lounge in downtown Eau Claire, and as a tutor on his college campus. He also taught a few philosophy classes at a local high school. Alex aspired to become a philosophy professor at the University of Oregon and had received an offer to study a masters in philosophy at the college.   Alex did have a bright future ahead of him until he met Ezra McCandless in 2017. Ezra and her boyfriend, Jason, were regulars at Racy D'Lenes Coffee Lounge. Alex and Ezra grew close, and soon, engaged in an affair while Jason was away for two weeks taking part in military training. During this time, Ezra also had an affair with Jason's best friend, John Hansen. Shortly after, she called Jason and claimed John had assaulted her while she was drunk.   Ezra continued her infidelity even after Jason's return from the military. However, he soon discovered her secret relationship with Alex. According to reports, Alex had a big heart and was manipulated by Ezra into keeping quiet about their affair. As a result, Jason subsequently ended his relationship with Ezra. Allegedly, she "had fire in her eyes" and was furious with Alex, who she believed had caused the breakup by telling Jason about their secret relationship. Around the same time, Alex was interviewed by police and told them Ezra said she willingly had an intimate affair with John. His statement caused the police to drop her case, which only intensified the anger Ezra felt toward Alex.   In a desperate attempt to win Jason back, Ezra claimed that the, as she described them, “manipulative and vindictive men in her life” had tried to take her away from him, and that their influence was the reason she had cheated, not her own actions. Jason, unconvinced, kicked Ezra out of his apartment, and she moved back home to live with her family.   On March 22, 2018, Ezra surprised her ex-boyfriend Jason by showing up unexpectedly at Racy's. Despite having sent Jason over 600 text messages the night before, she claimed she had not come to see him but to show Alex some journal entries she had written. In reality, she hoped to manipulate Alex into admitting he had lied about their affair, so Jason would consider taking her back.   Ezra was recorded on the coffee shop's security camera, visibly agitated, after her plan to win Jason back failed. Alex had left work and headed back to his home. Ezra went after him in her car, and Jason followed her on his bike, feeling concerned for Alex's safety. Sadly, Jason's fears were correct...   ⭐Everyone deserves healthy relationships. If you, or someone you know is in danger, please call 1-800-799-SAFE, text "START" to 88788, or visit https://www.thehotline.org/. All services are free, confidential, and available 24/7. When you are ready, they are there to listen⭐ Support Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 Instagram: miserymachinepodcast Twitter: misery_podcast Discord: https://discord.gg/kCCzjZM #themiserymachine #podcast #truecrime Source Material: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188320286/alexander_lehman_sidney-woodworth  https://www.grandstrandfh.com/obituaries/Alexander-LS-Woodworth?obId=3041000#:~:text=Alexander%20Lehman%20Sidney%20Woodworth%20age,and%20graduated%20class%20of%202012 https://www.tributebook.com/domains/ead24fc1-9cc6-4ce6-938e-a2450098fd9e/obituaries/3041000/book?utm_source=www.grandstrandfh.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=obit_event_view_book#  https://www.tributebook.com/domains/ead24fc1-9cc6-4ce6-938e-a2450098fd9e/obituaries/3041000/book?utm_source=www.grandstrandfh.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=obit_event_view_book#  https://www.courttv.com/trials/wi-v-mccandless-2019/#:~:text=Prosecutors%20claim%20McCandless%20stabbed%20Woodworth,prison%20for%20first%2Ddegree%20murder.  https://www.weau.com/content/news/UPDATE-Bond-set-in-Dunn-Co-homicide-case-478204203.html  https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/ezra-mccandless-alex-woodworth-murder-sentencing-why-was-the-word-boy-carved-into-the-arm-of-accused-killer/  https://www.weau.com/2023/11/10/woman-convicted-dunn-county-homicide-denied-new-trial/?outputType=amp  https://www.courttv.com/news/wi-v-mccandless-timeline-of-events/  https://www.courttv.com/trials/wi-v-mccandless-2019/  https://www.dewittmedia.com/2018/08/28/attorney-files-motion-to-suppress-statements-made-by-suspect-in-spring-brook-homicide/  https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/pictures/ezra-mccandless-murder-investigation-photos/  https://www.instagram.com/p/CEHSs15Btgf/?igsh=cHY3bjdkcjFhaXU5  https://www.instagram.com/p/CEKXzbLBHv0/?igsh=MThjMnp3a3NkYWZrdw==  https://www.instagram.com/p/CDOyHvohsyk/?igsh=Ym4xcDB2czY4endy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVd3MypvUi4

On this week's episode of Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Wisconsin-Eau Claire Defensive Coordinator, Brady Grayvold. In this conversation, Coach Grayvold discusses getting his start in the high school ranks, taking advantage of opportunities you are given, and the uniqueness of football in the Upper Midwest. Coach Grayvold, who is set to begin his second season as the defensive signal caller, was a 2020 AFCA 35 Under 35 class member.   Follow Coach Grayvold and Wisconsin-Eau Claire football on social media here:   @CoachGrayvold & @UWECFootball  Show Notes:   1:05 Following in your dad's footsteps, having a successful playing career at Wisconsin-Whitewater, and starting out in and adapting to high school football.   19:04 Becoming a Head Coach at a young age, jumping to the college level, and learning how to separate work and life.  38:43 Getting the opportunity to be a defensive coordinator, the uniqueness of football in the Upper Midwest, and experience in the AFCA's 35 Under 35. 

This hour, we look at how political campaigns use music, from the history of political jingles, to how Harris and Trump are using music in this 2024 election. GUESTS:  Dana Gorzelany-Mostak: Associate Professor of Music at Georgia College. She is the founder of Trax on the Trail, a website and research project that tracks and catalogs the soundscapes of US presidential elections. Her new book is Tracks on the Trail: Popular Music, Race, and the US Presidency Eric Kasper: Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He's the author of Don't Stop Thinking About the Music: The Politics of Songs and Musicians in Presidential Campaigns Charlie Harding: Music journalist, songwriter, and producer. He is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast “Switched on Pop.” He's also an adjunct professor of music at NYU. Justin Patch: Associate Professor and Chair of Music at Vassar College. His new book is The Art of Populism in US Politics: Pro-Trump DIY Popular Culture Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.  Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill influenced America's conception of free speech and the First Amendment? In their new book, “The Supreme Court and the Philosopher: How John Stuart Mill Shaped U.S. Free Speech Protections,” co-authors Eric Kasper and Troy Kozma look at how the Supreme Court has increasingly aligned its interpretation of free expression with Mill's philosophy, as articulated in “On Liberty.” Eric Kasper is professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he serves as the director of the Menard Center for Constitutional Studies. Troy Kozma is a professor of philosophy and the academic chair at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire - Barron County. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:26 Book's origin 06:51 Who is John Stuart Mill? 10:09 What is the “harm principle”? 16:30 Early Supreme Court interpretation of the First Amendment 26:25 What was Justice Holmes' dissent in Abrams v. U.S.? 30:28 Why did Justice Brandeis join Holmes' dissents? 36:10 What are loyalty oaths? 40:36 Justice Black's nuanced view of the First Amendment 43:33 What were Mill's views on race and education? 50:42 Private beliefs vs. public service? 52:40 Commercial speech 55:51 Where do we stand today? 1:03:32 Outro Transcript is HERE  

Recent Mizzou Master's Of Music in Percussion Performance graduate Olivia Sletteland stops by to talk about some of the music she played at the University (03:25), her experiences with the Mizzou New Music Ensemble (NME) (10:45), the issues and concerns she and her cohort have about the world of percussion, and the wonderful group of people she studied with (25:10), growing up in western Wisconsin, getting into percussion, her piano and cello background, and playing sports (37:40), attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for undergrad, doing indoor drumline, and traveling with the marching band (49:25), her experiences during the Pandemic (01:01:10), how Mizzou came on her radar after undergrad (01:10:15), and ends with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on sound quality from percussion performers, being an LGBTQIA+ woman in percussion, great breakfast food, The Minnesota Vikings, “Good Mythical Morning”, great books, wild performance moments, and the composer Alex Ring Gray (01:17:40).Finishing with a Rave on a live performance by the U.K. band The Last Dinner Party (01:54:15).Olivia Sletteland links:Olivia Sletteland's websiteMizzou New Music EnsemblePrevious Podcast Guests Mentioned:Sarah Hasekamp in 2024Mary Emmons in 2024Miles Bohlman in 2024Jeremiah Ingram in 2023Megan Arns in 2017Julia Gaines in 2016Tammy Fisher in 2019Matthew Lau in 2021Emily Salgado in 2021Andrea Venet in 2018Maria Finkelmeier in 2018Colleen Clark in 2023Other Links:“Searching” - Matthew KeownAlex Stopa“Loops” - Von Hansen“Patter” - Robert Honstein“Comfort Patterns” - Anna Meadors“Boris Kerner” - Caroline Shaw“Song of Alma” - Andrew Beall“Ma Non Troppo” - Giovanni Porfirio“The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows: Ambedo” - Anna Socolofsky“TLC” - Juri SeoTerri Lyne CarringtonJosé G. MartinezPatricia MartinezAlarm Will SoundAndrea Luque KáramStefan FreundKhemia EnsembleJacob SchnitzerJeff CrowellSean ConnorsAdrian Peterson's 296-yard gameVikings-Saints 2009 NFC Championship GameInterstellar trailerInterstellar Soundtrack - Hans ZimmerBorat trailerGood Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil GaimanDavid TennantUnder the Whispering Door - T.J. KluneNeverwhere - Neil GaimanAmerican Gods - Neil GaimanGood Mythical MorningSleeping Giant Provincial ParkBanffWall Drug (South Dakota)Badlands National ParkAlex Ring GrayRaves:The Last Dinner Party websiteThe Last Dinner Party on “What's In My Bag?”Prelude to Ecstasy - The Last Dinner Party

Exploring the concept of digital self-harm, this episode delves into the trend of individuals anonymously posting hurtful content about themselves online. Dr. Kathy discusses the implications of this behavior and highlights research conducted by groups at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Findings from surveys conducted with teens aged 13 to 17 shed light on the prevalence of digital self-harm, revealing concerning insights about this emerging form of self-directed abuse.

