Guests: Leanne Togher, PhD, FSPA, FASSBI, Rachael Rietdijk, PhD, SLP, & Kate Smith, MSPA, CPSP
Earn 0.1 ASHA CEU for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/course?name=The-Social-Brain-Toolkit-Practical-Resources-for-Caregiver
Join Renee Garrett as she kicks off Season 2 of Brainstorms Functional Neurorehab with esteemed guests Dr. Leanne Togher, Dr. Rachael Rietdijk, and Kate Smith. In this episode, the team explores the Social Brain Toolkit, a suite of resources designed to improve communication for individuals with acquired brain injuries (ABI). The discussion covers the inception, development, and components of programs like TBI Express, TBI ConneCT, and Interactability. They delve into the crucial role of communication partner training, methodological research, and evidence-based practices in supporting TBI patients and their caregivers. Additionally, the episode touches upon the groundbreaking work at the University of Sydney and introduces speechBITE, a curated repository of treatment research in speech pathology. Tune in to learn about their innovative approach to making effective communication strategies accessible and practical for clinicians, students, and families worldwide.
Episode Timeline:
00:00 Introduction and Disclosures
01:40 Meet the Experts
04:50 The Social Brain Toolkit: Origins and Development
09:03 TBI Express, and TBI ConneCT: Evolution of Training Programs
11:36 Telehealth and Digital Health Innovations
13:18 Expanding Communication Partner Training
15:22 Interactability and Social Ability: New Tools for Broader Impact
17:39 Practical Applications and Future Directions
32:48 Understanding Communication After Brain Injury
33:26 Training for Caregivers and Students
35:14 Introducing TBI Express and interact-ABI-lity
36:03 Free Resources and Accessibility
36:46 speechBITE: A Resource for Speech Pathologists
37:32 The Evolution and Impact of speechBITE
44:19 Kate Smith's PhD Research on Clinical Information Needs
53:01 Addressing Methodological Quality in Research
56:07 The Social Brain Toolkit and Caregiver Support
59:08 Final Thoughts and Resources
About the Guests:
Professor Leanne Togher is a full Professor at the University of Sydney, Australia, and NHMRC Professorial Research Fellow (Investigator Grant Leadership Level 3). Professor Togher holds a PhD in speech pathology and is internationally recognised with more than 250 journal articles. Professor Togher has led the development of communication treatments for people with brain injury and their families, carers, and community agencies, including TBI Express, TBI ConneCT, and the Social Brain Toolkit. She is the director of the evidence-based practice website speechBITE. Professor Togher is the incoming Chair for the International Brain Injury Association and Chair of Brain Injury Australia.
Dr Rachael Rietdijk is a certified practising speech pathologist and Lecturer at the University of Sydney, with research interests in acquired brain injury, communication partner training, and digital health. Her PhD research produced a new evidence-based intervention for people with traumatic brain injury called TBIconneCT. Dr Rietdijk was the project lead for the Social Brain Toolkit project, including interact-ABI-lity, the first free evidence-based online program about communicating successfully with people with a brain injury. This program has reached over 1500 people from over 25 countries. Dr Rietdijk continues collaborating as part of research teams on the Communication Connect NHMRC Ideas Grant and the Communication for Safe Care NDIS Information, Linkages and Capacity Building grant.
Kate Smith is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in evidence-based practice for two decades. She is a member of the speechBITE advisory committee at the University of Sydney and worked on developing speechBITE with Professor Leanne Togher for over a decade. Kate is currently undertaking her PhD, applying a user-centered approach to co-designing a new digital resource that provides research evidence for SLPs.
