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…’ UTS researchers Dr Lucy Bryant and A/Prof Catarina Pinto Moreira (UNESCO Co-Chair on Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality) expand upon the practical and ethical challenges that clinicians might face, and need to be aware of, before they think about using artificial intelligence (AI) and VR / AR devices. We explore the promises and pitfalls of immersive technologies like AR and VR, and how these could help reshape speech pathology assessment, therapy, and services.   Resources: Bryant, L., Brunner, M., & Hemsley, B. (2019). A review of virtual reality technologies in the field of communication disability: implications for practice and research. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 15(4), 365–372.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17483107.2018.1549276 Bryant, L., & Hemsley, B. (2022). Augmented reality: a view to future visual supports for people with disability. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 19(3), 800–813.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17483107.2022.2125090 UNESCO Chair: Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality https://unescoaixr.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/UnescoAIXR/ XAVIER - Combines AI and VR in radiology https://unescoaixr.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/Xavier/   Host: Professor Bronwyn Hemsley  Guests: Dr Lucy Bryant and A/Prof Catarina Pinto Moreira Producer: Ali Aitken

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 communication and connection.   Resources: Dementia Australia:  Talking to someone with dementia https://www.dementia.org.au/living-dementia/staying-connected/talking-someone-dementia Speech Pathology Australia Factsheeton Dementia and Communication:  https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/common/Uploaded%20files/CommunicationHub/Fact-Sheets/Dementia%20and%20communication%20FINAL.pdf Speech Pathology Australia Dementia Practice Guideline: Working with People with Lived Experience of Dementia https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Shared_Content/Smart-Suite/Smart-Library/Public/Smart-Library-View.aspx?resource=920 Systematic Review of Communication Partner Training Programs for Families of People with Dementia (Open Access) Folder, N., Power, E., Rietdijk, R., Christensen, I., Togher, L., & Parker, D. (2023). The Effectiveness and Characteristics of Communication Partner Training Programs for Families of People with Dementia: A Systematic Review. The Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad095     Host: Professor Bronwyn Hemsley  Guests: Naomi Folder and Gwenda Darling Producer: Ali Aitken

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 their own thoughts, and not those of the facilitator.  Facilitated Communication and variants (Supported Typing, Letterboarding, Spelling to Communicate / Spellers Method) are increasingly being used due to: (a) growing numbers of speech-language pathologists and clinics delivering FC/S2C services; and  (b) promotion in The Telepathy Tapes (Seasons 1 and 2), which dangerously and incorrectly interpret failed message passing tests as pseudoscientific telepathy rather than being evidence of facilitator control over the messages produced.  This episode features some of the authors of a new paper outlining the communication rights of individuals exposed to the dangers of facilitated communication and variants (Spelling to Communicate, S2C, Spellers Method), listed below.  Outline of Communication Rights and Authorship Assessment in FC/RPM/Spellers (Open Access) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23297018.2025.2544116 Hemsley, B., Beals, K., Lang, R., Schlosser, R. W., Shane,  H. Simmons, W., Skinner, S., & Todd, J. (2025). Safeguarding the communication rights of minimally- or non-speaking people who are vulnerable to Facilitated Communication, Rapid Prompting (Spellers method) and variants. Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 1-21. Systematic Review of Facilitated Communication (Open Access) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2396941518821570 Hemsley, B., Bryant, L., Schlosser, R. W., Shane, H. C., Lang, R., Paul, D., Banajee, M., & Ireland, M. (2019). Systematic review of facilitated communication 2014–2018 finds no new evidence that messages delivered using facilitated communication are authored by the person with disability. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518821570 (Original work published 2018) United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Article 16 Freedom from Exploitation, Violence and Abuse: https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/crpd/article-16-freedom-from-exploitation-violence-and-abuse Article 21 Freedom of Expression and Opinion and Access to Information: https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/crpd/article-21-freedom-of-expression-and-opinion-and-access-to-information Website and YouTube resources: Blog posts, videos, critiques of studies, and lists of organisations with position statements opposing FC/RPM https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/ https://www.youtube.com/@fcisnotscience   POSITION STATEMENTS on FC/RPM/S2C/Spellers American Association of Speech Language Hearing: ASHA Position Statements on Facilitated Communication https://www.asha.org/policy/ps2018-00352/ ASHA Position Statement on Rapid Prompting Method (Spelling to Communicate, S2C, Spellers Method) https://www.asha.org/policy/ps2018-00351/?srsltid=AfmBOopseOn5HhRP7E0er6QJYNt97hjImlHsPcb9S2MUc9Qud8X4Mwdp ASHA Evidence Map on Systematic Review of Facilitated Communication https://apps.asha.org/EvidenceMaps/Articles/ArticleSummary/75d47271-e474-ee11-814b-005056834e2b Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability - ASID Position Statement on Facilitated Communication and Rapid Prompting Method https://asid.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Sept-2024-Final-Position-Statement-on-FC-and-RPM-13-July-202475.pdf Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists  https://www.rcslt.org/members/delivering-quality-services/facilitated-communication/#section-2   Host: Professor Bronwyn Hemsley  Guests: Dr Katherine Beals, Dr Jeffrey Chan and Professor Karen Nankervis Producer: Ali Aitken