Welcome to the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. I'm Jerry Hoepner. I'm a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and co-facilitator of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp, Blugold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, and Thursday Night Poets.  I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources. I'm today's host for an episode that will feature three voices, one of a partner of an individual with primary progressive aphasia, CeCelia Zorn, who also happens to be a former professor in the department of nursing at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire; along with Tania Riske, an SLP at the Mayo Clinic Health Systems Eau Claire, and Nancy Petersen, a social worker with expertise in grief and bereavement from Ability KC in Kansas City. Each of them have both professional and personal experience and expertise with grief and loss. June is aphasia awareness month, so we wanted to take this opportunity to share the lived experience directly. Today's episode will address grief, death, and loss: leaning into a much-needed discussion. Biosketch: Our first guest, CeCelia Zorn, Ph.D., met her husband Wayne in high school in rural northeastern Wisconsin. Wayne died from the consequences of primary progressive aphasia last August, 2023. Since that time, CeCelia has continued her work as an advocate for families living with primary progressive aphasia and more recently about grief, death, and loss as a care partner. Cecelia brings multiple perspectives to our conversation about grief, death, and loss. She is a registered nurse and a lifelong writer. She has been an award-winning university professor for 32 years. CeCelia reads voraciously, plays pickleball, and is relearning how to play the flute – taking individual lessons, playing in community bands and auditing university music history class. She volunteers at the local free clinic and is an active member of the Board of Directors for Wayne's former memory choir. On a daily basis, CeCelia strives for a life enriched by kindness, joy, perseverance, curiosity, patience, and collaboration. But she will be the first to tell you, “some days are easy but some days you just crash. Yet everyday it counts because I remind myself, life isn't waiting for the storm to pass it's about learning to dance in the rain.”   Tania Riske, MS, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist at Mayo Health Systems – Eau Claire. She initially entered the speech language pathology field through her volunteer work with the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Group and graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Currently, she serves as an adjunct faculty member at UW Eau Claire, teaching undergraduate courses such as anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanism. Tania continues to enjoy treating patients with aphasia and their families within the LPAA Paradigm. Developing plans of care, counseling individuals' unique lifestyles, goals, interests, and priorities. Tania is an avid trail runner and equestrian. CeCelia, Wayne, and Tania were my guests for Episode 49 – Primary Progressive Aphasia: A conversation with Wayne Zorn, CeCelia Zorn, and Tania Riske. Nancy Petersen, MSW. Nancy grew up just outside Tulsa, OK and has an undergraduate degree in Speech Language Pathology from Oklahoma State University. She received a Master of Social Work from Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she worked in urban hospitals and neighborhoods. Nancy is currently a Community Liaison for Ability KC, assisting patients as they transition from acute care to an intensive outpatient complex neuro-trauma rehab program. Her job also involves providing conferences and education to the medical and general Kansas City community. In her 30 years in the helping professions, she has learned much working in a variety of areas including nursing homes, hospice care, a suicide hotline, senior home care and case coordination. She has served on both the local and national Board of the Funeral Consumers Alliance providing education and advocacy relating to consumer protections in the funeral industry. Nancy is also involved with the Children's Mercy Hospital Rare Disease Patient Family Advisory Council, as well as the Ethical, Legal, and Social Integration (ELSI) Committee for the CMH Genome Project. Nancy has been married to Jimmy for 24 years and has an 18-year-old son with a rare disease, 21-year-old daughter, a cat, a dog and many wonderful friends. Take aways: Avoidance. We avoid difficult conversations and miss opportunities to engage our clients and their families in important discussions about loss and grief. Culture. There is a culture in the US of avoiding or sugar coating conversations about grief, death, and loss; using euphemisms to describe death. Prolonging. We (as a society) are often guilty of prolonging life at any consequence and failing to consider quality of life. Loss. Loss and grief do not exclusively apply to death and bereavement. They apply, as we know, to identity and loss of a whole host of pieces of our lives and identity, particularly following stroke and aphasia. PPA and degenerative loss. This loss is something we know is going to happen and open conversations about loss may help to open the door to bigger conversations about death and dying.   Interview Transcript: Jerry Hoepner: let's just kind of settle into a conversation. I really appreciate having the 3 of you here together. I know you all fairly well, but having the lens of a speech language pathologist, the lens of a social worker, and the lens of someone with the lived experience themselves is just a great way to have a conversation about a complicated and challenging conversation sometimes one that maybe people want to avoid. So, I'm just excited to talk to all of you. I'm going to open it up on the front end with a really broad question. I want to be careful, you know. I don't want to make you relive moments and things like that, but I also know that you are here because you want to be advocates for teaching and conversations about death and dying and grieving, and all of those processes. So, wondering if the 3 of you are willing to share a little bit about your personal background and experiences with grief. CeCelia, go ahead. CeCelia: Yup, yeah, I happy to start. Thanks, Jerry, for kind of pulling us all together. I really appreciate the opportunity to be part of the conversation. The thing that comes to mind when you pose that question is my family history around dying and grief and death and I'm so fortunate to have had that family experience. I think it was sort of a balance between the emotional side of dying and death, and the practical side of dying and death, and our family held both of those at the same time. It wasn't just the emotion, and it wasn't just the practical aspects, but it was sort of, I don't know, running down a river of white water with one foot in each canoe, and I remember specifically, at my dad's death bed. There were 7 of us kids, and we of course, mourned his passing and were extremely emotional about that, and stayed with him 24, 7 for 3 weeks, etc. Etc. And but at the same time we were talking about. Should we have spaghetti or ham at his funeral luncheon? So, sort of the practical aspects of how is this all gonna come together in a few weeks when we knew the funeral was coming? So, for me, that's a strength that has carried throughout my life. And I I just am so appreciative of that. And I can only speak to my experience. Perhaps other families have had similar experiences, or one versus the other, or neither. But I just wanted to sort of throw that out there. That sort of ability to handle both things sort of in the same at the same time, has been a source of strength for me. Jerry Hoepner: Wow! Thanks for sharing that, CeCelia. And I'm not sure that that is the experience of a lot of people that ability to do that. I want to take a step back, and mention something I should have mentioned. CeCelia. You kind of wear a couple of different hats, so you were a nursing faculty member for many, many years you have that holistic care, nursing perspective on grief and death as well, and then you also wear that lived experience hat as well. If I can use that metaphor in dealing with your husband. Wayne's death related to primary progressive aphasia. So just so. Our audience is understanding those perspectives. I think that's important. And to go back to what you just said, everyone has a different experience, and I'm not sure that everyone does process those things in parallel. Jerry Hoepner: Nancy, I'll invite you to share a little bit next. Nancy Petersen: Well, I'd be happy to. So, background is I have a master's in social work from Jane Adams at University of Illinois, at Chicago my experiences over the time figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up, and what I ended up doing where I worked at a suicide hotline. For 3 years. I then worked in hospice for a number of years, including pediatric hospice while kind of in my life. At the same time my father died when I was 20, very unexpectedly at 52. I have worked in kind of every different version of the helping profession and nursing homes and pediatric settings and am currently working in complex neuro trauma rehab I was on the National Board for the funeral Consumers alliance when all of a sudden, my son was diagnosed with a rare progressive, neurodegenerative disease, 6 years ago and we're dealing with what that means and what that looks like. What that does to a 13-year-old when they get diagnosed with something that will limit his life. And so have kind of truly become aware of the difference between someone who talks about life and things that people need to know and what how things should be in an academic way, and truly have learned what it feels like to live that you know, your parents are important, but kids are different. They hit different. And when you kind of start living that deeply, what I have learned becomes a lot closer to home, it just hits really close to home. So that's kind of my background. I did a lot of I wrote a section for Jerry's book about you know, one of the textbooks about death and dying, and what I believe about it. I'm kind of curious having not read it for a while. How my! Just how the changes in what has happened in my life. And Clark was sick then. So, it's not brand new, but even then kind of the differences of what happens over time when you're living kind of a situation like that. And I just looked at something. I wrote a while back a presentation called Death as a 5-letter word and it has some interesting things in it as well. So, I think the topic of death has no answers. And the talk of bereavement has no answers, and very often people who are bereave, who are bereaved, or who are getting ready to, who are bereaving before the death, want there to be. And I think that's one of the biggest, although obvious. When you stop and think about it, that's one of the biggest issues that you're going to run into families is they want an answer to make it better. And it's very hard to explain to people they have to live it. That's part of the problem, and the issue with grief is that you can't step around it. If you do, you'll find yourself in far worse situation than if you live through it. So, I think for caregivers or those around you. There's a lot more to say about what to do for someone or with someone who's experiencing it. So, I try to look at it from all the different perspectives to see what sometimes nonsense I can spout. That sounds intelligent, because truly it is such an individual, it is so utterly individual. And there aren't right ways and wrong ways. People think there's a good way or a bad way, or they think there's a right way. And what happens is what happens. And the biggest problem is making sure that you know when it's kind of out of hand or when you need external kick assistance. You need to understand how long it lasts. You need to understand what happens in that and that it's okay. So much of what's going to happen that feels difficult or feels odd or feels out of place is normal. And maybe that's our goal is to normalize people's reaction to it is to normalize their own personal journey as not being something. Then you have to compare to anyone else's. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that's such an important point. And again, really emphasizes the fact that all 3 of you are experts with multiple lenses. And I guess everyone is at some point in their life. You know you. You bring your personal background to it, your professional background to it, and then your experiences with life and death and grieving, and all of those things. So, really, I mean, I think we're really fortunate to have this conversation with 3 individuals who have such a broad lens, and are able to view death and grieving from multiple lenses like you all are. Yeah, thank you for sharing that. Tania. I'll let you jump in next. If that's okay. Tania Riske: Yeah, that'd be great. Well, as a clinician, I think I really first sort of became interested in and in investing in conversations about grief because I saw a lot of patients who were facing terrible diagnoses and care partners who are trying to figure out how to sort that out and not having the opportunity to do that. Your neurologist was maybe going to be interested in providing analysis and checking in with you every few months, and maybe adjusting your medications. Your primary care provider was keeping an eye on your blood pressure and your cholesterol. And there just really wasn't a person or a provider who was acknowledging that there was going to be partings happening, that this you know, that this might be a diagnosis that was going to lead. Brief or certainly significant life changes. So it wasn't being talked about. It wasn't being supported, and that really started to make me feel like there was a that was a gap that needed to be filled, the conversations that needed to be opened and had and continued, it wasn't just a one and done kind of conversation, using it to be ongoing conversations and support. And as things change, the conversation maybe changes a little bit, and the resources change. So, I became really interested in the role of speech, language, pathologists, and other providers also in supporting brief and just. Incidentally, as this became a bigger part of what I was thinking about and taking up more headspace for me and making me really think about how I was practicing and how it's impacting patients and families. Incidentally, I lost an adult child. So, I have some of my own grief that I'm dealing with as well, and you can hear that coming up me a little bit right now. But it really shapes how I think about grief and how it's impacting families, and what they might need, or what they might want. And when I was hearing Nancy talk about there being no real answers, and gosh! Families want answers so badly and helping them explore through their grief. And what's right for them and supporting that. And when CeCelia talks about that practical versus the emotional standpoint having one foot in each canoe. I don't think that's an experience that a lot of families have. I think that that's such a lovely perspective and strength that you have, CeCelia but I don't think a lot of other families have that. So as a clinician, investing in families and helping them to have those conversations and recognize that there's not right or wrong answers. But the questions are very fair and very valid, and just be able to support that in a way that feels authentic and feels genuine and caring, and not filled with trite comments and superficial responses. And let's move on from this because we've got other things to talk about, I think, is really important. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, thanks for sharing those perspectives. Tania. And one thing that I want to highlight for this particular podcast is, we're working with individuals with communication impairments who have maybe additional barriers to talking about death and dying. So, I mean beyond the challenges that we have with what that all of us have in everyday conversations about death and dying. That's just an additional layer. From the standpoint of sharing education with them, but also decision making and planning that becomes so much more challenging in that context. Nancy Petersen: Well, and more importantly, it may isolate them even further from those around them who could support them, who were having enough trouble, just having regular conversations with them. And now we need to have a conversation that's frightens them, that they don't know how to do and I will never forget one of my that I just read said that people who are trying to support people need to remember they're not expected to be Yoda like you. You aren't. You don't have to have the answers, and we for some reason think that is such an important thing that if you talk to someone about something difficult. I said. If you know suddenly, if you someone you know, has cancer, you're supposed to be able to talk to them about cancer treatment. I mean, I don't. The people that helped me the most in the most difficult situations in my life have been the ones who said the least and I don't know why that is hard for people to grasp or be okay with. Hmm. I think part of it is that we are really bad at silence in general and we feel like everything has to be filled. And I am one of those people who, when I get anxious, I just talk more so when I'm being silent is a learned skill, and that is something that many of us is skilled. Many of us don't have. Tania Riske: I think you're right on with that, Nancy. It's so hard to be quiet and listen and I think especially many of us who are in clinical or provider fields tend to feel like it is my job and my responsibility to try to fix this or make it better. But that's not true. But, boy, it's that's what we want to do. Nancy Petersen: Right. Even I have put in that situation, and knowing, you know, it's kind of the same thing about having a sick child, I know the right thing to do but I don't. My emotions. I'm not always. I don't always react with my brain. So, you have to have a lot of self-talk to say. Now, remember, you don't have to know everything, and quiet is good, and they know their own answers, and even with a degree in speech, I mean my undergrad in speech, pathology, so I only know enough to be dangerous. But my I mean social work teaches you to let people find their own answers, and it's still so difficult to do in a really serious situation to not want to fix and to not want to help and it's hard to believe that help is less in situations such as serious grief. CeCelia: And maybe it's not necessarily just sort of pure silence, but it might be reframing. Nancy Petersen: Reflection. Yeah, I agree. CeCelia: You know. Help me understand what you're thinking, or help me understand what you're feeling, rather than sort of tolerating the silencing. When this person is done talking. Then I can go on to some real things, but sort of reframing that silence in a new way might be helpful in some situations. Nancy Petersen: Certainly, active listening is/can be good. I mean, it can be very helpful in many situations. What I kept getting was, what can I do? when I was in that situation, all I wanted to say was, if you can't make my dad well, there's nothing you can do, and it almost angered me that people would ask, What can I do? Because there was only one thing I needed done, and nobody could do it. So, you kinda I would much have preferred, and I did prefer my friends, who were very active listeners, or who sat and padded in my leg or my arm, you know, and you also have to kind of figure out. Are they in the middle of the death, like are they? Is the death actively occurring right then, in which case silence might be helpful. But then, when they want to talk about it. When someone wants to really talk which happens inner, you know, it's interspersed in all of that that reflection and active listening and reframing and making sure you understand what they're saying can be, I think, most helpful. Tania Riske: Oftentimes I've really seen my role as inviting the conversation, opening the door and making it a safe space for that conversation. Even if a patient or family isn't ready to have a conversation about grief that either they're experiencing or they're anticipating they may be or they're going to experience in the future. To know that first of all, I'm acknowledging that, and then also really trying to create that safe space with an open door that we can go to that conversation and that this is this is an okay place to start thinking about what might be coming, what we're afraid of. So, I think starting the conversation early is also important. Nancy Petersen: Well, and here's one of the we. I'm sorry, CeCelia, do you wanna. CeCelia: I was just gonna sort of concur with you, Tania, in terms of, in addition to that sort of the idea of repetition and patience that it's not just a one-time shot. Okay, this happened on Tuesday, 3 weeks ago, and now I don't have the space to do that. But sort of the need to repeat that open door, and maybe I wasn't ready 3 weeks ago. But by God, I really need to do this again. So please be patient with me, and please repeat this opportunity. So, the idea of repetition and patience seems important. Nancy Petersen: And one of the differences is, a lot of people don't always have a Tania that they see regularly in life to do this and what the thing that I have seen happen so many times is that the person who so …, we get a lot of rehab and we do what we do. But sometimes we'll get people who have glioblastomas, and they want rehab and I'm not sure the patient wants rehab and that yes, getting stronger is helpful. And yes, that gives them more energy. And maybe they just had a reception, and maybe they really can build up a little bit, but it's so much the families who are in denial that want them to get better, and they'll grasp. But any straw to try to make their need to understand and accept what's happening to put it off just a hair longer. And when I worked in hospice specifically we would walk in. They actually even took the word Hospice off our name tags because families were insistent that we not tell the patient they were dying. What was always most amusing was that the patient always knew they were dying and would ask me not to tell their family they were dying. So, the conversations that weren't getting put off were grief related, and fear of death related so intensely. Both desperate to protect the other member of their family, the other group and we did a lot of trying to get to the elephant in the room trying to get to the thing that everyone knew was happening. But people get there so differently that it's very difficult, as the social worker put in the middle of that pers that situation, to figure out who's ready or what their reactions gonna be. If we decide to talk about this and how to handle that reaction because we would get I mean, we changed our name tags. We got so many families angry that we were supposedly letting their dying loved one in on the little secret they were dying and instead of us saying, It's not a secret. The word. Hospice is not going to come as a great surprise to them. We just took it off. Tania Riske: Wow! That's really interesting. I do see on a routine basis what you're talking about, where families do not want death dying hospice any of those words uttered around their loved ones, and sometimes vice versa, too, but almost always it's families protecting their loved one who is dying. But to take it to that extreme of. We can't even have this on a name Tag, because it's just saying too much angering. Too many people is really fascinating, and I think very telling about just our whole thought process around death dying and grief. Nancy Petersen: Our death, denying culture. What do you possibly mean? Having worked in it, I literally would sit at a table at an exposition. You know, when we're trying to talk to people about Hospice, and people would literally go away from our table and around like Hospice was somehow catching. Tania Riske: Wow. Nancy Petersen: And say, I'm not dying. I don't. Don't talk to me about it, and like literally avoid and it would catch me. So I mean I just I was always amazed at the number of ways people would avoid talking about something. That's one of the very few things you must never. You can't avoid. No matter how far away you walk them from my table. What it does instead is make you ill prepared for when it does come. Hmm, okay. CeCelia: Wonder if we need to reframe the language that we use to describe people's reaction. You know, thinking about the negativity associated with some of the labels. I'm just. I'm just thinking about the word denial and avoidance aren't very positive words in my book. And yet we continue to label people in denial and avoidance. And I wonder if we could think about the meaning of the language, and how that might help people I don't know. Just raising the question. I don't have any answers, but. Nancy Petersen: Well, I think there's a part of me that says, if you soft pedal it, you're not doing them any favors now, that's my belief, and I have been in working with death and dying my whole life. So, I know that I'm not your average person, but I blame society. I blame the way we talk about things in advertisements, the way we talk about things on the news. We don't even use the word die. We don't use the word death. We don't use the word, you know. We come up with all these euphemisms of passed on or lost. I think personally, they are not benefiting us. I don't think so personally softening the language. Now, if I'm dealing with a family that can't handle what I'm not trying to force this sudden societal change down everyone's individual throat. But what I am saying is that in general we probably need to. You know, when you talk in different cultures about death. It's something they talk about constantly. When you look at, look at the native Americans. Death is part of the circle of life. It's what there is. And we talk about. You know, vitamin water like it's gonna be the Fountain of Youth, and we're never gonna have to die if we take enough pills that are vitamins, and we drink this magic water, and we Yoga or Pilates that we suddenly have this option and America is known for I mean, I went and studied Hospice in England, and they were vastly different in how they approach death and how they handled pediatric deaths. Jerry knows not to get me started about that. We literally act in this country. We do not let children die, we will not, no matter how much we know. That's we can't stop it, we will not people die. I saw a 95-year-old woman with advanced Alzheimer's getting a feeding tube put in and I, who did not know where she was in the hospital. She was terrified. She didn't know what was happening. It was a horrible situation, and I thought, well, probably the best thing we need to do is put a lot of food in her that sounds like the best ending for this and it just the whole thing sums up our inability to understand that if we talked about it more we might have a better reaction to it when it was time because when I've been around hundreds of people who were actively dying. They're very comfortable talking about it and they're very. They're anxious to talk about what they want and what's meant things to them and what they want to hear, and I would have family. Say, mama, don't talk like that. I don't need to hear that. I can't hear you talk about you dying right now. Don't talk to me about things like that. We're going to go make dinner, and we're just going to have a great dinner together, and push back on the dying person's desire to speak their truth and their what they wanted to talk about at the end of their life. And that doesn't. That didn't work either. Tania Riske: I agree with that, Nancy, that we are really a society, that life at all costs prolong life at all costs, and I hadn't thought about that before in light of the fact that maybe that is tied into sort of our belief system in our conversations or the conversations and the beliefs that we don't have about death dying and grief. That because we don't talk about it, it's not Ok to talk about it that facilitates that we must prolong life no matter the costs. Not thinking about quality of life but instead, thinking about prolongation of life, and those are 2 very different things. Nancy Petersen: And I see it all the time I was with the family, Father had a massive stroke. Daughters adored him, wanted him at no matter what Dad needed to get better. And so, they were pushing it better, and the dad looked at me with aphasia after a massive stroke. And I'm doing all this talking about our program, and they're so excited. And he looked at me and said, Why. yeah. Tania Riske: There it is! Nancy Petersen: Wasn't long before they let him die. They stopped coming and pushing for all of this, because he knew that the kind of stroke he had had was not going to work well with Rehab, that he had had a massive stroke and did not want to live like that, but his family was absolutely unable to manage that until he finally, after months of coming here and pretending to get better and stronger for them. And that's the other thing is, you're trying not to be mean to the family that loves you so much. They don't want you to die. But you know, let's not even get into the amount of money we're spending in Medicare, keeping people alive who have no, who, if given the choice, would never choose to live like they were living. I guarantee you they would not. And we can get into the ethics of that. When I was in Hospice we had a 36 year old man who had a ventilator and we had a 92 year old woman who was unable to explain on a ventilator who didn't, couldn't talk. The 36-year-old, said, I want to die. I am of... I have no psychiatric illness. I am not. I cannot live on a ventilator. The rest of my life. I do not want this. I've done it for 2 years. I am not living this way. and people were horrified, would have nothing to do with taking this man off of ventilator, but had no issues, taking a woman who couldn't speak off of ventilator because of her age. Now she couldn't tell you if she wanted to die or not. But that was comfortable. But taking a 36-year-old, who could talk and make a conscious choice, was horrifying and I think that for me just summed up the way that we go, that we look at death and handle death, and think we somehow have some obligation to keep people alive or never, or the pain of discussing it needs to be prolonged. I don't know if it's life that needs to be prolonged. I don't. I don't know what that is, but it may be death in this culture is a failure. And it's framed that way in some of the words like lost the battle. Yep, yep, for sure. So, it's we do it like it's war. Jerry Hoepner: How do we open that dialogue, Tania? I know you and I talked about the PLISIT model, and that as an opening for conversations. But what do you think all of you, in terms of how do we open that dialogue? Nancy Petersen: I always. I'll open it with funerals. I don't know why it works sometimes, but funerals are a practical money situation. So, if you talk about funerals in a joking way, or in a kind of a, you know. By the way, we're all here at Thanksgiving. We've never talked about this. What do you want or not want? And if you can start a conversation with something that is less than so, you're going to die sometime. Why don't we talk about that instead, it's when you die. What do you want it to look like? And it feels less threatening. I think in many cases and it can start a conversation in a non, and I know it sounds weird to say funnels are non-threatening, but sort of a practical situation that people are always told to take care of their business before they need it. So, I don't know. I think sometimes jokes or humor, or practicality sometimes are less off putting. Tania Riske: Well, and for me as a clinician. I have to be in a certain place of having built a certain amount of report before we can jump into that, you know. I don't have the sort of built in, automatic family dynamics that you might when you sit down at that Thanksgiving dinner. So, having some rapport, and really knowing a little bit more about the patient or and or their family and the relationships. But for me, I it really requires me to consciously be bold and not use the euphemisms, not just avoid and skirt around, but to really be bold and open. That conversation of first of all, acknowledging that in the case of a degenerative condition, that that is where we are heading, we are ultimately heading toward death and opening that door for conversation, about losses that are anticipated. And whether it's changes in what a person can and can't do physically, cognition, health, opening the door to those conversations and re, and making sure that I revisit that and going back to that PLISIT model where really sort of the first step in that is granting that permission to have the conversations. Maybe it's not today. Maybe it's not in a month. And frankly, with some families and patients, maybe it's never but always being intentional about opening the door and keeping the door open. How does that resonate, CeCelia? When you hear these sides of the conversations where we're thinking about it from that provider standpoint. And you are. You've had the lived experience. How does what we're saying resonate with you. CeCelia: Right. I wonder if the idea of loss isn't just dying in death. In my experience, it was a lot of different loss for 9 years. So maybe framing the conversation around loss for Wayne's loss of speech and loss of cognition and loss of toiling abilities and loss of hygiene skills and how that evolved it's not just dying as loss, but it's a loss of everything over 10 years, and maybe I don't know. Maybe reframing that loss and not in not in terms of denial or avoidance. I still have issue with labeling people in that way. I don't think that fosters an acceptance. So, in addition to that, maybe reframing loss might be I think, was important to me. Nancy Petersen: And I absolutely please don't think that I was speaking to you. I was speaking in general about the denial I, or avoidance of death, as a rule, to someone who is not in a situation of actively managing that or even thinking about it. I was talking in general to people that are out getting freebies off my table at an exhibit hall who don't even wanna start the conversation because it's something that isn't happening to them. The other thing I want to say to you is, there are other losses that you're experiencing, that I talk. I've always talked about the loss of the husband that you had until he got sick, the loss of the ability to travel with him, the loss of conversations that you would have. So it's not just the losses of him, which, of course, you worried for him and those losses, but also to understand what you were losing, what everyone was losing. And I say this to people sometimes when I say grief can happen any time and grief is something that we should look at. We're going through all the time. If you lose a job if you lose, you know your home, you know. I just moved from my big house to this small house that my son could navigate, and there was loss involved in that. Not being a choice I wanted to make, and that being forced upon us, and that being the house, we hope to be in forever. So, people experience losses constantly and I don't think we give that enough thought. We're in America. We just seem to go and go and go. We're on the move forward wherever that is, and we don't. Maybe part of this is that we don't. We're not introspective all the time about loss and about, you know, when I talk to family sometimes, it's they haven't even sort of. They haven't put towards the losses that they've experienced. And those are losses, you know. That's not. Did you lose him when they died? But those are true losses. I once had to do a thing. I was gonna volunteer with Aids patients, and they gave us all these slips of paper with, we had to write down the 5 most important, you know who's the most important person in your life. What's your favorite hobby? And then they would make us take these pieces of paper and choose which piece of paper to remove from our pile, and that was gut wrenching, and all I was doing was wading up a piece of paper, so that just that activity was very hard, and made it so clear what losing parts of your life to a disease or to a situation could cause so please don't believe that I believe people that are in that situation are in denial in that respect, or that we should use that as a negative talk just that I think we live in death denial as a culture with the way we kind of act like. It's not a part of you know. We can show all kinds of medicine on TV. But if you put anything on there about a funeral or someone dying, people push back hard. We just have a problem with it. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, so kind of related to your example of people walking around your booth to not get to not catch Hospice. Yeah. But the other thing I'm thinking about. Nancy, as you were describing. Some of those losses. I don't think people always recognize them as losses. Just to have a conversation about changes. That you've experienced like. For example, when you said the loss of you know your larger home for a smaller home that your son could navigate. I think some people would recognize that as a change until they really think about. I loved that old house I mean, I loved it, and just opening up that dialogue might be an important piece of that conversation, too. Tania Riske: A conversation that I'm having more often is conversations with patients and families, too, about loss of identity. And I think that ties into the same idea where, if your identity was, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna live in this house with my healthy family. And you know, we're gonna do these activities. And we're gonna take these trips and and we're going to. And this is who I am and the vision that I have when that vision changes. I think there's a real loss of who am I? What does my future look like? What does this mean? And that I think that loss of identity is a really big, a really big deal, too, that we really need to support. Nancy Petersen: And we see a lot of men. And it's not only men, but we see a lot of men who, if they can't go back to their job. They've identified themselves as the breadwinner, or the a lawyer, or whatever it might be, and just that loss is almost. I mean, they think about it as a kind of death that they suddenly, you know nobody wants to be a burden, so everyone thinks of themselves as that. But when they lose their ability to do the thing that that made them who they were in their mind. We don't talk a lot about that we talk about. Well wouldn't get you. So, security disability. And, you know, like, money's gonna solve that problem. And now you can stay at home and watch TV. You don't like and not go golf anymore with your friends, and probably not be a part of those conversations that all your guys are having at poker, because you're not going anymore. Because you have. You know, you have aphasia. So you are absolutely right. And that's why I think that and why I was big about everybody who has a part of their life, who has a piece of that person, whether it's in rehab. And they're doing speech, pathology, or PT, and they're talking about it should be comfortable with having those harder discussions than you know. How about them chiefs, or whatever it is that you can have. Once well, here, you can have it a lot we win, but you know. But you know what I mean. Like you can. You need to have a conversation that gets a little deeper. Maybe you should feel comfortable having that come. Maybe you could do somebody more good if you were comfortable with that. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah. And I'm still glad you broaden the conversation to thinking about loss, not just as death and bereavement, but thinking about the application to everyone that we're working with in terms of, you know, people living with aphasia regardless of whether that's a degenerative aphasia or whether that is a stroke-based aphasia. There's a tremendous amount of loss and change, and even being able to have a conversation about that change, to be able to say those changes sound a lot like loss. I think that's an important piece of this conversation, too. Tania Riske: Over the years that I knew Wayne and CeCelia. I really had this, I think it was a very unique and awesome experience of seeing a partnership that works so well together to support identity. Even as Wayne went through changes with his primary, progressive aphasia. How they worked together and brought me into those conversations about, how do we continue to support Wayne, but also to support CeCelia as a partner and caregiver? And I think that's a part of a conversation that very often is overlooked by providers kind of circling back to when we first started this conversation. But about how do we support people as they're going through losses that affect their identity, that affect their physical health, their emotional health, their cognitive health? How do we support families, patients, loved ones. And I had the pleasure of just really seeing a phenomenal example of that. And that's not a support system that everyone has. How do we facilitate that. Jerry Hoepner: To me it feels like. It's not a support system until you open that door. Go ahead, CeCelia. CeCelia: I was just listening. Thank you, Tania. Jerry Hoepner: Gotcha, I mean, I feel like in this situation. Tania. You made it possible for some of those conversations to be initiated. I'd be interested in CeCelia's perspective about what it took, what kinds of doors were open for that conversation? Was that something that was initiated from only Tania? Or was it initiated in both directions? What are your thoughts on that. CeCelia: It certainly was Tania and per the other speech therapy colleagues, and the aphasia community and some friends and some family. I think one question that I heard that was or comment, and I heard it several times over the course of the years was being asked like, what are you experiencing, or what are you hearing other people say? That's painful for you and sort of letting that guide the conversation when people said such and such that was really painful. But when people said other things that you might think would be horrible, it wasn't horrible at all. So maybe kind of looking at, or listening, or asking for, What are people telling you? That's painful? I don't know if that sort of addresses your question, Jerry. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, I think so in terms of initiating those conversations about. you know what's happening in your world. And how are you responding to that it actually made me wonder to what extent was Wayne a part of those conversations. To what extent was he involved in that process, especially early on. CeCelia: Well, Wayne wasn't a real chatty guy, but of course, in my heart of hearts I I you know, being married, and so on for decades. I knew what was painful for him, even though he wasn't able to say it, and I knew what was supportive to him. So, from Wayne's perspective, he would never have. It just wasn't part of him to say, well, this is really a crack of crap sort of a thing, you know. He just wouldn't say that so it hang out. Jerry Hoepner: Was it helpful for him to be there when you were having these conversations with Tania. CeCelia: Oh, absolutely just because of the inclusion of the 3 of us you know, and Tania was so skilled in in pulling out a picture off his iPad or whatever, and it wasn't just a picture of him golfing, but it was digging deeper around his golfing, for example. So, it was a springboard for conversation. That Tania would just do over and over and over again, and of course Wayne saw it as golfing, and the fact that oh, he wasn't really golfing 18 holes anymore. And he wasn't, you know, golfing a 92 or an 88, or whatever. And Tania's questions about so what's a birdie, and what's a bogey? And you know Wayne wanted to be helpful at all that. But of course it opened up a whole door of conversation from Tania's professional position in what was happening with his identity. It ends, it. Jerry Hoepner: Go ahead, Tania. Tania Riske: I was gonna say, thank you for really highlighting that, CeCelia, because that was. I guess how I learned so much about Wayne. So, I felt like I could help to better support his identity. So when I, when we were talking about pictures, that was my favorite, because I could see such a peek into what? Who he was? Which was so much better than if I would have brought in, you know, some pre created or commercial therapy products that told me really nothing about Wayne. So that was really something that was just such a great tool. But tool is such an inadequate word for that. It was just. It worked so well for me to learn about Wayne and for Wayne to be able to school me a little bit, too. Sometimes. CeCelia: And it's just an example, I think, of starting where the person in the family are at in in the pictures. Of course, that was, as you said, tool, or whatever it's called. It was like this is who Wayne is, and this is his life. It's like what's painful for him and for me and for us together. So, it was. It was the foundation that guided the discussion, and not something you know, sort of external, that that was sort of put upon us. If you will. Jerry Hoepner: Maybe this is a good time. I jotted a question down as we were talking from a life participation approach to aphasia. Why is it so important that people have this conversation, or that this is a part of our conversations about loss and grief and death and dying? Why is that such an important piece of the life participation approach. CeCelia: I don't know 1 one aspect that I thought about when you asked that, Jerry. It's of course going through the process, and the process never ends of dying and death. It never ends but it's so. It's sort of the day to day, but it's also sort of the memory of that. Now, when I look back 8 months later, I I those are the good things that I have. Those are the times in the bottle that I will keep forever and ever and ever. So, it's not just. Oh! Wayne was discharged. Wayne died on August 20, fifth, etc., etc. It's like, Oh, that that's been my life. So, it's that time in a bottle idea of, you know, one can go with Jim Croce idea. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah. And I think that alone is powerful, that I think some clinicians might feel like, Oh, don't even touch that time in a bottle, because that's sad when you really frame that time in a bottle as something really positive and meaningful for you. And I think that's a really good reframe on the entire lens, of talking about loss and death, and dying. Tania Riske: I feel like so much of that life participation model is also about honoring identity, honoring wishes. Honoring people as individuals, not as impaired patients who we must fix. But instead, as people with lives and dreams, and some of those dreams have just been shattered or maybe they were shattered years ago. But yet they are. These are people with identities who matter as individuals and really honoring that. And I think that's another reason these conversations are important to honor the fact that yes, there will be death, and we want to do kind of right by you and by your family and loved ones with how we approach that and also recognizing these losses that we've been talking about, now honoring those and not just throwing them away, but doing our best to continue to really celebrate honor, embrace individuals and grief anticipating grief. Bosses is all part of that. Nancy Petersen: So, I just have a question because you're typically talking about people who have a progressive situation so that it. Tania Riske: That's true. That's where my lens is a little bit focused right now. But yeah. Nancy Petersen: And so that would be an I don't want to say obvious, but a wise choice to add to those conversations. I wonder if it, I think it needs to be a conversation that's in any in any sort of situation where there has been loss. Even if it's someone who's trying to rehabilitate from a stroke like we talked about, or someone who doesn't have the path of degenerative situations. But maybe that whole thing about how we have a difficult time with loss or recognizing loss would be beneficial, because we would be in a better position when other losses occurred. In other words, that it would make believing, understanding, discussing, recognizing loss in many situations would help us. What happened with what happens when those final losses start to occur. Because I just don't think we look at Change. We try to put a positive spin on change, and there's nothing wrong with coming up with the good reasons for that change, but that we don't recognize the loss that comes with those changes, you know. Yay, Daddy got a new job in a new city, and we're leaving. And then you hear we're having trouble with the teenager, because you know, I know it's hard for her, and we're changing schools and all of this. But if you don't then recognize per loss, even if to you it seems like a lesser concern than the other things that are going on that you're telling people that those losses don't count, or that that emotion isn't important and I'm just thinking about our speech pathologists and the opportunities that they have, or that opportunities any speech pathologist would have after an event or a health event to make to make it more than just, you know. Let's talk about Bill, and how you know our story today, or whatever it is that they're doing. That's sort of the more traditional speech pathology like you mentioned Tania, the typical structured speech pathology session that they would have. Tania Riske: Nancy, that makes me so happy that you kind of bring that up, because that's something. CeCelia and I have had extensive conversations about and that I get really all worked up and excited about is really the role of speech pathologists in counseling in general, you know. Yeah, maybe it is more at times focused on grief. Maybe it's identity other times. But just that whole idea of there is lots and I think speech pathologists have a huge role in acknowledging that supporting that you know, there's lots of conversation going on right now about what kind of education do we need to provide for a speech pathologist to better enable them to counsel and counsel well, and still staying within our scope of practice. Of course, our very respectful boundaries. Nancy Petersen: Absolutely. I can tell you, I can tell you there's very little even in doctor schooling. Oh, I believe they don't get any. They just nobody gets this. So, I love Jerry's been doing and what you're doing. It's just if you have an hour with a person who's coming out of some sort of crisis or medical situation. Why not use it in a way that's beneficial in a larger scope than just working on your t's, or whatever it might be. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah. And this has just been such a fantastic conversation. And I think you've done a really nice job of tying things together in terms of the life participation approach. I mean, if I just take a step back and kind of summarize our conversation, part of what makes an effective interaction is not avoiding those difficult conversations, but leaning into them, asking the questions, creating that safe space, as Tania said, for the conversation, giving permission to discuss those tricky topics. And then just actively listening, beginning where the family and that that individual are at. So, I hopefully, I've some summarized those things. Well, any missing elements that we should discuss before we bring this great conversation to a close. Nancy Petersen: I just appreciate you guys, I don't know the 3 of you that well, and I'm trying not to. I get very excited. And on my soapbox about things that I've witnessed, and things I think we could do better. So, I just want to apologize if I don't know the kind of the framework. But I certainly learned a lot and appreciate very much what you all shared today. So, thank you for that. Tania Riske: I really enjoyed having conversation about things that are so often really kind of dismissed, or nobody wants to talk about that, Nancy. I really appreciated your frankness. I you know your honesty, and just putting out there the things that we tend to be so uncomfortable about. And I think you're so right that these conversations need to happen. And they need to happen outside of the traditional of this context that we're talking about where people are looking down the barrel at loss but also they need to happen at the Thanksgiving table. And now those they just those conversations are so valuable. But yet we do such a stellar job at not having them. So. Thanks for talking about that. Nancy Petersen: No problem. Thank you. Tania Riske: And, CeCelia, I'm always so appreciative and grateful for your willingness to be so vulnerable and to really put so much out there about your lived experience. CeCelia: Thank you. Jerry Hoepner: Well, I want to thank you all for having this conversation. It feels like we could talk for another day, but we'll bring it to a close, for now. Thank you all, and I look forward to more conversations in the future. Tania Riske: Thanks. Jerry. Nancy Petersen: Bye, Jerry. Jerry Hoepner: On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening to this episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. For more information on Aphasia Access and to access our growing library of materials go to www.aphasiaaccess.org. If you have an idea for a future podcast series or topic, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access.

