It's our very first BONUS episode! We’re doing something a little different. Join speech pathology graduate students Aidan, Kate, & Allison in a series of illuminating interviews with 4 of the caregivers featured in the book Caring For a Loved One with Aphasia After Stroke: A Narrative-Based Support Guide for Caregivers, Families and Friends.

This audio documentary explores what it means to care for a loved one after a seismic disruption to their lives, language, and sense of self.

Find out more about the book at the center of today’s episode HERE. The book is available online through several retailers, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on the publisher’s website, Springer Nature. All proceeds of the book’s sale are donated to the Aphasia Programming Fund via the UConn Foundation to directly support rehabilitative and life participation efforts of people with aphasia as well as their families.

A HUGE thank you to our guests Noreen, Deb, Gail, and Pat for sharing your stories with us today.

Do YOU have a burning question about the language & communication sciences that you’d like to see featured on the show? Record your own audio “LingQuery” and DM it to @lingquery_pod on IG.

Finding out that a loved one is “comatose”, or in a minimally conscious/vegetative state is devastating. In far too many cases, families are told their loved one will never be aware of anything, never mind use language or communicate, again. Many caregivers are pushed to “pull the plug” way too soon. But despite a shocking misdiagnosis rate, many patients do end up regaining at least some level of consciousness, and, through specialized rehab, can maximize their recovery and tap into various means of communication.

In this episode, Aidan talks with neuropsychologist Dr. Katherine O’Brien and speech-language pathologist Carissa Skarke, two professionals who specialize in disorders of consciousness (DoC) rehabilitation. Together, they discuss the complexities of assessing and providing modes of communication for patients and families often pushed aside by the broader healthcare system. To find out more, check out their DoC program at TIRR Memorial Hermann.

A HUGE thank you to listener Lindsey for submitting today’s LingQuery!

Do YOU have a burning question about the language & communication sciences that you’d like to see featured on the show? Record your own audio “LingQuery” and DM it to @lingquery_pod on IG.

*DISCLAIMER* Since recording this episode, a lot has changed in the U.S. and around the world. If you've been paying attention, you know that new federal policies continue to threaten the rights of transgender and gender-diverse people—including access to gender-affirming healthcare through insurance coverage. For more information on how you can push back against these inhumane attempts to deny basic healthcare, our guest Anne has compiled some amazing resources. Visit https://www.trueselfspeech.com/slpfreebie and check out the accompanying newsletter for affirming SLPs at https://true-self-speech-therapy.kit.com/a43a51b242.

Have you ever heard a recording of your own voice and thought, “Wait a minute, I sound like THAT?!” We often don’t sound the way we think we do. And when we’re confronted with this perceived mismatch, it can feel pretty… well, weird. Our voice and sense of identity are closely linked, but why is that, exactly? For many gender diverse and transgender individuals, it can be a struggle to find their voice, which can have long term consequences for how they perceive themselves and how they’re perceived by others. Through professional mediation, one’s voice can be shaped to better fit one’s identity, which for many is a key step in the gender affirming process.

In this dynamic episode, Aidan & Emily talk with two guests, speech-language pathologist (SLP) Anne Quirk and one of her clients, Harper, to discuss all things related to gender-affirming voice therapy, a growing and fascinating area of care for SLPs and related professionals. Learn more about Anne’s private practice and the services she provides at www.trueselfspeech.com.

A HUGE thank you to listener Kate for submitting today’s LingQuery!

Do YOU have a burning question about the language & communication sciences that you’d like to see featured on the show? Record your own audio “LingQuery” and DM it to @lingquery_pod on IG.