Episode #96: The State of Aphasia Reports: In Conversation with Nina Simmons-Mackie and Jamie Azios
Welcome to this Aphasia Access Aphasia Conversations Podcast. My name is Janet Patterson. I am a Research Speech-Language Pathologist at the VA Northern California Healthcare System in Martinez, California, and a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their efforts in engaging with persons with aphasia and their families through a variety of educational materials and resources. I am today's host for today's episode that will feature Dr. Nina Simmons-Mackie and Dr. Jamie Azios. These Show Notes accompany the conversation with Dr. Simmons-Mackie and Dr. Azios but are not a verbatim transcript. In today's episode you will learn about: Lache Pas La Patate! and aphasia The importance of being mindful of gap areas in aphasia service and research Moving aphasia care best practices from knowledge to action Dr. Janet Patterson: Welcome to our listeners. Today I am delighted to be speaking with two individuals who are well known in the field of aphasia rehabilitation, Dr. Nina Simmons-Mackie and Dr. Jamie Azios. Nina and Jamie authored the text, Aphasia in North America , which is also known as the S tate of Aphasia Report . The original State of Aphasia Report was published by Aphasia Access in 2018, and contains information describing, among other topics, the frequency and demographics of aphasia and its impact on individuals and society, and aphasia services and service gaps. The State of Aphasia Report is a valuable resource for clinicians, researchers, administrators, and third-party funding agencies as we seek to craft a rehabilitation atmosphere that balances the treatment evidence base, the resource support for community aphasia groups, and the principles of client centered care. An updated State of Aphasia Report is forthcoming. Each of our Podcasts in 2021 and 2022 highlighted at least one of the gap areas in aphasia care mentioned in the original State of Aphasia Report. For more information on the original State of Aphasia report, check out Podcast Episode #62 with Dr. Liz Hoover, as she describes these ten gap areas and their impact on aphasia rehabilitation. Our conversation today takes a broader view of the aphasia service gaps, crossing all ten gap areas. My questions for Nina and Jamie will ask them to reflect on the impetus for the original State of Aphasia Report , as well as the changes that appear in the updated State of Aphasia Report . My first guest is Dr. Nina Simmons-Mackie, Professor Emeritus at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. She has received the honors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences. She has published numerous articles and chapters and has had many years of clinical, academic and research experience in the area of adult aphasia. Also joining me today is Dr. Jamie H. Azios. She is the Doris B. Hawthorne Endowed Chair in the Department of Communicative Disorders at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. Her research interests include qualitative research methodologies, understanding perspectives of people living with communication disabilities, co-constructed conversation and aphasia, and the impact of communicative environments on social participation and inclusion. She has published articles related to client centeredness, communication access, and life participation approaches to aphasia. Welcome Nina and Jamie to Aphasia Access Conversations and our discussion about the S tate of Aphasia Reports . Dr. Nina Simmons-Mackie: Thanks Janet, happy to be here. Dr. Jamie Azios: Really excited and honored to be here. Thanks for having us. Janet: Good, and I look forward to a great discussion and learning about the State of Aphasia Reports . Nina and Jamie, I would like to begin our chat today by asking about the original State of Aphasia Repor