Caroline Bowen brings her 2 day speech sound disorders workshop to the UK

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

I can’t believe it was as long ago as 2002 that Australian speech-language pathologist Caroline Bowen compiled her top ten child speech resources for Speech & Language Therapy in Practice.

I have “known” Caroline virtually for many years, and enjoy her humourous contributions to the excellent ACQ magazine. I also admire the firm hand with which she guides the phonologicaltherapy listserv, a fantastic resource for anyone who works in the field of child speech.

Now finally I am going to meet her in person when she presents a two day workshop in York next year on behalf of ASLTIP (the Association of Speech & Language Therapists in Independent Practice). ‘Speech sound disorders: The basics and beyond II’ will cover referral and screening, assessment, diagnosis, contextual factors, intervention approaches, target selection, treatment principles, goals and strategies and roles. It should be an exciting – if exhausting! – couple of days.

Posted in Conferences, CPD, Phonetics / phonology, Professional standards, Resources, Service delivery, Speech and language development, Speech and Language Therapy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fit’s it caa’d? Humour and the limitations of standardised phonology assessments

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

Living in the North East of Scotland and being a speech and language therapist surrounded by 'bumf' and jargon, I was tickled by this viral email of Doric office speak that came in today. As Kim Mears says in 'My top resources' in the Autumn 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice, such humourous emails can make your day… They also remind us that standardised phonology assessments have their limitations!

General

 

Process Flowcharts

The wye tae dee things

Departments

Bourachies o' Fowk

Roles (Job Titles)

Fit the folk are caa'd

Resources

Handy things tae hae handy

Value

Foo mony or foo muckle

Unit of measure

Foo mony or foo muckle fit

 

 

Concepts and Standards

 

Quality

Fit wye a thingmie's fit for fit it's supposed tae fit

Competency

Fit ye're fit for

Business Risk

Onything that can mak' an erse o'fit ye're trying tae dee

Documentation

Bumf

Document Register

Faur tae look for mair bumf

Retention Period

Haud on til't for

 

 

Processes

 

Process Reference

Fit it's caa'd

Process Title

Fit it's tae dee wi'

Process Owner

Heid mannie

Approver

Fa says "aye"

Draft

Nae quite feenish'd

 

 

Tasks (within a process)

 

Task

Fit's deen

Responsible

Fa does't

Informed

Tell't

Consulted

Speired at

Assists

Gies a haun til

Accountable

Fa's heid's on the block if a'thing gings erse ower tit

Create

Mak up

Refer to

Hae a lookie at

File/Archive

Pit awa'

 

 

Project Completion

 

Project

Jobbie

Completion Checklist

Ticketyboo tick list

 

So whether you're a heid mannie identifying onything that can mak' an erse o' fit ye're trying tae dee, you're nae quite feenish'd that jobbie you're working on, or you're arguing the case for more handy things tae hae handy, I hope all is ticketyboo with you the noo.

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Autumn 10 issue now out!

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

The Autumn 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice was mailed on Friday. (My own copy hasn’t made it to Scotland yet, but I know some people got theirs as early as Saturday!)

It includes:

  • our new series to help you with critical appraisal of the literature
  • teaching indirect interaction techniques to education staff
  • working with people with aphasia in a community arts venue
  • scaffolding opportunities for silent bilingual children to speak out
  • How I support TEP (tracheoesophageal puncture) closure
  • complementary therapy – exploring our boundaries
  • my top resources for working outside the NHS
  • what’s hot and what’s not: book, resource and software reviews
  • In Brief – chewing in children with mild cerebral palsy
  • Here’s one I made earlier – the menu game
  • Editor’s choice – adolescents, aphasia, intergroup contact
  • win our free reader offer for The Communication Toolkit

New subscribers always receive an extra issue FREE in their first year.