The wonderful Dr Molly Gebrian is sticking around for part two of her chat with Alexa on the science of learning and practising, this week telling us all about practice habits, the memory, mental practice and much more. She highlights the importance of mental practice, shares resources, and talks about her upcoming book and career transition to focus on research translation for musicians. Tune in for valuable insights on optimising practice habits. KEY TAKEAWAYS Students can improve practice by focusing on quality over quantity. Molly  advises against ineffective methods like the "treasure hunt" and "start over and try again" approaches, which reinforce mistakes. Instead, students should use mental practice, understand brain processes, and take breaks. Teachers should model effective techniques and help students set small, achievable goals.  Incorporating mental practice with physical practice yields better results than either alone. Mental practice involves vividly imagining a task, enhancing understanding and skill execution. It helps develop detailed mental representations, improving brain efficiency and physical performance. Effective mental practice should focus on aspects like rhythm, pitch, and sensations, engaging the same brain areas as physical practice.  Teachers can enhance learning for musicians by accommodating individual differences in learning styles and practice habits. Molly advises modelling effective techniques and explaining brain processes to avoid ineffective methods. Teachers should help students set specific, achievable goals, break tasks into manageable parts, and incorporate mental practice.  Flexibility and personalised feedback are crucial to support students' unique needs and foster effective practice habits. BEST MOMENTS  "Telling students to practise more is not helpful because it doesn't tell you what to do." "Your brain doesn't know right from wrong. It doesn't know if you did it well or you didn't do well. It just knows which pathways are being used." "Taking breaks will actually make me more efficient at something"   EPISODE RESOURCES Guest Website: www.mollygebrian.com Social Media: Dr. Molly Gebrian - YouTube Relevant Links & Mentions:  (Podcast) Singing Teachers Talk: Ep. 164 Music and the Brain: The Science of Learning & Practice with Dr Molly Gebrian Part One (Book) Teaching Singing to Children and Young Adults by Dr Jenevora Williams (Book) Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician's Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing by Dr Molly Gebrian  Noa Kageyama's Bulletproof Musician: https://bulletproofmusician.com/ Sarah Niblack's Spark Practice: https://www.sparkpractice.com/ (Book) Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks  BAST Book A Call ABOUT THE GUEST  Dr. Molly Gebrian is a professional violist and scholar with a background in cognitive neuroscience. Her area of expertise is applying the research on learning and memory to practicing and performing music. She also investigates the intersections between music and language. As a performer, she prioritizes the works of living composers and those who have traditionally been excluded from the culture of classical music. She holds degrees in both music and neuroscience from Oberlin College and Conservatory, New England Conservatory of Music, and Rice University. Previously, she was the viola professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of Arizona. After a decade of teaching viola at the collegiate level, she will join the faculty at New England Conservatory of Music in Fall 2024 to teach courses on the science of practicing. ABOUT THE PODCAST BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events. basttraining.com Updates from BAST Training

Dr. Molly Gebrian joins Alexa on the Singing Teachers Talk podcast for the first of a two parter to discuss the neuroscience of learning and its application to teaching and practising. The conversation covers brain organisation, neural pathways, myelin, learning processes, the impact of age on learning, and the importance of understanding brain science for both teachers and students. KEY TAKEAWAYS The brain's learning process is influenced by developmental factors like puberty and ageing. Children's brains are highly adaptable, efficiently absorbing information due to neurochemical changes that support rapid learning. As they age, myelination reinforces neural pathways, enhancing communication. In contrast, ageing adults need focused attention to learn, influenced by interests, commitment, and sustained focus. Developmental changes and age-related neurochemical differences impact the brain's learning ability. The dismantling of unused brain pathways is complex, with the exact timeframe unknown and varying by individual factors. The brain recognizes and eliminates non-myelinated, unused pathways, but the duration depends on disuse extent, overall brain function, and other physiological and environmental factors. Brain efficiency and adaptability significantly influence this process. Natural flair or ability has a physiological basis influenced by genetics and brain wiring, but it's not solely determined by physiology. Factors like womb development, brain variability, personal interests, commitment, and sustained focus also play roles. Thus, while physiology contributes, natural ability is shaped by a combination of genetics, brain development, and individual interests. Tips for singing teachers include understanding the neuroscience of learning to assist students better, emphasising focused attention and age impacts. Encouraging positive self-talk, tailor practice methods with games for kids, and stress the importance of breaks for brain reconstruction. Managing frustration with realistic expectations and fostering interest and commitment to enhance motivation and persistence. BEST MOMENTS  "It just shows that we're all different, that you can do anything you want." "The brain is always working as one” "There are physical changes that have to happen in the brain when we're learning." "As adults, we need to have focused attention in order to be able to learn."   EPISODE RESOURCES Guest Website: www.mollygebrian.com Social Media: Dr. Molly Gebrian - YouTube Relevant Links & Mentions:  The work of Hermann Ebbinghaus BBC CrowdScience: Why is Learning Stuff Harder as You Get Older? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct1pqb Neuroscience for Teachers by Richard Churches, Eleanor Dommett & Ian Devonshire BAST Book A Call ABOUT THE GUEST  Dr. Molly Gebrian is a professional violist and scholar with a background in cognitive neuroscience. Her area of expertise is applying the research on learning and memory to practicing and performing music. She also investigates the intersections between music and language. As a performer, she prioritizes the works of living composers and those who have traditionally been excluded from the culture of classical music. She holds degrees in both music and neuroscience from Oberlin College and Conservatory, New England Conservatory of Music, and Rice University. Previously, she was the viola professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of Arizona. After a decade of teaching viola at the collegiate level, she will join the faculty at New England Conservatory of Music in Fall 2024 to teach courses on the science of practicing. ABOUT THE PODCAST BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events. basttraining.com Updates from BAST Training

On this episode we talk with Erik Strand who is the head coach of the Wisconsin Eau-Claire women's hockey team. We discuss playing at the highest level of DIII hockey, compare playing DI vs DIII, and go into detail on the recruiting process. You can connect with Erik Strand either on the Wisconsin Eau-Claire women's hockey  website: https://blugolds.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster/coaches/erik-strand/562 or via Erik Strand's  Champs App profile:  https://profile.champs.app/h/erik-strand You can learn more about the Wisconsin Eau-Claire women's hockey program here: https://blugolds.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey.  Follow Erik and the Blugolds team on X:  @CoachErikStrand and @uwecwhockey and  Instagram: @uwecwhockey =========================================== Champs App is your recruiting and development copilot. Champs App helps athletes, coaches, parents and agents/advisors navigate the world of youth sports. We recently completely redesigned Champs App so that all our offerings fit together seamlessly to dramatically improve the user experience.  Next time you visit Champs App you will see that it is much easier to use Champs App as your copilot for recruiting and development.  While we will continue to provide free content and tools like podcasts, articles and directories on our website, some new content will require a free Champs App account to access special analysis and information.  We have made it easy to create a free Champs App account, without the need to create an online profile.   =========================================== ⁠Champs App Messaging ⁠is the fast, easy way to send error-free messages to coaches. ⁠Champs App Messaging⁠ cuts the time to send emails to coaches by over 50%, ensures key information is included and reduces common errors because it has templates that automatically populates the coach's name & email and inserts information from your Champs App profile. ⁠To learn more about Champs App Messaging⁠ please visit: https://www.champs.app/2024/03/introducing-the-champs-app-messaging-tool/ =========================================== Here is a list of ⁠2024 Girls Hockey Events⁠:  https://www.champs.app/2023/11/2024-girls-hockey-event-calendar-camps-showcases-tournaments-spring-summer/ To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the ⁠Champs App⁠ website ⁠http://www.champs.app⁠  =================================================================== ⁠Create a free, beautiful Champs Hockey Profile⁠ to help with college or prep school recruiting: ⁠https://profile.champs.app/sign-up⁠ With Champs App profile you can: ·         Share highlight videos, statistics and coach information ·         Add a player's playing history (teams, coaches, level of play) and upcoming games schedule ·         Share personal, student and athletic profile information ·         Invite and connect with coaches, players and teammates Once you create your profile, you will have a personalized link to share with coaches and teams. Or you can connect directly with coaches on Champs App.  Here is our Champs App Team Coach Directory

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Learning to teach math teachers better with Dr. Kyle Whipple, Associate Professor of Education for Equity and Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Dr. Enrique Ortiz, Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Central Florida, Alexa Lee-Hassan, Learning Sciences Graduate Student and Mathematics Education Lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Dr. Liza Bondurant, Associate Professor at Mississippi State University. They share their experience as mathematics teacher educators and their work on the AMTE Advocacy Committee and their plans for the upcoming AMTE conference in February of 2025 in Reno, NV as well as the importance of getting involved and helping others get involved in advocacy and organizational leadership. Links from the episode AMTE Volunteer Form (https://amte.net/form/volunteer) 2025 Annual AMTE Conference in Reno, NV, Proposals due May 15th, 2024 (https://amte.net/content/2025-annual-amte-conference) AMTE Professional Book Series, Vol 6: Building Community to Center Equity and Justice in Mathematics Teacher Education (https://amte.net/publications/prof-book-series) NCTE-NCTM Joint Conference on K-5/Elementary Literacy and Mathematics (https://www.nctm.org/ncte-nctm2024/) Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Spaces: How To Make Our Elementary Mathematics and Language Arts Classrooms Safer for LGBTQ+ Children, Families, and Colleagues by Courtney Koestler and Kyle Whipple Promoting Equity in Approximations of Practice for Preservice Mathematics Teachers (https://www.igi-global.com/book/promoting-equity-approximations-practice-preservice/326517) due out July 2024. MAA MathFest 2024 (https://maa.org/meetings/maa-mathfest) in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 9. Early-bird registration ends April 15th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME) (https://icme15.org/icme-15-scientific-program/topic-study-groups/tsg-5-1-students-identity-motivation-and-attitudes-towards-mathematics-and-its-study/) July 7-14 in Sydney, Australia. Sines of Disability (https://sinesofdisability.com/) Mathematics Teacher Educator Podcast (https://mtepodcast.amte.net/) Special Guests: Alexa Lee-Hassan, Enrique Ortiz, Kyle Whipple, and Liza Bondurant.

  Show Notes - Episode Next STEPS: In conversation with Professor Ian Kneebone Welcome to the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. I'm Jerry Hoepner. I'm a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and co-facilitator of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp, Blugold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, and Thursday Night Poets.  I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources. I'm today's host for an episode that will feature Professor Ian Kneebone from the University of Sydney Technology.  Biosketch: Ian Kneebone Professor and Head of Discipline (Clinical Psychology) at the Graduate School of Health at the University of Technology Sydney. He is a chief investigator at the Aphasia CRE and has led and co-facilitated much of the work on optimizing mental health and wellbeing for individuals with aphasia. His work on illuminating the stepped care model as a guide for clinicians working with individuals with stroke has helped speech-language therapists and other rehabilitation disciplines to better understand their roles in psychological care after stroke and specifically aphasia. He previously joined the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast with me for Episode #34. We're excited to have Ian joining us again, as so much work has taken place in the area of psychological and psychosocial interventions for individuals with aphasia in the past five years since that previous podcast conversation. Professor Kneebone and his colleagues have been at the center of that work, including developing and evaluating the ASK trial, the Kalmer relaxation program, collaborative goal setting, Reducing Emotional Distress in Stroke (REDS)and low intensity psychotherapeutic interventions, among others. In addition to Professor Kneebone's large-scale investigations about psychological interventions, Ian is a clinician at heart, also very engaged in hands-on clinical work, where he directly collaborates with speech-language pathologists and other disciplines. I'm privileged to discuss these topics with Ian today. Take aways: Need for psychological care for people with aphasia: People with aphasia have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and other psychological needs. People with aphasia are twice as likely to be anxious or depressed as someone with a stroke without aphasia. Stepped care model provides direction: The stepped care model helps us to define scope of practice and where we fit in, based upon our level of training. It also provides guidance for psychological care that all speech-language pathologists/speech-language therapists are trained to implement. Behavioral activation: This is a direct connection to the Life Participation Approach for Aphasia (LPAA). Increasing engagement in personally relevant activities is at the heart of both approaches. Ian discusses where solution-focused brief therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy fit into the stepped care levels: With additional training, good evidence is developing for these approaches. There is a need for ongoing psychological supports in the chronic phase of recovery: Increased mood state is associated with better physical and communication outcomes AND dealing with the physical and communication issues can improve mood state. Shifting to “compensation” can make people with aphasia feel like they're not going to recover further: We need to make sure that we have conversations about those shifts so that people don't misperceive that shift as the end of progress. SLPs/SLTs need to train mental health professionals to use supported communication techniques to support their interactions: SLPs/SLTs may need training on how to teach other disciplines to support communication. People with aphasia should be involved in co-design work to address psychological interventions. From a research perspective, we need to involve people with aphasia and from an intervention standpoint, we need to involve individuals with aphasia.   Interview Transcript: Jerry Hoepner: Today, it's my pleasure to introduce Professor Ian Kneebone. In Kneebone, is professor and head of discipline in clinical psychology at the Graduate School of Health at the University of Technology Sydney. He is a chief investigator at the Aphasia care and has led and co-facilitated much of the work on optimizing mental health and wellbeing for individuals with aphasia. His work on eliminating the step care model as a guide for clinicians working with individuals with stroke has helped speech language pathologist and speech language therapist and other rehabilitation disciplines to better understand their roles in psychological care after stroke, and specifically aphasia. He previously joined the Aphasia access conversations podcast with me for episode 34. We're excited to have Ian joining us again. As so much work has been done and taken place in the area of psychological and psychosocial interventions for individuals with aphasia. In the past five years since that previous podcast conversation, Professor Kneebone and his colleagues have been at the center of that work, including developing and evaluating the Ask trial, the calmer relaxation program, the collaborative goal setting, project and low intensity psychotherapeutic interventions among others. In addition to Professor knee bones, large scale in investigations about psychological interventions, Ian is a clinician at heart, also very engaged in hands on clinical work, where he directly collaborates with speech language pathologist and other disciplines. I'm privileged to discuss these topics with Ian today. I'm excited to dig into this conversation. And I'm really interested in talking a little bit about your perspectives about kind of the intersection of speech language pathology, and psycho psychotherapeutic interventions, psychological care, those big topics in general. And I know that in our past conversations, we've discussed a little bit about just the profound need for psychosocial psychological interventions for individuals with aphasia and the kind of the lack of access to care for mental health providers, to individuals with aphasia. So maybe we can start out a little bit by just sharing your thoughts on the role of speech language pathologists in addressing communication-based psychological supports for individuals with aphasia and their families.   Ian Kneebone: Well I think the first thing is to say that the whole stroke team should take responsibility for psychosocial issues and challenges, both from a prevention point of view, but also an intervention point of view. Where there's the potential to do so. Particularly with people with aphasia, the speech pathologist, or speech language therapist's role is a real standout one. And we know frequently that this work, because of the communication problems, often falls to Speech, Language Therapists to, you know, by their own admission, feeling unprepared to do it. So, I think there's certainly the will there from speech language therapists to be involved in this work, we just need to provide the right training the right scope of practice, and to get things going. So, this this gap in services is filled. You know, you were talking about the rates of psychosocial issues, but we do know that if you've got a stroke, and you've got a phase, you're afterwards, you're twice as likely as someone with without aphasia after a stroke to be anxious or depressed and have very, very high rates. Even clinical levels of depression are common. I guess it's not surprising anyone who works in the area will know that, but it's still very sobering to restate that statistic.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, it sure is. Just speaks to the tremendous amount of need and, and obviously, we know the tremendous amount of unmet needs for people with aphasia and their family members as well. Just because of how we're barely scraping the surface of this issue, I think, but making some good progress in those directions, you've done some really foundational work on the Stepped Care Model for stroke and even other populations as well. How can SLPs draw upon that model as a way to help them to understand scope of practice issues, to understand where they fit and kind of guide their interventions?   Ian Kneebone: Well, I think Stepped Care has been really useful. And I've gotten great feedback on this not that I invented step care by any means. But certainly, the improving access to psychological therapies model from the UK started this off in mental health. But the opportunity is to convey and allow people to know where they can work and what's appropriate, and when they might need to refer on or co-work with, with another profession. And the Stepped Care Model really does that. So, people are able to say, Well, I'm involved in this group, it's designed to prevent things like depression and anxiety, which are very common, as we just said, and I'm able to learn these skills or apply these practices to improve outcomes and prevent this. But you know, at some point, when these levels of symptoms of such and particularly questions of risk, risk of self-harm, risk of suicide, those sorts of things, when commonly people would refer on to mental health professionals. And I think the unique ability of speech language therapists to provide supportive communication training for mental health practitioners and so on, means that the role goes beyond just prevention, and to actually intervention. But also, to say that the model where people stepped and matched to the level of care they need, means that, you know, there is a scope of practice beyond prevention for speech language therapists, and that's those therapists who choose to train in psychological practices and psychotherapies. So, we do know, for instance, there's some strong work going on at the City University in London, where they're looking at training Speech, Language Therapists in a particular sort of Solution Focused therapy, which is very well regarded as an evidence base. And that's provided by speech language therapists, with the right training and the right background, to develop the competencies and know how to manage risks, and so on. So, the Step Care Model allows people to see where they're at in terms of their scope of practice, when they're on or when, if they want to, what skills they might need to practice at a at a high level.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that's really well, well explained. And that's actually a really nice segue into my next question, because I know, the Step Care Model that you presented back in 2016 identifies some specific psychological interventions. So, you talk about motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy and a number of other approaches. I'm just interested is their kind of a plan in mind or a process in mind that will help to identify other interventions and kind of where they fall to give mental health professionals, speech language pathologists, and other disciplines, kind of a sense of where those other interventions fall. So, things like dialectical therapy and so forth?   Ian Kneebone: Well, there's a range of therapies that we've found useful for people with, with mental health problems, and obviously, it's the application of those to people with aphasia that's the point of interest. And we do now have very promising work going on cognitive behavior therapy for people with aphasia, we've just completed a case series, which is just been accepted by Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, looking at modified CBT for people with aphasia, which is really exciting. We're doing stuff on behavioral activation, which is very promising for people with aphasia and relaxation therapy, we've just completed some case series work, looking at that. And that's really exciting because that was co-designed by people with aphasia, and then then then launched based on that very solid foundation. The more interesting or the very interesting work is being done on some of these, what we call third wave Cognitive Behavior therapies, which are things like Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, for instance. And a lot of that's been leveraged off the brain, the general brain injury literature now where people like Dana Wong, who's from LaTrobe University here has done some seminal work looking at modifying for people with cognitive and communication problems, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Reg Morris from Plymouth University in the UK has done some great founding to work with some of his PhD students and looking at Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for both carers and people with aphasia after stroke, you did mention before, it's easy to focus on, of course, the client or the patient with aphasia, but you know, the need goes beyond that, because the ripple effect of the, of the impact of the communication and, you know, the disabilities that commonly come with stroke as well goes to a person's social circle and familial circle, and including those people in therapy is, is an important part of the investigation as well. Absolutely.   Jerry Hoepner: It's so common, we have partners who are socially isolated as well, just because they're the primary communication partner for that individual with aphasia, and whatever restrictions to participation, they feel, right, it's just all connected.   Ian Kneebone: When I teach my clinical students, I often say like, you no, you've got an identified person who's been referred to you, but you've got to realize that nearby, there's going to be someone who's just as anxious and depressed, if not more so. But at that point, and that we do know, there's a reciprocity between anxiety and depression, that person with aphasia, and, and a significant care person. So, it's really important to include those people in therapy if you can, but being mindful of not including it in a way that adds to the significant burden and challenges. So it's got to be done in a really appropriate way without asking people for things that they're not able to provide, because they're just coping with things like role changes, financial issues, and you know, the loss of the person as the relationship they had with them on account of communication.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. And, as you were talking about that, it makes me think about how that changes over time as well. So those initial kind of burdens, that might be a tough time for them to engage in those kinds of conversations, because like you said, they're just trying to keep their head above water and trying to make it through everything else, all those other role changes and additional roles they've taken on. But I wonder about your thoughts in the chronic phase as, as both the individual with aphasia and their partners start to make those adjustments, if maybe that's an opportunity for some of those interventions.   Ian Kneebone: Those often talk about that that phase is life after stroke. And that's usually about 12 months later, when we know pretty much how people's rehabilitation has proceeded. And people are pretty much aware of how they will be functioning on into the future. And as you say, I think there's a there's a sort of a crisis point when someone's having their stroke. And there's that kind of acute phase where people are adjusting, but the important thing at that time, people think well, my personal, my personal looking after, or I'm going to get better and so on. But it's when that realization happens. So, we find these sorts of emotional difficulties can occur early or later after, after a stroke, with or without aphasia, of course, and that, you know, it's important that people's needs be met, on into the future, the recovery phase in life after stroke. Because many people when we've done this in our qualitative interviewing and surveys by places like the Stroke Association, UK, that people often the 12 months, a lot of the care, a lot of the treatment or drops away. And then as we were talking about the feeling isolated, and well, this is all I'm going to get, and so on, people are really challenged at that time, and we need to be able to provide, you know, supports and therapies on into the future for those individuals. You know, depression, anxiety content, you know, is pretty consistent at any time after a stroke. And when we're really bad at predicting, I think, you know, who's going to be affected at what state so we're going to be going to be vigilant, and we have to be, you know, particularly vigilant, I guess, I'm probably preaching to the converted with your audience here, but that we know that people are anxious and depressed out of stroke effects, their functional outcomes, and including the communication outcomes and so on, you know, if somewhere, you know, I remember seeing someone with a with a swallowing problem and the Speech Language Service was very concerned about this. And they had a day of good mood, and they came to a day hospital party, and now reading these party pies like there was no tomorrow's person's actual ability to swallow. Now I'm not saying it wasn't about risk was altered by their mood state and that that goes across the continuum of the areas which speech language therapists are involved with. So really important for outcomes and not just mood outcomes. You know, being depressed or anxious is distressing in itself. But you know, the ability to make a difference to people's physical and communicaiton outcomes of addressing psychological issues is considerable.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, I like the way that you describe that as being so intertwined and interconnected. So, you can't just separate those pieces out and say, I'm dealing with the physiological issues right now. Now I'm dealing with the psychological or the psychosocial and emotional issues, because there's so interconnected and, and I want to go back to a point you made earlier, which is, so often people early on have that sense of I'm going to be this, it's, I'm not going down the road a year, I'm not going to be one of those people who needs this. So, I'm just going to, you know, nose to the grindstone kind of work through this right now. But it can pop its head up anywhere in that recovery. And, and I think there's some reality that sets in once some of those initial supports are taken away.   Ian Kneebone: I mean, one of the biggest challenges I've faced when I've been in in stroke rehabilitation, and working with Speech, Language Therapists is around when people are using compensation, being asked to use compensation, as a strategy for communication and kind of dealing with all that mean, I'm not going to get any better with my speech. And, and, and, you know, people get really angry, and it's their frustration, and so on, and there's, you know, therapists going to be blamed for it. So, there's a real, real strategy there for dealing with that, and, you know, working with people to retain, retain hope. But you know, being pragmatic with well, you're leaving the hospital, now, you're going to have to communicate there in the community, you want to get out and do some of the things or at least some of the things you used to then how are we going to do this? And how are we going to approach it? But yeah, it can be quite a crisis point.   Jerry Hoepner: And I Yeah, and I think part of our role as a speech language therapist in that context, is to communicate that really well in a way that doesn't set them up for oh, you're switching over to compensatory approaches that you that means you think that I can no longer improve, in terms of my abilities, but rather to convey this is one of several things that we want you to do to be more successful, and to continue to engage. That's, I mean, that's kind of for speech language pathologists who are supposed to be good at communicating those things. We don't always do a very good job of communicating those things. I was thinking a little bit about Deborah Hersch's work on transitions and discharges and how poorly we do and saying, This is what's going to happen. We've got these limitations of the system. But this is the plan, this is not something that you did wrong, this is something that we just need to work through. And when we, I think when we feel discomfort about conveying things like it's time to transition home, or it's time to transition out of therapy, that we don't do a very good job of explaining those things.   Ian Kneebone: Well, I've certainly worked with a lot of members of stroke teams, allied health and speech pathologists, but one of the one of the difficulties, of course, is when we feel uncomfortable about doing it, and it's not the news, people want to hear we kind of beat around the bush. And then when people aren't clear, and you've got people with cognitive and communication problems, it's kind of a perfect storm for it to go amiss. Yeah. So, I think one of the messages I give out is people think if they just communicate it really well, it'll all be fine, and it'll go work fantastically, and people will transition really smoothly. But it's a bit of a wakeup call to realize, however well you put it, this is sometimes news people don't want to hear, and that there's going to be a reaction to that. And just to appreciate that it's not necessarily your fault. But there's the reaction that is it is people becoming aware of limitations going into the future, not the not the recovery they wanted, but the recovery they've got and supporting someone through that is a challenge when sometimes, you know, you're the target of dissatisfaction.   Jerry Hoepner: Right? No, that's such an important point. Just being cautious of that as well. Because certainly, certainly that's an important thing to consider. I'm interested in the process of interprofessional collaboration with mental health professionals with psychotherapists. What are your thoughts on the best way to approach a collaboration or setting up a collaboration with a mental health provider rather than an “oh, this person's got needs beyond what I can provide? Take them off my hands.”   Ian Kneebone: It's just so essential. One of the struggles we've had is that you know many people in my own profession, which is clinical psychology will say, well that this person can't communicate, I can't provide them with therapy. And that's so disappointing because we know if we modify them, we can do that. But certainly, my clinical experience in collaboration is that, you know, working closely with a speech language therapist about the best ways to communicate with someone they've, you know, very thoroughly assessed, is really useful in allowing me to learn and, you know, I work in session with, with therapists, as well as you know, gaining assessments and information and talking to them about that before it. And really importantly, there's a lot of in the research we're doing about collaborating, particularly with collaborating, particularly with speech language therapists, to be able to do those sorts of prevention work and, and therapies we've, we've discussed. And that's been such a joy working with Amanda Lakute, and some other people on that work, and Miranda Rose's team in looking at optimizing mental health and wellbeing in designing, for instance, Jas Sekhon's work, we know, on teaching Speech, Language Therapists, you know, counseling skills, so that they feel competent to support people that first step on the ladder, but also dealing with how speech language therapists can obtain the skills. And also really importantly, this is bringing onboard people with aphasia, to the co-design work, to design things that we know will be effective with them rather. So, we're not doing things to people, we're doing things with people and looking at the best way of designing our interventions. And not just our research, but our clinical interventions, so that they translate well into the different environments, healthcare environments that we work in.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, and kind of three really important points for a speech language pathologist, one, having that training to feel more confident and comfortable with actually carrying out those level one, psychological interventions, but also having training on how to teach mental health professionals how to interact. So, training those communication support strategies is a big part of our role. And if there should be something that we're comfortable with, we should be comfortable as speech language pathologist with training others on how to use those communication supports and   Ian Kneebone: Jas of course is a speech language therapist, Jas and she has got such a great course and such a nice way of delivering that in the speech, language therapy world that it's, it's so nice, and then people say, well, Ian, can't you go and teach us in counseling and like, you know, I'm happy to provide counseling training and different psychotherapies. But, you know, the role model that people like Jas provides in saying, well, this leads, not only can Speech Language Therapists use these therapies I can try and others in them because, but you also know, it's a competency within, within the scope of, of every practitioner really. Yeah,   Jerry Hoepner: absolutely. And, and I think sometimes we forget about that piece, kind of think it's a given that we're going to be able to train other professionals, but I think, also, there's a little bit of that uncertainty, when you're working with someone else about expertise and roles and territory and all of those things you might kind of back off in terms of providing the thing that you are the very, you know, what is your kind of bread and butter, your biggest strength in terms of teaching those things. So, I agree, Jas is fantastic, and the work that she's done in that area has been just so helpful and moving us forward from an educational standpoint.   Ian Kneebone: I guess as a psychologist, I kind of assumed a lot of that work would be the net training was available in courses but as we know, from the surveys and so on, but it has been a bit hit and miss despite the demands and like guidelines, like the Royal College in, in the UK, for people to have those roles, and then it's kind of I know, it's hard to fit everything into the into courses, because there's so much new material on different ways of intervening and assessing, but it's such a core skill that it's good to see that those who may have missed it on the way through that they're released post, you know, these master courses that provide people with to fill in that gap.   Jerry Hoepner: Agreed. And again, there's a lot of a lot of training that still needs to happen yet and a lot more changes to happen in the graduate student training programs for speech language pathologists as well.   Ian Kneebone: When I'm talking to you from Australia, of course, and we're no exception here despite you know the leading lights that we have in this country for speech pathology and trading and communication and counseling skills for people with aphasia we're still working on it here and I know from your surveys, that's still a challenge in the US as well. So, it's a piece of work in progress.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, it definitely is. At least there's some awareness of it. And we're starting to make a little bit of ground, I think in terms of awareness. And definitely when we have international programs for training, speech language pathologists and speech language therapists from a counseling standpoint, but also for working together collaborating on research internationally, I think that bodes well, for our future, I think we're moving in the right direction. I want to return.. Oh, go ahead.   Ian Kneebone: No, no, I'm just agreeing with you. So Oh,   Jerry Hoepner: Oh gotcha. I want to return to the other point that you made about codesign, with individuals with aphasia, involved in that process. And I might have you talk a little bit about the relaxation program that you co designed the calmer program and kind of how that was set up. And what you've learned from that?   Ian Kneebone: Well, we pretty much it's run by Rebecca El-Helou, who's a PhD about the completed a PhD with me, and she's done a range of work, including the Kalmer project, which is part of what we call REDS, which was Reducing Emotional Distress in Stroke program. And we just thought, like, you know, relaxation, it's, it's one of these things that we know works with the general population really well. And, but it's not offered to people after stroke generally, or wouldn't necessarily people with aphasia after stroke. And so one of the things we wanted to do by that is, you know, start developing the evidence base, and we thought, you know, really, there are all these great relaxation programs out there, but will they work with people with aphasia, I mean, the advantages, of course, they can be very communication life, because of the nature of the interventions, you know, which is about, you know, focusing attention, reducing autonomic arousal, using breathing and so forth. So, they can be very nonverbal. So, with you, this is eminently suited, and it's also something that could be online, it can be on your phone, right. And it's such a great thing in terms of accessibility. So we work with people with aphasia, because we thought like a lot of, despite the low level of communication required, that it may not suit everybody, we weren't going to assume that people with aphasia would, would take to it necessarily, and we're so pleased that we got a group I think about 10 or 11, people who were involved with us in looking and going through the, the sort of standardized programs, and then looking at how we could reduce down the communication, and how we could also, you know, just make it user friendly, and whether people needed to care or not to support them in, in getting them online to do it. And just really tightening up something and tailoring it to people with aphasia. So, we've got about two levels of communication, for instance, which people can dial up depending on their needs. And, you know, and while I say we will talk with people with aphasia, we also of course, include speech language therapists and  uh Brooke Ryan, you may have heard her doing her work, she's out in western Australia at Curtin University now doing a great job in, in looking at psychosocial work with people with Aphasia out there. And, you know, certainly it was gone, guided by all the current guidelines on supporting people with aphasia, not only to do the relaxation training, but to communicate their views on the relaxation training and how we might modify it to be more appropriate. So that was great. And we also have recently done behavioral activation study, there's just been a publication in Aphasiology about behavioral activation, which is an intervention, which, at its simplest, is a getting people re engaged with their environment, doing things that they enjoy that they've got mastery over, and they value. And also looking at how it can produce an online program that would support people once again, with or without a carer, to undertake that in a really accessible way assessing accessible communicatively but also because it's online, it's available at the time of your own choosing. And we're really lucky we may not be known as well internationally is in Australia, but we had a lot of work from the Black Dog Institute here, which is developed a lot of online programs. So, we also benefited from their huge expertise in this area, in, in developing something that we hope is going to be really great for people with aphasia and, you know, just get the resource out there. I mean, some of the work we've done is trying to get, you know, health services to be out able to offer treatments but you know, getting clinicians with the time. And you know, getting resources to do that is a real challenge. So, you know, we've got to go with where people may be able to access things themselves through Stroke Association, stroke, foundations, those sorts of things, where possible, so that we can get things out there and kind of like, circumvent all the problems of resourcing in the health community, which, you know, we've got a very different approaches to healthcare in the US and Australia, but the same, the same struggle in trying to get resources to people. And so, we're just looking across the board and how we can do that in this online stuff, particularly with the assistance of real experts, like Black Dog has been a great opportunity here. And we're just like, inevitably looking for funding for the next stage where we can roll it out and provide an evidence base to how useful this might be to people with aphasia after stroke. Jerry Hoepner: I think that's so useful. And I want to kind of make the connection between behavioral activation and the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia interventions that Aphasia Access stands for. And that's just such an important part of everything that we do from a life participation approach is increasing that participation, finding ways to get people reengaged in authentic, meaningful things that they care about. So, I want to make that connection. And the way that that might look for individuals could be part of a community group, it could be an aphasia camp like we offer, and I know that Linda Worrall's group started at a camp in Australia a couple of years ago as well. So they've got a couple under their belt, or, and I think I like this extension into the accessible online format that can reach as many people as possible, even if that's like the way that gets them into the loop, because I think it's hard initially to, to invest in going someplace or becoming a part of a group, things like that. But certainly, there's something to be said about once you're in and once you have that success that comes with having the right supports and having peers who understand you, then it's a little bit easier to take that next step, I think,   Ian Kneebone: Oh, absolutely. And like the across this kind of leisure rehabilitation is something our occupational therapies, therapists colleagues talk about, and the behaviors talk about environment enrichment and so on. And, you know, battle activations, all in that ballpark, and really important for people, as you say, it's certainly part of, you know, Miranda Rose and her team are doing work on community aphasia groups, which are kind of exciting, because they're led by people with aphasia, once again, because of the resources, issues that happens with, you know, trying to fund these sorts of activities. And, you know, there's, that's certainly an important part, and also meeting in the group, as you know, is a valuable, enjoyable experience, both in terms of the support from right from people, you know, looking at what other people are doing, and getting engaged with that, but also, you know, being on a similar journey, and the support that that can give to other people's is, is really valuable, I think, is as part of the process that leads to the positive experiences from those groups. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. And I, and I hope our listeners I got pretty savvy listeners, I hope they pick up on that connection as an important way to return to those meaningful activities and to have a positive effect on mood and other psychological domains. Ian Knebone: Well, watch this space because the works, you know, the initial works being done, but they're rolling it out in Australia, where they've just got some, some country-type areas involved in offering this training to people. So they've developed some really comprehensive training things for the materials for the people, the professionals that support this program, but also for the people with aphasia who lead the groups. There's a PhD should Kathryn Pettigrove, who, who you should get a podcast on, she's just amazing and excited about this work, and you may have seen her in the US recently, but such talks with such enthusiasm about it. So, I would recommend that to you and your listeners. And as the evidence comes out, and it's going to be a great model, I think for helping people to help themselves. Really.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. And you're right, we definitely need to get her on this podcast. I'll write that down as soon as we're done, make sure that we follow up with that terrific point. (See episode 86) Episode #86: Making Aphasia Groups Work   Ian Kneebone: And she's just so enthusiastic, new energy coming into the, into this area, not that there's a lack of energy, but it's just nice to see that, you know, a few people hanging on the baton.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. Yeah. It's great to great to spread that out. Because there's so much to do. There's no no lack of things to do in this area, for sure. I'm interested in your thoughts. You talked a little bit about Jas Sekhon, but your perspectives on training, both future speech language pathologists who are in their training programs and existing speech language therapists pathologist who are already working clinically in seeking continuing education. Can you talk about some of the keys from your perspective to making that education successful?   Ian Kneebone: The first step is, you know, there's still a little bit of work in saying this, you know, convincing people this is part of their role, because some people will, will think, Well, no, I just hand this over to the psychologists that I you know, I don't think we can, we can accept that but, but moving forward. With that, it's really integrating, you know, the right, you know, say step one type interventions like problem solving, behavioral activation, relaxation therapies, and so on, right in into training courses, because these, these are things that, you know, people say, what's a psychological therapy? How am I going to do that? Well, it because it's psychological therapy, it doesn't have to be done by a psychologist is the first point. And a lot of it's kind of manualized and fairly intuitive to professionals. And many people come and say, you know, problem solving, and I've been dealing with all these challenges in my life already. And this just makes such sense. I wish I'd kind of it just, I should have known this already. Because, you know, I'm a slight person, I've got a master's degree in speech, and language therapy. But you know, it's so useful to me as well, and handing over to my clients is just really great. I mean, we do know, there's some work that's been done in the UK looking about Peter Knapp and his colleagues at looking at problem solving as a prevention and, you know, really good RCT results on how that prevents, you know, psychiatric psychological symptoms after stroke.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely.   Ian Kneebone: So, I think it's just rolling out and getting people to be to get over their concerns about and Jazz Jazz program. If you would, then that's, you know, specific counseling skills, but also then add some of these other strategies in. And we've got some experience in doing that recently. It's with step care, Carolyn Baker, who's at Monash University here in Melbourne, has been doing some work with with both online and offline online because of COVID in rolling out these therapies with allied health practitioners, including psychologists, but also Speech, Language Therapists, and being able to do that, and the main thing is just the kind of the structural issues in, you know, adding to people's workload, and allowing the system to support the investment that will, you know, lead, as we say, not just to people coping better with things but also improve, you know, the functional outcomes after stroke. So, while that's been a bit of a mixed feast, in terms of, you know, outcomes, because it's just been so hard to get these systems to take on board the training and get, get the people through these very straightforward psychological interventions that we know will almost certainly benefit people. But we're doing that, as I say, a two-pronged approach, we're looking at the self-help co-design work that can go online and so on and be accessible that way. And also trying to, you know, train every day, healthcare workers in being able to provide these to people with aphasia.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, and when you say, fitting in to people's schedule, or their workload, I mean, I just think that goes both ways, because not addressing these things really limit your outcomes in terms of, kind of, like you said, the communication outcomes are going to improve as those psychosocial outcomes begin to improve.   Ian Kneebone: You know, it's short sighted not to make this investment. But you know, doesn't mean it'll net. And so, you know, the logic doesn't necessarily follow, right. In terms of what happens with healthcare resources. And the other thing is, I guess, we're talking about all what suspects with therapists, fleet Language Therapists role is really important that not to throw the baby out with the bathwater is that, you know, like, if someone's communication can improve their depression and anxiety will improve as well. So, you know, as I often say, when I'm talking to training other allied health people, you know, we've all you know, you've all abandoned the session because someone said or stressed or upset and so on. But if you keep on doing that, something's got to change. You can either refer them on or do some collaborative work with somebody, but not, you know, not stopped doing the OT or the physio or speech language therapy, because you know, those things have to come along with as you were saying earlier, they're all joined up.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, no, that's a, that's a really great point. And they all have to happen simultaneously to be effective, for sure. Ian earlier, you were talking about Carolyn Baker's work, her recent work, and I'm really interested in the low intensity psychotherapeutic interventions from the eDelphi study. Just wondering about kind of your thoughts on what the place is for those you mentioned occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech language therapist. Ian Kneebone: This is Carolyn's most recent work, which is the last data we kept it in the middle of this year has been rolling out training to people, you know medical nursing, speech language therapists and also psychologists in kind of first level step care for people with stroke. So, people were enrolled in the program, and some was telehealth some was not. And they would then choose one of three therapies that they thought might suit them best. And that would be problem solving behavioral activation or relaxation therapy, and then they'd have seven sessions of therapy with that. So these were people who weren't necessarily psychological therapists, although some were providing, providing these sessions within a current health system that's operating day to day with the practitioners from the current health system, rather than you know, someone coming in and doing a great RCT. But then the resources disappear, and you go away, no matter what you prove, one way or the other. And that's been a real eye opener, I mean, that there were major challenges when we started that because of COVID, because so many healthcare workers, as I'm sure there were in the, in the US were, were redirected to other tasks to do with the epidemic. But we've soldiered on, and got that it's a really great learning experience to see. See how that went, how it was rolled out. And we've got one at a time and qualitative evidence that we're going through, it's starting to sift through at the moment to look at what we can really learn from that project about how we do this going forward. I mean, I do not at the moment, it's just that that redirection of resources, particularly under COVID, was so difficult. And that was perhaps a unique time. But the resources, as I was saying earlier, are always under scrutiny and precious. So, right. It's about I think, partly getting the evidence base and so on. So we were talking about relaxation therapy recently. And I've got the irony of people saying, well, you know, you put it in a grant application to do to demonstrate the treatment efficacy, and people said, well, it's relaxation therapy, why wouldn't work? Of course it will work. And then, and then the people say, well, we can't put it in policy, because there's no evidence base. So you kind of you know, it even the same, the in the same grant round. Yeah. And so we're just doing it anyway, we're doing it with PhD students, we're doing it with, you know, startup resources that Miranda Rose in the Center of Research Excellence in Aphasia Rehabilitation in Melbourne have got hold of for us. And we're going to demonstrate the usefulness. So, people will put it in their guidelines and so on. And then the UK National Stroke guidelines, say all this great stuff about some relaxation training, we do the same, but there isn't sufficient, not sufficient numbers, significantly power to demonstrate efficacy and so on. I'm just really grateful they mentioned some of Vaour work. But then I kind of have well, yes, but and, you know, that means it's not rolled out. I used to work in a stroke rehabilitation word in Vatum, in the UK, and we had a number of Allied Health assistants, you know, physiotherapy assistants who've gone off and done all this training in how to do relaxation with people that didn't get any time to provide. So it's kind of like, oh, gosh, you know, it is hard to, sometimes to, to get this happening. But you know, I think there is saying that, but there is kind of a, it's a right time. And you were talking to me before about, you know, five, you know, psychosocial guidelines for people with aphasia, and so on that were being developed. And I think the more that we do that, the more the ability will be there to leverage those resources to people who need them.   Jerry Hoepner: Agreed. I think that is a really good place to start to wind down our conversation because I think we're moving in the right direction. Still, still plenty of work to do, but I'm wondering, kind of as a as a summary are there are two or three things that you think speech language therapist, working with people with aphasia should keep in mind from a psychological intervention standpoint, and what's a good starting point?   Ian Kneebone: Well, I think it's probably the three things I do is like, you know, take it on as part of your work to be aware of these, these these issues and try not to shy away from As tempting as that may be. So, the first thing is, you know, there are good instruments for now that we have screening for anxiety and depression so you can pick those up and they're well within your skill base to use. And then getting the skills and training and things like counseling if you don't have them already, or you don't feel confident in using them, and then getting access to some of these other things. So like Caroline's work, you know, we're hopefully the publish the manual shortly that can guide people, speech language therapists in using those treatments. So that will be something that's out there and a resource that people can use. And once again with it well within the competence of, you know, speech language therapists. And I think finally, you know, just using the great communication skills you've got, even when you're sort of giving people difficult news to receive that. And just being as clear as you can be, you know, how to do the communication. And, you know, kind of accepting people are going to be frustrated. But, but giving it the clarity and the justification in a way that retains people's hope for further recovery but it's pragmatic, to get them functioning as well as they can in the community, because that's so much of the key to people going forward.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. And that's, that's our whole goal to get them reintegrated as much as possible.   Ian Kneebone: So, awareness, skills, communicating effectively regarding the difficulties and the challenges.   Jerry Hoepner: Excellent summary. Well, Ian, it's been fantastic having this conversation. Great to have it again, I don't remember exactly how many years ago we talked. But it's great to have that follow up conversation. And I know our listeners will really enjoy this conversation. So, thank you for being here today.   Ian Kneebone: I'm more than happy to help out and thanks for all the speech language therapists who have contributed to my work. I wouldn't be here without them. And it's great to see this interprofessional learning moving forward. If I hadn't missed out any of the great people I've worked with, I do apologize. But there's just too many of you now, which is part of the success story.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that's a good problem to have. Well, thank you again. Goodbye.   Ian Kneebone: Thanks, Jerry.   Jerry Hoepner: On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening to this episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. For more information on Aphasia Access and to access our growing library of materials go to www.aphasiaaccess.org. If you have an idea for a future podcast series or topic, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access.   Resources: El-Helou, R., Ryan, B., & Kneebone, I. (2023). Development of the “Kalmer” relaxation intervention: co-design with stroke survivors with aphasia. Disability and rehabilitation, 45(9), 1517-1529. Kneebone, I. I. (2016). Stepped psychological care after stroke. Disability and rehabilitation, 38(18), 1836-1843. Morris, R., Eccles, A., Ryan, B., & Kneebone, I. I. (2017). Prevalence of anxiety in people with aphasia after stroke. Aphasiology, 31(12), 1410-1415. Ryan, B., Bohan, J., & Kneebone, I. (2019). Help‐seeking and people with aphasia who have mood problems after stroke: perspectives of speech–language pathologists. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(5), 779-793. Ryan, B., Kneebone, I., Rose, M. L., Togher, L., Power, E., Hoffmann, T., ... & Worrall, L. (2023). Preventing depression in aphasia: A cluster randomized control trial of the Aphasia Action Success Knowledge (ASK) program. International Journal of Stroke, 18(8), 996-1004. Sekhon, J. K., Oates, J., Kneebone, I., & Rose, M. (2019). Counselling training for speech–language therapists working with people affected by post‐stroke aphasia: a systematic review. International journal of language & communication disorders, 54(3), 321-346. Sekhon, J. K., Oates, J., Kneebone, I., & Rose, M. L. (2022). Counselling education for speech-language pathology students in Australia: A survey of education in post-stroke aphasia. Aphasiology, 36(12), 1417-1446. Sekhon, J. K., Oates, J., Kneebone, I., & Rose, M. L. (2023). A phase II randomised controlled trial evaluating the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an education program on speech-language pathologist'self-efficacy, and self-rated competency for counselling to support psychological wellbeing in people with post-stroke aphasia. Topics in stroke rehabilitation, 30(8), 842-864.

