Articles
Fall 2021 edition articles
We present two interesting articles and a student corner in this edition of the newsletter.
The first article is authored by Dr. Avanthi Paplikar, Ph.D., who discusses some of the important aspects of the neurospychological testing in a diverse context in India.
The second article is authored by Ms. Krupa Murugesan, Ph.D. In this article, the author presents information on child-directed communication among Tamil-speaking families.
Finally, in this edition, we present a student corner and where Ms. Prachi Bulsara, B.S. share her experience of growing up in a multilingual environment and how it would eventually go on to influence her higher education.
Neuropsychological Testing in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Indian Context
Avanthi Paplikar, Ph.D.
Dr. Avanthi Paplikar holds a PhD from Graduate Center CUNY, New York. She is currently working as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India. Dr. Paplikar in collaboration with the ICMR-NCTB Consortium has developed and validated various tests to diagnose dementia and MCI suitable for the linguistic, education, and cultural diversity of the Indian context. She has looked into the benefits of bilingualism, physical exercise, diet, and sleep that promotes good brain health in patients. Her research team includes experts from other disciplines including SLPs, Neurologists, Stroke Specialists, Biostatisticians, Psychologists, and Psychiatric Social Workers. She possesses an unparalleled ability to assess and treat the needs of linguistically, educationally, and culturally diverse population in the Indian context.
Dr. Krupa Murugesan, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Speech Language & Hearing Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education & Research (DU). She is also a Hanen certified SLP (It Takes Two To Talk & More Than Words). Her research and clinical practice are predominantly in the area of children with language disorders and on parent empowerment. She is also associated with an NGO/special school, Vasantham in Chennai, India. Krupa has presented and published her research findings in national and international forums including conferences and journals.
Prachi Bulsara is a second-year Speech-Language Pathology graduate student at the University of the Pacific. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis in 2019. Her area of interests include working with adults with acquired neurological disorders, such as TBI, stroke, and dementia, and also pediatric feeding. Outside of academics, she enjoys baking all sorts of sweet and savory treats, binge-watching the latest Netflix shows, and spending quality time with family and friends.