ASHA Voices

Epizode

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  Two Audiologists Explore Vestibular System Development 10.09.2026 29min

  Just ahead of Balance Awareness Week, two University of Michigan researchers discuss their work on assessing infant vestibular systems.The audiologists address the questions they hope to answer, such as, what is the vestibular system’s critical period of development? They also describe how they developed a new rotational chair—designed specifically for infants—and the interdisciplinary collaboration that made it possible.Plus, hear an update on ways the researchers are leveraging artificial intelligence to develop more efficient care for patients with dizziness.TranscriptLearn more:Smarter Navigation: How AI Will Rewire Dizziness and Hearing Health Care The Value of Audiologists in the Assessment and Treatment of Balance and DizzinessASHA Voices: Audiology, Aerospace, and an Early-Career InnovatorSupport for this episode of ASHA Voices comes from Proliability.
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  The Multifaceted Work of Treating Childhood Cancer 27.08.2026 26min

  Just ahead of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re bringing you a conversation with speech-language pathologist Kristin Szymanek, director of rehabilitation at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.Through her “Pediatric Oncology SLP” account on Instagram, Szymanek often shares information on topics like pediatric feeding and palliative care.In this conversation, Szymanek talks about what interdisciplinary collaboration looks like, how SLPs can assist in navigating transitions, palliative care, working with families of pediatric cancer patients, and more.TranscriptLearn More:ASHA Voices: SLPs on Understanding What Matters at the End of LifeASHA Voices: Supporting Patients With Head and Neck Cancer in Rural KentuckyHelping Children With Cancer Communicate at End of LifeASHA Voices: Audiologists Address Ototoxicity in Cancer Care
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  Supporting Patients With Head and Neck Cancer in Rural Kentucky 13.08.2026 31min

  Although a patient’s communication and swallowing goals may change as they progress through their cancer treatment, today’s podcast guests say the speech-language pathologist’s presence can be one of the most consistent aspects of a patient’s journey.When SLP Keely Bill identified patients who needed head and neck cancer services in the region where she worked—hours away from the large academic medical centers or university hospitals where the patients originally had surgery or received radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and specialized cancer care—she began taking steps to meet their needs locally.Bill and her mentor Jen Lutes tell a story of enabling access to care when delivering services to this population in rural northeast Kentucky.TranscriptLearn More:The Value of Prophylactic Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Services in the Treatment of Head and Neck CancerASHA Practice Portal: Head and Neck CancerHead and Neck Cancer in a Rural U.S. Population: Quality of Life, Coping, Health Care Literacy, and Access to ServicesASHA Evidence Map: Head and Neck CancerSupport for this episode of ASHA Voices comes from AMN Healthcare.
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  Meeting the Developmental Needs of Children With Congenital Heart Disease 30.07.2026 22min

  As children with congenital heart disease (CHD) begin living longer lives, today’s guests say there is a growing need for speech-language pathologists and interdisciplinary collaborators to work with these patients.SLP Nashifa Momin and pediatric nurse practitioner Nicole Coolidge join the podcast to discuss their work delivering services to young patients with complex CHD-related needs at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. They share what CHD means for these patients’ lives, and how it connects to development and feeding.Also, we hear from a caregiver who describes life as the mother of a son with CHD.TranscriptLearn More:ASHA Voices: Overcoming Barriers on Families’ Journey From NICU to HomeImproving Self-Efficacy of Speech-Language Pathologists Who Provide Feeding Interventions for Infants With Congenital Heart Disease Through Targeted EducationASHA Voices: How A Spinal Muscular Atrophy Breakthrough Created a Greater Need for SLPs
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  Where Do Tech and Access Fit Into MTSS? 16.07.2026 23min

  Speech-language pathologist Lesley Sylvan (Montclair State University) joins the podcast for a conversation on multi-tiered systems of support, or MTSS. It’s a subject she’s passionate about; she has centered her career and research on the educational framework. Sylvan shares how MTSS includes a focus on prevention, proactive instruction, and increasingly targeted support for those students who need it most.The second edition of Sylvan’s book, “Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: Implementation Tools for Speech-Language Pathologists in Education,” was published in June 2026. In a conversation focusing on accessibility and technology, Sylvan shares what she’s learned from talking to SLPs about the three-tiered framework and what she added to her book to reflect recent changes in perspectives and uses of MTSS.Learn More:Replacing Scarcity With Universal Access in SchoolsA Balancing Act: How School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Navigate Their Efforts Related to Individual Education Plans and Multi-Tiered Systems of SupportMulti-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI)Teletherapy and Multi-Tiered System of Support: Synergies and Challenges for School-Based Speech-Language PathologistsTranscript
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  AAC Researchers Discuss Autism, Accessibility, and ‘Expensive Speech’ 02.07.2026 30min