Tammy Hanson currently serves as the Elite Education Director at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). In this position, she oversees the day-to-day operations of USADA's education and engagement initiatives, drives strategic planning, and develops effective, data-driven programs that focus on clean sport education. Tammy is recognized for her commitment to supporting global anti-doping partners and ongoing international research.Since joining USADA in 2015, Tammy has overseen a nearly twelvefold increase in education reach, highlighted by a significant rise in coach education, and has contributed to the enhancement of audience-specific content and programs.Originally from Wisconsin, Tammy earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in 2006 and a Master of Science in OrganizationalLeadership from Colorado State University in 2019. Tammy is passionate about empowering athletes with the tools necessary to compete with integrity.Resources- GlobalDROUSADA Athlete resources2024 WADA prohibited listUSADA Supplement ConnectKoopCast with USADAs Matthew FedorkPodcast on NSAIDS in UltrarunningSUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for UltrarunningBuy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.Information on coaching-www.trainright.comKoop's Social MediaTwitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

B.J. Hollars is the author of several books, most recently Wisconsin for Kennedy: The Primary That Launched a President and Changed The Course of History. He is the founder and executive director of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and the Midwest Artist Academy, as well as a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and a columnist for The Leader Telegram. Hollars sits down for a terrific chat to discuss those who supported Kennedy in Wisconsin to defeat Hubert Humphrey, his upcoming documentary and a tidbit on the bizarre. Give us a Follow on Spotify and Instagram and a like on Facebook. Co-Hosts: Becca Schoenborn & Dustyn Dubuque

SLP Jerry Hoepner discusses the ways SLPs can help patients address barriers to care and connection following a traumatic brain injury.A professor at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Hoepner studies the experiences of people with TBIs and their interactions with health care providers. As a part of his research, he's gathered and published observations from people who have experienced brain injuries. He shares what he's learned from that research, highlighting the chronic phase of care and the powerful role of conversation groups for those with TBIs.Transcript

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Justin's been in marketing since he was a kid when his mom asked him to design the invitations to her tea party. That was the gateway drug. In middle school, he dabbled in logo design with his friends. In high school, his art teacher said, “You should try a career in graphic design.” So he went to the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, where he got a BA in graphic design. He went to work full time growing a non-profit with new marketing methods, in many cases doubling their income from various events or campaigns. Then he moved to a B2B manufacturer, where his award-winning work enabled them to grow from $70M to $90M ARR. Realizing he was an entrepreneur, he made the leap to business ownership in 2018. Today, he helps executive coaches and solopreneurs attract ideal clients with click-worthy videos for social media. What you will learn in this episode: Why now is the best time to get into short-form videos Why you should be spending your time where you are most valuable How to provide value, insight, and entertainment through your videos What it says for you when you produce consistent, valuable content Resources: Website: https://www.dialogwith.us/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinvajko/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dialog-design-co/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jvajko

