ASHA Voices

Hear stories from home health SLPs working in three different regions across the country. As more patients choose to receive care at home, SLPs working in the city of Baltimore, the suburbs of Atlanta, and in a rural part of the Midwest share how the places they work influence the ways they provide services and care. Central to the conversation are social determinants of health, the sometimes unseen environmental and social factors that can influence our health. You’ll hear these factors in the stories of each of today’s guests. Transcript

In this panel discussion, guests address how SLPs can empower themselves to effectively provide their services cross-linguistically. The guests share stories of their personal and professional connections to multilingualism, demonstrating the link between language, identity, and their work. Transcript

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

SLPs Meg Lico and Kaitlin Hanley from NYU Langone Health share their story of working with Aaron James, the recipient of what’s being billed as the first ever full-eye and partial-face transplant. They describe how they worked with James to reach his goals, such as eating solid foods with his family. Central to the story is their collaboration and the interdepartmental communication that made success possible. The SLPs provide details about approaching this unique case, as well as their victories, memorable moments, and the emotions they had along the way. At the end of the conversation, hear from James and his wife Meagan. Transcript

We’re delving into new research addressing the where and the who of hearing loss in the U.S. Principal investigator David Rein, of NORC at the University of Chicago, and audiologist Nick Reed, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discuss the Sound Check project. This research initiative includes new estimates of bilateral hearing loss and an interactive map that presents the data by state, county, and more. Hear the researchers observe trends and share takeaways from this comprehensive look at hearing loss in the U.S. Transcript

An audiologist and SLP discuss working together to assist patients with mild TBI and tinnitus. At the center of their collaboration is addressing the cognitive load in patients who have both tinnitus and the injury. Find out why and how the duo decided to join together to help these patients, and what they do differently now. Transcript

In this second part of our conversation with SLP and health services researcher Jen Oshita, she expands on strategies people with communication disabilities can use to express themselves and more fully participate in their own health care. Hear why Oshita feels SLPs play a pivotal role in improving health care equity for these patients, and what organizations can do to increase communication access. Plus, hear from patients and care partners, including personal accounts from Hari Kannan, Vidya Thirumalai, and Lyn Piper. Transcript

SLP and health services researcher Jen Oshita provides strategies SLPs can share with people with communication disabilities to facilitate effective communication in health care. She discusses how communication access in health care interactions can contribute to health disparities, and she addresses barriers to care related to communication, such as rushed appointments with providers or the use of confusing medical jargon. Throughout this conversation, we’ll hear from patients and care partners as they share their experiences with the health care system, including advocate Matthew LeFluer and health communications strategist Karen Hilyard, who shares strategies as well. Transcript

John Hendrickson is a writer and senior editor at The Atlantic where, four years ago, he began to write about stuttering, penning an article about now-President Joe Biden's relationship with speech disfluency. Hendrickson’s memoir “Life on Delay” is a personal expansion, exploring the author's own life experiences with stuttering. On the podcast, he discusses his book, publicly disclosing he is a person who stutters, and addresses media representations of speech disfluency. This is ASHA Voices’ third conversation featuring authors discussing their lives as people who stutter. All conversations feature special guest co-host and SLP Chaya Goldstein-Schuff of the Sisskin Stuttering Center and the StutterTalk podcast.

ASHA Voices is ringing in the new year with a preview of 2024 and some highlights from 2023.

You may have seen our first guests present on cultural awareness, bias, and microaggressions in the supervisory relationship at the 2023 ASHA Convention. SLPs Kyomi Gregory-Martin and Nancy Gauvin join the podcast for a conversation on creating inclusive workplace cultures and what to do if you unintentionally commit a microaggression. Later in the episode, hear a personal story from Iván Campos, a bilingual SLP working in California. He also shares how he feels microaggressions have changed since 2020.

Audiologist and public health researcher Lauren Dillard takes us on a journey through the ASHA Voices archive to highlight the many places audiology and public health overlap. From mobile clinics, to a history lesson, to an Arizona border town, hear excerpts from past episodes of the podcast curated by affiliates of ASHA Special Interest Group 8, Public Health Audiology.

SLP Joe Duffy, who has spent decades with the Mayo Clinic treating motor speech disorders, shares some of the stories that stick with him—from surprising neurological conditions to functional speech disorders. And, he dissects what we can learn from these memorable patients and the way they spoke.

If clinicians and families aren’t speaking the same language when treating pediatric swallowing disorders, things can get confusing — and dangerous — says today's guest on the podcast. SLP Laura Brooks discusses her work with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative, or IDDSI. The nonprofit has been developing and implementing resources that standardize measurements for thickened liquids and modified foods. Brooks, who treats children with swallowing disorders, discusses cultural considerations in her work with care partners and family members. And she shares what she’s learning from clinicians outside the U.S. through her work with the international nonprofit. This conversation was originally published in February 2023.

What some SLPs have considered a “hidden disorder” is receiving attention. Earlier this year, the Department of Education clarified that Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) could be recognized under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. To reflect and expand on this update, DLD advocates Kelly Farquharson, Tiffany Hogan, and Karla McGregor join the podcast to detail the work they are doing to bring attention to the neurodevelopmental condition. They discuss what this recent IDEA development means for students with DLD and the SLPs who work with them. It's part of a conversation covering advocacy, masking, and the ways SLPS can address DLD while working with families and teachers.

What have we learned from the first year of OTC hearing aids’ availability? A panel of audiologists with distinct perspectives on the devices—informed by their varying professional experiences—discuss uptake, patient satisfaction, and common misconceptions. Plus, hear what our guests hope year two and beyond might hold for these devices.

In this episode, we look at what artificial intelligence (AI) might mean for people with swallowing disorders, as part of our continuing series of conversations about AI's influence on audiology and speech-language pathology. Vanderbilt University’s Cara Donohue shares her experience with this burgeoning technology before discussing implications and practical applications. Hear why she considers the roles of engineers and interprofessional collaboration to be essential.

From hearing aids to cochlear implants, from tinnitus to speech-in-noise, AI is everywhere. On this episode, professor Fan-Gang Zeng (UC Irvine) discusses where audiologists may see AI show up next, and the promise this technology holds for assessment and treatment. Zeng’s research focuses on the ways hearing and the brain are linked, like through tinnitus or with cochlear implants. At the 2023 Research Symposium on Hearing at the upcoming ASHA Convention, he will present on the implications of AI for audiological research and care.

From the moment a patient approaches their primary care provider about balance problems, the road to recovery can be long and expensive. But audiologist Devin McCaslin (University of Michigan) is working to simplify that path and reduce costs--using artificial intelligence. This technology can help patients receive needed care, and McCaslin discusses how an AI system, which he helped to develop, coordinates care for patients with dizziness and puts them in front of the appropriate providers. McCaslin will be presenting as a part of the 2023 Research Symposium on Hearing at the upcoming ASHA Convention.

In his book “Every Waking Moment,” author Christopher Anderson shares in unflinching detail the pain he experienced related to stuttering—both as a young person and into adulthood. But he also recounts how a series of personal decisions and a single business card slowly changed everything, putting him on the road to self-acceptance. Anderson joins the podcast to discuss his life and his book, including his experience with avoidance-reduction therapy, and what he wants to share with SLPs. This is the second conversation with an author who has written about their life as a person who stutters. Both conversations feature special guest co-host and SLP Chaya Goldstein-Schuff of the Sisskin Stuttering Center and the StutterTalk podcast.