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 interventions based on Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition (GLP/NLA): Clinical implications of absence of evidence and cautions for clinicians and parents. Curr Dev Disord Rep 12, 1–14 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-024-00312-zhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40474-024-00312-z  Websites for evidence-based practices Autism Evidence and Practice (The National clearinghouse, NCAEP, USA). https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/ Australian Autism CRE (Centre for Research Excellence) evidence tables https://www.autismcrc.com.au/interventions-evidence/summary-umbrella-review/evidence-table   Host: Prof Bronwyn Hemsley  Guests: Dr Lucy Bryant and Dr Caroline Bowen, AM. Produced by Laura Corrigan, thanks to 2SER

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_dA7arRMrE0qdxLuzGChY1LgY2 Multilingual Children’s Speech website: https://www.csu.edu.au/research/multilingual-speech Key paper:  McLeod, S., & Crowe, K. (2018). Children’s consonant acquisition in 27 languages: A cross-linguistic review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27(4), 1546–1571. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0100  Free posters: https://www.csu.edu.au/research/multilingual-speech/speech-acquisition/learning-english-consonants Host: Prof Bronwyn Hemsley  Guests: Dr Denise Ng,  Prof Sharynne McCleod, Emily Chan, and Lily. Produced by Laura Corrigan, thanks to 2SER  

When a person’s voice doesn’t match the gender they identify with, this can cause dysphoria. Here’s how speech pathologists and students at UTS are helping transgender clients.  Resources: American Speech-Language Hearing Association page https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/voice-and-communication-change-for-transgender-people/ Host: Prof Bronwyn Hemsley  Guests: Dr Catherine Gregory, Skye Walker, Jenna Nelson, and Kathy Zhou. Produced by Laura Corrigan, thanks to 2SER  

We used generative AI to write this podcast headline, and then checked it matched our intended meaning. Here’s other ways we’re using it in speech pathology.  Resources: https://theconversation.com/will-ai-tech-like-chatgpt-improve-inclusion-for-people-with-communication-disability-196481 Speech Pathology Australia Position Statement on Artificial Intelligence in Speech Pathology: Ethical Considerations https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/resource?resource=935 Australian Government Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools https://www.education.gov.au/schooling/resources/australian-framework-generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-schools Host: Prof Bronwyn Hemsley  Guests: Prof Emma Power, Fiona Given, Tristan Nickless, Bernadette Frewen, and Lauren Reinhardt. Produced by Laura Corrigan, thanks to 2SER

Discover the latest research and insights in Speech Pathology from the University of Technology Sydney. Join Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, Head of Speech Pathology at UTS, as she starts the conversations shaping the field. A must-listen for speechies, students, and their curious friends. Produced by Laura Corrigan, thanks to 2SER