The Bold SLP Podcast

Phương Liên Palafox, CCC-SLP joins us in this incredibly healing and uplifting conversation. She shares her story with us as we discuss Boldly & Quietly disrupting systems that keep our field from growing. We talk about advocacy often on our podcast but we've never asked: Who advocates for us (Bilingual Bicultural SLPs)? Phương advocates for us and just hearing her speak lightens the load. Phương supports speech-language pathologists with her work and with her words. She shares: "My hope for our field is rooted in supporting our most vulnerable human beings. It’s seeing the relevancy & value of every person we serve, including ourselves. It is honoring native languages, valuing the rich tones influencing our second languages & setting ego aside to see the value of multilingual communicators. It is holding space for People of Color & making room at the table to digest the narratives that have been annulled in mainstream culture. It is unveiling the truths of our profession, safely speaking up/speaking out about our workload. My wish is for each human being to be seen, understood & be catapulted to the most authentic, empowering versions of himself/herself/themselves." This episode was an absolute dream to record and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

On this episode we are joined by Barbara Fernandes, M.S. CCC-SLP. Barbara Fernandes, is the founder and CEO of Smarty Ears. She is well known for her innovative and breakthrough products for speech and communication disorders. She is a trailblazer in our field and has transformed an entire industry to adopt mobile technologies through the design and development of over sixty mobile speech therapy applications and an entire symbol library: Smarty Symbols. Most recently, Barbara has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Institute of Health, and she released a ground-breaking technology called the Speech and Language Academy. She has received multiple awards, and is an Amazon best selling author. She is also a mother, a daughter, a friend, and a generous mentor. On this episode Barbara shares her story from Bilingual SLP to Business owner and takes us through her journey to finding joy in her work and creating projects from moments of adversity.

On this episode Dr. Ianessa Humbert shares her story. Her story is one of resilience, self-actualization, and strength. Dr. Humbert takes us through her experience as a daughter of immigrants who later became an immigrant to the U.S. herself. She connects those experiences to how she's been able to navigate a field that is 92% white - and she shares how her story and the story of those before her propel her in building new spaces for herself and other SLPs. We are thrilled that she took the time to share her wisdom with us! Dr. Humbert is an accomplished scientist and entrepreneur in the areas of swallowing and swallowing disorders but her expertise and her outlook for our field applies to every single one of us.

This episode features a conversation we had with Arynn Byrd, MA, CCC-SLP, a PhD student in Communication Sciences. She joins us to tell us about her doctoral degree experience and to talk about the importance of having the right supports in place to navigate graduate school. Arynn also lays out ideas for finding the right PhD mentor, establishing your network, and how students of color can advocate for themselves in the pursuit of a graduate degree.

Join us as we interview and chat with Melanie Y. Evans, MS CCC-SLP (she/her), the Pediatric Speech Sister as she’s known on Instagram. She shared with us how she found speech-language pathology, how she learned to take care of herself, and how she became a Spanish-bilingual SLP. Melanie also talked with us about finding your power as a BIPOC SLP as well as what projects she’s got on the horizon.

In this episode, we interview Dr. María Cioè-Peña, who specializes in sociolinguistics and the intersection between disability and educational policy. Her research "focuses on bilingual children with dis/abilities, their families, and their ability to access multilingual and inclusive learning spaces within public schools." Ingrid and Desi know her as the author of the book "(M)othering Labeled Children: Bilingualism and Disability in the Lives of Latinx Mothers". This episode is full of insight into the challenges faced by Latinx families whose children are identified as disabled. 

María Cioè-Peña is an assistant professor in the educational linguistics division at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. A former bilingual special education teacher, she studies bilingual children with dis/abilities, their families, and their ability to access multilingual and inclusive learning spaces within public schools. Her interests are deeply rooted in political economy, critical dis/ability awareness, and raciolinguistic perspectives within schools and families. 

SLP Jordyn Carroll from JRC the SLP walks us through the ways in which we can bring about positive change in our field. She recounts the blatant racism she went through in college and offers practical tips on how ASHA can take steps towards authentic inclusivity.

SLP/Quebec Orthophoniste Melissa Farkouh is a fierce private practice owner who candidly shares her passion for offering bilingual services to her clients and educating professionals in our field, all while balancing her family and full time private practice. Join us this week as we discuss the pros and cons of running a private practice in a diverse setting.

On this episode, SLP Tiffany Vuong shares about her experiences as an Asian-American SLP in the world of early intervention and we venture into an interesting conversation around stigma, culture, and what defines a bilingual SLP.

Dr. Valencia Perry joins us to talk all things equitable school-age language assessment. She shares her amazing insight, knowledge, and resources for all clinicians.