Format(s):
Journal (Online)
The articles in this journal self-study focus on the characterization and clinical management of aphasia, one theme that researchers explored in the 2020 Clinical Aphasiology Conference (CAC) forum. Published in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, these articles present cutting-edge research and discussion on word finding difficulties, sematic processing, and spoken discourse.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
The articles in this journal self-study explore the effects of remote audiology and speech-language service delivery for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The articles identify and describe experiences with remote service delivery, discuss the impacts on children, and focus on what has been learned. The articles highlight future research and practical takeaways audiologists and speech-language pathologists can use to provide and expand quality services via telepractice moving forward.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
The articles in this journal self-study explore research related to various aspects of hearing health and care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific topics include: supporting individuals with tinnitus, teaching students about noise-induced hearing loss, and understanding pandemic-related disruptions to hearing abilities and care. Audiologists will take away information they can apply as the pandemic and audiology practice continue to evolve.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Concussion - or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) - is a unique injury that is different from more severe brain injury, and addressing the associated cognitive deficits requires personalized, targeted interventions These articles discuss research and practical implications for the management of cognitive symptoms of mTBI, including defining the role of the SLP on interdisciplinary management teams, exploring specific assessment and treatment strategies, and emphasizing functional, personalized goals. The articles are from a 2021 American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology forum "Interdisciplinary Management of Concussion or Mild TBI." The articles provide evidence and strategies to increase clinician confidence and effectiveness when working with individuals with concussion or mTBI.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study includes select papers on conversation and discourse production
that were presented at the 49th Clinical Aphasiology Conference (2019) in Whitefish, Montana. The articles reflect the current state of research on treatments to improve conversation and discourse production for people with aphasia.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
The articles in this journal self-study discuss the literacy difficulties many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience, with direct clinical implications for literacy assessment and intervention. The articles, which apply to children across the age spectrum, are from a 2021 forum published in Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, titled “Literacy in Autism—Across the Spectrum.”
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic required clinicians to rapidly adapt their practice for remote service provision, researchers were already exploring effective telehealth approaches for audiology. The articles in this journal self-study (selected from a special issue of the American Journal of Audiology, “4th International Meeting on Internet and Audiology”) examine teleaudiology tools and methodologies for hearing screenings, home-based auditory assessment for people who use cochlear implants, assessing hearing aid outcomes using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and a tool for evaluating hearing aid performance.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Studies have shown that grammar is foundational to a child’s communication and academic growth. SLPs who work with children with development language disorders (DLD) – regardless of the etiology of the disorder – need effective research-based grammar interventions in their toolbox. The articles in this journal self-study (selected from a Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools forum, “Morphosyntax Assessment and Intervention for Children”) describe evidence-based approaches for grammar assessment and treatment and provide tools to support goal-setting and progress monitoring. The articles discuss new approaches and practical implications for practice.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study course explores best practices for dysphasia assessment and recent innovations in dysphagia treatment. The articles – from an American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology special issue “Select Papers From the 2018 Charleston Swallowing Conference at Northwestern University” – will help SLPs develop a deeper understanding of how to select appropriate treatment techniques, as well as why those techniques can be impactful in improving swallowing function. The articles delve deeply into past, current, and future treatment approaches for dysphagia and will be helpful for established clinicians as well as those who are new to the field of dysphagia assessment and treatment.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study course highlights the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with aphasia, patients with cognitive communication impairments, and patient-provider communication. The findings can inform decision-making and assist SLPs in optimizing treatment for communication challenges for patients with COVID-19 as well as those for whom treatment has been altered as a result of the pandemic.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study focuses on rationale and techniques for enhancing clinicians’ cultural competence when working in Native American and tribal communities. The articles, originally published in a 2016 issue of Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups (SIG 14, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity), address the lasting impact of historical trauma on health and education; the importance of differentiated instruction; the perspective of a student with hearing loss who experiences traditional cultural education; and speech-language intervention programs and services in Native communities.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Clinical practice for SLPs in health care settings has changed dramatically – and continues to evolve – due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This journal self-study highlights evidence-based best practices and considerations for clinicians providing care to patients with voice and upper airway disorders, tracheostomy, and head and neck cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic to maximize patient and clinician safety while ensuring efficacious care.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