Posted in Aphasia, Books, journals and articles, Community settings, CPD, Ethics, Head & Neck, Professional standards, Resources, Service delivery, Speech and language development, Speech and Language Therapy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Training people with learning disabilities to tell stories

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

“Stories give meaning to our lives – we are storytelling creatures who are constantly reviewing and interpreting our experiences and making link with what has happened to others” (Storytracks, 2009)

Lesley Johnson used this quote to open an article about a collaborative approach to developing narrative in people with learning disabilities in the Winter 09 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice. She explains how a visit from four members of Openstorytellers, including speech and language therapist Nicola Grove and musician Jane Harwood, inspired the development of her own project with “wonderful practical ideas for structure of the sessions, opening and closing activities and stories”.

Openstorytellers enables people with learning disabilities to tell stories and build a strong sense of personal and cultural heritage. While it has secured a grant to train people with learning disabilities to manage the organisation, it has at the same time lost business in cancelled projects due to the current financial climate. If you would be interested in commissioning the group to do training or a performance, or in linking as partners in some way email Director Nicola Grove (info@openstorytellers.org.uk).

Openstorytellers also has a page on Facebook.

Reference
Johnson, L. (2009) ‘How I create creativity (2): Defining who I am’, Speech & Language Therapy in Practice Winter, pp.26-28.

Posted in Community settings, Learning disability, Resources, Service delivery, Speech and Language Therapy, Voluntary organisations | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cartoons, critical appraisal and raising money for Parkinson’s

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

With forecasts of bleak times ahead in the public sector, we could all do with a bit of cheering up. One man who can always home in on the funny side is cartoonist Fran Orford.

SLTiPLevelsofEvidence Fran's work will feature in the next recruitment leaflet for Speech & Language Therapy in Practice. He has also drawn the cartoons to illustrate the magazine's forthcoming series on critical appraisal by consultant speech and language therapist Jen Reid. This will be a no-nonsense guide to interpreting different types of journal articles. As well as being of use to you as individuals, it will also support you in running journal clubs, a stimulating and efficient method of continuing professional development.

If you are looking for an unusual present, Fran is raising money for the Parkinson's Disease Society (now known as Parkinson's UK) through commissions and sales of original cartoons. This offer runs until the end of August.

Posted in Books, journals and articles, CPD, Parkinson's disease, Writing for publication | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Off We Go! with Signed Stories

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

ITV’s Signed Stories have signed up Avril Webster, author of the Off We Go! series. You can see ‘Going to Buy Clothes’ being signed here.

Avril’s inspiration for the series came from her son Stephen’s love of books. Stephen has intellectual disabilities and found everyday experiences overwhelming. Looking at her books about going to the hairdresser, supermarket, a restaurant, the doctor, the dentist and the swimming pool helped him deal with these situations.

Since I interviewed Avril in 2007, she has introduced more stories: Going to Buy Shoes, Going to Buy Clothes, Going to a Birthday Party, Going to the Optician, Going on a Plane and Going to the Cinema. These were reviewed very positively in the Summer 10 issue by Helen Burnford who said, “They are a useful resource to be used as part of preparation for daily living or by therapists in narrative therapy groups or as part of topic based literacy or language groups in schools.”

As well as the website, Off We Go! is also on facebook.

Posted in Autism, Books, journals and articles, Learning disability, Resources, Speech and language development | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Going for a coffee – aids, prototypes and service developments for people with aphasia

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

Back in 2001, Speech & Language Therapy in Practice featured an article ‘Imprints of the mind’ about a group of people with aphasia from Dundee who had participated in an exciting research project ‘Expression’.

Christine Kingsley (then Farrell), who lectures in Design at the University of Dundee, was one of the staff members involved. I am delighted to hear that her interest in aphasia has continued. She is currently working with second year design students on an aphasia awareness project as part of a ‘Design for social inclusion’ brief.

SNV13671 You can follow the students’ work on their blog. They developed their ideas with the help of the Dundee Speakability group, meeting for coffee at the University’s Top of the Tower cafe. The students learned that a cafe – a favourite social setting for many of us – is a challenging environment for people with aphasia given the levels of noise, busy staff, time pressures and limited communication aids. The six teams of students then tackled their brief in a variety of ways. Although delighted with the support of the University catering service, Christine is disappointed that “other high street chains were non-commital and apathetic when approached by Speakability members.”

