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

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

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

Kinship and worship

International Stammering Awareness Day, 22nd October 2013 Over the summer I went travelling throughout Vietnam – a wonderful country where I had the pleasure of meeting many warm, openhearted people, eager to share their fascinating history, rich cultural heritage and exquisite cuisine. Throughout my travels, I was frequently moved by the important role ‘kinship’ plays … Read more

The inaugural culture club

………… (written with a dodgy memory) On Tuesday, 5th of March, 4 of your fellow brain injury survivors assembled at the Park Hotel in Teddington for the first meeting of a ‘culture club’. The surroundings were ideal; a roomy venue with no significant background noise. To boot the Park Hotel is easily accessible and serves great … Read more

intandem’s first blog!

Welcome to intandem’s first blog! It is a testimony to how far we have come since we first entered the independent sector 8 years ago – and the advance of social media! We have embarked on 2013 with setting up a Twitter account @_intandem. Through it we hope to develop a community of like-minded people – … Read more