The A. To Z. SLP

Thank you, Jennifer for inviting me to be interviewed for SLP Full Disclosure. It was a lot of fun and we really could have easily talked for another hour or two! I am grateful for this opportunity to talk about my experience in the field working with neurological survivors of all kinds. I invite anyone who has any questions or comments to send me a message! I’d love to chat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8SAN207bCc

What is CTE?
“CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, is a brain disease that is degenerative and progressive. It occurs as a result of repetitive head impacts. CTE has been found in people with or without a history of concussions. Concussions may add to the likelihood of getting CTE, but the biggest factor seems to be the length of time exposed to sub concussive hits. CTE was originally only thought to exist with boxers but it was later discovered in victims of physical abuse, head banging and poorly controlled epilepsy. Now it is being associated with athletes playing contact sports including American football, ice hockey, soccer, wrestling, extreme sports, as well as veterans and military personnel with a history of being exposed to repetitive hits from training or blasting. One of the largest concerns is the growing discovery of CTE in high school and college athletes and tragically athletes who only played sports at the youth level.

The brain of a person with CTE gradually deteriorates and tau proteins begin to become defective and interfere with neuron functioning. At the current time CTE can only be verified through a specific autopsy. But there is a growing consensus among researchers that see the possibility of a clinical diagnosis of CTE, or TES (Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome). The clinical presentation of CTE usually begins with a lack of behavioral control: explosivity, impulsivity, rage behaviors, paranoia, violence, and loss of control. In most cases mood behaviors such as depression and anxiety occur. Memory issues, executive functioning deficits, and attention problems have also been noted. Addictive behaviors and suicidal thinking are also associated with CTE. Since often times the onset of CTE symptoms occurs many years after the RHIs, it is imperative for doctors, family members, morticians, policing entities, and rehab facilities to look for the possibility of CTE through examination of the history of each individual.”

For more information please visit www.stopcte.org



Citation: What is CTE? - stopcte - the patrick risha CTE awareness foundation. StopCTE. (2018, September 19). Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://stopcte.org/whats-cte/

Do you believe in magic?

I was recently working with a patient and family on aphasia intervention strategies. This client had received speech therapy services before but asked me to come into the home for speech therapy services and family training. The client’s speech was non-fluent and largely unintelligible when I arrived.

BUT.

With the implementation of evidence based strategies combined together to quickly meet the client’s speech and language needs, the client all of a sudden was speaking in phrases that sounded like their old self. And it sounded a bit like magic! How did one person walk in the door, and then within 20 minutes have a person with aphasia talking out loud, on the way to clearly speaking, and finding ways to express ideas?

Well…

Sometimes highly skilled speech therapy services can feel just like it, but there really isn’t any magic involved, just LOTS of skills, and whole lot of science.

But WHY does it feel like magic? Probably because when life is so very different and all of a sudden a glimmer of a person’s “old self” shines through when an intervention is successfully delivered. All of a sudden there is hope. Real, tangible hope to grab onto for the first time in a long time.

Hope is what keeps up going. We know there’s more. We know we can do it.

If you have aphasia or love someone who does, I’d love to show you some magical-feeling strategies to make that aphasia feel less frustrating. Time slots are available for in-home speech therapy services.

I’m here to help you find that hope, latch on tight, and cheer you on the entire way.

Give me a call. Let’s make magic happen.

One of the most challenging things I hear as a speech therapist is "my

Not sure what The A. to Z. SLP can do for you? Set up a free virtual consultation with Angela and see what we can do for you!

Happy everything to everyone, always.

On this Human Rights Day, let's honor the people who are differently-abled in their communication. Gestures, eye contact, sign language, AAC, writing, electrolarynx, and on and on. All people deserve the tools they need to communicate to their highest abilities.

Many of us are in the middle of the holiday rush, and before we know it 2022 will be upon us. Like it or not, the new year is coming. What will you do with it? What goals will you set for yourself? Or are you like me who doesn’t wait for a date on the calendar to get something done? I’ve never been a person to wait for permission to do something on my mind: as a kid not from my parents, and now certainly not from a random date on a calendar. But, just the same, I like the newness that comes with the new year. My hand takes a minute to keep up with my brain when I write the date. Birthdays come back around again. Spring will be here before we know it; we live in a world full of possibilities.

