Public Speaking

This section lists the technology conferences, legislative bodies, brain injury conferences, universities, hospital and rehabilitation facilities, clubhouses, law firms, Rotary and Exchange clubs and Rehabilitation Organizations where I have spoken since my public speaking career started in 2001,

This section also includes speaking awards I have received.

And lastly, it has testimonials about my speaking and the articles published about my recovery.

 —Technology Conferences:

-SXSW-Interactive Festival 2016

“Closing the Knowledge Gap with Cognitive Design”

Closing the Knowledge Gap with Cognitive Design

CityMouse Blog and Pictures of SXSW 2016 Panel

-SXSW Interactive Festival 2015

“Welcome to Your New Brain: Lessons From Concussion”

Youtube

http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP41233

U.S. Congress, House of Representatives:                               

Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Briefing:  Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Research and Re-entry: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead, March 16, 2011.

Other Briefing Members included Army Vice Chief of Staff Peter Chiarelli; Brigadier General Richard W. Thomas, Army Surgeon General; Col.  Jamie B. Grimes, Director Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, Kathy Helmick, Deputy Director Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury; Patty Horan, Wife of Wounded Warrior Army Captain Patrick Horan; Dr Lisa McGuire, Research Team Leader Division of Injury Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr Allen W. Brown,  Mayo Clinic

 —Conferences:

” Welcome to Your New Brain: Lessons from Concussion” Texas Brain Injury Alliance Symposium, University of Texas Pickle Research Center, Austin Texas, December 2015.

Telling our Stories: How Learning to Tell My Story Led to Speaking in the U.S. House of Representatives” Brain Injury Association of Texas, Austin Texas, June 2012

“What Professionals Should Know about Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery:  A Survivor’s Point-of View,” National TBI Professional’s Conference, Williamsburg, VA.  July 2009

“You’ve Survived! :  Take Charge and Rebuild Your Life.  A Program for Survivors by Survivors,”

(with Bob Cluett and Kelli Williams) National TBI Caregiver’s and Survivor’s Conference, Williamsburg, VA. July 2009

 “Coping and Adjustment after Brain Injury Panel Session,” National TBI Caregiver’s Conference; Williamsburg, VA;  July 2008

“Coping and Life Goes on After Brain Injury Panel Session;” Journey to Independence Conference; Fairfax VA.; October 2007

“Thinking Inside the Box: An Inside Look at the Brain Injury Recovery Kit;” (with Chris Swenson and Brain McCarthy) Rehabilitation of the Adult and Child Conference; Williamsburg, VA; June 2007

“Communication and Recovery: I Still Have a Voice: Moving from Being an Outsider to Standing Like an Equal Session”; Moving On Together 2 Conference; London, Canada; June 2005

 “Perspectives of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury Panel”; Post-Acute Rehabilitation of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury:  State of the Science Conference; Washington, DC; December 2004

 —Universities:

University of Pennsylvania, Center for Brain Injury Research (Annual Retreat for Faculty and

Graduate Students)

University of Texas, Institute for Technology and Learning (became Accessibility Institute)

Texas State University, Department of Physical Therapy

George Washington University, Department of Speech and Language

George Mason University, Department of Psychology

Catholic University, Department of Psychology

Argosy University, Department of Psychology

I spoke annually or bi-annually at GMU, Catholic and Argosy with Brain Injury Services Speakers Bureau.

Speeches given at these universities have included:

“Recovering from Brain Injury:  My Story;”

“My Story and What Makes a Good Neuropsychologist from a Patient’s Point of View”

“Malingering: My Experiences and How Suggestions of Malingering Affected My Recovery Path;”

“How One Small Thing Can Snowball to Chaos in Day to Day Functioning in the Life of People with Brain Injuries: My Experience with Brain Injury ”

“Telling my Story: The Speech and Language Issues Involved in Communicating with the Media about Brain Injury;”

“A Discussion of Differences between Mild and Severe Brain Injury Recovery;” (with Kelli Williams)

“My Recovery from Brain Injury:  What Changes Have Happened This Past Year and How the Computer Can Help Me;”   (Presented each year from Year 4 to Year 8)

“Brain Injury Recovery and Executive Functioning;”

“Brain Injury Recovery and Self-Awareness;”

Hospital and Rehabilitation Facilities:

ReMed (Pennsylvania)

Brain Injury Services, Inc (Springfield, Virginia)

Toronto Rehabilitation Hospital (Toronto, Canada)

Inova Mt Vernon Rehabilitation Hospital (Fairfax, Virginia)

Sunrise Assisted Living at Fair Oaks (Fair Oaks, Virginia)

Speeches included:

“Malingering:  The Patients Perspective” with Dr Andrea Laborde (at ReMed)

“Recovering From Brain Injury: My Story and How Brain Injury Services Has Helped Me” (At Brain Injury Services, on several occasions)

“Brain Injury and Self-Awareness:  My Perspective from the Inside of a So-Called ‘Mild’ Brain Injury;” (Toronto Rehabilitation Hospital)

“My Story” (Inova Mt Vernon Support Group and Sunrise Assisted Living Support Group)

–Clubhouses:

Adapt Clubhouse of Brain Injury Services of Northern Va, Alexandria, VA

Adapt Clubhouse of Brain Injury Services of Northern Va,  Richmond, VA

 

“Was It Me?”

