Speechmag

Music, Melodic Intonation Therapy and Giving Voice

"We found music provided an opportunity for people to express themselves and interact in a poignant way...This has given us food for thought about the link between communication, music and movement."

So say the speech and language therapy team for people with learning disabilities at Yourhealthcare, while reflecting on their Signsational training in the Spring 11 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice (pp.28-29).

Another speech and language therapist, Lindsay King, has been pondering the link between singing and speech. Having heard about the resurgence of interest in Melodic Intonation Therapy (which I reported in 2007), she introduced it to a young man with a brain injury with promising results.

Lindsay wrote this up as a case study which will feature in the Autumn 11 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice. Her Trust then asked her to write a summary of the approach in its new Cumbria Partnership Journal of Research, Practice and Learning (freely available online and well worth a read). With interest in speech and language therapy fuelled by The King's Speech, journalists picked up on her contribution at the Journal's launch, and her client was delighted to be interviewed and photographed for his local paper.

This is a really good example of the same 'story' being presented in different ways to suit the needs of different recipients. It also shows the advantages of therapists and clients working together to tell the story, as is being encouraged by the Giving Voice campaign. So go on, express yourself!

Spring has sprung at Speech & Language Therapy in Practice

Mailing of the bumper Spring 11 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice is now complete and, as always, it is blooming with practical and inspiring articles.

We have a new arrival, Whose goal is it anyway?, a series for 2011 on goal negotiation from Sam Simpson and Cathy Sparkes. Journal club continues with a look at critically appraising systematic reviews, Editor's choice is on stammering, and Boundary issues is back with the ethical minefield when work and home life meet.

Other articles are on:

• putting people with learning disabilities in control of where they live and with whom
• introducing TOPICC (Targeted Observation of Pragmatics in Children's Conversations)
• reducing the risk of choking in adults with learning disabilities or mental illness
• training people with aphasia and their carers to communicate effectively beyond therapy
• resources for being an effective national specialist adviser.

And, as you would expect, we have fantastic reader offers (for NDP3 Speech Builder, Grow Words, and Independence Through Communication) as well as reviews of books and resources and more low cost ideas for groups in Here's one I made earlier.

New subscribers to Speech & Language Therapy in Practice should note that, in addition to the 4 issues for 2011, they will get a free copy of the Winter 10 issue.

Happy reading!

'Benefit finding' and coping with head and neck cancer

ENT & Audiology News for Nov/Dec 2010 includes a summary review (p.132) of Morwenna White-Thomson's article 'How I support TEP closure: an open and shut case?' from the Autumn 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice.

The Nov/Dec issue of ENT & Audiology News also contains a thought-provoking article by Sandy Cavell (pp.49-50), 'Head and Neck Cancer: quality of life and beyond.'

Sandy is a Health Psychologist in New Zealand. As she says, "quality of life assessment and further information on psychological factors are important in enabling the clinician to improve communication with the patient, to ensure there is a more informed choice regarding treatment options and that better health outcomes are achieved" (p.49).  

Health professionals are increasingly recognising the importance of qualities such as resilience, so I was particularly interested in her comments on 'benefit finding' and its positive association with effective coping strategies. Examples of benefit finding were where the person's experience "caused them to think differently about their relationships with family and friends, altered their worldview and their prioritising of life issues" (p.49).

Between its print publication and online presence, ENT & Audiology News says it aims to offer "an invaluable forum for the communication of news and information from every aspect of ENT and audiology". For subscription rates and offers, contact Pinpoint Scotland Ltd, tel. 0131 557 4184.

Supporting people with aphasia to volunteer: useful publications

Do you encourage or support people with aphasia to volunteer?

This topic was explored in the article 'Any volunteers?' in the Winter 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice. Carole Cross of Connect has been in touch to alert readers to two further publications that might be of use: 'How to volunteer - A guide for people with aphasia' and 'Volunteering and aphasia - A guide for organisations recruiting people with aphasia as volunteers'. The titles are self-explanatory, but you can read more and order them via the Connect website. They cost £7.50 each. 

In the article Gill Pearl and Gill Jackson reported on a pilot study of the Personal Development Programme and concluded that it engaged and supported people to do more with aphasia. Identified activities included gardening at the local YMCA sports centre, teaching bowls to new members of the bowls club, helping at the local Citizens Advice Bureau, helping in a charity shop, taking on a new role in a Masonic club, volunteering at Dyscover, and making tea in a residential home. The Personal Development Programme is available to buy at cost from Speakeasy, tel. 01706 825802.