  Speech-language pathologist Amy L. Donaldson returns to the podcast with two fellow members of Portland State University’s Autism and Social Communication Lab, SLP Brandon Eddy and AAC research lead Alyssa Hillary Zisk.When Donaldson was most recently on the podcast, she spoke about normalizing and destigmatizing AAC use. In this episode, Donaldson, Eddy, and Zisk continue with a conversation on AAC, communication access, and agency.Guests discuss what it means to use a participatory research model in their lab, and they share updates on the work they are doing in their lab around topics like internal speech experiences, “expensive speech,” and universal access.TranscriptLearn More:ASHA Voices: An SLP’s Path to Leading a Neurodiversity-Affirming ClinicASHA Voices: A Neurodivergent SLP on Creating Affirming Spaces for Clients, Colleagues, and HerselfAutistic Communication: A Survey of School-Based Professionals “Everyone Deserves AAC”: Preliminary Study of the Experiences of Speaking Autistic Adults Who Use Augmentative and Alternative CommunicationDisability in Speech and Hearing Sciences: Reflections on RepresentationCommunication Participation Item Bank — A tool that measures how communication affects participation in everyday life situations.National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) — ASHA’s data collection system that incorporates patient-reported outcomes measures, including the CPIB, to help evaluate functional communication outcomes and participation in real-world settings.
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  An SLP Steps Up Attention to Delirium in a Critical Access Hospital 18.06.2026 29min

  Speech-language pathologist Sandra Hogsed is changing the way Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital is screening for and addressing delirium. In 2020, she saw patients entering the critical access hospital who were developing delirium. Soon after, she dedicated herself to gaining a greater understanding of the condition and how to recognize it.She shares what delirium looks like in its varying forms, how she is engaging with patients with delirium, and the personal story driving her care.Learn More:Speaking Up for My Father Shaped Me as a ClinicianCommunication Partnering to Support Patients With DementiaUniversity Develops a Cognition-Building Workshop for Older AdultsCommunication AccessEvidence Map on DeliriumAmerican Delirium SocietyTranscript
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  Talking Healthy Hearing with Special Olympics 04.06.2026 25min

  Just ahead of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, we discuss hearing health care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or IDD.Along with competing in events like track and field, swimming, and basketball, many athletes work with volunteers to receive hearing screenings, among other types of health screenings through attending Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®.Listen to conversations with two audiologists—Denise Cardona Barnes, of Special Olympics International, and Eric McCabe, a volunteer clinical director in Minnesota.Learn More:An Audiologist Brings Healthy Hearing to Special OlympicsSupporting Care Partners of Adults With Dysphagia and IDDRecognizing National Public Health Week: A Collection of Articles, Podcasts, and ResourcesASHA Voices: Pediatric TBI—Transitioning from Hospital to SchoolASHA Voices: Overcoming Barriers on Families’ Journey From NICU to HomeTranscript
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  SLP Iván Campos Discusses Multilingual Assessment and Intervention in Schools 21.05.2026 23min

  Speech-language pathologist Iván Campos joins the podcast to discuss multilingual assessment and intervention in the schools. Campos brings stories from his time delivering school services to students speaking Mayan languages, and he shares what he learned from that.In our conversation, he talks about dynamic assessment, collaborating with interpreters, and what the concept of translanguaging means to him professionally and as a multilingual speaker.Learn More:ASHA Voices: What Might Translanguaging Mean for Multilingual Services?Considerations in Utilizing Translanguaging Practices to Meet the Language Needs of Maya Children in U.S. SchoolsASHA Voices: A Personal and Professional Look at Multilingualism and CSDSimple Steps to Support Multilingual Students in SchoolsTranscript
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  What the ASLP Interstate Compact Offers Audiologists and SLPs 14.05.2026 24min

