Thinking Therapy! with Emily Overbaugh, Speech Language Pathologist

Brain fog. Trouble concentrating. Difficulty planning and organizing.  Trouble with problem solving. Memory issues. Word finding challenges.  These are just a few of the symptoms after a brain injury.   We have therapy to help us get back to walking and doing our daily activities but who rehabs our thinking and how our brains work after an injury??  In today’s episode we delve deep into the world of Speech Language Pathology (SLP) with therapist Emily Overbaugh of Thrive Speech Pathology.  She teaches us the instrumental role speech pathologists have in treating the “invisible” parts of our injuries. Join us as we talk about all things thinking-related and how we can recover this crucial part of our brains!!  In this episode we cover:When in your course of injury you start speech therapyWhat speech therapy addressesHow you know you need speech therapy.  Below are a few symptoms SLP helps with:Fogginess and cognitive fatigueMemory issuesDifficulty with attentionWord finding issues and trouble conversingExecutive function difficulty (ability to plan, organize, and set goals)Cognition, communication, or swallowing issuesProblem solving difficultiesTasks taking longer than usualGetting a cognitive baselineThe relationship between attention and memoryThe role of speech pathologistsStrategies: Goal, plan, do, reviewReduce environmental distractions Plan your time Take breaks and restEvaluate your performance and how it could have gone betterReturn to work strategiesTechnology that will help you (hint: use your smartphone)Advice for caregivers of brain injured people: it’s a family injury!Recognizing brain fatigue and what to do about itUnderstanding your own boundaries: learning how you think and acting on thisComing to terms with your “new normal”Final thoughts: self advocacyfind providers you really connect withdealing with the “shoulds,” “I should be able to do this,” “people say I’m fine, so shouldn’t I be?”--trust your instinctsrest/activity balance--strike a healthy balanceLinks resources from this episode: AnyList: https://www.anylist.com/Todoist: https://todoist.comGoogle calendar: https://www.google.com/calendarAmerican Speech and Hearing Website for a list of providers and their specialities in your area: https://www.asha.org/To follow Emily Overbaugh: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivespeechpath/ Website: https://www.thrivespeechpathology.com/Quotes from the show:Every patient is so different, therapy is individualized based on symptoms.The role of a speech pathologist is to delve into...