Episode #50 - The Intersection of Telepractice and LPAA: A Conversation with Judy Walker

Ellen Bernstein-Ellis, Director of the Aphasia Treatment Program at Cal State East Bay, speaks with Judy Walker of the University of Maine about how we can use technology to improve the lives of individuals with aphasia, and how telepractice can promote the values of the life participation approach. Dr. Judy Walker is an associate professor and coordinator of the University of Maine speech therapy telepractice program. Her academic and research interests include speech therapy, telepractice, neuro linguistics and cognitive neuroscience. Dr. Walker established the University of Maine speech therapy telepractice program whose mission encompasses graduate student telepractice clinical training while providing speech therapy telepractice services to children and adults throughout Maine and at an international school in Fiji. In addition to coordinating this program, she provides clinical supervision to graduate students in the speech therapy telepractice practicum and teaches graduate courses in traumatic brain injury aphasia, right hemisphere damage and dementia. Her research focuses on improving the quality of life of people with aphasia and their caregivers through participation in synchronous telepractice groups. She consults with numerous academic programs and agencies who are interested in setting and starting a telepractice program. Dr. Walker has numerous presentations and scholarly articles related to the speech therapy telepractice service delivery model.  Listener Take-aways: In today’s episode you will: • Gain an overview of the University of Maine’s telepractice program that has been providing individual and group therapy since 2012. • Learn why telepractice is suited to supporting LPAA goals. • Learn about how telepractice can capitalize on the home context, including a live tour to meet the family farm animals.  • Hear how Google Earth can help you provide patient-centered care during telepractice • Consider how telepractice provides an opportunity to reduce social isolation and increase friendships. • Learn about the steps that help student clinicians progress from the bunny slope to the advanced slope on the telepractice landscape.  Download the Full Show Notes