10 Year Anniversary!

Together we have compiled some images and reflections to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. For 10 years as intandem, we have:   Preserved our core values     Valued and invested in our relationship     Been consistent and flexible     Balanced work-life transitions     Collaborated and created links     Developed a voice … Read more

Yoga and Brain Injury

I have never written a blog before, but the invitation to do so is a timely one as I ‘grow up’ and find my way with social media on my freelance ‘adventure’. Since I took early retirement from my role supporting people with Creutzfeld Jacob Disease (CJD) and their families in the NHS, my goal … Read more

It’s time to take back our speech: Did I stutter?

Cathy and Sam invited me to discuss the Did I Stutter Project, a recently launched disability activist project for stutterers by stutterers, created by myself, Zach Richter, and Erin Schick this summer. Put most simply, we are a group of stutterers who want to be heard on our own terms, with two main goals: 1) … Read more

International Stammering Awareness Day 2014: My Shout!

Raising public awareness is rife these days. There seem to be colourful wrist bands and ribbons for almost every health and social issue you can think of, and stammering is no exception. Today, on International Stammering Awareness Day, you can mark the occasion by sporting a unique sea-green version. It may be a small gesture, … Read more

News Group: Behind the Scenes (2/2)

I wrote last month about how some of our neuro-rehabilitation service users benefit from the experience of attending the news group we run on the ward.   As a service, we have found that we can use our group provision for a number of purposes:   We can use the group to provide different packages … Read more

News group: ‘being part of something’ (1/2)

10.30am and this week’s News Group is about to start on the neuro-rehabilitation unit where I work as a speech and language therapist. As I arrange chairs and sort through the newspapers, John arrives without any prompting, having remembered to consult his diary for his programme for the day. John is working on strategies to … Read more

Reflections on my first BSA Conference: inspiration, connection, courage and community

A week later and I am still feeling buoyed up by the positivity of the British Stammering Association’s National 2014 Conference, held in association with the Scottish Stammering Network in Glasgow. I was not sure what to expect as I made the long train journey north on Friday 22nd August, arriving just in time to … Read more

Stammering and the social model of disability: challenge and opportunity

Where does the real problem of stammering lie? How does society communicate its values and norms about fluency and how does this affect people who stammer? How does the SLT tread the delicate path between helping their client manage their stammering more effectively (and increase ease of communication) without reinforcing unhelpful ideas about stammering (and … Read more

A treasured space

Six years ago I started my independent practice as a speech and language therapist, working with children. I left the relative safety of working in the NHS to a new world where it was my responsibility to generate work and subsequent income to support family and home… initially both a daunting and exciting thought. With … Read more

Helping people with aphasia have better conversations

Aphasia is the name given to a condition where speaking, understanding, reading and writing are damaged. If you experience aphasia, it can be devastating. Speaking is a bit like blinking – it is something you take for granted until that bit of grit lands in your eye, then you realise just how much you rely … Read more