Helping people find their voice in court

Communication is a matter of justice for new PhD graduate Ryan dos Santos Meechan.

Graduating on 4 May 2026 from the University’s Faculty of Science, Dr Ryan dos Santos Meechan (Whakatōhea) carries more than a doctoral title. The Māori speech-language therapist says his journey through language, research and whānau has strengthened his commitment to helping people with communication difficulties be heard in the systems that affect their lives.

Ryan works in a highly specialised area of speech-language therapy, supporting people going through the justice system who may have learning, language or communication difficulties, including those with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, known as FASD.

His role is to help ensure people can understand legal processes and communicate with lawyers.

“I want to ensure that people are getting a fair trial, so that they can effectively participate in their own justice,” Ryan says.

In practice, that work can mean breaking down complex legal conversations and checking whether a person has genuinely understood what has been said to them.

“A lawyer will talk to the person and at the very end they’ll say, ‘Is that all good?’ and then the person will say, ‘yep’, because either it is all good, or they’ve learned that by saying yes, it is easier,” Ryan says.

“For some people, saying yes does not always mean they understand. That can have serious consequences in a justice setting, where people are being asked to make decisions about evidence, legal options and their future.”

Ryan says one of the most important parts of his role is checking understanding in a way that gives people space to say when they are lost.

“I will just say, ‘Before we move on, can you tell me in your own words what your lawyer just said?’ And then the person will say, ‘Oh no, I don’t understand.’”

For Ryan, these moments show why communication support is critical, particularly in systems where the consequences can be life changing.

“Many communication difficulties are not immediately visible,” he says. “A person may appear to be coping or use social language well enough to mask deeper challenges with understanding, remembering, processing or explaining information.

“When we’re adults, we expect every other adult to have the same language level or comprehension as we do, unless there’s usually a very obvious disability,” he says.

Ryan says FASD can be particularly difficult to detect, because people may appear competent while still struggling to understand what is happening around them.

“People with FASD often have real strengths, but they may also process and understand what’s happening around them differently – because of how their brain works.

“For some, cause and effect isn’t always easy to grasp, so thinking ahead or understanding consequences can be harder.”

Māori needed in speech-language therapy

Ryan says the communication barriers seen in justice settings are part of a wider issue across speech-language therapy, where access to culturally responsive care is not always equitable for Māori and other communities.

He says Māori are among those who can face additional barriers when services do not reflect their language, culture, whānau realities, or lived experiences.

Ryan’s work sits within a much wider call for more Māori in speech-language therapy, and for culturally grounded, Māori-led approaches to care and research.

"Māori remain underrepresented in the profession, despite many of the communities most affected by communication inequities being Māori.

“We need Māori involved because culturally grounded care matters. Māori who are from different iwi and from different parts of the country, who have connections with their communities,” he says. 

“Culture is so intrinsic to our identity, our language, and who we are.”

Speech-language therapy is also often misunderstood as being only about speech or pronunciation, but Ryan says the field is much broader. Speech-language therapists also work with swallowing, communication, understanding, social connection, and the ways people participate in everyday life.

“The way you communicate, your language, the things you eat, they’re all part of identity and culture and who you are as a person.”

Ryan says the sector needs more Māori-led initiatives, more culturally relevant tools and resources, and a stronger Māori workforce.

“We need Māori leading Māori, working with Māori, to solve problems for Māori.”

A journey shaped by language

Ryan’s journey into speech-language therapy began with a love of language.

While living in France, he became interested in multilingualism and the way language works in the brain. When he returned to Aotearoa, he studied a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science conjoint in French, psychology and linguistics, before completing a Master of Speech Language Therapy.

A lecture by Professor Clare McCann on language impairment, brain injury and communication helped set him on the path.

“It was my love of language and communication, and I get to help people.”

Professor McCann would later become one of Ryan’s doctoral supervisors, alongside Professor Suzanne Purdy. 

Ryan’s research focused on aphasia, a language impairment that commonly occurs after stroke or brain injury and which can affect a person’s ability to understand, speak, read or write.

He hopes to develop equitable, accessible and culturally relevant tools and resources for Māori with communication difficulties, while also encouraging more people to consider speech-language therapy as a pathway.

Ryan also wants to bring together Māori stroke survivors, Māori with communication difficulties, Māori healthcare providers, and practitioners who work with Māori to co-design what meaningful support should look like.

Carrying whānau across the stage

Ryan’s doctoral journey was also shaped by whānau. He completed his doctorate part-time while caring for his father, Eddie Meechan.

“The reason I went part-time with my PhD is because my dad got diagnosed with a super rare form of Parkinson’s,” Ryan says.

“I was his carer part-time during my PhD and he passed away during my PhD.”

His father had received speech-language therapy himself and had participated in research, making Ryan’s area of study even more personal.

“Completing this journey is really for my Dad,” he says.

Ryan also acknowledges his mother Jo, his husband Lucas who embraces his passion for linguistics, and the supervisors and Māori speech-language therapists who supported him throughout the journey.

“I wouldn’t have got here without them.”

Ryan hopes to continue supporting Māori research, practitioners and communities in a field where being understood can change everything.

“I would like to help upcoming Māori interested in this area to get into research and support more Māori research.”