The articles included here examine the current state of education of three topics within our discipline. DeJarnette and Wegner report on the classroom and clinical training that graduate students in speech-language pathology receive in augmentative and alternative communication. Domholdt and Billings identify associations and disconnects within graduate programs’ interests and practices in teaching population health concepts—that is, clinical care regarding communities and large systems. Finally, Tucker et al. examine practicing audiologists’ and speech-language pathologists’ interests in obtaining a research-based PhD in communication sciences and disorders and barriers to starting and completing a doctoral program.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• identify three reported barriers that graduate programs face in providing comprehensive preservice education in augmentative and alternative communication
• define population health and describe how speech-language pathologists can participate in population-based practice
• list three reasons for practicing speech-language pathologists to pursue a doctorate in communication sciences and disorders

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

Articles in This Course

1. Preservice Education in Augmentative and Alternative Communication: An Update by Katherine M. DeJarnette and Jane R. Wegner, published in SIG 10, Volume 5, Issue 5, October 23, 2020
2. Population Health Content Within Speech-Language Pathology Programs: An Exploratory Study by Elizabeth Domholdt and Lina C. Billings, published in SIG 10, Volume 6, Issue 2, April 28, 2021
3. Exploring Barriers to Doctoral Education in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Insights From Practicing Professionals by Denise A. Tucker, Mary V. Compton, Sarah J. Allen, Robert Mayo, Celia Hooper, Billy Ogletree, Perry Flynn, Ashley Frazier, and Summer McMurry, published in SIG 10, Volume 5, Issue 6, December 17, 2020