 —Other Audiences:

West Austin Rotary Club “Recovery from Trauma”  May 2016

Arlington, Virginia Rotary Club

Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services-Winchester

Barbara Williams and Associates (Law Firm in Virginia)

Capitol Hill Exchange Club

Dunn Loring Virginia Rotary Club

Speeches included:

“My Journey to Recovery from Brain Injury,”

“Coping with Brain Injury and the Medical/Disability/Legal System”

 

Speaking awards (with Speakers Bureau at Brain Injury Services of Northern Virginia):

Finalists, State of Virginia Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Services Awards; 2007

Winners, Adult Volunteer Category, Volunteer Fairfax (Volunteer Awards for Fairfax County Virginia); April 2006

Alan Mayer Service Award; For Extraordinary Service in Promoting Public Awareness of Brain Injury; 2005

Volunteer of the Year (with BIS Speakers Bureau); Dunn Loring Rotary Club; 2004

 

Testimonials:

“[Anne’s] story is the best [I] have heard and [I] have heard thousands of survivor’s tell their stories.”

Claudia Osborne MD and TBI survivor and author of Over My Head: A Doctors Own Story of Head Injury from the Inside Looking Out”

 

“This is a wonderful article about a woman’s recovery from brain injury.  Its more than a human interest story, it’s helpful.’  (About The Washingtonian Magazine Article)

Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation Brain Blogger

 

“I will look at patients who present with symptoms differently, now that I have heard the struggle you have gone through [to get the help you needed]”

Medical Doctor at the session session “What Professionals Should Know about Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery: A Survivor’s Point of View” National TBI Conference Williamsburg Va.

 

“Your story is amazing and that it happened in Washington DC.  I would have thought this only happens in smaller towns in Virginia.   It gives me a new perspective on care for people with brain injury.  You should put up a website to help others”.

Social Worker during Q and A for the session “What Professionals Should Know about Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery: A survivor’s Point of View” National TBI Conference Williamsburg Va.

 

“… Several researchers and clinicians rounded out the panel. I jammed myself into the packed hearing room to listen to Dr. Anne Forrest, a TBI survivor, tell her amazing story. Like too many survivors, Anne was not correctly diagnosed with a brain injury until long after the automobile accident that caused the diffuse axonal shearing she described. Anne, a compelling and accomplished speaker, was an economics researcher at the time, but found herself unable to comprehend her work or fully care for herself.

It took three years before she started the right kind of cognitive rehabilitation. Anne described her starting point and progress in vivid terms the audience could relate to. She made the most urgent and convincing appeal for full funding of cognitive rehab that the legislators could possibly hear.”

Janet Cromer’s blog (wife of a brain injury survivor)  following Anne’s talk for Brain Injury Awareness Day 2011

 

“I wanted to make sure everyone saw this AWESOME article on our own Dr. Anne Forrest about raising a child post TBI and her unique and so well articulated perspective and insight into her own journey through recovery” (about the BrainLine article)

Thanks Anne, you’re an inspiration!”

Brad Anderson, TBI Survivor, formerly Ad Agency Executive

 

“Another wonderful story!! You have done such a terrific job in creating a lifestyle that works.  You are a great example for others.  I shared it with 30 group members yesterday!!! This story will have as big an impact as the Washingtonian article.  Thanks for sharing with everyone.”   (about the Brainline Article)

Debi Gale, Speech and Language Therapist Brainworks  Fairfax Va.

 

 

“Yesterday morning I attended a fascinating presentation by Anne Forrest, Ph.D. which was sponsored by ReMed in West Conshohocken, PA. “

“In her presentation, Dr. Forrest discussed the difficulties she had with the medical community, legal system and insurance industry, which unfortunately is a story told too often by survivors of traumatic brain injury.  Because she did not lose consciousness, many of the doctors failed to recognize the seriousness of her injuries, some of them even implying that it was psychological or even worse malingering.”

“Today, Dr. Forrest has become one of the nation’s leading patient advocates for survivors with acquired traumatic brain injury.  I certainly applaud her hard work not only in her rehabilitation but in her new professional endeavors.”

 

Bruce Stern, Attorney at Law, Brain Injury Lawyer Blog