People set goals about losing a certain number of pounds or saving a certain amount of money. Maybe vacations are budgeted for and later enjoyed. A new car. A new love. You might decide to pick up an old hobby again.

What if you picked up a new skill? What if you decided to become a more highly skilled communication partner or a more empowered advocate for someone you care about? If you know a person with aphasia, or challenges from dementia, TBI, or a brain tumor you CAN help.

The A. to Z. SLP will create in individualized learning session for up to 10 people, either in person or virtually, to learn about your loved one’s condition, allowing you the time and space to ask the hard questions in a judgement free zone.
Get ahead of your 2022 goals: book a session with The A. to Z. SLP to help make the communication in 2022 light years ahead of now.

You can send a message directly to The A. To Z. SLP.

Happy Hanukkah! May you be blessed with a warm and happy home!

When , , , or have a seat at the dinner table it can feel as if an unwelcome guest has arrived. When people we love survive neurological diseases and injuries they can feel like they aren’t fully able to participate during the holidays. Families feel helpless.
It doesn't have to be so hard. There IS help.
A two-hour investment of your time will teach you the skills and strategies to communicate again.
To understand. To HELP.

Gratitude can be difficult on days like this. Days when food is pureed and liquids are thickened instead of “normal” like everyone else’s, or when you have to eat your meal in a darkened and quiet room because the chaos that is at the dinner table is just too much for your brain to process. Maybe you have to write down what’s on your mind because the words just won’t come out of your mouth the right way. Stroke, TBI, and other neurological diseases can rob us of so much joy if we let it.
If gratitude is difficult this year try flipping the script. Maybe you can be grateful for that awesome blender that makes your food easier to go down, or family that understands without judgement that you need to be in a quiet space, or that your family has learned different ways to communicate with you.
It’s not perfect, but it might just be enough.
My sincere wish for you and those you love today is that you find gratitude in being here to tell the story.

More than 50% of TBI survivors struggle with suicidal thoughts. We cannot ignore this issue. We cannot pretend it will go away. We have to be brave.

Recovery from TBI and stroke is the hardest full time job you never wanted. If you can be anything, be kind to yourself. You really are doing some of the hardest work this world has in store for humanity.

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
~Caroline Flack

Thank you for your service---the sacrifices you and your family made for our country do not go unnoticed.



https://www.usmedicine.com/clinical-topics/cardiology/ptsd-increases-risk-of-early-stroke-tia-in-young-veterans/

PTSD Increases Risk of Early Stroke, TIA in Young Veterans - U.S. Medicine More Significant Risk Factor than Diabetes, Sleep Apnea CHAPEL HILL, NC—Developing posttraumatic stress disorder as a young adult doubles a veteran’s risk of a transient ischemic attack before middle age, according to a new study. The research, published in the Stroke journal, also reported that...

Caregiving is NOT for the faint of heart, especially when your loved one has trouble communicating. You don't have to do this alone.

Stroke and TBI recovery don't have to be complicated when you have a trusted expert by your side....

http://atozslp.com/2021/11/01/tbi-stroke-expert/

Is This Insane? Maybe not. Stroke and TBI recovery don’t have to be complicated when you have a trusted expert by your side.

One of my favorite clients said this the other day when I introduced them to another stroke survivor. Wiser words have never been spoken.

Some people hate, I choose to love.

You are loved. Simply for being you.

I know sometimes it doesn't feel like everything is going to be alright, but I know in my heart that when we work to learn and grow together our worlds become much fuller with love.

Don't let aphasia be a barrier to a fun weekend, now or ever. Book a session with Angela for up to 10 people and learn communication strategies that work for your life and your loved one's needs.

The A. To Z. SLP updated their business hours.

It can feel scary and overwhelming when concussion and TBI happens. The A. to Z. SLP can you you manage the challenges that come with concussion and TBI though Family Training Sessions and coaching.

We all deserve these experiences and more whether you are a caregiver of a person with a neurological disease or the person fighting your way through a diagnosis. Understanding the strategies for communicating with aphasia, cognitive communication disorders, and other diagnoses can be challenging for everyone involved. But when we had a dollop of these actions and feelings to our communication things can feel not-so-challenging. Book a session with Angela, she'll help you find your way.

Language and intellect are not the same.

Thank you for taking the time to send me your feedback, Samantha! I know that more and more better days are headed your way.