The approaches adopted by the 6 teams were:

  • Team 1 – development of a visual talking wallet
  • Team 2 – telling an individual story through sequences of photographs (suitable for people in the early stages of aphasia)
  • Team 3 – a variety of hand held tools covering signage and menus
  • Team 4 – i-phone apps
  • Team 5 – a training scheme for the catering community
  • Team 6 – an awareness campaign about aphasia using social networking strategies such as blogging.

The students welcome feedback on their work.

Posted in Aphasia, Community settings, Resources, Service delivery, Voluntary organisations, Web/Tech | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘ASHA needs to actively enforce its code of ethics’ petition

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

The Chair of the British Stammering Association is urging people to join him in petitioning ASHA to prevent misleading claims that stammering is curable.  

Leys Geddes has been at the forefront of a UK campaign to ensure that people understand there is no universal 'cure' for stammering and that very few adults recover. He wants to ensure people who stammer are not given false hopes, and that people who do not stammer are not given a false impression of the condition.

Leys says, "Within the UK we have seen some considerable success but, as the web is international, it has been difficult to stamp it out worldwide. We approached authoritative organisations in other countries, particularly the States, asking for their support. Many have come on board but, disappointingly, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) declined, explaining that, in their view, these claims were a case of 'let the buyer beware'."

The new 2010 ASHA code of ethics includes rules, which are "specific statements of minimally acceptable professional conduct or of prohibitions". One of these states, "Individuals shall not guarantee the results of any treatment or procedure, directly or by implication; however, they may make a reasonable statement of prognosis." ASHA members Peter Reitzes (co-host of StutterTalk) and Dr Phil Schneider believe that speech-language pathology colleagues marketing their services with phrases such as 'Discover how to stop stuttering' and '12 days to fluent speech' are violating this rule. They have therefore started a petition to ask ASHA to enforce it. 

Leys comments, "It is both brave and sad that two speech-language pathologists, and ASHA members, must ask for support from the outside world to fight against a refusal by their own professional body to uphold such a straightforward ethical issue. Stammerers need to stand together on these issues, so every signature will be important." 

Posted in Ethics, Professional standards, Service delivery, Speech and Language Therapy, Stammering, Writing for publication | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

SpeechQuest takes speech and language therapy online

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

The internet is now an integral part of our everyday lives. We take it for granted that if we want answers we will get them online. But virtual speech and language therapy as a form of service delivery? Could that help ensure children with communication difficulties get the right help at the right time?

Speech and language therapists Rosy Bostock and Suki Ahsam clearly believe this is possible. They have launched SpeechQuest, a web-based venture aimed at giving parents, carers and early years practitioners a new level of access to assessment and advice.

As their website explains, the SpeechQuest user selects and completes a short online multiple choice questionnaire, then receives an immediate summary of results along with activity ideas and any recommendations for referral. The user can return to the online questionnaires at regular intervals to check on progress, with new activities provided according to the age and stage of the child suggested by their responses.

SpeechQuest is aimed at carers of children from 3 months to 5 years and costs £19.95 per child. The developers believe that it "complements existing NHS and Independent Sector services, empowering parents and practitioners to get involved in supporting the child without delay." A free month's trial is currently available. I will be interested to hear what readers think.

SpeechQuest will also be reviewed in a future issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice.

Posted in Autism, Service delivery, Speech and language development, Speech and Language Therapy, Stammering, Web/Tech | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

National Literacy Trust to survey young people’s attitudes to communication

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Avril Nicoll

The National Literacy Trust is looking for schools to participate in a survey to investigate young people’s attitudes towards speaking, listening and more general communication skills.

The online survey will run from 14 June to 3 July 2010 and involve 8-16 year olds from a variety of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

The Trust says “very little” is known about this subject. The survey will include attitudes about the importance of speaking and listening, what the young people think employers, society and education establishments expect and the degree to which they are confident in and good at using different communication skills.

Interested schools need to reply by 23rd May 2010.

The National Literacy Trust has recently overhauled its website and in my view is well worth a look. Like many organisations, it is keeping a close and interested eye on how the change in government will impact on education and other children’s services in England.

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