ASHA Voices

When referring to autism, some people use person-first language ( a person with autism ), while others prefer identity-first language ( an autistic person ). On this episode, we talk to ASHA members and autistic SLPs about their differing language choices, and excerpt a spirited discussion of the issue on the Autism Speaks podcast Autism POVs. Plus, acclaimed autism book author Barry Prizant retur...

Spurred by this summer's turbulent news, SLP Pam Wiley facilitated a series of town hall conversations on community policing, race, and voting. The 2020 ASHA Honors recipient talks with us about what was challenging, and what she heard. Wiley, president of the LA Speech and Language Therapy Center, joins us a year after she first spoke to us about her efforts to build understanding between law enf...

We mark last September’s podcast launch with a timely return to our first episode on law enforcement, de-escalation, and communication disorders. There’s been a growing public outcry against police-perpetrated violence against unarmed civilians, who disproportionately are people of color and/or people with mental health or developmental issues like autism. Experts discuss how to help young adults...

(1:00) Driving between appointments, SLP Samantha Koncak talks about how COVID-19 has changed her job. See how new realities like stepped-up infection control measures and unruly masks affect the daily operations of an SLP in the field. (15:25) Later in the show, SLP Lauren Sharpe shares stories of COVID-19's emotional impact on both patients and SLPs in home health, with social isolation as a maj...

On this episode of the podcast, higher education takes on the moment in two distinct ways. (1:13) We hear the story of a graduate student and a faculty member brought together by the need for increased support for minority students. They tell us how they used a series of seminars to raise diversity awareness among faculty and students in a CSD program. (14:04) Then, we head south to a course that...

Continuing our coverage of how COVID-19 is affecting CSD professionals, we head to what was once the major U.S. hotspot. SLP Tami Altschuler shares stories of loss, recovery, sickness, and stigma as she walks us through the hallways of the NYU Langone Medical Center. As health care SLPs around the country see COVID-19 numbers rising, Altschuler talks about her lessons learned from facing a surge.

In this quick summer check-in, we note the episodes that listeners flocked to--and look ahead to upcoming topics. Plus, we want to hear from you. Find out how to leave a voicemail that could feature on a future podcast episode. Back in two weeks!

COVID-19 is changing the way we work, but is it also changing the way SLPs bill? With ASHA Connect 2020 just around the corner, presenter, SLP, and billing and coding expert Dee Nikjeh joins the podcast to share three of the most interesting questions she’s received since the pandemic began.

SLP and NYU faculty member George Castle says one of his mentors, the late Kenyatta Rivers, taught him to live his life helping others advance in their careers while pulling himself up at the same time. He calls this the one-hand-up and one-hand-down philosophy. Castle joins ASHA Voices for a conversation about what mentorships mean in his life and career, and he shares memories of Rivers, who die...

In the latest episode of ASHA Voices, we talk to two audiologists making their way through unexpected experiences and circumstances--one reopening their practice during COVID-19 and the other with a new cochlear implant. (1:15) First, we explore what happens when an audiologist gets a cochlear implant. If you're Carrie Spangler, 2020 sounds different from 2019. Spangler was diagnosed with hearing...

From  telepractice to staff meetings to social commitments, we’re all interacting online in often back-to-back engagements. And  today’s guests say this can  take a toll on our  voices.(1:15) First, SLP Jennylee Diaz shares strategies for maintaining the voice health of ourselves and our clients in this new all-online world--based on her own experiences with voice strain while singing.(9:49) Then…...

Timing is critical when it comes to serving children birth to three and their families. Now, COVID-19 is making the process even more challenging for audiologists and speech-language pathologists. (1:45) Audiologist Karen Munoz shares three common COVID-19-related EI difficulties she’s hearing about from audiologists--and strategies you can use now to handle them. (14:06) Then speech-language path...

In his latest book, “Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World,” author and journalist David Owen (The New Yorker) writes, “Deafness is expensive. Earplugs aren’t.” ASHA Voices speaks with Owen about his recent book, and what he’s learned about our noisy world. Then, we’re joined by audiologist Vickie Tuten to discuss occupational hearing hazards and how fit-testing hearing protection can help...

This week on the podcast: We’re joined by author and SLP Barry Prizant. He’s the author of "Uniquely Human," an acclaimed book that conceptualizes autism as a difference, rather than a disability. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, Barry joins us to discuss the parent-clinician relationship, and the evolving roles families are playing in autism intervention. In the second half of the episode, we’...

This week on the podcast: What happens when health care workers are exposed to the coronavirus? We hear from two SLPs who share their experiences with potential exposure and self-quarantine. And, we continue our look at health care with a check-up. It’s been six months since the Patient Driven Payment Model went into effect. We ask what this new payment system has meant for those in skilled nursin...

COVID-19 is turning many lives upside down. We talk with audiologists and SLPs throughout the country about the pandemic's immediate and drastic effects on their work. From the Seattle area to New York City, they are facing significant challenges, but they are also rising to those challenges. Featuring voices of professionals in schools, private practice, academia, and health care, this late-break...

We all experience work stress, so let's talk about it. Maybe you’re feeling depleted or experiencing burnout in some way. Once that cycle starts, it can get harder to step back and revitalize. On this episode of ASHA Voices, we talk with Sarah Lockhart and Sarie Wu, the hosts of the podcast SLP Happy Hour, about how to get some of that headspace back. They share what they've learned from producing...

In our second of two episodes in honor of Black History Month, today we’re addressing African American English, or AAE. 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 d...

“It's really important to recognize that things are called microaggressions, but it doesn't mean the impact of them is small.” - author Ijeoma Oluo Oluo is the author of the best-selling book "So You Want to Talk About Race." In it, she addresses complex issues—from history to intersectionality to hair—to start a conversation about race and racism in America. At the ASHA Convention, she joined ASH...

We talk to dysphagia expert Lori Burkhead Morgan. With a background in exercise science, the speech-language pathologist brings an interdisciplinary lens to dysphagia treatment. Next, Purdue University’s Georgia Malandraki describes the new tool she’s developed so SLPs don’t have to send bulky, expensive machinery home with patients. And, consultant Emily Homer offers guidance on building strong f...

Today’s guests help us rethink what’s possible in hearing treatment. We talk with Jeff Holt and Tina Stankovic, scientists on the forefront of hearing research. Jeff discusses an unexpected discovery that tied a specific gene to a genetic form of hearing loss. And Tina describes her investigations into ways to reverse sensorineural hearing loss—the most common type. What are the obstacles and poss...

Join us for a preview of what you'll hear on ASHA Voices in the new year!

The new Medicare reimbursement model taking effect in home health might seem complicated and confusing. But in this week’s episode, we have experts break it down for you. Find out what you need to know about the Patient Driven Grouping Model, or PDGM, as we parse the changes and debunk the myths.

Can how you treat your clients and colleagues make you stand out in a crowd? As increasing automation affects how people work, we discuss the importance of soft skills with emotional intelligence expert Kari Knutson. Also, technology is making it easier to connect with clients and students from afar. We talk telepractice with Tracy Sippl. Her experience as a telepractice consultant to schools guid...

Dementia. The word alone can evoke anxiety, given the emotional toll it can take on families. But two speech-language pathologists share what’s possible when families and clinicians work together. Hear what can happen when we flip the model from what’s wrong to what can go better. Also, we’re joined by fluency expert Joe Donaher to talk about voluntary stuttering, a treatment tool that he says can...