SLPs are working with an increasing number of children and families who identify as bilingual, multilingual, or dual language learners (DLLs). This journal self-study explores how family expectations can impact the effectiveness of interventions, how expectations may vary across cultures, and what SLP interventions are considered evidence-based when working with DLLs and culturally and linguistically diverse families.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
SLPs are tasked with evaluating dual language learners (DLLs), often without speaking the language the child uses most. This journal self-study explores emerging practices that SLPs can use to improve overall assessment quality and outcomes when working with diverse DLLs.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study course is composed of papers from the 7th Aging and Speech Communication Conference (April 2019). The articles cover a range of topics about speech processing in normal aging, including changes in auditory pathways and cortical structures in older adults with and without hearing loss; the relationship between cognitive skills and hearing performance in older adults; speech perception of older and younger adults when certain linguistic factors are manipulated; and age-related effects of processing accented speech in native and non-native speakers.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study course is composed of papers from the Research Symposium at the 2018 ASHA Convention. The articles summarize much of the accumulating evidence regarding neurological change in post-stroke aphasia recovery. The range of topics covered in this self-study include neurological recovery patterns according to phase of recovery and treatment target (e.g., word vs. sentence), neurological and genetic factors that influence recovery, and methodological considerations to increase validity of findings. These articles will appeal to researchers and clinicians looking for current evidence on dependent neuroplasticity after stroke.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study course is composed of papers from a 2019 Research Forum, Advancing Statistical Methods in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. These selected articles provide advanced-level discussion about clinically relevant statistical methodologies to give audiologists a strong foundation from which to analyze and understand the statistical research they come across to decide when and how to apply it in practice. The articles examine frequential and Bayesian statistical methods as well as propensity scores and linear-mixed model analyses.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study course highlights various instructional strategies that demonstrate positive progress for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings and recommendations can assist SLPs in choosing strategies that produce targeted outcomes for students with ASD on their caseload.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study course is composed of papers from a 2019 Research Forum, Advancing Statistical Methods in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. These selected articles provide advanced-level discussion about clinically relevant statistical methodologies to give speech-language pathologists a stronger foundation from which to analyze and understand the statistical research they come across to decide when and how to apply it in practice.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
A 2019 Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools forum, Vocabulary Across the School Grades, presented evidence that strong vocabulary is important for students’ literacy and overall academic success across grade levels. The articles in this journal self-study course describe effective instructional strategies for facilitating vocabulary growth and improving reading comprehension in middle and high school students. The authors present recommendations and implications for practice.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study updates clinicians on advances in the field that can refine current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Two articles address assessment: One examines how type of stimuli can affect differential diagnosis of CAS, and the other identifies possible red flags in young children by examining characteristics of speech production in infants and toddlers who were later diagnosed with CAS. Two additional articles address advances in intervention for CAS: One looks at the efficacy of adding prosody as a treatment component, and the other explores a model-based treatment protocol.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study emphasizes clinical decision-making in swallowing and dysphagia management. The articles focus on using data to make clinical decisions, finding noninvasive ways to screen healthy adults, and patient-reported side effects and tolerability of a specific assessment technique.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This self-study features highly read and cited audiology research articles published in 2018 in ASHA’s scholarly journals. Topics reflect the diversity of the field and include: (1) what users need to know to effectively manage hearing aids, (2) how language skills develop in children with cochlear implants, and (3) information available on social media about tinnitus.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
