The fight to give all a voice
FIVE years ago Kirby Littley was a bright, young teacher at a Belmont school.
But after a brain tumour and two strokes, her movement was restricted, she was rendered speechless and forced to moved into aged care.
The now 33-year-old is looking to shine a light on the vital role speech pathology plays in regaining communication and confidence following a stroke before Speech Pathology Week, which starts tomorrow.
In 2014 Ms Littley, then a teacher at the Barwon Valley School, was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Only 20 minutes after a marathon 12-hour operation to remove the tumour, she suffered her first stroke, and then a second weeks later.
She was unable to move from the head down, and does not remember the first four months after the strokes.
Her family was forced to move Ms Littley into aged care, where she was the youngest patient by about 50 years, because of her high needs.
Ms Littley’s emotional wellbeing deteriorated and her rehabilitation halted.
She was finally able to leave to live with her parents after battling for funding for house modifications.
Since then, a flourishing Ms Littley has spoken in parliament about her experiences; and become an ambassador for a foundation working to prevent young people winding up in aged care.
She is back at Barwon Valley School as a volunteer, with her goal to return to teaching, and has been able to move out of her parents’ into specially built accommodation.
Speech pathology made a major difference in Ms Littley’s upwards trajectory.
She has been working with a Barwon Health speech pathologist for 18 months, who is helping her with swallowing and secretion management to make her speech clearer.
Initially, she was only able to make noises, but she is communicating more clearly every day.
Ms Littley says she finds it frustrating that people mistake her communication disability as an intellectual disability, and speak to her at a slower pace or in simplified language.
Speech Pathology Australia acting national president Belinda Hill said communication disabilities, which affect more than a million Australians, were often misunderstood and misdiagnosed as they were “invisible”.
Geelong-based nurse and lecturer Paula Foran, who had a minor stroke last November, is calling for more proactive speech pathology for stroke sufferers.
Dr Foran says she did not receive a speech assessment and developed anxiety.
“Words would come out that I wasn’t planning to say and the flow of my speech wasn’t the same. Talking took unbelievable concentration at every moment,” she said.
It was not until she met a speech pathologist her life turned around.
“After a stroke, everyone needs to have a good assessment and early rehab because that prevents anxiety and gives people reassurance that they can improve their communication skills,” she said.