In an accompanying article, 'Actions not words', Rebecca Allwood and Jane Terry found a volunteer placement at Wheelbase for their client Colin. This has enabled him to embark on a journey back to work in spite of his communication difficulties.

 

Contact a Family Directory lists information on 430 disabilities and health conditions

I still remember the first time I heard about autism, when a parent came to talk to our Guide Company over 30 years ago. As a new graduate, I read up on Neurofibromatosis, which affected one of my young clients. A few years later I learned about Fragile X Syndrome and the Fragile X Society through a very dedicated parent whose son is now a young adult. 

If you work with disabled children and their families, you will come across many who already have a diagnosis, or who are going through an assessment process where a diagnosis may help those around the child understand their needs. Some you may have heard of - awareness of CHARGE syndrome, for example, is growing. But others, such as Dravet Syndrome or Wolfram Syndrome, may be completely new. Contact a Family added these recently to their Directory. This lists physical symptoms, psychological and behavioural characteristics for 430 disabilities and health conditions, along with details of relevant UK support groups.

Chief Executive Srabani Sen says, "Families really appreciate it when speech and language therapists find out about their child's condition. It helps them feel more understood and less isolated. Research shows that parents of disabled children who enjoy positive relationships with the professionals involved in their children's care often cite them as important sources of emotional and practical support."

The Contact a Family Directory is available online (£17.25 per year) and in print (£40), tel. 020 7608 8700.

Winter 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice on its way

Usually the Winter issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice goes out before the weather has really started to bite - but not this year!

Winter 10 was posted from the mailing house in Lewes yesterday to UK and overseas subscribers so, weather permitting, will reach you any day now. However, as you can see from these pictures taken from my windows 5 minutes ago, not much is moving here and it is no surprise that the extra copies which I post out have yet to arrive.

This means a bit of a delay for those who receive bulk copies, those with BFPO addresses, and authors. As soon as the magazines arrive I will get them sent on.

Like our weather, the magazine has an early festive feel, with an extra four pages in this issue and four fantastic reader offers.

Sharing good practice and giving voice to people with speech, language, communication and swallowing needs

Being honest, I wasn't too sure when I read the programme for the RCSLT Scotland day on 26th August that I would particularly enjoy it, other than as an all too rare opportunity to catch up with colleagues in person. How wrong could I be! I have attended many RCSLT events over the years and - especially given the difficulties facing public services - this was one of the most inspiring and timely. I have written about it in a freely available article as an early taster for the Winter 10 issue (due out at the end of November).

It is also well worth reading keynote speaker Gerda Stevenson's story of her communication journey with daughter Galina (now 12) who has Down Syndrome. It tells us so much about the value of user involvement, being up-to-date with the evidence, and the potential of storytelling and drama in therapy.

Perhaps you know other service users who would like to share their experience with a wider audience? If so, the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists is inviting them to join its Giving Voice campaign.  

Free conversing with Sharynne McLeod article now available

Being a speech-language pathologist herself, internationally renowned educator, researcher and editor Sharynne McLeod knows how much our profession likes to talk.

During a study day in Bristol in July ('Speech Sound Disorders in Children - Seminar for SLTs'), Sharynne made a point of encouraging the 50 attendees to shift seats at each interval and talk to someone new. It may feel more natural to find a seat and stick with it, but I enjoyed experiencing her informative, challenging and inspiring seminar from different vantage points, and discussing it with a variety of friendly speechies. Definitely something to do again at future events.

To finish, Sharynne got us each to blow up balloons and write on them the main two messages we would take away from the day. The activity also involved a song and punching the balloons around, which I imagine goes some way towards explaining why I still remember that I wrote 'siblings' and 'polysyllabic words' on mine.  

There were, however, many other equally important messages about making sense of the literature, writing for publication and making a difference across the globe, which I have written about in a new free article on the study day and a follow-up interview with Sharynne. This e-article supplements the content of the Autumn 10 issue of Speech & Language Therapy in Practice magazine. Other free original articles are also available here.

Autumn 10 issue now out!

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.

Cartoons, critical appraisal and raising money for Parkinson's

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.

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.