Welcome to the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. I'm Jerry Hoepner. I'm a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and co-facilitator of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp, Blugold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, and Thursday Night Poets.  I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources. I'm today's host for an episode that will feature Paula Valente and Dr. Assunção (Maria) Matos from the Portuguese Institute of Aphasia (IPA). In this episode, we'll be discussing Paula and Maria's role in building three dimensional social, LPAA in Portugal from the ground up. Biosketch: Paula Valente is a Speech and Language Therapist, social entrepreneur and responsible for the creation of IPA. She realized that there are important gaps in the therapeutic interventions that are offered to the person with aphasia in Portugal. With the support of partners in Portugal and in another countries, and with a team consisting of a speech therapist, a psychologist, a social worker and volunteers, Paula is convinced that the path will not be easy, but it's possible.   Dr. Assunção (Maria) Matos is a Lecturer at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. Her work is grounded in the WHO-ICF model and social, LPAA approaches to aphasia rehabilitation. As one of Paula's teachers, she influenced the development of the IPA and is a crucial partner in the innovative programming that they offer. Take aways: Shift to Social Approach: SLPs in Portugal moved from a medical model to a social approach in aphasia intervention, realizing the limitations of traditional speech therapy alone. Comprehensive Support Program: EPA in Portugal offers a wide range of services, including therapy, psychology, and caregiver support, aiming to enhance the lives of people with aphasia and their families. Limited Services in Portugal: EPA is the sole organization providing such extensive aphasia support in Portugal, serving the entire country, with an emphasis on online services to reach distant regions. Professional Training Focus: Assunção Matos emphasizes holistic training for speech-language pathology students, preparing them for diverse practice settings by exposing them to various intervention approaches. Fundraising Challenges: EPA faces fundraising challenges in Portugal due to limited access to funds and philanthropic support. To sustain their services, they generate revenue through clinical services, therapy programs, online courses, and book sales. They also have associates who contribute annually. Despite challenges, they are working to demonstrate the effectiveness of their approach to gain government support for sustainable funding.   Interview Transcript: Jerry Hoepner: Well, it is my privilege today to have a conversation with Paula and Maria. So, we're going to just begin talking about the programming that they've started within Portugal. And I'm just really excited to have this conversation. I think this is a unique conversation for aphasia access. Because we're really get to talk about the process of building a program within a country from the ground up from scratch. So, I think we're used to stepping into this process partway through and again. This will be a really fun conversation. So welcome, Maria and Paula. And yeah, welcome to Aphasia Access. Assunção Matos: Okay, thank you. Thank you, Jerry, for the great opportunity of being here with you, sharing our experiences and our dreams. It's an honor to be here with you. Honestly, thank you.   Paula Valente: I make my [unintelligible]. It's the same. Thank you very much. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. I have to say I was really privileged to have some conversations with Maria and Paula at the IARC Convention in Philadelphia last spring. So got the opportunity to meet there. And obviously really interested in learning more about your work and programming that you started in Portugal. So. we were talking just before this podcast about your name, and then you call it the EPA or the I.P.A. I was saying that in a in English we'd probably call that the Portuguese Institute of Aphasia. But I'll let you explain the name a little bit from the Portuguese standpoint. Assunção Matos: So, IPA is Instituto Português da Afasia the so it's exactly what you were saying in in in English. I.P.A. is known as EPA all over all over the country and it was decided to call the association like this? It was actually it was Paula's decision. Paulo, do you want to say something about it? Paula Valente: No, we just at a name to our legal name is another one, because in when we did the registration of the organization, we had to choose another name. So, our name is Afasia. It's like, if IPA. Afasia Epaphazia. So, our organization of the legal name is Epaphazia. But the trademark Is Instituto to Portuguese Epaphazia. That was the Portuguese Institute of Fascia. When we choose this name it was a little bit scary, remember, as soon, so I don't know if because we were afraid to do. To tell people this is a big thing we are a Institute is an institute is a reference is something that sounds like very credible. And we want to do that. But at the time it was the beginning, and we were like, I hope this will work. So was like, okay, let's do. Let's do, Let's do this with this big name, impressive name. And what's also a strategic name to show the people that we were doing something with something good, something with good basis and good principles, and the with and impact to the person the people with the afasia. So, we were a little bit afraid at the beginning, but with the responsibility we were taking. But I think it was the right choice. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, I agree. I think it's a great name and thank you for filling in a little bit of that background. In full disclosure. There's no way I could pronounce the Portuguese version of that name. So really happy to have you do that? But yeah, this really speaks to that kind of building from, you know, from the ground up from scratch. Paula, I'm interested in a little bit more on that. How did the EPA or the EPA come about? Paula Valente: Okay. So, I was. I've been a speech therapist since 2008, and I did my practice with a Assunção. She was my teacher in the hospital and maybe she can tell a little bit. She influenced me at the time because when I finish that practice internship, I was convinced that my mission, my life mission, and my professional vocation was to work with people with aphasia in a socio model or in more psychosocial model, because she taught me that in the hospital. So, from there I study about that, I did my master in that field like my master. I'm sorry about my English, so try to understand me, please. My master was about partner training aphasia partner training, communication training. And from there I was convinced that I had to do more to help people with the Aphasia to live better, besides the aphasia I was working at the same time in hospital context, public one. And I was also working in a private clinic with patients with a phase. So, I saw the difference of get to work in more functional and communicative way with the people, with the, with the person, with the patient and his family, and in a medical model. So, I was seeing the differences I was studying, and I thought no, I would love to help the people with the aphasia to in Portugal, because I was also understanding better the public services to this, this to these persons to person with aphasia, and I started to feel that I could do more. Something started to make me dream about a common community program or center and at the time I had to I did the A social internship course, Intensive program training program that give tools that I needed to start making my dream a reality. So, at the time after I did that social entrepreneurship course, I said goodbye to my jobs and I started a pilot project. The name of Pilot project was Aphasia 3D. Because at the time I thought already to work in 3 dimensions, person with aphasia, family and friends and community. So, to achieve a better life with the aphasia I needed to working that 3 levels. So, the pilot project was aphasia 3D was the name but when he I did my pilot project I called was from Zoom at the time she was my teacher, but also she gave me orientation in my thesis master thesis a project and I call, and I talk. I talk with her. We had a conversation about these, and she was a big supporter. So, she at the big since the beginning, she told me. Paula, I am with you and I will help you. I will be on your side. Let's go. So, she was very, very important. Since the beginning, since everything I don't know. So, add in the final of that. Here the pilot project began and we started to invite some people with the aphasia, some family members, some friends of mine to be the social organization. I don't know. How do you say in America. But we, when we, we have to have a group of founders to register our organization to founder organization, we have just say, let me see. I think it's the Board of the Association. Yes, it's like we have the board. We have a structure and we invited people to do that with us. And then, born the organization the ONG EPA institute together the maybe I can now talk more about what we do but maybe someone can explain better how she influenced me to do that, because is also our passion. Assunção Matos: Well, first of all, first of all, I think I need to do a clarification. My name is Maria. I'm also Assunção, so when Paula is talking about this and some, I'm the same person to say and all other people from other countries, what can I say? I started as an speaking language therapist in the nineties and my first job as an SLP was in a cerebral palsy center with children and their families and indicators and in this kind of center we were very already at the time we were very focused in intervention, on communication. So, it was really common to work with the children, with their family members with the augmentative and alternative communication systems, low high technology. So, this was very common for this population already. So when I changed my job 2 years later, and I went to a central hospital with people with aphasia, my idea of working as an SLP was, you know, focused in communication, and not just in speech or language but thinking about people with the aphasia at the time. The medical model of intervention was the strongest one in hospitals in Portugal, maybe around the world. I'm not sure so when I started working with my patients, I thought I have to do more. This is not enough, so I was not happy about what I was doing, because after months and months of therapy my clients, they were just looking the same. They were not improving their functionality, or they were not doing their lives, as I thought they could do if I did something different. So, I start looking. I went to congresses. I went to the International Society. How many different alternative conferences by the time in the Netherlands, and I started looking, for no one uses AAC with the people with the aphasia So I started also looking for papers, and then I could find Linda Worrall, Aura Kagan, Audrey Holland and I started dreaming. So, policies, EPA is my dream, and I used to say that Paula did what I wanted to do, and I was not able to do because I couldn't just quit my job As she did so, I started at the same time I started teaching in the SLP course and in 2000 the ICF appeared. I'm trying to jump, not to be too boring and everything made sense to me. So, I started looking for different ways of working even at the hospital, and I started bringing the family, bringing the family members to the hospital. I started them trying to train my patients with the total communication approaches. I tried to do my best, because it's not easy in a medical context, you know, to change minds and to change in. That's why, Paula, she's saying she came to me as a student. I was doing this this kind of job. I was trying to apply what I've learned from AAC and children with cerebral palsy, and I was doing some experiences with my patients And also suddenly I met some people in in the Isaac Conference that I told you about few minutes ago and I got involved in a multinational project where we were trying to develop a specific software for people with aphasia to communicate better with a portable AAC device, I can say I'm very proud to be involved in in that project. And so that's how I started. That's how I started. Jerry Hoepner:  That's fantastic. It's just been fun listening to your story kind of a microcosm of things that have happened in other countries, I think, in terms of moving from the sense of the medical model isn't meeting the needs of the people that we're serving. I heard, you know, just a little bit of some of my conversations and everyone's conversations with Audrey over the years so we shift from a very medical behavioral approach to one that is more of a social functional approach. I can just hear those same threads kind of being woven into your stories. And just really, really interesting, I mean. Assunção Matos: Sorry. Sorry, sorry, Jerry. It's just to say that in Portugal no one was then I know no one was working in this swaying, in a more social approach. And Internet wasn't like it is today. So it was really hard to get access to the papers. But I also remember buying the book beyond the fascia from the connect in London and I got in love about connect. Yes, I still have it here also. And I decided, I said to my husband, I have to go to London, and I decided to go to the connect and see how they were working, and do the training the trainers course that they were that they were well, I was trying. It was hard, but I was trying to do it in a different way, because I could see my patients after months and months of therapy linguistic therapy it wasn't enough, and I felt I have to do something else. Jerry Hoepner: So insightful. And I think so many people have come to that conclusion about social approaches and the life participation approach. That Doing those impairment-based pieces alone is just not enough right? Not that they don't have a place, but alone. They're not enough. I think it's really great. I was thinking about Paula's thesis on communication partner training, and how that must just sprung out of all of these discussions, and certainly just central to a life participation approach. The other thread that I kind of heard from both of you is this idea of the dream that you started to have to create something to fill this gap? Maria, I like the way that you said that? You know you started dreaming, and Paula made that dream happen. Paula Valente: Maria knows that I am the crazy, 2 of us is necessary courage conditions of obviously, because as the sun sounds said I was married. But I didn't have children yet. So, at the time I thought, Okay, it's now or never, because soon I will have my family, and it will be very difficult for me to do this kind of choices to quit my jobs. Goodbye, my jobs! No, so it's now, and never. My husband was still in love with me so at the time was easy to convince him that I wanted to do that. I quit my job at that time. For the beginning of EPA. I was doing voluntary work. I did all without receiving anything, so that was not easy. Choice but it was necessary. A little bit of courage and a little bit of  craziness like I was. We were doing something that's in Portugal. We don't. We didn't have a big organization behind us or supporting us. So, in terms of giving us the structure or the security to do something. So, It was like doing a house from the 0 from the ground, so didn't have any money at all. So, everything was started from the 0, and it was a little bit scary. And III admit that I was a little bit crazy, but I think and persistence, because the difficulties were, and they are so almost 9 years later it years later, 8 years later, we are here but this is a big adventure, and he in still is Jerry Hoepner: Courage, persistence, a little bit of risk taking I'm not going to say that you were crazy, but those are things that help you move it along, and I can see now why you so connected with Maura Silverman and the Triangle of Aphasia Project.   Paula Valente: Yes, she was the biggest, when I started. I also. II remember very well to be on the aphasia, because the book, because when I started, my internship gave me the book to read, and I was like I come from the school with a medical model mindset, like language and speech, and she gave me the beyond the feature read this. And let's think about this in your internship. So, when I started to, okay, let's think about these programs. This center I went to connect also was my first experience with the center personal experience. And then I contact there numerous centers around the world, mainly in America, of course, but also some here in Europe and Australia to learn from them, to learn from the programs, to learn about the programs, about the social, the about the business model, how they sustain their activities, how they communicate with the community, how they articulate with another organization. So I did a lot of contacts, and I talk with many people and Maura was one of the most the most easiest person. I don't know how to say that sorry was very available, and she talked and she wrote a letter of support. She was incredible, so that was very important to me at the beginning to start to organize the structure of our programs. I can explain how we work at the moment. what we do at the moment. But I want to say also that many things have changed through the years. We learn a lot with experience, with the errors, with the feedback. That person, either. Persons with aphasia and their families told us so. We learn every year we did changes about the protocols, about the instruments about the programs, about the number of persons that we involve, the number of Anyway, many, many changes were done. And I think we will. We will do that kind of adaptations along the way, because they are very important to achieve our goal better. Okay? So, we have to listen to be aware of the impact, the results. The feedback is very important to getting better. Okay? So, what we do now is, I think our better version of the programs but I think maybe in 2 years we will be doing things differently. Jerry Hoepner: That makes sense and I think you approach this whole process in the right way by connecting to those people. And you know everything you said about Maura rings true, right that she's available, and she is excited to get me going and to share my knowledge. So why, so I would love to hear about what you're doing right now. I think you said 9 years it's been so...   Paula Valente: We, 1916 was the founding year. I started the pilot project in 2015. So, I quick myself therebefore. So, it's almost 10 years in this adventure. It's all. But the organization is only 8 years. So, when our main objective with our association, our mission is to improve the quality of life of people with the aphasia and their families so to do, that we have to we organize our working 3 targets out all the targets. Population. Okay, audiences. Okay, we work with people we work with. And for people with aphasia themselves we work with and for family members and friends and we have we have to work to the community to a more inclusive and community communication accessible community. Okay, so we have activities actions in the these 3 main, groups. Okay, for these 3 main groups for the people with aphasia and the families we have. Hmm, 2  responses. Okay, we have resources and information we wanted to give them the more resources, more information about the aphasia, about how to leave with the aphasia, how to recover the path that the different teams that are important to them to learn more about what aphasia is  And now to leave with the aphasia So we work a lot to offer to Japanese to offer resources and information in our websites in our social networks, with lives in the Facebook, with conversations online, with the workshops, with events, to talk about aphasia, to inform, etcetera. So, we work a lot to give them resources and information free for free. Okay, that's when before EPA, It was very difficult to them to find anything in Portuguese. Okay? In the Internet, or in another ways, in books or in La leaflets, leaflets. Okay? So, they didn't have many choices, many options. So now they have. If they go to our website, to our YouTube channel, to our net, Facebook, page, Instagram, they have videos. They have aphasia friendly videos. They have informational videos. They have testimonials. They have documentaries. They have many things in English that we put legend, subtitles. So, we work a lot in this field of information and resources. Okay at the same time for people with aphasia and families, we develop programs. Okay, you call programs in America and we in Portugal, we don't call that programs but we called like therapies. Okay, it's more the term for us. Your programs for us. We call therapies. We develop different therapies to give responses to the aphasia, the necessities, communication, necessities, and the goals of people with aphasia ask us for help. More concrete, more rehabilitation help. So, at the beginning we were doing only group programs. Okay, with many different types of groups. Okay? But at some point, we saw that was not for some people that was not sufficient because they needed help to communicate better, to develop resources for themselves, to adapt better to aphasia to work some psychology, psychological problems or family problems. So, the group conversational groups, communication pho, functional communication groups, they were good, but they were not, some of them to respond to their particular needs. Okay? And we started to do individual sessions with them also. So at the moment we have like a program, a response to them. So, it's like a service. Okay? That when people with aphasia ask for our help to live with aphasia, to have speech therapy. They want to. They ask us for a specialist. So, they see if a specialist team, so they ask us to help them. So, the first thing we do is an assessment, and the that assessment includes not only the language, the impact of aphasia on the language domain, but also in the participation activities like psychological states, family members, networks social network so we have, we do a global holistic assessment and then we have a reunion. We have a session that we call decision reunion. In that decision reunion we discussed with the person with aphasia in an aphasia friendly way. So, with communication, support to conversation, communication and we show the results. We explain what the evaluation show us and we discuss in in with them their main goals and then we make together a plan and that plan is not only to do things in EPA is not that focus. So, the plan is out. What I can do at the moment to feel better, to achieve my goals. Okay, something, some things they can do with our support. But other things they can do outside. So, we also give them another options. We talk with another professionals or organizations, and we help them to make decisions and go through the process. So, if they want to do something with us, we have only three objectives in the center of the process. So, everything they do they do to achieve the objectives that were clarified in that discussion in that conversation initially and then we start doing. They can do with, not with us individual and group sessions of speech, therapy, psychology, neuro psychology, communication training. All of these approaches are personalized. They follow the pace of the evolution of the person and their needs. And we also and they are all very different. So, some of them do only individual start from start doing only individual sessions. Then they go to the groups. Some of them do only groups, some of them do groups and individual. It depends on their path, their situation, their goals, and the in the continuum of care. So, where they are okay, so with the family members is the same. They are very involved since the beginning, so we will offer to them individual or group sessions that go that will help them in their needs. So, from the beginning and along the way we are always talking with them and give them what they need. So we have also caregiver groups and communication training groups and communication training individual sessions everything to promote adaptation to aphasia, to improve the relationships, the well-being, the success of interactions. We promote also meetings with people with the aphasia, and there, another with them. Sorry. We promote. Provide also meetings with another family members and in in group sessions it makes sense. Sorry about my English. Jerry Hoepner: Totally makes sense, Paula. Well, you have a just a breadth of services that you offer, and I know those have evolved kind of over the years, but very collaborative, very person centered. It seems like, you've really thought this through. You've obviously brought upon a lot of resources to do that. A couple of things I wanted to know. One is you mentioned those video resources and other resources. We'll make sure that those are available on the show notes, so people can connect and check those out even if like. I watch some of them and just to get a little taste of what they look for obviously, I don't switch Portuguese, but just valuable just to have those resources. The other thing I'm wondering about is what's the area that you serve. I mean because it seems like you may be one of the only collaborative social programs in your area. Paula Valente: Yes, we at the moment. If you want to say something, please interrupt at the moment we serve. All the country we are. We are not a big country, but unfortunately, people with aphasia in Portugal they don't have many choices, and after the rehabilitation centers or the care the main public centers that in the acute phase they go, they get, they go there, and then they go home. When they go home, the choices to continue the rehabilitation are very few. And we in Portugal we are the only organization that are doing this work, and specifically with aphasia. We people with aphasia. So, we receive calls from all over the country and, but we are in Portugal and that is the second main city in Portugal. So, we have Lisbon. That is the capital, and then we have Porto is another big city, but in North and we are in Portugal. So, we can't see everyone in Portugal, mainly the people that live near us but with COVID we started to do many teletherapy and now we have almost 50 people with aphasia doing online services. So, at the moment, we have also online groups and individual online sessions and consultation sessions that are like a specialty consultation that we do to that families that only want some someone who helps them to decide things to understand what to do next, and that help us help them to decide what to do. So, we do a lot of consultation sessions that are more periodic and we go through. We. We've talked to them through the year to see how things are going. and to give them more information about what they should expect from the rehabilitation, from the therapist, from the communication, and give them psycho education, but also orientate them. We do a lot of that kind of in-service. Okay. So now, we have many people in our presential activities in our center. But we are the only organization in Portugal. So many people from other cities are asking for help and we are trying to go to Lisbon to create some groups and some enlistment. But Lisbon. But it's something that takes time. Okay, so it's another something that will take some time to happen. And this year as soon sound, Maria will start a group also in the university. So, it's something this kind of different points of presential group. Presential groups. I think, will be the next step to give other options to the, to the persons with aphasia in Portugal.   Jerry Hoepner: Wow! What an incredible breadth of services, and literally in in terms of area. I can't imagine serving all of the people with the face that in State of Wisconsin, which is probably smaller than Portugal. So that is that's really incredible. And wow! What a service! And I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about training professionals and students, because I feel like that might be an important step for having a broader network of people that concern people with a phage throughout Portugal. Maria, are you willing to talk a little bit about some of the trainings that you've done with professionals and your connection with the university and training students? Assunção Matos: Yeah, yeah, I can only tell you about my experience. There are other schools SLP, from my perspective. What I tried to teach my students is a bit of every type of approaches, because in one side, I know that when they go to their practices, they will find some places where the medical model is still very active, so I have to prepare them in order to know how to work with people with the phase in a more linguistic approach. But at the same time, I try to tell them about social approaches and about live participation approach. And II it's not easy, because I don't have much time to do it. But I try, you know, I'm a really big fan of the ICF so I try to prepare them to know how to work according to the ICF and how to work in the different domains the ICF suggests at the same time. We have established the Protocol with the IPA at our university, the University of Avairo. So, my final students, some of them those who want to work and wishes to do their practices in the field. Some of them are going to the EPA for 16 weeks and they do their practices there, and also during that that the time they have to develop an investigation project. So, most times I try to see with Paula we share the needs of the IPA, and we try, you know, to go and to work with the students and try to do some investigation that has an impact for the EPA and for the colleagues who work there. And this is this is great work. At the same time, just to finish me and Paula, we have been doing the SCA. The supportive conversation with adults in Canada and since then, we are doing lots of lots of workshops with the health professionals in many different hospitals. I'm also trying to do some investigation about it, because we don't have it in Porto. Well, so I tried to involve my master students and we are, you know, working together, trying to change minds trying to change the settings in order to people with the face you to leave better from the beginning, when they wake up in the hospital. If they have their health professionals prepared to communicate better with them. We read it from other countries, and which really believe it. So, we are trying also to make some changes and I've started also last year. Doing some SCA work with the other students from other courses. In my university we have nursing students. We have physiotherapists. And we have radiology students. So, at the beginning of the of the year we are doing some online courses to prepare them before going to their practical settings and communicate with the people, with aphasia, or with other communication disorders. So, this is my experience. This is what we are trying to do. Jerry Hoepner: Such important work I can't imagine. I've had so many kind thought leaders and researchers and clinicians that have guided me in this process, and that it wait so much of that groundwork out. So, I just can't imagine building that from the start. And what you're doing is so important. Assunção Matos: This year we are planning to start group therapy with people with the face, you know, because I am at the moment I am 100% at university. So I left my hospital and I really miss my patients and I miss, you know, to do the to be an SLP in practice And because there are not many groups in the country, as Paulo was saying. So, we are trying to organize group therapy for people with aphasia, maybe to do also some work with their family members and the idea is to do the group therapy and trying to do some investigation at the same at the same time. Now it's better going to be the challenge for this year for me. Paula Valente: I just want to say that at the beginning we were offering some workshops and training for the professional health professionals about aphasia, about how to communicate, and other topics that are important from for them to manage better the person with the aphasia since the beginning and we started to see that the health professionals. They don't have time to do training and they don't have money they don't have. They don't want to invest in this kind of training. They want training, but they want that accessible for them so it but the accessible means free without costs and preference in their setting. So, we have to go there to give them the training, because if they have to go some an another place, they don't go. So, where LPA was finding these things and was okay, what we can do. So, one of our works was to find funding programs to fund 2 projects that are, that the main objective is train, the health professionals to communicate. And so along these lines, we did a lot of free training in settings like hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and main mainly financed by those kind of funds. Assunção Matos: Let me just highlight that we are not doing this training alone. So, we are involving people with aphasia in the training. So, we, me and Paulo, we explore the more theoretical parts and then we have people with the aphasia, with us who are the trainers in, you know, in in practice. And II also would like to highlight that this is something that we have tried from the beginning to involve people with the phase in their family members. our Vice President is a woman with the aphasia we have some family members that belong to the Board of EPA. And we from the beginning. The idea was, as Paula already said, work with them and for them and I think this is something that is really is really important. And it's very, you know, for us it's very good. It makes us feel very good about it. Jerry Hoepner: Totally agree. And I mean, it is really impressive that the amount of work that we've been certainly important work. And I get the feeling that the 2 of you probably don't sleep a whole lot. You're certainly doing a lot. I don't know a lot of good things, and you're doing them the right way. So maybe I can shift gears one more time. To talk a little bit about the business end of things. cause that's a part of building from the ground up.  Would either, if you like to start talking about your model. Paula Valente: Yes, since the beginning we wanted to be a social entrepreneurship project. So, what is that? We want to solve a social problem that the public services weren't solving. So, we have innovative responses, services, resources but we also have business model near underneath that because we wanted to. We thought, and I think I'm sorry about my English. I can't I my English day. II feel like I have a aphasia because it's like II know everything. I know what I can. I won't say, but I can say it. I don't speak English every day, so I'm sorry I'm not in the academic field, so I don't have many, many opportunities to train my name, my English, what I am saying our goal is to be sustainable and I personally believe and I think that the EPA boards are completely aligned with this is that the solutions that EPA offers to people with aphasia are not only our responsibility to sustain, to provide is something that is a responsibility from all is responsibility. Okay, I, Paul, sound the board. All this, the people involved that we have the responsibility to, because we started that. So, we have the responsibility to provide the organization, and guarantee that all is working. But in the end, the solution doesn't depend only on EPA, we need the community to achieve our goal. We need the people and their families to achieve our goal. So, everyone as responsibility in this this is, I don't have anyone with aphasia in my family. I could have aphasia someday but  is not only my responsibility to bring this to the community, or somebody that has aphasia is our responsibility, because in the end some of us really have aphasia. My family member, my neighbor, also is our responsibility. So, when we started this organization, the social organization. We want it to be sustainable. But we don't want it to be depending on funding on the States because many of our social organization in Portugal. They have the tradition of being funded by the States. They are. They have a lot of funding that comes from the States and that is a problem, because states they don't have many money to owe it. So, they don't do the better job because they don't have money sometimes. Sorry about my English. So, we thought, if you want to do better than the State, we don't,  If they have a responsibility. We want them to participate, but they don't have the only responsibility we have the wrong responsibility. But the piece, the person with the aphasia and their families that are beneficiating from our services. From these services. From this organization they also have to compensate. And as organization, we have to be aware that to be accessible to all okay, we have to be open to different kinds of participation. So, people with aphasia will compensate will pay for some services in different ways, in different measures and that was the difficulty we had to the term to at the beginning. We have to think about how to do that. So, at the moment, we have different recipes.   Jerry Hoepner: If we put maybe multiple different funders sounds like that are contributing. Is that what you mean? Paula Valente: So, we go get money from different our services, clinical services, our programs group programs, okay and individual programs. So, people with aphasia pay for part of it. If go do fundraising to pay another part and our and our objective, our goal is the community, the municipalities and the state pay another part. So, we don't have to lose our sleep. Doing fundraising is very difficult in Portugal, I think, from what I learned from other centers, our reality is different in Portugal. We don't have many we don't have access to fundings and programs and investments. And the philanthropic minds is not something very easy in Portugal, very available. So, we do fundraising in Portugal and do fundraising to help people with the aphasia. What is aphasia? What is that? So that is very, very, very, very, very difficult. So, we need to involve people with aphasia. So, they pay for their services for our services. They pay for our therapies, but they don't pay for resources. They don't pay for information. They don't pay for workshops for some of if events that we do that are open and they are invited to come. But therapy with therapists that we have to pay. They have to pay also we have services. We sell courses some of online courses. We did. In our websites, you can see mainly in Portuguese. But we have online courses with very good programs, very good professionals, international colleagues that help us to do the courses. They are another source of income, not a big one, but they help. We did a translation of some communication books from Aphasia Institute, and then we sell them to give us also some in income. So, we have members of our association and pay a contribution. Yes, like every year they pay a contribution. So, we have, some associates that do pay an annual contribution. We do a lot of fundraising and we try to develop more services to, not to people with the aphasia, but professionals that give us income to sustain the organization. So, it's a hard work. But it's in the beginning, because we, it's difficult to involve the municipalities and the States. In these solutions we have to prove that they are better, or they have major impact in in the lives of the persons with the aphasia, but also in their pockets the state pocket, because we have to prove that our support, our kind of approaches make more difference and the people with the aphasia that stay in the State. The public services consume more resources during more time And they don't go. They don't achieve their goals in the end so we are now trying to show the Government our model of work may for the in the future they maybe support some incorporate some of these approaches in their public services. So, it's another way to support. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that's it. I was going to say, yeah, that's a lot of work to do. I mean, you're providing all of the services you're providing a lot of the fundraising and providing a lot of education to students and professionals throughout the country at no charge in many cases. So certainly, this is a grassroots ground up kind of work. it has been a really fun conversation. And I think we did continue this conversation for hours. It sounds like, but unfortunately, we have to close it up at some point. I just want to see if there's any last thoughts that you want to share with our listeners. Assunção Matos: I just want to say that it looks like it is a lot of work but I really believe in what I'm doing. I still dream Paula is doing one of my dreams, but I still dream that in the future, if I have aphasia, I will find one of my students doing the best job with me. This is my, this is my dream. That's why I believe so much in what I'm doing in And I'm always trying, you know, to move on into and to do different things and best things because I really don't want to face the difficulties people with the aphasia yet face in Portugal, because it's different to have aphasia in Portugal, or to have aphasia in Australia, for instance and I want to do my best job so I can enjoy it in the future.   Paula Valente: I just want to say it's really worth working on a live participation approach, because it really makes all the difference in the people. It's an adventure but it's worth it. And I hope that this conversation inspired other colleagues to do the same, or to continue doing the same. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. I think that's a great way to end. Thank you both so much. You've been just great to have this conversation with. Really enjoyed it, and I know that our listeners were will enjoy it like you said. I hope this inspires someone else to take on this kind of work. So, thank you so much.   Assunção Matos: Thank you, Jerry. It was a pleasure. Paula Valente: It was a pleasure. Thank you for the opportunity. Jerry Hoepner: You're welcome.   Jerry Hoepner: On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening to this episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. For more information on Aphasia Access and to access our growing library of materials go to www.aphasiaaccess.org. If you have an idea for a future podcast series or topic, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access.   Resources: Online courses with national and international lecturers: https://ipafasia.pt/formacao/ Mobile application for communication support and functional and social interactions:  https://ipafasia.pt/aplicacao-movel-da-afasia/ Info-graphic videos: https://ipafasia.pt/videos-informativos/

