Thethe 2014 Voicevoice Latest News on Speech and Language Therapy in Wales First Minister Learns to Signalong!
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January TheThe 2014 VoiceVoice LATEST NEws ON SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY IN WALES First minister learns to Signalong! Malpas Court Primary School’s Specific Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Monmouthshire. Language Impairment Base welcomed a There are two classes in the base. The infant very special guest when First Minister of class (age four to seven) currently has five Wales Carwyn Jones visited the school to pupils and the junior class (ages seven to see the school nativity play. He took the 11) has seven. The school has a philosophy opportunity to learn some of the basics of total communication and was awarded occurrence in their everyday lives.” of signalong from speech and language Communication Champion School for 2012 Signalong is used throughout the whole therapist Hannah Willcox. and 2013. They achieved ASD (Autism school through greetings, assemblies and Spectrum Disorder) Friendly Schools status Children from the Specific Language general vocabulary development to promote in the summer of 2013 and are seeking to Impairment Base took part in the play using the school’s philosophy of integration. be the first school in Wales to achieve level 4 signalong watched by an audience of proud Children in the SLI base have the opportunity Accreditation in 2014. parents and visitors including the first minister. to join mainstream classes wherever possible Headteacher Debra Guy said: “We are dedicated for prayers, playtimes, special celebrations Malpas Court Primary School is the location for to ensuring that children in the Base are fully and school outings as well as music, PE and the Specific Language Impairment base which included in our school’s activities and that outdoors activities. All the children used serves four local authority areas – Newport, mainstream pupils see signing as a natural Signalong to perform in the nativity play. Inside at The Senedd Communicating with Confidence in Westminster www.rcslt.org www.facebook.com/RCSLT @rcslt First minister Carwyn Jones said: “Malpas Court Primary School has an excellent ethos of inclusion and is a great example of how to fully support children with speech and language difficulties.” Wales Annual Development Day 2014 Tuesday, 12 February, 2014 9.30am to 3.30pm Save in Transport House, Cardiff the date! The aims and objectives for this year’s Development Day are to: • find out more about Basecamp and how you can use it including a ‘try out’ session; • identify what the Wales Hub can do for me and how I can best contribute • Discuss how you would like Basecamp, Hubs, Clinical Excellence Networks and WSLTAF (Wales Speech and Language Therapy Advisory Forum) to work; • Celebrate Best Practice in Wales; • Understand IQT (Improving Quality Together) To book your place please email Digna Bankovska at [email protected] by 31st January, 2014 www.rcslt.org No mountain too high for stroke survivor Gary Having a massive stroke at the age of 35 left Gary George fighting for his life in an Ethiopian hospital. Always something of an action man who travelled the world, Gary was left unable to walk or talk and his life was changed forever. It was New Year’s Eve in 2008 when he felt and extremely what he describes as an explosion deep inside challenging in the early his head. Gary was working in Ethiopia at days. His therapists was unable to take his full weight on his right that time, his latest posting in a job laying persuaded him to attend a conversation group side. But along with the team, he completed underground cables which had taken him to for recovering stroke patients where he made the challenge raising more than £122,000. the most far-flung corners of the world – The new friends and gradually began to regain his Gary’s remarkable story of his rehabilitative Falkland Islands, Afghanistan, Kenya, Brazil, Chile confidence and social skills. journey, the early dark days of not being and many more. Since then, Gary has spoken to groups of health able to walk and talk, the highs and lows, the He was transferred from the hospital in Addis professionals about the physical, psychological disappointments and achievements are all Ababa by air ambulance to the intensive care unit and emotional aspects of stroke. documented in his new book. ‘At a Stroke – a at the speciality hospital in Dubai. It was here Gary new direction : new horizons’ (George, GA, 2013, Slt Lisa Partridge of Cardiff and Vale ULHB said. learned he had suffered a stroke. An MRI scan George Publications, Cardiff) was published “When we first met Gary he had no speech at revealed a complete middle carotid artery territory just before Christmas. It chronicles his long all and relied on others to communicate on his