Sign up now and watch at your leisure between May 30, 2026 and May 30, 2031.

Or sign up for the live version of this program: airing May 28, 2026, 1:00–3:00 p.m. Eastern time, available through the ASHA Learning Pass subscription or as an a la carte purchase.

Description

Many patients with disorders of consciousness, i.e., conditions that affect an individual’s awareness and/or wakefulness, are misdiagnosed, leading to inaccurate prognoses and inappropriate treatment recommendations. This webinar will provide an overview of evidence-based approaches to diagnosing, prognosticating, and treating patients with disorders of consciousness. The presenter will use case studies to illustrate how to apply current science at the patient bedside, helping clinicians move toward more effective, evidence-informed care.

Learning Outcomes  
You will be able to:

• Differentiate features of distinct disorders of consciousness 
• Discuss prognosis within limits of certainty 
• Identify possible treatments based on level of supporting evidence

Presenter Information

Joseph T. Giacino, PhD, is Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School (HMS), Director of Rehabilitation Neuropsychology, the Disorders of Consciousness Program and the Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Co-Director of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Outcomes Center, Associate Neuropsychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Adjunct Professor in the Rehabilitation Sciences Doctoral Program at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Giacino’s research aims to better understand influences on recovery after severe acquired brain injury (ABI) across the lifespan. He has a special interest in disorders of consciousness (DoC) and his portfolio intersects multiple lines of research, including behavioral phenotyping, neuroprognostication, elucidation of recovery trajectories, and neuromodulation. Dr. Giacino oversees a large portfolio of studies funded by federal, philanthropic, and private agencies and has been an international leader in developing practice guidelines and in advocacy efforts dedicated to patients with DoC. He has published over 250 manuscripts and is the recipient of the ACRM Brain Injury Special Interest Group’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Brain Injury Association of America's William Fields Caveness Award, University of Texas Medical Branch’s Robert L. Moody Prize, and the North American Brain Injury Society’s Clinical Research Award.

Disclosures:

• Grants from National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research 
• Subcontracts from University of California at San Francisco
• Royalties from Mass General Brigham 
• Research support from Barbara Epstein Foundation
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete the learning assessment by 11:59 p.m. ET on the end date below.

Program History and CE Information

Live webinar date: May 28, 2026 
End date: May 30, 2031

This course is offered for 0.2 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).
Subject code 7010 Service Delivery Associated with Speech, Language, Hearing and Related Disorders