Welcome to the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. I'm Jerry Hoepner. I'm a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and co-facilitator of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp, Blugold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, and Thursday Night Poets.  I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources. I'm today's host for an episode that will feature Lauren Schwabish. In this episode, we'll be discussing Lauren's work on groups for parents with Aphasia and person-centered approaches to primary progressive aphasia interventions. Biosketch: Lauren Schwabish M.S., CCC-SLP is the owner of Neuro Speech Services, a private practice based in Northern Virginia, specializing in person-centered assessment and treatment of cognitive-communicative disorders related to stroke, brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, ADHD, and other neurologic and neurodegenerative conditions. Lauren received her Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Communicative Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a master's degree in Communication Sciences from Hunter College of the City University of New York. She is licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia and state of Maryland and is a certified member of the American Speech Language Hearing Association. She has over 23 years of experience working in hospitals and acute rehabilitation centers and is passionate about providing meaningful and accessible health education about the brain to patients, families, and health care professionals. Lauren is committed to empowering communities with evidence-based information and best practices in brain health behaviors.   Take aways: LPAA is vital to understanding what the client wants and needs from you as a clinician Parents with aphasia encounter many of the same challenges that all parents experience as they're raising small children but this is further complicated by aphasia While work and other community obligations may go on hold after aphasia, parenting doesn't go on hold People with aphasia who are in the process of raising children benefit from peers who understand what they're going through People with PPA are still connected to their family and kids and need support in navigating everyday conversations that are necessary to parenting and participating in their children's lives Group therapy provides a safe and supportive environment for people with PPA to find supports or relate to others that have similar experiences as them Learn how to be “a purveyor of hope” for individuals with PPA and their families Interview Transcript: Jerry Hoepner: Well, welcome, Lauren. I'm really excited to have this conversation with you today. And I thought maybe it would be a good thing. If we kind of begin by introducing our readers to your experience as a speech language pathologist, and kind of what led you along this life path of participation approaches to Aphasia and that person centered approach which is really central to what it sounds like you do in your in your workplace setting. Lauren Schwabish: Yes, thank you so much for having me. I'm a big fan of aphasia access and the podcast is on my it's on my feed routinely. So it's really an honor to be here. I am like I said, a speech language pathologist for 23 years. I started out in I worked in New York City in a really big city hospital. There was, you know 2 campuses, a thousand beds each. It was literally everything under the sun, and I think that was my first experience. In really getting to the heart of what a what drives a person, what a person is all about because I was so different from the population. I came from a different place. I had a different educational trajectory. You know, this was a city hospital that had, mostly an underserved population, and it was in New York City. So it was tremendously, culturally diverse and one of the things I recognized instantly was that the way I would sort of drive compassionate and effective care was to really understand who I was working with and so I think from the from the jump, you know, just really having the humility to say, I need to sit and listen and understand this individual so that I can support their recovery from you know stroke, trauma you know, sort of acute illness. That was something that really just ended up making sense. So that was sort of my foundation. And then I moved into acute rehab into a hospital in Northern Virginia, where I am now and really just found, even though I was in a sort of a very medical setting, that connecting with the individual was absolutely the most important thing, and it was how I really felt that I could you know, show others how to do effective therapy. So I didn't know that it was life participation approach, but it was just really about understanding what the person needed to communicate about and in the hospital it's a different setting than in the community where I am now in private practice. But 21 years later, when I started my own private practice, that's when I really found LPAA as a principal, and could start to put some of the theory behind what I'd been doing all along. Jerry Hoepner: Nice, you know. It's funny. I was just having a conversation before we started this conversation, with Tami Howe, who is going to be doing a future conversation about the role of environment and accessibility in communication with individuals, with aphasia. And one of the things that we kept coming back to is exactly what you said, just getting just spending time listening and getting to know who that individual is as a starting point for really recognizing authentically what that person's wants, needs beliefs, values-  all of those things are and I think that's just a wonderful starting point for thinking about life participation, because it's easy to jump straight into the therapy or the assessment pieces. But what we need most is just to put our listening ears on, and really find out who that individual is and what makes them tick. So wonderful place to start. Lauren Schwabish: Yeah, and I would say that sometimes, especially when you know thinking about that acute rehab or acute care setting when someone's, you know, potentially very limited in their life participation, what they can do getting to understand like you said their beliefs. You know. What were they doing before they got to where you are? What can they teach you about? It's really honoring their strengths and sort of who they are prior to this acute illness. And so you can see them as that individual and they oftentimes can tell you more about that than you could. They may be able to from the from the, you know, sort of compromise place that they're in and it just feels right, you know, that's the one thing I tell. You know, when I was in the hospital, and I was working with therapists were so concerned about productivity and so concerned about billing. And just oh, my gosh! I don't think I have time to do this, and for me it's like you have nothing but time to honor this aspect of it, because once you figure out what makes this person tick, what excites them? What kind of music they wanna listen to what they don't like, you know, that's the foundation. And it shouldn't be something that's an afterthought to the skilled, clinical, hard skills that you have. It's really the first step, and it just when it works, it works well. So I think people just have to know that they have to have the permission, right from their environment, from their you know department, their supervisors, their peers, that this is actually very much the most essential ingredient to being an effective therapist. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, and what a refreshing way to start. I'd like to say that all therapists in the acute care context and that's the context where I worked for many years. But I'd like to say that they all get that but you're right. People get caught up in the fact that we only have a few days with these people, and we have a little bit of time, and we don't necessarily have time to devote to finding out who that individual is but what you're saying is that's central to being successful in helping them move forward with anything. So I really appreciate that as a grounding starting point and it really makes sense why, we're going to have a conversation today about what we're going to have a conversation about. I know Lauren, we talked about a couple of different topics. One being your passion for working with parents, and the topic of parenting with aphasia and that might seem like a leap to talk about that, and person centered approaches to primary progressive aphasia but when we think about that grounding principle of meaning, the person where they're at finding out what they value, I think it's going to be easy for our listeners to tie those pieces together. Lauren Schwabish: Definitely cause it's ultimately about a family, right? And it's not just a person with aphasia, but the person with aphasia exists in some sort of family unit, whether it's a partner, a friend, neighbors, kids, grandkids. And so, yeah, one of the things I have been privileged to be in is those 2 spaces? So I think I think, yeah, we can tie them together. And also just to hear that what this looks like with kind of 2 different sort of different populations, you know, thinking about parents with aphasia where the prognosis is typically so favorable, right? It's just lots and lots of improvement. They're typically younger, you know, we're seeing gains and everyone feels fairly optimistic, and that person with Ppa is going in a different direction. Right? But person-centered approaches are vital for each. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that I totally agree. Family is what ties these topics together, and I'm sure we can think of a whole bunch of other related little niches of therapy that are tied together by family as well. So I'm excited to jump into this conversation. And I'm gonna begin with talking a little bit about the topic of parenting with aphasia, just a really interesting and important topic. So why is it so important to have communication groups or parents with aphasia? Lauren Schwabish: I why, I would say I'm a parent, so I can, I could speak with experience, that parenting itself is a 24/7 situation. And so when you have a parent who's been very suddenly affected by aphasia it is the one task, you know, work goes on hold. And sometimes, you know, operations in the community go on hold because the person's recuperating. But parenting really doesn't ever stop you know, children with, you know, whose parents have had a stroke or brain injury. You know they're up in the hospital. They're part of the therapy process hopefully, and they're in the community, or they're back at home with that individual and so I do think it's really important to give people who are raising children, and I will say, you know, we have lots of people who have raised their children. They're still a parent with aphasia. But this is sort of specifying that these are people who are in the active process of raising younger children and those are the people that are in the communication group that I run through the National Phase Association. When I speak to those parents they really are. They are seeking a safe and compassionate environment to discuss how to raise kids right? And that can range from talking about, how do you discipline a kid when you have aphasia, how do you talk to the teachers that a parent teacher conference? You know, how do you engage? How do you re engage your parenting skills when they've been sort of taken over by family members necessarily. But how do you sort of reenter that role again? And I don't know that for the parents that come to my group. They don't have that in their own parenting community, right? So, the friends that they had who were parents prior to their aphasia. They're not necessarily the same fit as other parents who have aphasia. So, I think that the group environment that we've cultivated is that safe space to talk about, you know, and highs and lows of parenting. Let's face it. Parenting is really hard. So sometimes it's, you know. Everyone just wants a place to kind of vent and again when you're venting with aphasia, it's not always smooth, but it feels really good, just like parents who don't have aphasia. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, what a what a terrific summary. And in response to that question, I I'm just gonna go back to the one of your earlier statements, because I think this is so true. When we think about someone in the rehabilitation process work stops and the community services, and all of those kinds of things stop, or at least they change significantly. But parenting doesn't stop as a fellow parent I can. I can guarantee I've got kids who are in college and just outside of college, and parenting still doesn't stop, but to be in the thick of raising small children. That that's definitely a a unique challenge so speaking of that, what are the unique challenges and needs of a person with aphasia who's also raising a child. Lauren Schwabish: Yeah, you know, when I think about the things that the parents in my group have raised, it's really I mean, it runs the gamut you know some of it is how do you read a book to your child when you cannot read how do you, you know, manage things like. There's one gentleman who's awesome. He had a stroke when his youngest daughter was out, and I think she was like a newborn, or she was essentially an infant. And you know, how do you navigate watching them start out? He was joking kind of at the same level language wise and then she's just accelerating. And you know, how do you navigate that? So, as the child's language is growing? How do you facilitate your own child's language development. We've had one of our survivors is she's made tremendous progress. Many years since she had her stroke. She had a situation where her daughter within high school, and there was a child who committed suicide, and she said, I don't know how to talk about this with my child, but I know I need to right, and that kind of stopped me and my tracks as a parent of high schoolers to think. Gosh! This isn't so much about the aphasia. But how carefully we have to word a conversation like that. Right? So it's really having those serious high stakes conversations. And then some of it's, you know, not as heavy, not as hard. It's kind of how do you, How do you reintegrate yourself with, you know, kids at the playground. How does your kid explain aphasia to their friend who's coming over for a play date, you know. How do you ween a baby, you know, sort of like all different things. So this is where it's sort of like, is it a group for people with aphasia. Is it a parenting group? Well, it's kind of everything, because sometimes we just wanna kind of talk about stuff. And it's you know, last month we talked about, you know, if I gave you a plane ticket and you could go on vacation, you know, where would you go? And would you bring your kids or not? Which was fun. Some people were like, of course, it bring my kids, and some people are like, Heck! No, I'm leaving them at home. I'm going on vacation by myself. So it's really fun. It kind of is the group itself. We really start out with 2 principles, which is what is I have these little smiley face cards, you know what's making you happy and what's kind of a struggle, or, you know, making you feel sort of mad. And that's just a really nice place to launch from. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, wow, terrific. And one of the things I kept thinking when you described the loss of kind of kinship or a connection between themselves and other parents who don't have aphasia, who are a parenting, I'm wondering about the relationships between the different parents with aphasia and each other from a peer standpoint. And what that looks like. Lauren Schwabish: Yeah, one of the women. She's in North Carolina, and she found the group after it had been running for a couple of months, and she says every time she's like, I'm just so glad you guys are out here because I did not know that there were other people like me. So, some of it is just seeing that there's young people who also have aphasia, who are also raising kids. So, some of it's just that environment. One of the things that I think was the most incredible was there's a speech pathologist who's in Texas who runs or she's in a program that think it's sort of an inpatient rehab a residential program. It sounds incredible. She had 3 or 4 young parents with aphasia who had recently come there, and she logged on from that facility and those folks were able to see survivors from, you know, one year, 2 years, 5 years, 7 years. And so, some of it is be able to show people who are just learning, you know, just getting a couple of words. You know, may be able to say the name of their child. Maybe you know one or 2 word phrases to see and experience what recovery looks like. And that was amazing. And one of the women who is in the program has since discharged home. And now she logs on, and it's fun to see her recovering quickly. But I just think that sense of like, and you know we hear it all the time like you just have to keep going. It is a marathon, it is. It is arduous right? And so for them to have that support and the spectrum of recovery. I think that's one of the things that is the most meaningful. Because, you know, it's of course, post direct depression, anxiety, especially for a younger survivor who's not only lost you know their language abilities, but probably it's also facing the fact that they can't return to work. That was one of our topics a couple of months ago. It was someone who was like, yeah, I hope I can get back to work and then come to find out the whole group shared, you know what they used to do for work, and a large majority of them. In fact, I think all of them, you know, in addition to parenting being tough, is they've lost their careers. Which is also a challenging topic. But, at the other hand, some of those long-term survivors say, but you know what? Instead of working, I'm able of, you know, volunteer at my kids school. I'm cheering on the sidelines. I'm attending that concert, and she said, I don't know that I would have had that if I was working. So, you know, I think the silver lining aspect is great, too.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, absolutely. I think it's so critical. I mean, even outside of the the topic of parenting with aphasia, to have to see people who are at different points along the recovery. And maybe this will come up when we talk about primary, progressive aphasia, too. But, for example, one of the things that we see at aphasia camp is often that people will identify with someone who's a little bit further along in the journey, and they might take sort of a mentorship kind of a role just to be able to say, this is what's coming. And you know, things get better and a little bit easier to handle. It's so positive from that standpoint. But I've seen the reverse true as well to be able to say. You know, this is a person who's longer, or, you know, further along on their primary progressive aphasia journey, and to be able to just know. Okay, so this is coming and I can kind of ground myself and prepare myself for these things. I think there's something really valuable about being able to see that continuum like you described. So Lauren Schwabish: agreed. And just that sense, you're not alone. You're not the only one who has this experience. Jerry Hoepner: I'm interested. So I mentioned that sometimes there's these pairings of people along the continuum. Do you see those relationships growing? And do people connect with each other outside of group or have particularly close connections with someone within the group. Lauren Schwabish: Yeah, well, I think the group is pretty new. So, we're sort of cultivating that I would say, one of the things, though, is, there's one woman shared that now that her kids this was back in, I think August, her kids had gone back to school, and she was like, I don't know what to do with my time. And another survivor basically sent me a list of ideas. She's like a support group Guru. She attends some in the Uk, some here. She really knew of a ton of resources, and she sent those to me to pass on to this other individual. So that's probably a great example of, you know, one person wanting to really cheer on the other one. There's that same woman who offered the resources is lives in the Chicago land area, and we had a one person who moved to that area was really fun. She ended up giving us a tour of her house on our in our group, which is really great. But that was a connection we made where we said, Hey, you know what? What are you know, the the strokes, survivor communities like in that area in Chicago. So that was really neat, too. So I think you know anytime I feel as a facilitator when I have a chance to match someone to either to peer to peer, or just for resources. In general. You know, one woman is like, I really wanna read. She has a 14-year-old, and she's just like there's a lot of reading that goes on with like middle school and high school and so we were just sort of like troubleshooting together, you know, on the side, just hey, you know, here's an audio book that we might want to try or here's something you could pair with an audio book. So, you know, it's it's just we have a space to share how you're feeling resources, I think, become evident when you're in that supportive environment. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, absolutely. I think those are perfect great examples of that connection between people and that resource and mentorship that they can provide to one another one another. I was kind of internally laughing when you you mentioned the middle schooler with reading, because I was thinking about when your children reach high school and college, and they begin to pass you up in terms of knowledge and intelligence. That's a hard time for any parent. Definitely for someone with aphasia or we're even talking about how to handle like cell phones and social media and technology. And like you think of how fast pace. That is, I can barely keep up. How does someone who has, you know, issues, maybe even with like sensory overload you know where there's video games going on and when you're really at that point, and you have to say something how do you find the words, you know? And so actually, one of our, you know, again, longer term survivors like, you know what? I just text my kids. And we have a couple of emojis where they know what I'm saying, you know. So I think it's really neat. And that way, too. It's just sharing those examples of like modern day parenting. And what does it look like when you have aphasia? Yeah, that's fantastic. One of the things I was going to ask you about is the kinds of topics that come up. But you've shared a few social media and how to support someone with reading and all of those topics. But what other kinds of topics typically come up in these groups.   Lauren Schwabish: I think for the parenting group, it's really about, how do you keep your language skills going? Because I think a lot of these folks are, you know, not necessarily continuing to receive skilled interventions from speech pathologists. And so some of it is. Just try to like, how do I use my environment? Or how do I have strategies to sort of resume participation? There was one woman early on in the group, so it was a smaller group and she was going to meetings with her High School senior about college and graduation. And so we were sort of just coming up with, like, what are some words that you'd wanna have ready, you know, application. And you know, tuition. And so even just kind of brainstorming a way to support her participation in that. So that was something that came up. A lot of it is sort of what are your kids excited about? And I think that that's one of the things I always close that group with is gratitude. Just because it's such a wonderful it's brain, healthy activity. And almost universally the parents are talking about their kids. They're grateful for their kids. They're grateful that they got to you know that their kid was well behaved at school, or they're grateful that they got to go on vacation, or they're grateful that they want to swim meet. So sometimes it's also a chance to brag, you know, to really shine a light on the things that your kid is doing. You know, that's a fun thing to be able to do. And again, in a fast-paced environment, you know, when they're with their neighbors, or they're with the kids at, you know, other parents at school things just go quickly. And so when it's a time to just slow down, and we'll just sort of popcorn it around the Zoom group. Where everyone has a chance to just share something that their kid is up to and that's been really neat to one of our members is from Canada in BC, and so we didn't really know, you know, geographically where he was. So I was. You know we were looking at the map, and we were figuring out where everyone else is from, too. So sometimes it is just it's about that community and some hot topics that are coming up. Weather was one of them where everyone was talking about you know the wildfires where he was, or how do you, parents when it's so hot out. You know, it's really typical struggles. It's just, in a way, it's probably not that different from a normal parenting conversation. We just use language support and give people tools. They need to be successful contributors to that conversation. Jerry Hoepner: That's a pretty strong litmus test for being meaningful and person centered to be able to say, it's just the stuff that every parent talks about. Now, this is just a community that scaffolds that for people with aphasia, so that they are a part of those conversations and can be a part of those conversations I love that that's fantastic. Yeah, really wonderful. Well, knowing what you know now, and other, what other resources would you like to see available? To this community of individuals with aphasia from a parenting standpoint? Your wish list. Lauren Schwabish: We talk about this, my wish list. So one of the things that I'm I'm trying to, you know. It's hard because we only meet once a month. I wish we could meet, you know, more routinely, but is, of course, when you have kids it's really hard to plan, you know and get together. But we've talked about this over. Several different meetings is, what would we like to have available? I think certainly books or resources videos that are for parenting, about parenting that are aphasia friendly. So like, how do you, parent? You know a toddler? I know, I read books when I was raising my kids. You know, I read books currently about like teenagers and mental health. You know what resources are available that are aphasia friendly. And where can we find those books and do those books exist? And can we write those books? So some of it is just typical parenting advice but made aphasia friendly. That's something I would love to see. And we have a couple of different books that people have recommended, and I think we said we could link those in the show notes so people could try to. You know, find those. But of course, this is probably one of those moments where someone will get inspired and create them, you know, create that resource in the future. I would like to have some tip sheets again, based on what my parents in with aphasia, have recommended about how to engage in conversation in the community when it comes to parenting. So, for example, how do you talk to the pediatrician during a checkup? Right? How do you make sure that your voice is heard, that you can fulfill that role of parents versus someone who's just sitting in the room when there's you know, someone else speaking? How do you talk to a teacher at a parent-teacher conference? So some of it I think it'd be again scripts or recommendations or advocacy. I have a like we've all seen them sort of. I have aphasia, you know, cards, and we I've shared that with that group just to try to say, like part of your job is to be a presence in the school community, right? So like, how do you do that? So even like a guide? Again aphasia, friendly, something that would allow them to participate in these pretty routine parenting situations. And then I think, what I'd really love, and I don't know, you know. I hope someone out there is thinking about. This, too, is to think about how to record stories or videos with just those words of support. So that if you're out there and you have a young parent with aphasia on your unit in a hospital where you could go to Youtube, or you could go somewhere and say, Hey, you know what? Here's words of wisdom from people who've been where you are. If I could record a snippet of the conversations that we have, or the words of wisdom that one parent passes on to another. It would be so. I think, reassuring in a really scary time I think it would be inspiring. You know nothing that's too heavy a lift that doesn't need to be, you know, a feature like film, but just something that would be a collection of stories that someone could watch and just gain a little bit of sense of, okay, you know I'm not alone and people have done this before me, and they got better. And I can, too. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that seems to be a recurring theme that I'm not alone, and I can connect with people that really get this. Yeah. II love your wish list, and I hope that some of our listeners are inspired to create those resources. And you know, as we were talking, II just couldn't help myself. I jumped on to Google Scholar, and I wanted to see what was out there for research in this area. There's not a lot, and I know that Molly Manning has written a little bit about this, and I think Brooke Ryan has done a little bit of work recently, but there's not a ton out there. So for all of you academics out there, too. Like what a terrific topic! For someone to research into, to learn more about this. So I'd love to get those testimonials and words of parents out there as well. So feel like we're just scratching the surface of this, and a lot of work needs to be done. But what a great kind of call to action! That the need for groups for parents with aphasia. So I really love, love that conversation, and thank you. Anything else that we're missing, or we should add, before we move on. Regarding. Lauren Schwabish: No, it's like, I said, running, the group has been wonderful. And I just think, if you even have 2 people, you know, it doesn't take like we have people from all over the country that come to the National Phase Association meeting once a month, you know, the second Wednesday of the month. But it doesn't take too much to operate it, you know, Zoom Link. And so I think even Matching, or you know, Peer matching someone else just to recognize that this is a very this is a population that's gonna live with aphasia for a long time, and you know they're the needs are high. And so even if you can think about a peer mentor, or some kind of connect in your greater community. You know, this is really a population that's thirsty for it, and they want it, and they will. They will pursue it on their own. Once you sort link them up together, and then hopefully, the rest of us can come up with some great resources to fulfill that. You know that that connection. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, excellent. And certainly, if there are people listening, thinking, what should I do? I want to do something related to parents. Wow! What an opportunity to step into! There's plenty of plenty of room for that support to go around. So really inspiring. Lauren, if it's okay, I'm gonna shift gears and talk about a very different conversation. But one that, we said, is definitely linked through that kind of family. Principle, family centered principle. And that's the conversation about person centered care for individuals with primary, progressive aphasia. Can you begin by just sharing a little bit about your perspective? What drives you, your underlying theories for this approach? Lauren Schwabish: Yes, and I will say, for my, you know, 23 years of experience. I am very new in the Ppa space, mostly because I was working in the hospital system, and that's not where these individuals are found, you know. So for me. Once I started my practice, and someone said, Do you treat primary, progressive aphasia. The answer was, of course, yes, but then it was very much a well, how right? How do I do this? And so diving into you know, all sorts of education. Looking at, you know, resources that are available. I've really appreciated some of the work on the raise framework in terms of really not thinking so much about all of the testing, but really thinking about what does this individual need to do? And how can I identify as much personally meaningful stimuli as possible, because that's the only thing we should be focusing on, right? So I think to that end also, it really clarifies what my approaches and forces me to be as efficient as possible, and then really be flexible. There's one gentleman in particular I'm thinking about where, you know, we've started out, and he didn't really require too much in the way of language support. So it was more like, what do you want to talk about and maintaining, you know, a multimodal language, practice opportunities. And then, as things have gone on and change, we've really run the gamut from like starting, you know, starting with an iPad, and you know, a higher tech, aac option, and then kind of seeing that that's not really going very well, or it is a little too challenging for this particular family, and then very quickly pivoting to something that's more accessible. So yeah, it's to me. It is it is a family centered situation, and you know it's interesting.I have a wonderful aphasia center near me, and I love them, and I refer everyone to them. But they are very much clear that Ppa and sort of that aphasia community center feeling doesn't really work well in their experience. And so I brought this, you know, again to the aphasia access community to, you know, at the Leadership Summit, and said, You know, how does this work? And it's just really complicated. And what you'd said earlier about, you know a family being able to look ahead and say, okay, this is what I want. I have found in the Ppa clients that I've had. They actually avoid that because I think they don't want to see it. It's too much, they've said, you know. And so I tried to be a little bit of a matchmaker. I had 2 gentlemen, both with primary, progressive aphasia, you know, scientists very loving wives, you know, really like they were so ideally suited to connect and it was almost like they didn't want to see this other individual, even though it would have been wonderful for them to connect there. I just found and this is probably happened in, you know, 75% of the cases I've had so far, they are reluctant to see someone else with. Ppa.   Jerry Hoepner: yeah, interesting and I think that's one of those challenging things where we have to like your principle of matchmaking, and where we have to think about how we get there, right? Because there's always things that we don't want to talk about, or we want to avoid to some extent. But there's always a a bit of us who knows there's a need for that, too, and finding ways to make that threshold of building those bonds and those relationships is definitely a part of that even if it doesn't start out with. Hey, talk about what primary progressive aphasia looks like further down the road, but just to be able to build some of those peer connections? Lauren Schwabish: and not know that, or know that you're not alone. I think that that idea that we talked about with families as well. So yeah. And what I found probably is a more successful avenue is really sustaining those family connections. So that's where I found that sometimes the community of course I want them to be able to see someone who's, you know, just as bright, who also has aphasia where things are changing. But what I found greater success in is looking to the sort of family as a community and saying, What can we really do in this contact, so that you can continue to, you know, ask your grandkids about, you know how school is going, or give advice to your you know newlywed son about you know life nowadays, you know. So, some of it is really trying to figure out how can I use those family connections? And then to me and anyone who knows Ppa knows it's so much about counseling. So really, being a provider of I would say hope and I think that that's one of the things that really is important is to say we can still have participation, meaningful life activities, even though things are getting to look a little different. And so the one family I'm thinking about. They have this beautiful vacation house on the bay in Ver. In Virginia, and you know they love to go on vacations like this is a family that lives a great life and they really feel that they have to kind of reel it in, because, oh, my gosh! You know Dad has aphasia, and you know what if? What if? What if? And my perspective is? No, we need to make sure he's still going on vacation. And here's a communication tool, so that you know we can do that safely. Or here's how we're gonna navigate his communication in that situation so that he can participate. And that's probably been a great source of creativity. And also kind of success. Is the family as community? Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, absolutely involving those family members and allowing them to make those connections, as it, you know, as if they're comfortable. And that principle of hope cannot be overstated right? Just how important that is to keep people engaged, because as soon as you start thinking about the downside that's when you want to just withdraw and kind of close in on yourself. But that hope is the light that people need to see in that moment. So completely agree. From your perspective, why is this person centered approach so crucial for a person with primary, progressive aphasia and their family. Lauren Schwabish: I think, as we see sort of the deterioration that comes. you know there's so many there's so much value. And really looking at who you're you know who you are. Who is this individual? And so, being able to remain connected to things. They are passionate about friendships they've had forever. You know things that really get them excited. I have a gentleman who is like a he was a food researcher, a food scientist, and he actually absolutely loved being in this professor role. And you know, all of a sudden. He's his family is, you know, very attentive, and they're, you know, bustling around and doing all these things for him, and he just lights up when he gets an opportunity to explain a scientific concept or look at a scientific journal, or attend a conference like we encouraged him to go, and he attended a conference, and we practice the names of the researchers he was going to meet. And you know questions he might be able to ask and I think so much of it is. You know we're looking at someone who's essentially fading away, and that's so scary. And so if I can say, who are you? You know what's important about you? What should I know? What should your family maintain? And then we build a communication support system around that I think it allows them to continue to see the individual, even though there's a neurodegenerative process. And so things like I had one client who wrote his own obituary, and in doing that he gathered all of his. You know he was he had a lengthy Cv. He had done all this wonderful work, and so it was a chance for him, and it was of his own request he wanted to do this and I just said, Let's go because it was a chance for him to relive his professional connections. It was a chance for him. Talk about you know, areas of study where he had contributed. So to me, it's really about preserving the identity and recognizing and being able to have a again a tangible communication book, memory book, whatever they want to call it. Practice words. You know, stimuli photos. Anything that really says this is who I am And so that remains a touchstone where families can say, you know, even if the level of support changes over time, we still can have that person and be that person. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, II think that's just another one of those grounding principles. I I'm not making fun of you. When I say this, you've said who I am or who you are multiple times. And and that focus on identity is so crucial. And I think another piece I've been really into reading work on personhood, and that idea that yep, this person is fading. Their cognitive and language abilities are changing but they're still intelligent human being inside. There's still someone who deserves your time and attention, and still has many of the thoughts and kind of knowledge of their life. I think really important for families, and anyone who interacts with them to just recognize that personhood and and that identity of who they are. Lauren Schwabish: it's also so easy to see what's going wrong or what could go wrong, that I think, also maintaining someone's competency and finding ways to reveal competency to families is so important. So like my one of my clients is much better at writing than he is at initiating verbal language, and so for him we haven't texting people right? And they are sort of like rolling their eyes like he's got his phone out again. And I'm like, yeah, cause that's how he's gonna communicate with you. And he will text me pictures and videos from family gatherings. And you know, it's really become a tool that shows his competence. And so you know, that's another opportunity. And why skilled intervention is so important even in the scheme of neurodegenerative disease is because there's always something that we can do to show that person and show what they're able to do. We just have to think of the way to do it. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, absolutely. I love that. You came to Aura Kagan's principles of acknowledging and revealing competence in a time when someone is like you said, fading and and losing some abilities even more important that we hold onto those principles. So I'm really interested. What does that look like in a session? What do your sessions? How do they look? Lauren Schwabish: Yeah, it's every session looks a little bit different. Some of it is. I just want them to introduce themselves to me. And that's usually what I'll say is, you know I'm new to you. What can you show me? What can you tell me? And what can I look around in your environment. And I'm so fortunate in the private practice I've constructed is I'm a mobile therapist. And so I get to go to people's homes. And you know, even just being in that space can tell you so much and so you know, trying to really invite opportunities. Knowing how to ask the right questions. You know a lot of those carefully constructed open ended questions and then trying strategies here and there to see what really helps support someone's language. So I have one gentleman who he's he loves cricket and you know there's really no cricket on when I'm at his house but he and I have discovered over working together that having written notes as I'm listening to him, and I'm capturing, you know, content words and keywords he's able to say I write them down, and then he and I kind of have them on the table in front of us And so with cricket, He wanted to tell me. I said, I've you know I've played it like long ago. I really don't ever get to see it. What can you tell me? What can you show me? And then giving him a a vehicle to do? That drawing was a perfect way for him to show. You know, and this is a gentleman who's no longer writing. He's actually not really using any texting, or, you know, ipad, he has all of these devices. Unfortunately, not a lot of them are. Does he really feel comfortable if he could engage with them? But again, it's about what he would like to do. But a pen and paper was so effective and so with that, as he's drawing the sort of circles, and and you know the the lie out of the pitch of cricket. He's suddenly writing numbers, you know, and then he's able to point to those numbers and express those to me. So that's one version. One of the things that I talked about at the aphasia access summit and was really fun is looking at photos on the phone. So another gentleman the one with the big family, and he's always taking pictures. And so what we had discovered was this captioning strategy where I could just swipe up with him, and because his writing is a strength, he's then able to put in the names or events of family members into the photos. And that's been really fun. So that we're really trying to find that strategy where he can continue to use the stronger modality in the context of ample stimuli, because this guy takes pictures of everything. And then, as he's sort of declined a lot of it is trying to meet the needs of the family, so making sure that they know what communication supports are. Some of it's just thinking about safety, too. You know, making sure that right off the bat, this person has some sort of identifier on them. For stuff that's starting to get lost. How do we use technology, you know. Air tags and tiles and all those cool things. How do we maintain his independence and community? And that's been tricky lately is, you know, providing education resources related to driving. And how do we know when it's time to stop driving? You know these are sort of things where I have become just a trusted advisor to the family. And so, if I have a resource, I think that's important that we recognize our roles look so different in these sessions. And that's okay, because what we're doing is we're providing again, person center care trying to highlight what their priorities are and support the family. So that they can make that happen too. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. Since the aphasia access summit that swiping up for the captions is something that I do quite a bit lot of my people. So I really appreciate that. I'm glad you brought that up again. Yeah, I feel like this has really brought us full circle, and with that emphasis on the family and the person as the core. Really. I mean family identity, and what that individual wants and needs to do what drives them. Seems to be at the core of these approaches, and that definitely aligns with what aphasia access and the life participation approach is trying to accomplish. So thank you for your insights and and creative ideas about this anything that we missed in terms of the discussion about primary, progressive aphasia or parenting. Lauren Schwabish: I will just say that as someone who's sort of like done this by my gut instinct. It's so wonderful when I can go to the research. Not so much for the parenting is like you said, there's you know I it's not a ton of ample of evidence body of evidence yet, but it is so reassuring to have access to meaningful research that really supports You know just an Lpa approach it as a clinician like boots on the ground. I've really valued that I've loved podcasts and resources. I've had access to in terms of counseling. I think validating that counseling is important. I'm grateful to the fact that you know we even payers like Medicare. You know that there's a space now for the role of a skilled speech pathologist to follow along and to perform therapy over the course of a neuro, degenerative condition. You know, I feel like sometimes I've heard. Oh, you know, I think I'm guilty of this when I was working in the hospital setting, and someone would come in with some sort of acute process but then there would be dementia. I really feel like I was like well, they can't learn, or you know they I was so dismissive of someone's capacity. And I have changed completely in terms of being able to say, you know what there's individuals I work with, whether it's Ppa or another dementia process. Just to be able to say there's always value in finding a communication system or communication tool to really allow that person to connect with whomever they want to and so I think the fact is that I'm in a community that, you know is is interested in that. I have a practice that is, you know, working well because of that I'm able to get paid by payers because of that. So I really think it's important for people to recognize that. We can fulfill such a valuable role and there's actually wonderful resources out there that will justify this approach. Jerry Hoepner: Totally agree. Yeah, there's always value in fostering participation. Whether that's going to help someone recover, or whether that's gonna help them. You know, in their in their decline gracefully, and to remain engaged as long as they can so totally agree. Well, thank you, Lauren, this has been a fantastic conversation. I know our listeners are gonna value your clinical insights. So thank you. And it's been really nice talking with you. Lauren Schwabish: Oh, it's been a joy. Thank you so much.   Jerry Hoepner: On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening to this episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. For more information on Aphasia Access and to access our growing library of materials go to www.aphasiaaccess.org. If you have an idea for a future podcast series or topic, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access.