infarct. He was conscious but globally aphasic. and painful journey. His determination to be behalf. His motivation, drive and determination He had no movement in his right arm and only a survivor and not a victim is an inspiration for were key to his success.” minimal movement in his right leg. anyone who has suffered a stroke. Ana Palazón, One of the other major milestones in Gary’s Director of the Stroke Association Wales, said, Gary describes his despair in those first early long road to recovery was joining a local gym “Gary’s personal story, his lust for life, has filled weeks, feeling trapped inside his own body. where his trainers Mike Parsons and Paul Jones me with a renewed sense of optimism, with a But once the anger and bitterness subsided he helped him to improve his physical strength, conviction that life after stroke can and does go began to believe he could achieve some level control and stabilisation. They were also key to on. I pay tribute to Gary’s unconquerable spirit.” of normality again - if he had the right attitude. helping him achieve some of his other goals In his book, he pays tribute to Lisa Partridge, His determination got him through the first starting with a 5k Charity Fun Run and then the Alison Sawyer, Jo Bradburn and Karen few months of intensive physiotherapy. He was Nos Galon Races. But Gary didn’t stop there! He Bonner, Speech and language therapists at out of his wheelchair after only two months. has also conquered the Three Peaks Challenge St David’s Hospital in Cardiff, as well as scores Back in South Wales, he began a 5-day a week reaching the summits of Snowdon, Ben Nevis of other dedicated people who played such an programme of physiotherapy. and Scafell Pike. But his greatest challenge important part in his recovery . was when he joined 37 other adventurers in The brain damage Gary sustained left him trekking the Great Wall of China raising money Gary’s ultimate goal is to return to work in the with impairment in all aspects of word- for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity. Five job he loved when he suffered his stroke in based communication, in both speaking and gruelling days of tackling some of the toughest 2008. But the story doesn’t quite end there. Five understanding speech, in reading and writing. terrain imaginable with huge sections of years on from his stroke. He marked his 40th He received twice-weekly home visit speech crumbling masonry and loose rubble would be birthday by achieving another goal – getting to and language therapy sessions and then as an a challenge for anyone. The steep sections of Everest Base Camp. But that’s for the sequel to outpatient. He found the sessions frustrating the wall were particularly tricky for Gary as he his book! www.rcslt.org www.facebook.com/RCSLT @rcslt An event to celebrate the second anniversary of Giving Voice in Wales was held at the Senedd in September. Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford was guest of honour and marked the occasion by cutting a huge Giving Voice anniversary speech bubble cake with Wales Country Policy Officer Dr Alison Stroud. He was joined by a number of assembly members representing all parties who backed the campaign by writing speech bubbles to represent what having a voice means to them. comes to The Senedd In his speech, the Minister talked about his experience of working with young offenders and the difference speech and language therapy made to them in turning their lives around. He described speech and language therapy as ‘truly transformational’. We would like to express our thanks to the Health Minister Mark Drakeford, our sponsor AM Julie Morgan and AM colleagues including Finance Minister Jane Hutt, Minister for Tackling Poverty Vaughan Gething, Deputy Presiding Officer David Melding, Mohammad Asghar, Christine Chapman, Andrew RT Davies, Keith Davies, Paul Davies, Russell George, William Graham, Mark Isherwood, Nick Ramsay, David Rees, Joyce Watson and Lindsay Whittle. www.rcslt.org www.rcslt.org www.facebook.com/RCSLT @rcslt Wales needs a new Country Councillor There has been a gap in Wales’s representation on the RCSLT Council since last year and we are looking for someone to speak up for Wales. Glyn Davies MP Susan Elan Jones MP Mark Tammi MP The Wales Country Councillor provides Wales in Westminster a vital link between the RCSLT and its A number of Welsh mps have also families benefiting from 18,000 to 36,000. membership in Wales. The Council has given their support to the Giving Voice Half of these children are likely to have a legal, financial and managerial responsibility campaign. On a recent RCLST visit to communication difficulty and Mr Davies and provides leadership to influence the Westminster, mps were photographed wants more support to be given to these strategic direction of the profession. It also with speech bubbles and briefed on the children.