10.30am and this week’s News Group is about to start on the neuro-rehabilitation unit where I work as a speech and language therapist. As I arrange chairs and sort through the newspapers, John arrives without any prompting, having remembered to consult his diary for his programme for the day. John is working on strategies to … Read more
A week later and I am still feeling buoyed up by the positivity of the British Stammering Association’s National 2014 Conference, held in association with the Scottish Stammering Network in Glasgow. I was not sure what to expect as I made the long train journey north on Friday 22nd August, arriving just in time to … Read more
Where does the real problem of stammering lie? How does society communicate its values and norms about fluency and how does this affect people who stammer? How does the SLT tread the delicate path between helping their client manage their stammering more effectively (and increase ease of communication) without reinforcing unhelpful ideas about stammering (and … Read more
Six years ago I started my independent practice as a speech and language therapist, working with children. I left the relative safety of working in the NHS to a new world where it was my responsibility to generate work and subsequent income to support family and home… initially both a daunting and exciting thought. With … Read more
Aphasia is the name given to a condition where speaking, understanding, reading and writing are damaged. If you experience aphasia, it can be devastating. Speaking is a bit like blinking – it is something you take for granted until that bit of grit lands in your eye, then you realise just how much you rely … Read more
‘Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced’ John Keats One of the greatest challenges in acquiring any new skill is taking the knowledge you have gained and applying it to the real world in a meaningful and positive way. Bridging the gap between theory and experience is something I, as a student speech and language … Read more
It took 18 years of living with my stammer before I finally decided to seek help in the form of stammering therapy with Sam at intandem. So, why did it take me so long? Well, the answer was because I did not want to admit I had a stammer. By pretending it wasn’t there meant that it … Read more
Continuing with our two-part blog post on the different strategies people employ to support change, this month’s entry reflects the voice of some of our clients who have generously shared their ideas below: Dom: “When I am planning anything I am always trying to save myself energy and to plan anything I need to be … Read more
As we step into 2014, we may have exciting new projects ahead. The weather is starting to change, there may be a spring in our step and our goals for the year may seem more possible. New growth feels achievable! So how do we each go about attempting to make the changes we are striving … Read more
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success” Henry Ford 2014 marks intandem‘s 10-year anniversary. Throughout this time, collaboration has been at the heart of all our work – both with each other and with others. 2013 was a year of experiments and we worked hard to establish even more connections and … Read more