In this conversation with Scott Yenor, Senior Director of State Coalitions at the Claremont Institute, we discuss what happened when just last year, the mob came for Scott, attempting to cancel him, after a talk he gave on the importance of the family. We explore an article he wrote on this attempted cancellation made against him in First Things as well as the topic of patriarchy. We also dive into a report he made on wokeness on Texas A&M through top down diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Support the show!! - https://www.patreon.com/chasedavis“Family Politics” - https://amzn.to/44YDdtC“The Recovery of Family Life” - https://amzn.to/45jrea6Professor of Political Science at Boise State “Scott Yenor is a Professor of Political Science at Boise State University, where he teaches political philosophy. He lives in Meridian, Idaho with his wife, Amy, and his five children. He earned his Ph.D. from Loyola University, Chicago (2000) and his B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1993).” https://www.boisestate.edu/sps-politicalscience/faculty/scott-yenor/“Anatomy of a Cancellation” - https://www.firstthings.com/article/2023/01/anatomy-of-a-cancellation“Churches have a duty to cultivate in their flocks a spirit of martyrdom, a willingness to pay the price for Christian witness. A church of “cultural engagement,” emphasizing niceness at the expense of doctrine, inculcates the innocence of doves without the wisdom of serpents. Supporting controversial witness is a necessity in an orthodox Christian church. The gospel is a sword; so is the law. While my cancellation was afoot, I received many handwritten notes of encouragement from my fellow parishioners. Other parishioners were solicitous for my family and my mental state when I encountered them at worship. Just as my fellow board members at Ambrose stood firm in our mission, so did my church. I am grateful.Though churches should not teach their parishioners to run full-steam into machine-gun nests, the beauty of the martyrs is a story as old as Christendom. St. Ambrose's courage to refuse Communion to Theodosius over the Massacre of Thessalonica was possible only because he feared God more than he feared man. As did St. Stephen in the face of stoning; as did Justin Martyr, beheaded for witnessing to Christ among the Romans; as did so many others. Such examples of faithfulness are crucial. Cancellation is not martyrdom, of course, but it is in the odor of it. And churches that recognize its nobility are much more likely to be rallying points for all that is central to Christian faith.”How Texas A&M Went Woke - https://americanmind.org/salvo/how-texas-am-went-woke/Claremont Investigation - https://dc.claremont.org/investigative-reports/Support the showSign up for the Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/chasedavisFollow Full Proof Theology on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fullprooftheology/Follow Full Proof Theology on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fullprooftheology/

this episode sponsored by: https://www.bciburke.com/ Sarah Lisiecki combines a passion for play, the outdoors and movement with more than ten years in the play industry and hundreds of presentations given on topics from Inclusive Design, Musical Play and Trends in Play at Parks and Recreation Conferences, District Meetings, Landscape Architect Firms and Representative Trainings. She studied Communications and Political Science at University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI). As an advocate for play as a critical part of development, she serves on the Steering Committee of the US Play Coalition, on the Parks & Recreation Editorial Advisory Board, is part of the IPEMA Marketing Committee, is a member of multiple play research project teams, the Product Development Council and presents at a variety of conferences, Lunch and Learns, panels and events. She spends her spare time hiking, running, biking and climbing and with her rescue dogs.

Mike Malone is a performer and educator based out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He attended University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire to study classical and jazz percussion. In 2013 Mike was invited to join The Glenn Miller Orchestra's national tour. After returning to UWEC to finish his degree in 2014, Mike began touring with groups including jazz vocalist, Ray Brown Jr, and vocal jazz group, Five By Design. As a recording musician Mike can be heard on dozens of albums as both a supporting musician and leader. His diverse skillset has allowed him to be featured musically across numerous styles and settings, and led him to be named "Drummer Of The Year" by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) Awards in 2021.  Mike currently maintains a regular performing schedule and manages a private teaching studio with students of all ages and experience levels. Mike is a performing artist for Bosphorus Cymbals. In this episode, Mike talks about Why he decided to make his home and career in Oshkosh How church gigs taught him to convey respect as a performer, which he takes into all performances Touring with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the challenge of playing true old school big band style with no bebop How tech has changed how we prepare for gigs, for better or for worse The genesis and scope of his youtube channel Being able to anticipate what content might be popular, i.e. manufacturing a viral video Tech tips to improve the audio and video quality of your online presence

this episode sponsored by: https://www.bciburke.com/ Sarah Lisiecki combines a passion for play, the outdoors and movement with more than ten years in the play industry and hundreds of presentations given on topics from Inclusive Design, Musical Play and Trends in Play at Parks and Recreation Conferences, District Meetings, Landscape Architect Firms and Representative Trainings. She studied Communications and Political Science at University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI). As an advocate for play as a critical part of development, she serves on the Steering Committee of the US Play Coalition, on the Parks & Recreation Editorial Advisory Board, is part of the IPEMA Marketing Committee, is a member of multiple play research project teams, the Product Development Council and presents at a variety of conferences, Lunch and Learns, panels and events. She spends her spare time hiking, running, biking and climbing and with her rescue dogs.  

