Aphasia Access Conversations

Dr. Katie Strong, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Central Michigan University talks with Dr. Thomas Broussard about broadening the importance of aphasia advocacy and awareness.

Thomas G. Broussard, Jr., Ph.D. is an awarded author, public speaker, and three-time stroke survivor. He was a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, naval officer, naval shipbuilder, and a business owner in career development and training. He received his Ph.D. at The Heller School at Brandeis University in 2006. His work was focused on helping people with a disability find work. Dr. Broussard was associate dean at The Heller School at Brandeis University until his stroke in 2011. He lost his language and could not read, write or speak well, but kept a 500-page diary using metaphorical drawings with text that didn't make any sense. He started his company, Stroke Educator, Inc. in 2015. He is conducting a national "Aim High for Aphasia" awareness campaign dedicated to educating people about aphasia, an impairment of language. This is the fourth year of the campaign and he has spoken in 24 states so far. Dr. Broussard has written three of the Stroke Diary series: Stroke Diary, A Primer for Aphasia Therapy (Vol I); The Secret of Aphasia Recovery (Vol II) and Stroke Diary, Just So Stories, How Aphasia Got Its Language Back (Vol III) which won the 2018 Gold Medalist Award for the President's Book Award from the Florida Authors and Publishers Awards.

In this episode you will:

• hear Tom's stroke story
• learn that awareness is its own modality
• learn about the Aim High for Aphasia campaign

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Janet Patterson, Chief of the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Service at VA Northern California, speaks with Cathy Off about creating and sustaining an aphasia group in a rural community.

Dr. Off is an associate professor in the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, & Occupational Sciences in the College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Montana, where she directs the Big Sky Aphasia Program.

In today's episode, you will learn:

• about disparities in health care for persons living in rural communities • strategies to identify challenges specific to sustaining an aphasia group in a rural community • how art, aphasia, and teaching and learning intersect in Missoula, Montana

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Julie Hart is the Director of the TBI Medicaid Program in the Lally School of Education within the College of St. Rose. She developed the Moving Message Walk, which is celebrating its 10th year, and the Moving Message Fund, along with individuals with stroke and brain injury. In her everyday work, Julie Hart truly follows LPAA principles, nothing about us without us.

In today's episode, you will hear and learn as:

• Julie shares her years of collaboration with a cohesive, person-centered and innovative department at the College of St. Rose
• After the first year, the Moving Message Fund was created to provide $2500 scholarship for therapy, technologies, and anything that will support communication of stroke and brain injury survivors
• The mission of the Moving Message Walk - celebrating people who have communication impairments, recognizing the strength they have, honoring their human nature, making people more aware of the reality of living with a communication disorder
• All of this takes place in collaboration with real-world people, including students, faculty, family, community members, and in community contexts – at the heart of LPAA principles
• and more...

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Ellen Bernstein-Ellis, Co-director of the Aphasia Treatment Program at Cal State East Bay speaks with Jerry Kaplan about the history, structure, and future of the Boston University Aphasia Community Group.

Jerome Kaplan received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and his M.A. from New York University. Now in his fiftieth year as a practicing SLP, Jerry has worked in academic, medical, rehabilitation, and research settings as well as in private practice. Founder of the Aphasia Community Group of Boston, now in its 30th year, Jerry has advocated for aphasia awareness and education through diverse and innovative programs, collaborating with noted actors, artists, filmmakers, and musicians. He has presented at the Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Aphasia Association, and ASHA Conferences. He is the recipient of the Partners Health Care Community Service Award and the Aphasia Access Innovator Award.

In today's episode you will:

• Learn about the structure and flow of a monthly three-hour aphasia community support group
• Learn about four special events that are yearly highlights on an aphasia community group's calendar
• Discover some tips for preparing guest speakers to present to aphasia community groups
• Gain insight on how commitment and collaboration are key elements to starting an aphasia community group

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During this episode, Dr. Katie Strong, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Central Michigan University talks with Robyn O'Halloran about broadening the role of the SLP in acute care assessment.

Robyn O'Halloran is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Speech Pathology at La Trobe University. She worked as an SLP in community and hospital settings before undertaking a M.Phil and PhD with Professor Linda Worrall on the role of SLP in the acute hospital setting. Robyn is the lead author of the Inpatient Functional Communication Interview: Screening, Assessment and Intervention, which will be published by Plural in November this year.