  As the professional world grows increasingly mobile, hear how the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact is making it easier for CSD professionals to deliver services across state lines. Guests discuss how the compact works, who may benefit from it, how it creates greater access to services, and the story behind what they did to make it happen.Learn More:The Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact WebsiteUpdate on Interstate Compact Launch (2025)ASHA Voices: Student Advocacy and a Win for People Who StutterTranscript
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  SLPs on Understanding What Matters at the End of Life 07.05.2026 28min

  From comfort feeding to communication access, two SLPs discuss the important ways speech-language pathologists deliver services as part of palliative care teams.Sharing personal and professional stories, Brittany Horvath and Marissa James address informed consent, how SLPs can integrate themselves into palliative care teams, and more.Learn More:Dysphagia Management: Strengthening Skills, Overcoming ObstaclesASHA Voices: Changes and Trends in Dysphagia TreatmentAJSLP: Palliative Care Training for Medical Speech-Language Pathologists: A Multiple Baseline DesignOffering Comfort Feeding in Palliative CarePrioritizing Patient Voice and Choice in Dietary DecisionsTranscriptSupport for this episode of ASHA Voices comes from Ambu and Zanda.
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  SLP Claudio Milstein Sheds Light on Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction 23.04.2026 25min

  Speech-language pathologist Claudio Milstein joins the podcast to discuss inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO), an often misdiagnosed condition that can leave patients feeling shortness of breath.Milstein breaks down the roles of interprofessional collaboration and differential diagnosis in service delivery. Plus, he shares the story behind the new global community he’s cofounded to bring together experts and create awareness around how to diagnose and treat ILO.Learn More:Practice Portal: Inducible Laryngeal ObstructionAJSLP: Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction Differential Diagnosis in Adolescents and Adults: A TutorialPerspectives: Breathing Pattern Disorder: A New Kid on the BlockASHA Voices: Preparing the “Vocal Athlete” for PerformanceGlobal Initiative for Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction (GIILO)Transcript
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  An SLP’s Path to Leading a Neurodiversity-Affirming Clinic 09.04.2026 18min

  Speech-language pathologist Jessica Donaldson explains how the neurodiversity-affirming approach of her multidisciplinary clinic, Autism Specialists, strives to create a sense of belonging, acceptance, and accessibility for autistic clients.She describes how and why she created a social group for her clients that’s directed by their interests and goals.Donaldson, the sibling of an autistic adult, also shares how that relationship fuels her work and career.Learn More:ASHA Voices: ‘This Too Is a Mask’: A Neurodivergent SLP Confronts Autism and IdentityASHA Voices: What a CSD Professor Learned About Autistic Masking While Creating Neuro-Affirming SpacesASHA Voices: Preparing Pediatric Audiologists through LEND ProgramsASHA Voices: Twyla Perryman-Brownlow on Building Skills for Post High School LifeOnline Conference: Autism: Communication and ConnectionTranscript
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  Engaging With Teacher Unions and Education Associations in Schools 26.03.2026 32min

  Hear ASHA members discuss how school-based audiologists and speech-language pathologists advocate for themselves, the professions, and the people they serve.On the podcast, guests share stories of what successful advocacy looks like and give a behind-the-scenes look at the work they do. All three guests are members of the ASHA Teacher Union Member Advisory Group and recently published new resources for audiologists and SLPs interested in engaging with education associations or unions.Learn More:Working for Change: A Guide for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists in SchoolsEngaging With Teacher Unions and Education AssociationsASHA Voices: Student Advocacy and a Win for People Who StutterTranscriptSupport for this episode of ASHA Voices comes from AMBA.
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  A Neurodivergent SLP on Creating Affirming Spaces for Clients, Colleagues, and Herself 12.03.2026 23min

  SLP Stephanie Boron joins the podcast for a conversation on how she seeks and creates neurodiversity-affirming spaces through her work as a clinician, clinical instructor, and faculty member at Northwestern University.Boron describes herself as AuDHD—autistic and ADHD. On the podcast, she shares what neurodiversity-affirming spaces can look like and why they matter to clients.Learn More:ASHA Voices: What a CSD Professor Learned About Autistic Masking While Creating Neuro-Affirming SpacesPositively Disrupting Social Groups: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Glow-UpAssistive Technology in SchoolsTranscript
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  Pediatric TBI—Transitioning From Hospital to School 26.02.2026 27min