SLPs who work with children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) need a broad base of knowledge in evidence-based assessment, system designs, and implementation practices, particularly as technological innovations in AAC proliferate. This journal self-study explores of all of the above. The first article provides a useful framework for assessment that distinguishes essential components according to the child’s motor and cognitive abilities. Two articles examine design features: The first examines consistency of symbol location to increase efficiency, and the second looks at characteristics of naturalistic displays and their effects on gaze behavior according to clinical profiles. The final article in this self-study reviews practices for training communication partners of children who use AAC.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
The articles in this journal self-study provide clinically applicable evidence and critiques of current practices for working with older adults, with the goal of encouraging clinicians to go beyond treating impairments in isolation and instead to use patient-centered practices to increase life participation and quality of life. Two of the articles closely examine situations in long-term care facilities: (1) differing perceptions of food texture modification by professionals and staff and (2) improving communication opportunities for residents with aphasia in traditional long-term care facilities. The second two articles analyze interventions for individuals with cognitive impairment, addressing (1) improving behavioral symptoms by treating hearing loss and (2) providing direct communication intervention for individuals with moderate to severe dementia.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study focuses on several aspects of patient care and management for practitioners who serve children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The articles, originally published in a 2014 issue of Perspectives on Hearing and Hearing Disorders in Childhood, discuss the unique needs of children with mild, minimal, and/or unilateral hearing loss; the effects of fatigue on children with hearing loss; and the importance of monitoring speech-language performance and progress as well as hearing aid use in this population.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study includes select papers that were presented at the 2017 Clinical Aphasiology Conference in Snowbird, Utah. The articles reflect the wide array of topics presented on aphasia treatment, tools, and outcomes. Also included is an article that ties ideas from the conference keynote to research in communication disorders. Clinicians can expand their knowledge by learning about the current state of aphasia research.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This self-study features highly read and cited audiology research articles published in 2017 in ASHA’s scholarly journals. Topics reflect the diversity of the field and include: (1) a discussion of the economic impact of hearing loss in the U.S., (2) ways to improve museum accessibility for people with hearing loss, (3) how improvements in early detection of hearing loss has impacted children’s literacy outcomes, and (4) the impact of an audiologist’s language on hearing aid uptake.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This self-study includes work presented at the Third International Meeting on Internet and Audiology. The articles discuss innovations in audiology, with a focus on teleaudiology and eHealth services. Readers will learn about Internet programs and smartphone applications that assist with the management of hearing and hearing-related issues, as well as how data collected through these means may influence public policy.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This self-study is composed of research presented at the 2017 ASHA Convention Research Symposium, “Advances in Autism Research: From Learning Mechanisms to Novel Interventions.” These journal articles – published as part of a 2018 research forum in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research – explore the clinical implications of current research on SLPs’ work with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specific topics include ways to personalize intervention, the interaction between language and executive functioning, how a child’s ability to interact differently with their environment impacts communication, and factors that may influence the development of shape bias, which is an important factor in vocabulary development.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Stuttering can have a negative effect on a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. It also affects parents, who may not understand how to support their child. This journal self-study contains a selection of articles from the October 2018 American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology special issue based on sessions and posters from the 11th Oxford Dysfluency Conference. The conference, held every 3 years, seeks to integrate research and clinical practice in fluency disorders. Clinicians will be able to use the specific techniques and activities described in these articles to help parents and children approach stuttering differently and improve outcomes.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
The articles in this journal self-study highlight potential benefits of video games in the
clinic and classroom. The articles demonstrate how gaming principles and applied video
game design can result in measurable behavioral changes across populations that SLPs
serve. The first article describes principles of video games that can enhance efficiency
and motivation in intervention and then illustrates these principles in a case study. The
second article describes the social-emotional benefits of video games as a leisure
activity according to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The final three
demonstrate practical applications of video games for motor learning in individuals with
velopharyngeal dysfunction and hypokinetic dysarthria as well as for classroom-based
learning.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Technology has irrefutably expanded the availability of speech and language services to populations that are more difficult to serve due to mobility challenges and/or remote locations. The articles in this journal self-study illustrate how telepractice – including mixed-service delivery models that incorporate both clinic and telepractice components –can enhance telehabilitation and telerehabilitation practices across a range of communication disorders.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