In this episode you will:

• learn the importance of supporting your patients participate in their health care while they are in the hospital and how that might impact their overall health outcomes.
• be challenged to imagine how your role as an SLP in acute care can broaden by addressing the barriers to communication in the hospital environment.
• hear about a new tool, the Inpatient Functional Communication Interview (IFCI) for assessment in acute care.
• listen to questions posed from SLPs working in acute care about IFCI

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In this episode, Janet Patterson speaks with Janice Dittelman, Technology Coach at the Adler Aphasia Center in New Jersey.

Listening to this episode, you will:

• Hear how incorporating technology, in particular, mobile technology, can expand the experiences and connectedness of persons with aphasia, their family members, and individuals in the community,
• Learn tips on managing expectations for incorporating mobile technology into an aphasia group and encouraging group members to use mobile technology beyond the aphasia group activity,
• Learn what aphasia and fantasy football have in common.

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Jerry Hoepner, a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, speaks with Ronelle Hewetson about the social intervention framework and parallels to the LPAA framework for individuals with right hemisphere damage. Ronelle addresses the gap in knowledge about a social intervention framework so evident in clinical contexts.

Dr. Hewetson has examined social participation following right hemisphere stroke and has great insights into the application of the LPAA framework among persons with right hemisphere damage.

In today's episode you will:

• Learn about the impact of right hemisphere damage on social communication, including returning to work roles and returning to relationships.
• Learn about the role of speech-language pathologists in addressing the social consequences of right hemisphere damage after right hemisphere damage.
• Learn about how proxy input gives a better idea of the social consequences after right hemisphere damage, given reduced awareness of change and the underestimation of the magnitude of social cognition impairments.
• Learn about possible predictors to changes or declines in social networks (network and relationship maintenance) among persons with right hemisphere damage.

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Deborah Hersh, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Speech Pathology at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia. She is a Fellow of Speech Pathology Australia and Deputy Chair of the Australian Aphasia Association. Deborah is interested in how people with aphasia experience rehabilitation and how SLPs can make their recovery journey more person-centered, inclusive and successful.

During this episode, Dr. Katie Strong, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Central Michigan University talks with Dr. Hersh about Meeting in the Middle: Augmenting Person-Centeredness in Acute and Sub-Acute Post-stroke Aphasia. Material from today's episode was first presented at the 2018 ASHA Convention in Boston, MA. In today's episode you will:

• Hear the analogy of 'therapy in transit' as applied to acute and subacute aphasia care and how LPAA applies to participation in hospital settings
• Learn how therapeutic assessment differs from traditional assessment
• Expand your collaborative skills through the SMARTER goal setting framework
• Learn how to approach discharge in a collaborative manner

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Jerry Hoepner, a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, speaks with Ian Kneebone about our roles in addressing mental health concerns among individuals with aphasia.

Ian Kneebone is head of discipline within the discipline of Clinical Psychology in the Graduate School of Health at the University of Technology – Sydney. Professor Kneebone has made many contributions to clinical psychology and care of older people, specifically with those who experience depression and anxiety after stroke and other neurogenic diseases, including aphasia. In recent years, part of his work has included collaborations with several speech-language pathology researchers in addressing psychosocial consequences and interventions for persons with aphasia

In today's episode you will:

• Learn about common mental health concerns among individuals with aphasia.
• Learn about the role of speech-language pathologists and other professionals in the stepped model of care.
• Learn about Ian Kneebone's past and current collaborations with researchers examining mental health and aphasia (e.g., Aphasia Center for Research Excellence, the ASK project).
• Learn how increasing participation in personally relevant and meaningful activities can have positive effects on mood.

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In this episode, Dr. Katie Strong (Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Central Michigan University) is talking with Dr. Sarah Wallace and Dr. Elena Donoso Brown about their work on participation gaps in research and clinical environments.

Sarah E. Wallace PhD, CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor and Program Director for the Adult Language and Cognition clinic in the Speech-Language Pathology Department at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Wallace also directs the Communication and Cognition Lab. She is a Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar in the United States.  Elena Donoso Brown PhD, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Duquesne University. Dr. Donoso Brown’s previous clinical experience was in-patient rehabilitation for persons after traumatic brain injury and stroke. At Duquesne University, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in evaluation, qualitative research methods and program development.        In this episode you will: 1.    expand your viewpoint on AAC being solely for supporting output 2.    get tips on how to support people with aphasia in increasing independence in reading 3.    hear about an interdisciplinary project with occupational therapy to support people with aphasia in participating in-home programs 4.    learn a few tips on interprofessional collaboration, including involving students in research projects

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Special Thanks to these Aphasia Access Members and organizations for underwriting this episode:

- Wendy Greenspan - Melinda Corwin - SCALE at the League