Resiliency

Published: Mon, 07/16/12

 

July 16th, 2012 Newsletter

Resiliency

Isn't resiliency a great word?

It means the power or ability to return to the original form, or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched. Sounds like an injury, or a stroke? Resiliency is also the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, or adversity.

 

I am amazed at the capacity and resiliency of today's caregivers who provide love and care to their loved ones who have suffered from head injuries or strokes. Likewise, parents of children who have not been developing the ability to speak, have shown an uncanny ability to rise to the occasion and do whatever it takes to help their loved one speak better.

 

I would like to tell you the story of Diane, who has a husband who suffered from a stroke and was in such a tizzy regarding his speech diagnosis and how to go about helping her husband speak. She was told by many speech therapists that her husband's speech was "functional", and informed he would be discharged. Diane knew there were answers and ways to help her husband speak again. I read her blog last week pinkhouseonthecorner.blogspot.com and she announced to thousands of people who read her blog, that she actually had the first conversation with her husband since his stroke! She states, like other caregivers who are learning how to stimulate language that the language stimulation methods used are working and are now yielding spontaneous    speech  and other speaking surprises each and every day. Her husband Bob is coming up with more and more independent speech that is self generated. (Speech that comes out freely without cues)

 

And then there is Rhonda whose husband has a severe dysarthria, and now people are remarking that they are understanding what he says. A small alteration in how Steven's wife and caregiver speaks to him, and now he is speaking with more clarity.

 

Or how about Will, who all he could say a few months ago was "I don't know." "I don't know;" and "I don't know." Will's wife has been learning methods that are helping her husband speak again. Now she is sharing with others the experiences of her husband making requests in his talking, spontaneously around the house, and having little conversations all day long.

 

I would like to tell you about DJ a 6 year old who was non-verbal. His mother Nicole is now stimulating his speech in just about every activity around enjoyable events such as dressing, eating, bathing, going out, and playing at home. Nicole, like Diane, Rhonda, and others all thought that the chances were bleak for talking. DJ is now calling his mother "momma" and asks for juice, cookies, candy, and all the foods that he loves. He is also selecting his own clothes in the morning by name and color, and now has a name for most of his body parts and the name of his grandmother: "NA NA" Eight weeks ago only occasional grunts, or silence.

 

One of my first clients, who came to my office in Lakeland, Florida at the age of 3, in 1974, is now an audiologist. His mother called me from an air force base in Winter Robbins, Georgia, and asked if she could learn to help her deaf child talk, and was looking for a speech therapist who would commit to teaching talking, rather than sign language. Today this gentleman is a successful audiologist and filmmaker with incredible speech and language because his mother did not give up, or yield to the "normal" or "customary" therapy methods.

 

These wives or mothers are brave, and persistent, and are advocates for the people they love; they don't want the typical old style approach to speaking that often yields minimal results. Because of that persistence their loved ones are speaking today because they were open to learning new and non-traditional methods.

 

Will speaking recovery be a long process? In some cases, yes. Can it be fun? Yes. Will it take time and commitment? Definitely, yes.

 

I love advocacy, bravery, and commitment. It works for getting what you want. Just ask Diane, Rhonda, Fairy, Nicole, Ann, or Scott. People who are just like you....and me.


Teaching of Talking Tid Bit


Children who don't talk and people with aphasia have something in common. They often have difficulties processing language. By processing I mean they may have difficulty listening, or creating an image or grasping the idea from the plethora of words that are often spoken to them with machine gun rapidity. Have you ever asked someone for directions to get somewhere? Maybe you were not familiar with the area. The person who gave you the directions may have given them to you so fast, that it may have made your head spin!

Or do you remember the time when you were on the phone and someone gave you their phone number or a spelling of a word, and it was so fast you could not process it and had to ask them repeatedly to give it to you again? To comprehend a message, we must be able to hear it and it must be loud enough; at a certain speed, or rhythm, and stated simply. These are the things to keep in mind when you are speaking with a person who has a speaking difficulty. Keep it simple, slow, and constantly stop periodically and check to see if they understand the gist of what you are saying. I remember learning a communication concept years ago. Take personal responsibility to make sure people understand you. And if they don't, figure out what you have to do to make it happen!

Therefore, speak slowly, and simply with those who have speaking difficulties and make sure you get confirmation they have processed and understood what you have said to them. If not, repeat the message again, possibly a little louder or more simply stated. Speak clearly and slowly. Always ask for confirmation they have understood your message


Persevere


Have you ever felt like giving up, or said to yourself: "I'm tired of this...." "I can't do this." "It's just too much!" "I just don't have the energy". "I'm spent,and exhausted." "I know I need to stop or quit this, or I will ruin my own health and well being...."

For those who persist, an interesting phenomenon occurs. You stop. You rest. You go do something else for a bit. You interrupt yourself for a while and give your mind and body some reprieve from the frustration or the anxiousness. You get quiet or you go talk to a friend. You pray or meditate. The overwhelm passes.

I had that kind of day yesterday. Underneath the chatter, and from way down deep inside oneself there is an underlying and undying message to us all. Persevere and continue forward with your mission in peace; connect with your spirituality. Rest, love, and realize that what you are doing is of major importance to the people in your world.

-Mark-

Until August, I am signing off. I hope you will have a happy and healthy July.


Please share with friends and institutions


The Teaching of Talking was written in order to start a movement. A way of changing the way therapy has been traditionally done for so long. Many of you know that parents and caregivers are often left out of the loop when it comes down to really knowing what to do to help their loved ones talk. Our movement invites them in and enrolls them in the conversation of really knowing what to do to stimulate speech and language with clarity. To put it simply we believe those who receive the most stimulation from the home environment will be the ones who will make the greatest improvement. It's only natural the more stimulation in one's natural environment, by someone they love, the more forthcoming the improvement!

We ask that you forward our newsletter to any of your friends, acquaintances or professionals you may know so that they may learn of our work to help parents of children who are having difficulty speaking and caregivers of those with stroke, aphasia or head injury. We thank you for that.


Teleconference Call for Teaching of Talking


We are offering a Teleconference call for those who are learning the Teaching of Talking Methods of speech and language stimulation with The Teaching of Talking book.

The teleconference will consist of 5 one hour calls that will cover the most important concepts of our method. The teleconference will begin on July 31, and be held once a week from 8-9 PM Central Time on Tuesday evenings. If you are interested in finding out more about the teleconference, please click here, and we will forward the registration information to you.


New Facebook Page


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Please click the facebook icon below and like us on the teachingoftalking facebook page.

Thank you


 

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