Made in India SLP

Dr. Siva Priya Santhanam directs the Integrated Supports for Students with Autism in College (ISSAC) program at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. In this episode, she discusses how we can support Adolescents and Adults with ASD. She talks about the role of SLP in transition planning and how it could benefit the individual with ASD. She provides more information on the intervention considerations and priorities that we should focus on in our treatment. Dr. Santhanam is a pioneer in our field especially in providing evidence-based interventions for adults with ASD. She goes on to talk about different challenges faced and how to overcome them.

As we just pass World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd, we are excited to collaborate with Dr. Siva Priya Santhanam. She debunks myths related to ASD, sheds light on the strength-based model of disability, and discusses the impacts of bilingual language exposure. She talks about the AAC devices and how we can determine the candidacy for the same. Dr. Santhanam imparts some great tips for the practicing clinician and the students, especially those working with individuals with ASD.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Anusha Sundarrajan the director of the Find Your Voice Research Lab at San Francisco State University. Dr. Sundarrajan unfolds the concept and factors of vocal loading. We discuss if the present virtual reality that we live in is causing an increase or decrease in unhealthy use of voice, especially in professional voice users. She shares with the other SLPs about the benefits of vocal naps. Finally, we discuss the role of SLPs and voice therapy in the transgender population.

This month Made is India SLP is thrilled to converse with Dr. Krishna Yerraguntla who is not only an established researcher, professor but also the President of the Indian Speech and Hearing Association. He discusses the importance of the interdisciplinary team approach especially in the management of Balance disorders. He discusses takeaways from his paper on the Management of Patients with Diabetes and Hearing loss. He concludes the episode by briefing the listeners about ISHA and how the professionals can make most of it.

This month we have Dr. Dhar with us, Principal Investigator at the Auditory Research Lab at Northwestern University. He throws light on hearing health care as a disciple to prevent a decline in quality of life rather than a preventative discipline. He discusses topics right from Universal newborn hearing screening, ways to ensure good OAE results to the future of hearing health! Dr. Dhar shares his optimism about the future of hearing health care and his view on this field of audiology as a satisfying and rewarding career.

In this episode of Made in India SLP, Kinnari and Rabab get an opportunity to converse with Dr. Anu Subramanian Ph.D., CCC-SLP. She discusses the changes in the assessment and treatment trends of stuttering over the years. Gives us an insight on what to keep in mind when assessing bilingual children especially in a diverse country like India. For the first time ever, we incorporate a “Rapid Fire” round pertaining to facts and myths about stuttering. Dr. Subramanian covers everything from whether a child as young as 4 years should he be made aware of his stuttering to the role of “pseudo stuttering”.

This week on the Made in India SLP podcast, Kinnari and Rabab interview Ms. Deepa Valame, M.Sc ASR, who is an established CI rehabilitation Audiologist based in Mumbai, India. Ms. Valame emphasizes how the cochlear implant switch-on day is just the beginning day of the whole listening journey that the patient and the family will embark on. She discusses various aspects right from the test battery approach to the latest evidence-based trends in CI. She talks about different aspects of CI in the pediatric population and concludes by sharing how united efforts to prioritize newborn hearing screening is the need of the hour especially in these times!

Kinnari and Rabab are in conversation with Dr. Prakash Boominathan who shares his experiences and knowledge to help us better our skillset in this niche area of Voice. He particularly emphasizes on Professional Voice Users. He gives us a perspective on what vocal health really means, why “vocal rest” should not always be the first line of treatment and provides insights on voice conservation. He imparts some great advice - “As SLPs you must be able to rationalize your intuition during clinical practice”.

Kinnari and Rabab are in conversation with Dr. Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald, an Assistant Professor at McMaster University, Canada. She helps us understand the distinction between presbyphagia and dysphagia, learn more in detail about the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative, and how the framework can be translated to our Indian cuisine. We try to modify “aloo sabzi” (Potato curry) and place it into one of the levels. She discusses the burden of dysphagia on the family caregivers of the elderly and how SLP clinicians can support these caregivers.

Kinnari & Rabab are in conversation with Ms. Sonal Chitnis, fondly known as the "Aphasia Lady" in India. Ms. Chitnis emphasizes that when a person with a neurogenic disorder walks in our clinic, we need to understand the neurogenic basis of the disorder, the patient as well as the families needs, in order to conduct a functional needs assessment. Furthermore, she discusses a dynamic assessment and resources available specifically for the Indian community in different languages.