“A sense of harmony and peace”: Mealtime safety and enjoyment on mental health wards

In this episode, Professor Bronwyn Hemsley and her guests explore the complex world of mealtimes on mental health wards, including the perspectives of people with mental health conditions who experience difficulty swallowing. Mealtimes in hospital are important for gaining access to nutrition and …

“I managed to save myself”: Experiences of choking on food must inform prevention strategies

Choking on food and aspiration pneumonia are two of the leading causes of death for people with disability and older people in residential settings. These tragic deaths can be prevented with proper care and attention to every person’s swallowing and mealtime needs – whether that be through assessme…

“Mealtimes can change for anyone at any time”: Mealtime decisions for people with swallowing disability

In this three-part series within ‘What’s got us talking…’, researcher and person with swallowing disability Fiona Given helps us to understand the many factors affecting a person with difficulty swallowing. Across the three episodes, Fiona brings together the perspectives of people with lived exper…

“Mealtime plans need to be personal, clear, and practical”: Safety for people with swallowing disability

In this three-part series within ‘What’s got us talking…’, researcher and person with swallowing disability Fiona Given helps us to understand the many factors affecting a person  with difficulty swallowing. Across the three episodes, Fiona brings together the perspectives of people with lived expe…

“Mealtimes can be tricky”: Dysphagia and nutrition for people with swallowing disability

With high rates of swallowing difficulty (dysphagia, swallowing disability) in people with disability it is important that their lived experiences are heard in decisions about mealtimes to improve their safety and wellbeing. In this three-part series within ‘What’s got us talking…’, researcher and…

Machines helping humans: The possibilities & pitfalls of VR / AR in speech pathology

In speech pathology, the rapid evolution and implementation of artificial intelligence, particularly virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), opens up an amazing world of new opportunities for our assessments and therapy with children and adults. In this episode of ‘What’s got us talking…’…

Dementia & communication for connection: The vital role of speech pathologists for support

Dementia often changes a person’s communication while also increasing their need for connection and support. In this episode of ‘What’s Got Us Talking…’, we explore the impact of communication changes in dementia, and the important role speech pathologists play in enabling more successful communica…

Safeguarding communication rights: Sounding the alarm on Facilitated Communication / Spelling to Communicate

In this episode of “What’s Got Us Talking …” we explore the dangers of facilitated communication and variants Spelling to Communicate and Spellers Method. We outline the importance of recognising an individual’s communication rights and their need to access a method of communication that reflects t…

Mind the evidence gap : Caution over Gestalt Language Processing / Natural Language Acquisition

Recognising the rising popularity of GLP/NLA, we bring the results of a systematic review into the conversation and explore some reasons for its rapid growth despite the absence of research evidence. Resources:  Key paper:  Bryant, L., Bowen, C., Grove, R. et al. (2024) Systematic review of int…

Understanding each other : Multilingual speech pathology practice

As multilingual speech pathology is an emerging field of research and practice, we explore how and why speech pathologists support multilingual clients, and several new developments. it. Resources: Multilingual Children’s Speech YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRXcSAl_dA7a…