ASHA Voices

In this episode, two presenters from the upcoming ASHA 2021 Convention Research Symposium on Hearing discuss how hearing loss connects to dementia and depression.

Columbia University psychiatry researcher Bret Rutherford says depression is one of the main drivers of disability in older adults, linking the condition to cognitive decline, dementia, and hearing loss. He explains what role hearing health might play in preventative care.

Then, Esther Oh, co-director of Johns Hopkins’ Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center, describes how hearing loss can compound symptoms like agitation.

In July, President Biden signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to draft regulations for over-the-counter hearing aids this fall. The OTC devices will accommodate mild to moderate hearing loss.

The nature of those regulations, and what they may mean for audiologists, is up for speculation. Some may see these devices as an opportunity to increase awareness of hearing health. Others may be concerned about possible impacts of these devices on audiologists’ practices.

Today on the podcast, we’re joined by an expert panel to discuss the implications and possibilities that may arrive on the shelf alongside these hearing aids.

We’re taking on a subject that is timely, but not new. Guests explain how the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn public attention to disparities in care that have always existed. And they say everyone has a role to play in confronting these inequities.

Often associated with race and socioeconomic status, the impact of health care disparities can be devastating. The disparities affect everything from finances to health care outcomes.

Panelists explore how implicit bias can perpetuate inequities, and share what clinicians can do to help.

This conversation was originally published in February 2020.

African American English, or AAE, is a language variation. Maybe you've heard it called a dialect. It sounds different from Mainstream American English. It has its own rules and its own grammar, and it comes from a long language tradition. But when AAE is not recognized, it can be misdiagnosed as a language disorder.

Covering everything from misdiagnosis in the classroom to the connection between language and identity, our panel of experts discusses the language variation known as African American English.

We continue our conversation with SLP Greg Robinson (L’GASP, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences). Greg runs TLC - Gender Affirming Communication Group, a clinic offering gender-affirming voice services. Robinson relates how the group highlights the deep connection between the voice and identity. And, Robinson shares how their clients are influencing the careers of the CSD students working at the clinic.

Clients need to feel that they are valued and respected, and for gender-diverse clients, this often begins with the language we use. The consequences of not showing this respect can be large. They can even lead to negative client outcomes, as our guest today shares.

SLP Greg Robinson is a faculty member at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and the chair of L’GASP, ASHA’s LGBTQ+ caucus.

Robinson shares guidance on how to approach conversations around gender and what to do if you inadvertently slip up. They also tell a personal story of how a health care provider’s language led them to stop receiving care.

During Rachel Archambault’s first year as an SLP at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the school became the site of the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. The Parkland, Florida. students who were freshmen during that shooting are now graduating, and in the years since the shooting, Archambault became an advocate for trauma-informed practice, sometimes called trauma-informed care.

Archambault joins ASHA Voices to tell us about serving as an SLP at the school and shares the five principles of trauma-informed care she incorporates into her work. She also addresses how SLPs can prepare for the upcoming school year, and what a trauma-informed approach might look like as students and staff deal with fallout from COVID-19.

SLP Alicia Fleming Hamilton joins the podcast to discuss the new book "Exploring Cultural Responsiveness: Guided Scenarios for Communication Sciences and Disorders Professionals." Hamilton worked as an editor on the book from ASHA Press, which features stories and examples curated for, and from, audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

Hamilton describes the book as a tool for self-reflection and growth, and says she hopes professionals will find it accessible and relevant throughout their careers. The book covers and explores issues such as family separation at the border, gender identity, unconscious bias, African American English and more.

On the podcast, Hamilton shares two stories from the book, including one pulled from her own life.

In June 2021, the book was recognized with an Excel Award from the Association Media and Publishing Network in the technical book category.

Call it the cochlear implant’s cousin—A new device is stimulating the inner ear and allowing some patients to regain a sense of balance.

We speak to Charley Della Santina, the director of the Johns Hopkins Vestibular NeuroEngineering Lab. Plus, we hear from a recipient of the device, A’ndrea Elyse Messer, and an audiologist who is the director of the USC Balance Center, Alaina Bassett.

It’s our second batch of stories featuring SLPs sharing stories about the unexpected places their careers have taken them.

First, Shulunda Gibson takes us from burnout in private practice to a trip around the world. Hear the lessons she learned while moving from “fear to freedom.”

Then, the authors of Speech-Language Pathologists as Expert Witnesses, Brenda Seal and Lissa Power-deFur, demonstrate how they used their skills in pursuit of justice.

Hear more moments that changed everything.