  For young patients with TBIs and their families, challenges persist after hospital discharge.On the podcast, guests discuss how they address barriers associated with this transition. We’ll hear perspectives from both sides of that transition: Taryn Townsend at Texas Children’s Hospital, and Melaney Grenz, who worked for nearly three decades in the schools and as part of the Oregon TBI team. Grenz joins this conversation from the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training—or CBIRT—which is part of the University of Oregon.Townsend and Grenz discuss how clinicians may engage with schools, the role of brain injury management teams, and common questions from parents.Learn More:How Social Determinants of Health Shape TBI Recovery in ChildrenASHA Voices: Supporting Families of Children With Disorders of ConsciousnessASHA Voices: Overcoming Barriers on Families’ Journey From NICU to HomeASHA Practice Portal: Pediatric Traumatic Brain InjuryCBIRT: Return to School
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  What Might Translanguaging Mean for Multilingual Services? 12.02.2026 38min

  Three SLPs discuss multilingual service delivery in light of “translanguaging,” a concept that’s been gaining attention recently. “Translanguaging” refers to the way a speaker, often multilingual, may incorporate the “entirety of their linguistic repertoire,” possibly pulling from two or more named languages.Guests share what translanguaging sounds like, how it differs from code-switching, and what it may mean for service delivery. Through personal stories, they highlight how their own linguistic backgrounds relate to the subject.Learn More:Multilingual Service Provider Resource CollectionWebinar: Translanguaging for Pediatric SLPs: Service Delivery With Multilingual ChildrenLSHSS: Functional Language Proficiency in Bilingual Children: A Conceptual Framework, Culturally Responsive Practice, and Measurement ApproachASHA Practice Portal: Multilingual Service Delivery in Audiology and Speech-Language PathologyTranscript
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  Audiologist Marcia Dewey on Tinnitus Counseling and Chronic Pain Rehabilitation 29.01.2026 26min

  Audiologist Marcia Dewey started Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Program in 2011. Nearly 15 years later, she joins the ASHA Voices podcast to discuss the program’s origins and how chronic pain rehabilitation techniques have transformed her practice.Learn More:ASHA: TinnitusASHA Voices: From Surf Rocker to Research Audiologist, Jim Henry Knows TinnitusASHA Voices: What Tinnitus and mTBI Can Mean for Patients
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  Overcoming Barriers on Families’ Journey From NICU to Home 15.01.2026 28min

  When a child leaves the NICU, families and caregivers may face what’s called a “services cliff”—a point where it can be confusing or difficult to find needed services without the structure of a health care center.Hear from Sara Circelli and SLP Tiffany Elliott about their work to reshape that transition where they live and work. They share how they address barriers to services through the hospital-to-home care model in Washington state.Learn More:ASHA Voices: Supporting Families of Children With Disorders of ConsciousnessASHA Voices: Preparing Pediatric Audiologists Through LEND ProgramsASHA Voices: Exploring Caregiver-Provider InteractionsTranscriptSupport for this episode of ASHA Voices comes Feeding Matters International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference.
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  Kicking Off a New Year of ASHA Voices 05.01.2026 1min

  Learn where to find the ASHA Leader's most popular stories from 2025, and revisit past episodes of the ASHA Voices podcast, in this short episode.Plus, we invite you to share what subjects you would like to hear discussed on ASHA Voices in 2026.TranscriptASHA Leader Highlights:Articles and Podcasts SLPs Read, Shared, and Listened the Most to in 2025Articles and Podcasts Audiologists Read, Shared, and Listened to the Most in 2025Podcast Proposal Guide2025 Highlights:ASHA Voices: 'This Too Is a Mask': A Neurodivergent SLP Confronts Autism and IdentityASHA Voices: AI Voices Helping AAC Users-On Stage and In LifeASHA Voices: Two Audiologists Take the Mic on Podcasting and Their CareersASHA Voices: Preparing the 'Vocal Athlete' for PerformanceASHA Voices: Changes and Trends in Dysphagia TreatmentASHA Voices: Supporting Families of Children With Disorders of Consciousness