Photo source: ​https://www.instagram.com/p/CL6gWyOhV1y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This episode is very fitting given that June is Effective Communications Month. Join me as I interview Henry Emeka and CJ, creators and lead facilitators of the Noisy Classroom - Oracy. Both Henry and CJ work with children in Nigeria, Africa to help them improve their communication skills. Traditionally, Nigerian children are taught to modify their native accent in order to sound more American or British. However, the philosophy behind the Noisy Classroom - oracy initiative is to move away from accent modification and to focus more on communication skills and styles in order to improve intelligibility and self-expression. They also talk about how they help children transform their thoughts into expressions. This is done using the following three components:

1) Vocabulary Development
2) Speech-Language Development
3) Social Communication Development

"As much as we respect and love our culture, there are some aspects that we have to do away with."

"Children need to start advocating for their own ideas."

Check out their Instagram Page to find out more.

March is Brain Injury Awareness month and I am thrilled to be able to release an episode on the topic! This podcast will have you rethink the way you see social communication and pragmatics. Join me as I interview Dr. Lyn Turkstra. Lyn is a speech-language pathologist by training, and her research focuses on links between cognitive function and social communication in individuals with acquired brain injury. I was very excited to have her as a guest on this podcast. You will quickly discover her breadth of knowledge and experience in this vast and often obscure field.
 
 Lyn starts off the episode by talking about a review paper that was published in 2017 from a joint committee from ASHA and the American Psychological Association (SLPs and neuropsychologists) which is a bit of a primer for what SLPs do in terms of pragmatics in relation to other health professionals and how communication goes beyond vocabulary and syntax. Here is the link to this paper: Pragmatic communication abilities in children and adults: implications for rehabilitation professionals

Lyn talks about a study she co-authored about pragmatics and makes reference to the “Lack of practice” problem. Here is the article:
 
Warner-Czyz, A. D., Evans, D., Turkstra, L., Scheppele, M., Song, C., & Evans, J. L. Effect of auditory status on visual emotion recognition in adolescents. Cochlear Implants International.

During the episode, Lyn talks about a tookit that can be used to assess the environment of those who have dementia and who live in long term care facilities. Here is the link to that resource:
 
Jennifer Brush, Margaret Calkins, Carrie Bruce and Jon Sanford; what supports communication environment?
Environmental communication assessment toolkit  (ECAT)

I also make reference to the Episode with Tanya Nesterenko, SLP and executive coach. You can find it here.
 
Lyn talks about a study by Meulenbroek, Bowers and Turkstra (2016). The focus of this study was to examine successful return to sustained employment after brain injury. They discovered that social communication skills was number the number one skill required for sustained employment:
 
Characterizing common workplace communication skills for disorders associated with traumatic brain injury: A qualitative study.

We also talked about available resources for anyone who might be interested in finding out more about social cognition, pragmatics, brain injury and communication. Here are some of the resources discussed during this episode:
 
Medbridge Webinar:
Social Cognition: Populations at risk, Assessment and Intervention.

Lyn is also the co-author of a book that offers guidelines on how to teach new things to people with memory problems. The book also provides strategies for executive functions, but the focus is on memory. The authors are currently working on a  new edition of the book which should be released next year. ​Sohlberg, Turkstra, & Wilson (2011). Optimizing Cognitive Rehabilitation: Effective Instructional Methods. The Guilford Press. New York.

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Additional resources :
 
Paul, R., Norbury, C. F., & Gosse, C. (2018). Language Disorders from Infancy through Adolescence. Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Communication, 5th edition. St. Louis : MS, Mosby Elsevier.
 
Murray, L. & Clark, H. (2014). Neurogenic Disorders of Language and Cognition: Evidence-based Clinical Practice; Second Edition. Pro Ed
 
S. McDonald, L. Togher, & C. Code (Eds) (2014). Social Communication Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury (2nd Edition). Psychology Press: London.
 
Anderson, V. & Beauchamp, M. Developmental social neuroscience and childhood brain insult: Implications for theory and practice. Guilford Press: New York.

If you would like to hear more about Dr. Lyn Turkstra’s work, she has a webinar coming up in the fall that you could tune-in to:
Oct 14 2020
SAC Webinar: Intervention for Adolescents and Adults with Cognitive-Communication Disorders after Acquired Brain Injury

In this episode, Dr. Diana Coholic, professor and social worker from Laurentian University, talks about the Holistic Arts based program (HAP) she developed to work on mindfulness with children and youth. She talks about how using art can help children become more mindful of their emotions and thoughts in a welcoming and safe environment. Dr. Coholic gives strategies for parents of children who may have anxiety or who may have a difficult time regulating their emotions. She also gives advice for professionals who might want to incorporate mindfulness into their practice.

Dr. Coholic recently published a book entitled: 
Facilitating Mindfulness: A Guide for Human Service Professionals (2019)

During this episode, she briefly describes this book and how it can be applied.
 
Dr. Coholic shares a few of her favorite resources for those interested in learning more about mindfulness:
 
Books:

•  The Yes Brain; How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child by Dan Siegel and Tina Bryson

• Relax Kids: The Wishing Star by Marneta Viegas

 
Websites:
www.mindful.org
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Twitter account:
 The Gottman Institute
 
More information can also be found on her website: www.dianacoholic.com, including information on her most recent book.
 
If you wish to contact Dr. Coholic, you can do so by emailing her at this address: [email protected]

In this very first episode, Ashley Tindall talks about her story as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor. She talks about her upcoming book: "The Way I See Things", authored by herself and her mother. Ashley also talks about the physical and communication difficulties she encountered post injury and her journey to recovery. She also talks about communication being way more than just talking and listening. Today she is 18 years post injury and is a true success story as a University graduate, advocate for TBI, book author and much more! Have a listen.