As a result of recent laws and regulations, more SLPs in schools are treating children with dyslexia. The journal articles in this self-study – from an October 2018 Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools clinical forum on dyslexia – provide “state-of-the-science” information to help SLPs understand dyslexia in relation to other speech and language disorders, as well as ways to identify, assess, and treat this disorder. Clinicians will find practical tips that they can immediately incorporate into practice.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Communication disorders in children may affect social interactions and lead to negative emotional and behavioral outcomes. This journal self-study explores well-being, resilience, and emotional competence in school-age children. The articles discuss ways to identify risk factors to emotional well-being (including victimization and bullying), assess emotional competence, and support emotional expression in children who use AAC. The final article explores counseling and the role the SLP plays in addressing emotional issues as a part of intervention.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Despite best practices, many clients eventually discontinue using their hearing aids. Though a number of reasons may explain this behavior, declining patient satisfaction is perhaps one of the most significant. The articles in this journal self-study explore ways to improve hearing aid outcomes by targeting patient satisfaction through increased self-efficacy. The first article establishes an overall framework for client satisfaction by identifying essential concepts underlying hearing aid management. The second article describes a new area of research regarding self-fitting, which promotes self-efficacy by involving clients in adjusting their own hearing aids from day 1. The third article examines psychosocial benefits and improved satisfaction resulting from hearing aid trials. The final article empirically tests the connection between self-efficacy of specific management skills and hearing aid satisfaction.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Academic programs in audiology and speech-language pathology provide education and training to students preparing for challenging and ever-expanding professions. Finding innovative ways to ensure appropriate training is a constant struggle. In addition, students report high levels of stress as they navigate school demands. This journal self-study explores how programs are using simulation, peer-assisted learning, and mindfulness practice to address these concerns. While focused on academic training, these articles will also benefit clinical supervisors as well as practicing clinicians looking to find new training methods for themselves and colleagues.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Taking into account children’s learning processes is important when SLPs design
interventions aimed at teaching new skills or expanding abilities. This journal self-study –
based on a special issue of Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools –
focuses on the type of learning that happens implicitly and quickly, without effort or even
the knowledge that we are learning. This type of learning – known as statistical learning
– refers to the way that children recognize patterns in the world around them. As
language is full of patterns, this type of learning plays a large role in how children learn
sound production, words, grammatical structures, and more. The articles in this selfstudy
explore how SLPs can capitalize on implicit learning processes during intervention
to help learning happen faster.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self study explores the nature of working memory and its relationship to language and learning. The articles – from a recently published Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools clinical forum – discuss working memory and how it relates to language development; executive functions and working memory as they relate to bilingualism, math, and decoding; and practical assessment and treatment strategies related to working memory and language. Clinicians can use this research to improve their assessment and intervention processes to help students with memory deficits succeed.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study explores issues related to service provision for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by taking learners through the typical intervention process. The course starts with a review of speech sound assessments for children with ASD, an area that is not as commonly addressed in this population as other areas of communication. It then moves to how documentation of assessment results can be improved by adopting a strengths-based approach. A discussion of how SLPs in the U.S. and Taiwan use evidence-based interventions for ASD follows. And the course concludes with a discussion of an innovative way to approach social skills and friendships for children with ASD. Each article includes specific recommendations that clinicians can incorporate immediately into practice to improve all aspects of service provision for children with ASD.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Feeding and swallowing problems in children take many forms and are often intertwined with other aspects of a child’s development. This journal self-study explores some of these interactions, including the relationship between feeding and swallowing disorders and language impairment, as well as connections between hearing and feeding/ swallowing. The self-study also includes information on how mealtime duration relates to severity of feeding and swallowing problems in children with cerebral palsy, as well as how a family-centered intervention can address mealtime behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. Clinicians will be able to immediately apply the information in these articles to improve management of pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Although clinicians have long understood the risks of misidentifying an English learner or nonmainstream dialect speaker with language impairment, research to date has lacked a more nuanced view of assessment within diverse populations. This journal self-study examines a variety of assessment and screening tools used with children of varying linguistic backgrounds, including speakers of rural southern dialects, speakers of African American English, and Spanish-English bilingual children.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