Welcome to the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. I'm Jerry Hoepner. I'm a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and co-facilitator of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp, Blugold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, and Thursday Night Poets.  I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources. I'm today's host for an episode that will feature Dr. Alyssa Lanzi. In this episode, we'll be discussing Dr. Lanzi's research on mild cognitive impairment and the role of the LPAA approach in serving individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Biosketch: Alyssa M. Lanzi, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Delaware. She is an executive committee member of the Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research at the University of Delaware. Dr. Lanzi is the PI of a K23 award from the National Institute on Aging to investigate the effects of an intervention designed to improve the independence of older adults with mild cognitive impairment from probable Alzheimer's disease. She is also MPI of awards that develop, test and disseminate a large-scale online database to study the language and cognitive skills of older adults to help develop cost-effective biomarkers to identify adults at risk for dementia from Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Lanzi's research broadly focuses on investigating person-centered assessment and treatment approaches for individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia and prioritizes the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based practice to practicing health professionals.  Take aways: The LPAA fits interventions for mild cognitive impairment too. We need to focus on training the next generation to understand the applications of LPAA to other disorders and contexts. You don't always need a standardized test, you can use goal attainment scales to measure anything. We need to be prepared to counsel individuals with mild cognitive impairment, as we are often the discipline having those conversations. When we intervene with individuals with mild cognitive impairment early, we can involve them as collaborators. There is a continuum of counseling needs that changes over time. See Alyssa's counseling plus paper in SIG 2 Perspectives.   Interview Transcript: Jerry Hoepner: Hi Alyssa. Good to see you. Alyssa Lanzi: Hi, good to see you. I'm happy to have a conversation with you today. Jerry Hoepner: Likewise, I'm looking forward to this conversation. It's kind of tradition that at the beginning of podcast we talk a little bit about your journey in your path to the life participation approach. So, I'm hoping that you can share a little bit about why an LPAA approach is so crucial to your research and clinical interactions. Alyssa Lanzi: Yeah, Absolutely. Well, thanks for having me, and I'm excited to kind of give a glimpse into how we can start to think about the LPAA approach outside of aphasia, because I think I'm a little bit unique in that way. And I am clinically trained as a speech language pathologist, and I was fortunate that most of my master's training was in a really strong university-based life participation approach model for aphasia. So, I had a large amount of experience working with Dr. Sarah Wallace and Katerina Staltari, and really thinking about group-based approaches for aphasia care. And I really fell in love with the functional nature of that model and with my master's thesis really tried to think about, well, how can we do this with individuals at risk for dementia with thinking about group-based approaches and functional care. And then I went on to get my PhD at the University of South Florida with Michelle Bourgeois. With a really strong research focus on functional approaches for mild cognitive impairment and dementia but also had the opportunity to work clinically the entire time during my PhD at voices of hope for aphasia under Jackie Hinckley, really learning about the life participation approach for aphasia. So, I feel super fortunate in that I have a lot of clinical work and exposure with the life participation approach that really has driven my research. Although I don't clinically practice with the life participation approach anymore, it really is a key foundation and a key kind of framework to how I have conducted all of my research and run the lab at the University of Delaware, which I'm currently a research assistant professor at right now. Jerry Hoepner: Excellent. Yeah. And thanks for sharing that, I really believe there is not a lot of transferability and generalizability of the LPAA in the approach being someone who has one world or one foot in the traumatic brain injury world, and another foot in the aphasia world. There's definitely some strong carryover across those contexts, and I think members of aphasia access are really interested in thinking about how that extends into those contexts. So, I really appreciate that. And like I said before, you have quite the pedigree in terms of experiences with very life participation approach minded academics, and having some of those clinical experiences, is really just so crucial for those, you know, when you step into the research world that you're doing something that really applies. So, I know you already talked about Sarah Wallace and Dr. Satari and Dr. Bourgeois and Jackie Hinckley. But are there other people along that journey that have kind of shaped the way that you think about LPAA applications to aphasia but beyond obviously? Alyssa Lanzi: yeah, I think you know, really the names that you mentioned were kind of the key mentors in the process. However, individuals like Roberta Elman, and really her approach to kind of book and learning and reintegration was structured. But flexible activities are really kind of key to my thinking, and also, as you know, an early career researcher as well. Folks like yourself and Tom and Katie really show how we can also train students in this approach as well, which is kind of being key to figuring out how I really run this lab that's based in life participation. That's not only my line of research, but also supporting the next generation. I feel fortunate in that I have mentors that really have integrated a life participation approach in many different settings from big R1 universities to smaller, R2, and R3 universities to clinical practice settings to nonprofits. And I think I've taken pieces of all of those to really support my research and teaching pedagogy, and really life participation in that way, and without aphasia access, I wouldn't have had access to those leaders and mentors in the field like yourself, and it really has given me an opportunity to have conversations with these folks, and every single conversation has really impacted and influenced my work thus far. Jerry Hoepner: I think that tends to be a really common reflection on aphasia access that everyone is so accessible. So, the name really says it, and willing to have those conversations. And certainly, that supports us in all of those avenues, research, clinic, well and academic in terms of teaching as well so completely agree with that. Alyssa Lanzi: I think that's what's a beautiful thing about aphasia access and the life participation approach is that it's not just research, either. Right? It's research, it's clinical, it's teaching, it's mentoring, it's service. And I think we will probably talk about in a little bit. But in all of my work that's really what I try to think about, I don't just try to think about, you know, research, I try to think about well, how can I study this so it can actually be implemented in clinical practice? And then how can I also teach the next generation using this approach in that way? And I think that framework, although we often think of life participation as like a clinical approach. In some ways it's really this entire framework to all those kind of core components that are necessary in terms of teaching, research, clinical care and service. Jerry Hoepner: I really love the way that you describe that, because I don't know that that's been done really clearly before. But there is a thread running through all of those pieces, and it kind of speaks to your experience with Jackie Hinckley in terms of thinking about that implementation piece, and how we make sure what we're doing matters, and is the right stuff in the first place. And obviously teaching is near and dear to my heart, and being able to frame that in a way that students understand, but also feel like it's not something that's high in the sky that you know only a few people do, but that's accessible and usable by everyone, and even for my students. I mean, I know that a lot of my students will end up in a school setting, and I know that these foundational principles of LPAA still have relevance to them. So, I say, you know, regardless of where you're going. This content matters, and it should shape the way that you think conduct LPAA work. Alyssa Lanzi: Yeah, you don't have to be at a center to conduct LPAA work, you don't have to be with people with aphasia to conduct LPAA work, and that's the cool part of it. And having these conversations is an opportunity to kind of brainstorm with one another of, well how do we take you know, from the traditional mold, how do we kind of break that and really think of it as threads that can be kind of interwoven into all these elements that are core components of our discipline in a lot of ways. Jerry Hoepner: Agreed. Maybe that's a new task for aphasia access worker to kind of map all of those pieces, because I do think not. Maybe individuals have those pieces, but it hasn't been all put together. So, I appreciate that overview. Alyssa Lanzi: And yeah, hopefully. Jerry Hoepner: well. I've been having fun re-reading and refreshing myself on your work on. I used a lot of it within my teaching so. But it's always fun to see when you read something again that you pick up something that you just didn't even like process before or you don't remember you process it, maybe. But clearly, I mean, there's this thread going through all of it about person-centered strength-based care right at the heart of all of that. It really one of the things that stood out to me the last couple of days as I've been meeting is that emphasis on fostering choice and collaboration along the way in every single step with the with the individual, with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, with their family members. And I think that's really crucial. I mean whether you're kind of choosing an external memory aid, or script, or whatever is best right. Can you talk about how you facilitate those choices? Maybe a little bit about the kinds of tools that you use on one end, but also a little bit about how you just foster a mindset of that collaborative decision making, because, you know, sometimes people can just want to defer to you and say you tell me so. I'm interested in your thoughts on both of those pieces. Alyssa Lanzi: Yeah, Absolutely. Well, thanks for the flattering words, and I'm happy. You picked out the core elements there, because I think those are really kind of the key words of a lot of the work that I try to do, and starting really with person or family centered, in that way, and it's tricky. I think a lot of people say that their work is person centered, and we can always argue. What do you mean by that? And how do you ensure that, same with functional right? But something I try to teach people, and my students are just because it's related to something practical doesn't necessarily mean it's a functional approach, either, you know, so really kind of parsing out by what we mean by that. But in particular, with working with folks with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, the goal is to really support their independence for as long as possible, and then to support their quality of life right? And a lot of times when thinking about people with chronic aphasia, it's very similar in that way, right? And that, you know, kind of gotten to a point. Not that improvements can no longer been made, but the shift is really about like, well how can you live the best life as possible? Right? How can we get you participating in as many things as possible, and that's the same mindset when we're working with people with mild cognitive impairment in particular. So, when I'm trying to design the treatment approaches that I'm testing with my clinical trials. Really, the whole framework is, how can we make something structured and standardized but flexible to that individual's needs. So, I think it starts from a treatment level, figuring out what are the active ingredients? What are the things that can't be changed, what are the core elements that can't be changed. And then, once we figure that out, then the meat of the sandwich, you know the meat of the treatment can be customizable to that individual right. And a lot of this work really comes from McKay Solberg, and views of cognitive rehab as well. But I think, when we think about person centered, we need to think about what are the core elements of this evidence-based approach? What are the active ingredients? And then what are the things that can change in between right? And when we're talking about external memory aids, it's not enough just to give somebody a calendar right. We're not seeing that individuals actually continue to use this calendar later on. And I would argue that's because of 2 reasons, one because we didn't systematically train them, and the use of it and 2 is because we didn't include them in the process from the start to the finish. And you are asking about what kind of tools and what things can be helpful. And in terms of thinking about goal development tools, a lot of times we can lean on our colleagues and occupational therapy and use a lot of the models that they have for goal development. So, they have the COPM which I'm probably going to butcher the name, but it's the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, I believe it is, and that can be a really great tool to have a structured approach to goal setting. Same with goal attainment scaling, and incorporating some motivational interviewing techniques on top of it. But the key is that you have some type of structure, some type of evidence-based approach, on top of the conversation that you're having right, just asking somebody their interests is important, but we need to think about what's the best thing for our buck, since we have such limited time with them. So those 2 tools, in terms of goal setting have been really helpful for me, paired with using patient reported outcome measures and kind of figuring out how to use that as an initial conversation, and then paired with some further probing of tell me more about these items. Tell me more about the issues that you're facing. And then what I think is tricky, and where I relate most to my life participation colleagues are, what are the outcome tools, or what are the treatment planning tools that we can use to design these participation approaches. And it's hard because most of the outcome tools that we have are developed for looking at impairment-based improvements, right? So very decontextualized type tasks and that's really tricky. If the treatments that we're doing are all meant to be functional and person centered and improved participation. But we're not looking at necessarily improvements in worthless learning, or serial sevens or things like that. So, I couldn't figure out any tools. So, part of my dissertation work was designing a measure that was really aimed to help drive treatment planning. And then look at if there's gains an actual participation, so that tools called the functional external memory aid tool, and my lab in the last year or so have tried to do a lot of work, and coming up with free resources to train students, clinicians, and researchers, and how to use this tool to drive treatment planning because it's a little bit of a different way than we think of how to use assessment tools. Traditionally we think of assessment tools to tell us is that that person has an impairment or not and this is not designed in that way. It's really designed to tell you how to design your treatment, and a functional meaningful in person-centered way. I don't have great answers of what the tools are, but I think collaborating with clinicians and collaborating with evidence-based researchers really helps us to try to fill that gap in some ways. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, and I think you got at part of it when you talked about goal attainment scales that you could make that a measure of any goal that the person identifies themselves. You don't necessarily have to try to fit a tool around that you can just measure what they hope to change right, or what they hope to sustain in terms of function. So, I think that's really good and really helpful. Just want to kind of circle back to a couple of things you talked about active ingredients, and how to really recognize what those active ingredients are, what the cores are, and what is content that you can do without, so to speak, made me think of some of the recent work in RTSS from the standpoint of really mapping that out. But I think that principle of my own is really important. Just to be able to say what is at the core? What do I always need to do? And what is kind of supportive of that, and can be individualized? So that's really helpful. Alyssa Lanzi: That shouldn't be on the clinician either right? If you're a clinician listening to this like that shouldn't be on you. This is on the researchers to consider from the beginning, and this should be really clearly outlined in this plan. And it is somewhat hard to figure out what some of these analyses like what are the active ingredients? But that's really, if you go to a talk, if you're a clinician on this call like that's what you should be asking, when you go to these talks like, what are the active ingredients? What do you think is really evident of what's making the change? It's not on you to decide. It's really on researchers to be thinking about this from the beginning, and not for you to try to figure out by any means. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, I think that's a really some really sound advice, because finding out what those active ingredients are that's really crucial, and I think there's times, and I won't say who, but I reached out to a researcher once to do some work related to their work, and I said, “So do you have some place where you have more specific information about what exactly you did?” And they said “it's all in the paper” and I was kinda like no, it's not all in the paper, and I think we're getting better at that, providing that information, at least to the best of our knowledge, what those active ingredients are. And you know this is on the researcher to provide that, and then to allow that clinician to be able to work within that framework. So, I'm really glad that you said that. I also wanted to highlight the fact that you talked about your measure, and I think the acronym is FEAT right? Alyssa Lanzi: FEMAT, yep, close. Jerry Hoepner: Sorry. Missed it. I missed one letter, but we'll make sure that that is in the list of resources at the end as well, so that people know how they can access that information, and you mentioned that you're trying to make as much freely available as possible. So I think that's really helpful for our listeners to know where to find that information. Alyssa Lanzi: Yeah, the tool can be downloaded completely for free. And there's educational and training resources for free on there as well as we just publish an open access manuscript, describing with case examples of how to use it as well, because if we as researchers want clinicians to use our work. Constantly, we're hearing the biggest barriers pay walls and everything else so really trying to make this as accessible as possible, so that individuals can actually use it in their practice. Jerry Hoepner: Well, that's really excellent. I really appreciate it, so I'll double check with you at the end, and we'll make sure we have all of that information there for the for the listeners to follow up on that. So, getting into the connection and the differences between someone with aphasia and someone with a mild cognitive impairment. There's a lot of overlap and most communication supports. And as I was reading your work, I was like overlap, overlap, overlap. But there's also some ground that isn't overlapping individuals with aphasia, particularly when you get to the cognitive kinds of constructs, and so forth. So, in terms of supporting someone with MCI or dementia. What are the key distinctions that you have in your mind about how to approach that. So, distinguishing them from maybe what you would use for a language assessment, or language support excuse me, for someone with aphasia Alyssa Lanzi: I think the good thing is, there's many more similarities than differences. Right? We have this strength-based approach, this idea of participation, reintegration, isolation, depression. These are all major psychosocial factors that we know are associated with both populations and also acute. You know older adults are highest at risk. Right? We're seeing similar populations in some ways as well, so that strength-based participation-based reintegration, type approaches are all very similar. You know the key distinction or the key differences, I should say, is unlike people with a stroke, there wasn't an event that caused the impairments right, and that instead, we need measures that are really sensitive to early declines right? So, it's not like these individuals had a stroke or a brain injury, and immediately referred to speech, language, pathology. That's a very different pipeline to referral in that way. So, speech, language, pathologists need to do a much better job of advocating for our role early on where I don't think we have to do as much of that advocacy with people with aphasia now. Yes, all the aphasia folks don't come at me either because I know there's plenty of advocacy work that we need to do as well, but it it's a little bit different right, and that once aphasia is diagnosed, it's pretty clear that SLPs are the one to go to for the most part. For individuals with mild, cognitive impairment it's a bit different. So, we need to do a lot of advocacy work, and many of our tools, unfortunately, are not sensitive enough to these early declines. What's exciting is that language is actually showing as a pretty promising tool, a pretty sensitive metric. So, hopefully in the next, you know, 5 to 10 years we're starting to actually definitely be involved because we're noticing language changes or sensitive to these early declines, but so one is the early process, and the referral process is quite different. The other key difference in my mind is the preparation for the future and that individuals of mild cognitive impairment are at a very high risk for developing dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and in my work I am talking about mostly these clinical syndrome due to Alzheimer's disease is usually the bulk of my work. But for individuals with mild cognitive impairment. We really want to set them up with these tools, so that we can develop really strong habits and routines now and really rely on the strength of procedural memory, so that if they decline, they have these really good systems in place, and that's a very different mindset than people with aphasia. So, the mindset in that way is very different in our role in preparing for the future. So, I think the referrals is probably the big pipeline. How they get to you. The coping and the depression is all there. But viewed a bit differently. It's not, Oh, my God! My life has drastically changed instead it's, Oh, my God! What's gonna happen, you know, in 2 3 5 years. So, it's all those same constructs are there, but the rationale and the underpinnings are a bit different. Jerry Hoepner: I want to just go back to a couple of the points that you said again. When I'm thinking about that that early intervention or early work with someone with MCI, I'm always telling my students part of what you said that idea that we want to establish those routines and habits. But the other thing I always think about going back to our previous discussion is that's the opportunity for them to make as many decisions about their future as they possibly can, and do that planning for the future. I find that to be a really effective way from a counseling standpoint to get them involved in kind of planning their future, and also building that acceptance right like this is coming. What can I do now to kind of take ownership and to take control of that versus if I wait, then it's going to be someone else's decision. Alyssa Lanzi: Exactly. Exactly. We describe it. A lot of you want to be in the driver's seat and not the passenger seat. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, great metaphor. And I just wanted to mention one other thing when you were talking about that the fact that language is a really sensitive measure. You believe for individuals with MCI and predictors of for their dementia. You know some great work with the dementia bank in terms of talking about collecting samples and interpreting those samples. So, I know I'm kind of putting you on the spot for this. But any thoughts about that might lead us in the future in terms of knowledge. Alyssa Lanzi: Yes, stay tuned. We more than likely have a pretty big grant coming our way, which is going to be exciting. But the current biomarker tools for detection, are costly and invasive. We're having MRI and imaging techniques which are costing, You know, so much money. Blood is becoming, you know, blood based biomarkers are at least a bit more cost effective. However, there's still quite still, quite invasive, and there's only a certain person who wants to come into a lab, you know, and do those types of things. So what we're hoping is that we can use language, and that people can provide us with language samples in the comfort of their own home, right and really reflective of these functional tools and paired with these other. You know data, this, this other data that we're collected, we can make this really kind of informed decision or inform diagnosis. So, hopefully, you know, we can get to the point where that is the case that people can kind of just answer some questions from the comfort of their own home and their smart home and their computer. And you know, on the back end we can analyze their language, and then, provide them with some information about what we're thinking in terms of diagnosis and things like that. The most exciting thing to me in my mind about language is that hopefully, we can get a sample of individuals to participate who are actually representative of those who have the disease and that with many of these imaging techniques, and with many of the blood-based biomarkers and these invasive techniques, there's only a certain type of person you know who wants to come to campus and do these things, and most of our large databases are really white, high SES folks who are just, not those who are at greatest risk for the disease. So, what I'm really hoping for with as really the area of language grows, thanks to a lot of the work that we're doing, and Carnegie Mellon are doing with Brian and Davida, and also Kim Mueller and her group at Wisconsin. Is that not only can we use it as a sensitive measure, but we can get people to participate because, hopefully, it reduces the common barriers to participation in research studies. So that's really kind of a focus of where we're going. And then, hopefully, with that information, we can better support those who are at greatest risk living with this disease. Jerry Hoepner: Right and it seems like there's kind of a secondary effect to once you have those answers. There's a lot more SLP's than there are, you know, other mechanisms for measuring those bio measures. So, if you know that contact, maybe we can contribute to that earlier detection as well, so that's fantastic. Alyssa Lanzi: Yeah, which is why we need more SLPs going in this space, and I love aphasia work. I'm an aphasia clinician at heart. But I hope we see after today and through many of my other colleagues that the world overlap so much. But we really need a lot of researchers in this space, because speech language pathologists have a lot that they can contribute, and could very soon be at the forefront of the of the diagnosis as well. So, any students on the call or clinicians wanting to go back. My labs and others are really recruiting, and we need more individuals who are interested in researching in this space. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that's great to share. And hopefully there are some students and professionals out there that are thinking about that so definitely need that. Well, I'm going to change gears just a little bit. You've talked a little bit about depression and other mental health issues a little bit, isolation that occurs not only with aphasia, but with mci and dementia. I think we're all starting to get a better idea of our roles as speech, language, pathologists, in terms of counseling individuals with aphasia, MCI, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, etc. In re-reading your 2021 paper about counseling, plus I was really struck by how you and your co-authors mapped out this continuum of counseling needs kind of makes me want to do the same for everything so in activities from the first symptoms and diagnosis to the end of life, and I'll refer our listeners to figure one because it's a really eloquent framework for, and timeline for those changes. Will you share a little bit about the development and kind of the purpose of that timeline figure. Alyssa Lanzi: Yeah, thank you for the kind words that was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done was writing that paper, but we knew it needed to be done for many different reasons, but really to paint the picture that SLPs have a key role from the start all the way to the finish with these folks, and that's really what that figure is trying to highlight is that we can provide both primary and supportive roles to our colleagues from prevention and education all the way through end of life. And fortunately, that figure has really resonated with a lot of people which has been really helpful and I've actually gotten a lot of feedback from clinicians who've been able to use it to advocate for their role in this working with this population and doing support groups and things like that. So that's really great, because that's the whole point of it. But what's unique about this paper is that I work on a very interdisciplinary team of neuropsychologists and geriatric psychiatrists. And it was really interesting to come at it with all 3 of our mindsets for kind of developing this, because everybody has a very different education in terms of these important psychosocial constructs. So a really big shout out to my colleagues, Matt Cohen and Jim Allison, who really also helped me push my mindset of thinking about counseling as much more than just a conversation, and really thinking about counseling, plus as we call it, in terms of everything else right, and that a conversation is only the start of it, and that education and management and advising and referrals, that's all, that's all the big piece of it. So, I think that's why we were able to really round out this figure is because we were coming at it from 3 different disciplines as well, and then being able to go back to okay Well, what's within the scope of practice, of speech, language, pathology. The other thing about this figure is you'll see that the x-axis, the way that we looked at over time was by residential status, not by necessarily MMSE score or MoCA score right, and that framework was very much from my background in life participation approach in thinking about okay, let's think about them on a continuum of like residential needs versus what is their cognitive status on like an impairment type measure. I encourage people to think that way when we think about working with older adults in particular with neurodegenerative conditions, and that not thinking about them as a numerical value in a stage on one type of those measures because I think it opens up our roles, and also shows how hopefully within that figure that you can see that the roles overlap. Right, there's some roles that we start from our first conversation that we're going to continue all the way through the end of life. The other really important thing to consider with the figure, is in our field we have a really strong understanding of like language milestones in pediatrics, right? But what we don't have a really good strong foundation is, is understanding what is typical aging right, and our role in supporting healthy aging as well. Just as we support language development in pediatrics. So that's a big piece of this figure and a big piece of the counseling article is that we have a major role like we do in language development in healthy aging development as well, and that we can do a lot to support healthy aging and prevention just like we do in language development of kids, and also like we do like with the FAST acronym for stroke or with concussion protocols and management, we just haven't, yet kind of adapted that approach to aging, and that's what hopefully this figure gets us to start to think and talk about as well. Jerry Hoepner: I think it definitely does. And I really like that analogy or metaphor comparison between the developmental milestones, because I was thinking that as I was looking at the figure, this is really similar. It kind of reminds me of, like the norms we looked at when we were in child phono or child language development laid out in the same kind of framework. So, I think that's something that is really comprehendible by the average SLP, and I think that's helpful, and I and I love how you describe x-axis in terms of those descriptions rather than numbers, just so crucial to see the person from that lens rather than as simply those numbers. So. Alyssa Lanzi: Yeah, in addition to my LPAA colleagues, my early intervention birth to 3 colleagues, or who were the closest with in a lot of ways, I definitely the treatment approaches the in-home approaches. They're in the next group, I would say. That is pretty close to LPAA as well in some ways is early intervention. Birth of 3. Jerry Hoepner: Agreed. Yeah, that's it. Another really great point. The other thing I really liked about the terms and you mentioned this: I think part of this comes out of the interprofessional kind of nature of development. But when you look at them, sure some of them are, you know, you think. Oh, yeah, that's counseling still, but many of them you don't necessarily wait to. Oh, yeah, that's in my counseling tool belt, and I think it's important for people to recognize those things are a part of that counseling process, and that can make it a little bit more accessible. I mean, we know that from an education standpoint that people are intimidated by counseling, and they feel unprepared and inadequate to carry out those steps. So, I mean just being able to see that on paper and say, I can do these things, I know these things, I think, are a really valuable part of that framework as well. So. Alyssa Lanzi: And to make sure that when we are describing counseling to our students, we're describing that as well, right, because its such a daunting thing for our students and if we help them in the beginning set up education, it really breaks down some of the common barriers to providing counseling of its daunting and scary. But a support group is one really small element of counseling that's within our scope of practice and our scope of practice does define it really well. I just think that how we describe it in articles is way too specific, and we need to think about it much more broadly and through, like the journal that you're responsible for with teaching and language. And you know we're starting to develop these models which is really helpful as well. But I agree, I think we just need to step outside of our really kind of specific way of thinking about counseling, because once again, then, by having a more broad continuum viewpoint. It really shines through our role. And why we are such key players of the team. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, agreed. I mean, we are always going to be the ones who are put in that moment, that counseling moment we have to be prepared and stepped into it so obviously. That's my bias. But I think we always are. Well, this has been a fantastic conversation, and I could go all afternoon, but want to keep this reasonable for our listeners too. So, I want to end on kind of a broad question, just in terms of what's your advice for SLPs and other disciplines, for that matter, in terms of working with individuals, with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, specific to the use of the external strategies and supports, but kind of weaving, counseling into those interactions? Alyssa Lanzi: Make sure we're really listening to our patients and our families and take that extra second to pause and really make sure they feel valued and heard because especially for these individuals, they're scared. They may not yet see consequences in their everyday life. So, we need to really have a lot of buy in, and good rapport with them from the beginning, because they can make key changes in their life that may actually delay the onset of dementia. But they need to have buy in from you, and they we need to really promote behavior change and to do that they need to feel, listened to and heard. So, take the extra second and make sure you're doing that. Then I think, make sure that we are providing evidence-based approaches around these strategies that we are teaching and the 3-step approach by Solberg and Mateer and the pie framework. All of these, you know, meta-cognitive strategy frameworks. It starts with education, and we need to make sure that our clients have a really big education of what even is the strategy? What are all the components of the different strategy? Why is it they are even using the strategy right? Don't, jump into training the strategy yet, really start with the education and use the teach back approach, and make sure that they can help you in that way and then make sure you also don't view your approach as linear, things are going to change right, and you're going to have to go back a step and go to education. But you know I think functional is key and important, but it doesn't mean that we take away the evidence based, either right. And it's really thinking about how to integrate both of those things, and being honest with yourself and your client if things aren't working, and you need to readjust as well. But if your patient feels valued and heard, then that's the first step, and we need to make sure that we're continuing that step all the way through to the end of the sessions. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely agree. Well, again, it's been a fantastic conversation. So really, thank you so much on behalf of Aphasia Access for your time and your insights and hope to see you again soon. Alyssa Lanzi: Yes, thank you. Please feel free to reach out. And if you ever see myself or my Doc students, Anna or Faith, or my colleague, Mike Cohen, at a conference. Please say hi to us as well. We love talking about our work and brainstorming with others, especially in the LPAA world. Jerry Hoepner: Sounds terrific. Thank you, Alyssa. Alyssa Lanzi: Thank you. Jerry Hoepner: On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening to this episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. For more information on Aphasia Access and to access our growing library of materials go to www.aphasiaaccess.org. If you have an idea for a future podcast series or topic, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access. Articles & Resources: Cohen, M. L., Harnish, S. M., Lanzi, A. M., Brello, J., Victorson, D., Kisala, P. A., ... & Tulsky, D. S. (2021). Adapting a Patient–Reported Outcome Bookmarking Task to be Accessible to Adults With Cognitive and Language Disorders. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(11), 4403-4412. Lanzi, A., Burshnic, V., & Bourgeois, M. S. (2017). Person-centered memory and communication strategies for adults with dementia. Topics in Language Disorders, 37(4), 361-374. Lanzi, A., Wallace, S. E., & Bourgeois, M. S. (2018, July). External memory aid preferences of individuals with mild memory impairments. In Seminars in Speech and Language (Vol. 39, No. 03, pp. 211-222). Thieme Medical Publishers. Lanzi, A. M., Saylor, A. K., Fromm, D., Liu, H., MacWhinney, B., & Cohen, M. L. (2023). DementiaBank: Theoretical Rationale, Protocol, and Illustrative Analyses. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(2), 426-438. Lanzi, A. M., Ellison, J. M., & Cohen, M. L. (2021). The “counseling+” roles of the speech-language pathologist serving older adults with mild cognitive impairment and dementia from Alzheimer's disease. Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups, 6(5), 987-1002. Links:  FEMAT Website  FEMAT Open Access Manuscript  Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research- Free Memory Screenings  Counseling+ Open Access Manuscript  DementiaBank Open Access Manuscript  DementiaBank- Free Discourse Protocol 

This past month, the country watched as the most expensive state judicial race in history took place in Wisconsin, with Democrat Janet Protasiewicz securing the seat and flipping the Wisconsin State Supreme Court to a 4-3 majority. Heidi and Joel talk with Sarah Godlewski, Wisconsin's Secretary of State, about what this victory means for women's rights in rural America and Republican attempts to suppress the youth vote. Then, we hear Yoshi Gaitan's story, Student Body President at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and one of the organizers on the ground who played a pivotal role in getting students to the polls. We find out what helped drive record-breaking voter turnout in Wisconsin, how a growing youth vote impacted the election, and what we can learn about rural voters for future elections in America. To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website.

Luke Strand wrote a school paper in the fifth grade on what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said a fireman or a coach. It ended up being the latter and he has coached in hockey for the last 20-plus years. He has coached in junior hockey, NCAA Division III, Division I and pro hockey (AHL). He began as a player growing up in Eau Claire, Wis. He ended up playing junior hockey for the North Iowa Huskies (USHL) and at Wisconsin-Eau Claire. After playing some minor league hockey, he has been a head or assistant coach or a scout. On April 10, he became the men's hockey head coach at Minnesota State University-Mankato. Strand talks about the stops in his career, trying to navigate the transfer portal and how he would like to see the Mavericks play.

WE APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! If you wouldn't mind please go leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!! Welcome back to Episode 271 of On the Spot Sports and in today's episode we have a very special guest, current professional hockey goaltender, Riley McVeigh! Riley and I talk about his path to pro hockey in the FPHL and the SPHL. We also talk about growing up in Calgary, Alberta and what youth hockey was like, time with the Virden Oil Capitals, playing college hockey with Stevenson and Wisconsin Eau Claire, lessons learned in first pro season, stint in the SP, season with the Binghamton Black Bears, practice habits, transition from third string to starter and so much more! We hope you guys enjoy this episode!!Thank you Riley for coming on the show! I had a blast!! Follow us on Instagram @on_the_spot_sports and take a listen on YouTube, Spotify and Apple/Google Podcasts @ On The Spot Sports Get $25 off our guy Jamie Phillips Nutrition book for Hockey Players with the discount code "ONTHESPOT" on victoremnutrition.com Living Sisu link: https://livingsisu.com/app/devenirmem.... BECOME A MEMBER TODAY --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/on-the-spot-sports/support

Higher Ed AV PodcastEpisode 203It's time again for the Midwest College and University AV Summit! This year's summit is being held at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with James King from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, giving this year's keynote address. Rodney Fillmore and Paul Bernhardt join the show to discuss what to expect form this year's programming and why all higher ed professionals should attend.Register for the conference: https://mcuav.org.Connect with Rodney Filmore:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodney-fillmore-33a07338Connect with Paul Bernhardt:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-bernhardt-604b062

In The New Era in Mathematics, 1920-1950 (Princeton University Press, 2022) Karen Parshall explores the institutional, financial, social, and political forces that shaped and supported the American Mathematics community in the first half of the twentieth century. Drawing from extensive archival and primary-source research, Professor Parshall uncovers the key players in American mathematics who worked together to effect change. She highlights the educational, professional, philanthropic, and governmental entities that bolstered progress and uncovers the strategies implemented by American mathematicians in their quest for the advancement of knowledge. Through an examination of how the American Mathematical community asserted itself on the international state, The New Era in Mathematics, 1920-1950 shows the way one nation became the focal point for the field. Karen Hunger Parshall is the Commonwealth Professor of History and Mathematics at the University of Virginia. She is the author of James Joseph Sylvester: Jewish Mathematician in a Victorian World and the coauthor of Taming the Unknown: A History of Algebra from Antiquity to the Early Twentieth Century. Marc Goulet is Professor in mathematics and Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In The New Era in Mathematics, 1920-1950 (Princeton University Press, 2022) Karen Parshall explores the institutional, financial, social, and political forces that shaped and supported the American Mathematics community in the first half of the twentieth century. Drawing from extensive archival and primary-source research, Professor Parshall uncovers the key players in American mathematics who worked together to effect change. She highlights the educational, professional, philanthropic, and governmental entities that bolstered progress and uncovers the strategies implemented by American mathematicians in their quest for the advancement of knowledge. Through an examination of how the American Mathematical community asserted itself on the international state, The New Era in Mathematics, 1920-1950 shows the way one nation became the focal point for the field. Karen Hunger Parshall is the Commonwealth Professor of History and Mathematics at the University of Virginia. She is the author of James Joseph Sylvester: Jewish Mathematician in a Victorian World and the coauthor of Taming the Unknown: A History of Algebra from Antiquity to the Early Twentieth Century. Marc Goulet is Professor in mathematics and Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Success in sales isn't about where you've come from, it's about where you want to go. Regardless of your background or personal experience, if you possess a willingness to learn and a desire to succeed, sales can be the career for you.   In this episode of the Campus Series podcast, Lenita Davis, Director of the Sales Program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Melaney Barba, a Sales and Marketing Lecturer, get into the benefits of a sales career, while describing their own journeys in this field and the sales program at their university.   

In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff is joined by Peter Myers, Professor of Political Science at University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire and the 2016-17 B. Kenneth Simon Fellow in American Political Thought at the Heritage Foundation, for a conversation on Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy “character not color” comes into direct conflict with […]

In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff is joined by Peter Myers, Professor of Political Science at University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire and the 2016-17 B. Kenneth Simon Fellow in American Political Thought at the Heritage Foundation, for a conversation on Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy "character not color" comes into direct conflict with the ideas of Critical Race Theory.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy Gypton

Today marks 40 years since the death of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American draftsman who was fatally beaten with a baseball bat in a racially motivated crime on June 19, 1982. He died of his injuries in the hospital days later. To discuss the legacy of his death, we're joined by Christine Choy, a professor at New York University and co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Who Killed Vincent Chin?" Also joining is David Shih, a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and author of the recent New York Times op-ed, "How I Became an Asian American."

In this episode of Purpose-Driven Wealth, your host Mo Bina is joined with Doug Fullaway to discuss why senior living real estate shouldn't be overlooked. Traditionally, businesses in senior assisted living tend to be on the stripped-down, basic side of operations. And that has contributed to its slow pace. But does "slow pace" also pertain to revenue? Doug shares why few retail investors invest in senior living, why he allots time training managers, why he wrote the book Investing in Senior Living, and why senior living has not failed to grow despite its slow adoption of modernity. In this episode you will learn: Senior living operations rejected technology for so long Why did Doug write the book, Investing in Senior Living? Investing in multifamily vs. senior living real estate The interesting sub-niches within the niche of senior living In the world of senior living, labor has always been a heavy component and so much more! About Doug Fullaway:   Senior Living operational excellence has been the focus of my work since 2002. I was the COO and then the CEO of Vigilan, a leading supplier of software for assisted living, memory care, and independent living. Our customers included many of the leading companies like Emeritus, Brightview Senior Living, and Capital Senior Living.   Vigilan introduced subscription pricing to the senior living market and helped hundreds of senior living communities increase service revenues by $100/resident/month. While working for RealPage after Vigilan was acquired, I pushed for the use of call centers to increase tours by over 40% at Brookdale Senior Living and Holiday Retirement.   I also developed a business simulation tool that is still used to teach senior living at leading universities. I have been part of the team that acquired poorly running communities and turned them around. I sit on the Board of the Center for Health Administration and Aging Services Excellence (CHAASE) at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and the Board for the Veteran's Centers of Oregon. Senior Living is my passion!   Doug's book, Investing in Senior Living, can be found at Amazon.com.   Follow Doug Fullaway on:   Website:          https://fourteenplus.com/   Investing in Senior Living: Earning Superior Returns While Improving the Lives of Seniors, Book by Douglas Fullaway: https://www.amazon.com/Investing-Senior-Living-Superior-Improving-ebook/dp/B01MSOWY5R   Connect with Mo Bina on:   Website:          https://www.high-risecapital.com/ Medium:          https://mobina.medium.com/   For more information on passive investing in commercial real estate, please check out our free eBook — More Doors, More Profits — by clicking here: https://www.high-risecapital.com/resources-index      

By all accounts, Jordan DeMay was a well-liked, sports star at his Michigan high school. The 17-year-old committed suicide last week, just hours after someone demanded money to keep a compromising photo from being sent to his parents and friends. The extortionists initially contacted DeMay over a fake social media account, posing as a teen girl who sent him a nude picture. Jordan reciprocated. The photo then became the center of a sextortion scam. The perpetrator pressured DeMay to pay to keep the photo private. The teen sent $300. The perpetrator wanted more. Police say the entire sequence of events appeared to have taken about six hours, until deputies responded to the DeMay home just after 7:30 a.m. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Dr. Justin Patchin, Ph.D. - Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, Author: "Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying”, justinpatchin.com Dan Ellis - Attorney, Herman Law (New York and Florida) Specializing in victims of sexual abuse and harassment, Hermanlaw.com, Instagram: @Dan_Ellis_Esq. Dr. Angela Arnold - Psychiatrist, (Atlanta GA) www.angelaarnoldmd.com, Expert in the Treatment of Pregnant/Postpartum Women, Former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology: Emory University, Former Medical Director of The Psychiatric Ob-Gyn Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital Dr. Michelle DuPre - Former Forensic Pathologist, Medical Examiner and Detective: Lexington County Sheriff's Department, Author: "Homicide Investigation Field Guide" & "Investigating Child Abuse Field Guide", Forensic Consultant DMichelleDupreMD.com Lowell A. Larson, Jr. - Detective/Lieutenant, Marquette County Sheriff's Office Kendall Bunch - Evening Anchor/MMJ, WLUC-TV6 uppermichiganssource.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com