This is the official podcast hosted by the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists. In this podcast we aim to promote awareness surrounding different speech and language disorders, interview some experts in their areas of expertise and knowledge and much more. Sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy. Stay tuned to see what else we have coming soon!
In this episode, Sean Pert shares his experiences of gendered expectations of how to interact with clients on placement, the benefits of being a male SLT where male clients and fathers find it easier to identify with a male SLT, having to invent your professional persona because of a lack of role models in the profession, and breaking down barriers for men to enter the profession by having conversations about men in SLT. Sean also talks about linguistic racism, the importance of supporting home languages for bilingual clients, and working to ensure equity in service provision for all clients.
In this podcast, we delve into Abbie's experience of cultural diversity in the HSE community and SLT in particular. She shares how this diversity shapes her daily work life, especially as she supports clients during some of their most vulnerable moments. Abbie hopes that this conversation shines a light on what is often a significant blind spot for those who don’t face these challenges daily. Her aim is to foster greater compassion, acceptance, and awareness, ultimately leading to better support for culturally diverse staff in the workplace.
In this podcast we talk about David's experience as one of the few men in a career dominated by women. We discuss the management of clients with different cultural backgrounds and the importance of fostering an environment where everyone can feel welcome. David highlights that the job of a speech and language therapist is not to change a person's cultural identity or their accent but to help them celebrate them
In this episode we talk to the 2024 winner of the IASLT Unsung Hero Award, Aideen Lawlor, SLT Manager from St Mary's hospital in Dublin. Aideen was nominated by her colleagues who said that she has helped countless patients with communication and swallowing impairments in St Mary's Hospital in her role as the SLT manager. Under her guidance her team has expanded and the services provided have increased impressively.
In this episode we talk to Dr Áine Kearns, Associate Professor at the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick, and the 2024 winner of the IASLT Service Excellence Award. Áine was nominated because she has demonstrated excellence in developing a postgraduate training for SLTs who wish to offer a specialist additional service to vulnerable witnesses in the Irish Criminal Justice System