Lifespan Speech Pathology

23/06/2025

It's Motivational Monday, so here's therapist Alex with a message for you:

"Every word you try is a win!"

Keep going, and remember...you've got this!

21/06/2025

📲 Now, more than ever, typed communication has exploded—with many people preferring texting over a phone call! 📞➡️💬 This is especially important when we think about our patients with aphasia and agraphia (loss of writing ability). ✍️🧠

📝 Lee & Cherney (2022) developed the Texting Transactional Success (TTS) rating scale to assess how patients communicate information during text exchanges.

📊 It’s a 3-point scale:
❌ 0 = Unsuccessful
➖ 1 = Partially successful
✅ 2 = Successful

Key findings:
🔹 Texting success was linked to aphasia severity & reading/writing abilities
🔹 Confidence and texting frequency didn’t predict success
🔹 The new scale shows strong reliability & could guide therapy focused on digital communication 💡💬

📖 Read the full article here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35623321/

🧠 Want to learn more about agraphia and how to treat it?
Check out our blog: What SLPs Need to Know: Agraphia

➡️ https://tactustherapy.com/treating-agraphia-writing-speech-therapy/

25/02/2025

Excited to have spots opening up 🤩

05/02/2025

Are you struggling to get back into school mode? Your dopamine levels might need a reset! Here’s how to hack your brain for better focus, motivation and energy.

19/09/2024

Eeep! One week to go & I’ll be presenting 🫶

Interested in oral health & hygiene and saliva management in MND? Secure your early bird ticket to our Special Interest Group (SIG) Workshop and learn about this important topic (amongst many others!!).

https://mndnsw.org.au/all-events/health-and-community-care-professional-events/1347-special-interest-group-sig-workshop.html

*This event is for health and community care professionals who have an interest in MND.

25/07/2024

So True 👊

Here are 4 ways technology can help:

Calling via Facetime or video chats (skype, zoom, etc) - this allows a person with aphasia to SEE who they are speaking to, and oftentimes allows for better long distance communication. We recommend video calls to a majority of our clients!

Taking photos - taking photos of activities, foods, people can be a great strategy for people with aphasia to use to communicate wants and needs when speech may not be the best option.

Using Text to Speech functions - this allows a person to click and highlight written information and hear it read out loud. This works well for people who may have difficulty reading.

Using Speech to Text functions - this allows a person to speak a message and see it in written form. This works well for people who have difficulty writing or typing.

How has technology helped you or your loved ones? Let us know in the comments below!

18/07/2024

Interested in oral health & hygiene and saliva management in MND? Secure your early bird ticket to our Special Interest Group (SIG) Workshop and learn about this important topic (amongst many others!!).

https://mndnsw.org.au/all-events/health-and-community-care-professional-events/1347-special-interest-group-sig-workshop.html

*This event is for health and community care professionals who have an interest in MND.

12/04/2024

Amen to this ❤️

Frustrated with therapy sessions that feel more like tests than learning opportunities? You're not alone. Testing-focused therapy often leads to plateaus in progress, leaving patients feeling stagnant.

In contrast, learning-focused therapy prioritizes teaching over testing.

Here's how you can improve comprehension in aphasia:

🌟 Context is Key: Connect language to real-life situations using gestures and slower speech.
🌟 Multiple Communication Avenues: Utilize gestures, writing, and visual cues to enhance understanding.
🌟 Emphasize Context: Use sentences instead of single words to provide clearer context for comprehension.
🌟 Slow Down and Emphasize: Speak slowly, emphasizing key words and gestures to aid understanding.

Remember, comprehension can improve over time with the right techniques. Let's focus on empowering individuals with aphasia to enhance their communication skills effectively! 💪

Learn More: https://buff.ly/3VPAnW9