While the definition of executive function (EF) varies in the literature, it includes, at its core, the skills people use to plan, organize, problem-solve, and set and achieve goals in their daily lives. EF skills start developing in early childhood, and children with EF dysfunction experience social and academic difficulties. This journal self-study explores issues related to the development of EF skills as well as principles and practical strategies for EF assessment and intervention in preschool and school-age children. It also presents an argument for the role of EF in social communication and discusses ways that SLPs can address these skills in treatment. SLPs working with children with EF deficits can use this information to improve assessment techniques and plan intervention strategies to better meet the needs of these children.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Clinical decisions regarding infant feeding not only affect nutritional status but also respiratory function in medically fragile populations. The articles in this journal self-study examine products designed to promote safe infant feeding and sucking patterns. Importantly, they compare and contrast products so that clinicians are equipped to make informed decisions that do not rely on marketing claims. The first two articles focus on bottle nipple characteristics that promote safe milk ingestion and respiratory effects and the third examines a range of pacifiers to determine which characteristics promote the most productive non-nutritive sucking pattern.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Spoken and written language skills underlie all aspects of the school curriculum and are essential for school success. This journal self-study, which includes articles from a Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools clinical forum, addresses ways SLPs can assess and treat language disorders within the context of the school curriculum. The goal of the articles is, as noted in the introductory article, “to establish the school-based SLP as the language and literacy expert for curriculum-based interventions and assessment” (Bourque Meaux, 2018, p.138). The authors in the clinical forum discuss alternate service delivery options and tools for school-based SLPs to use and also explore how SLPs can mentor and educate other school professionals to better support language skills within the school curriculum.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Clinicians who work with individuals with dementia are well aware of the need to address memory and other cognitive issues. However, there are other potential problems that may co-occur with dementia or happen as a result of the disease progression. This journal self-study explores some of these issues, including ways to improve the use of compensatory swallowing strategies, the impact of hearing amplification on cognitive performance, how motor speech may be affected by dementia and other progressive disorders, and how auditory processing may be affected by cognitive impairment. Clinicians can use this information to improve how they manage patients with dementia.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
A communication disorder can have a profound impact on many aspects of a person’s life, including school, work, leisure, and social relationships. Sudden changes, such as those that occur after stroke or other illness, as well as more gradual difficulties, such as those associated with age-related hearing loss, can negatively affect interactions with other people and engagement in daily activities. This journal self-study explores how social networks and feelings of isolation or loneliness may change when a person experiences communication difficulties. It also looks at how well SLPs and audiologists recognize and address the social and emotional needs of their patients during treatment. Clinicians working with older adults with speech, language, and hearing disorders will come away with a better understanding of the impact of social and familial support on patient success and how to better address these needs when planning treatment.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Clinicians who work with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are aware of the challenges presented by the varied abilities and behaviors of this group. This journal self-study focuses on special populations of children with ASD, including those who are deaf, those who use AAC, and bilingual children. A final article discusses how intervention can be extended beyond improving social skills to working toward establishing and maintaining actual friendships. SLPs working with children with ASD can use information from these articles to improve clinical practice when working with children with these particular special situations.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
The articles included in this journal self-study include evidence-based assessment and intervention practices for children with cleft lip and/or palate, a specialized population with which many SLPs have limited experience. The first article describes a clinical measure for quantifying nasal air emission using a nasal accelerometer. The second article illustrates the developmental timeline of typical velopharyngeal function in speech production and then compares it to what is seen in toddlers with repaired cleft. The third article offers treatment efficacy data for a naturalistic intervention with phonological emphasis for toddlers with cleft lip and/or palate. The final article examines a number of factors that can influence language development in internationally adopted children with cleft lip and/or palate.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Literacy skills begin to develop in early childhood, and addressing deficits in reading and writing skills early may prevent later problems in school. This journal self-study explores special situations that may affect literacy skills, including the presence of speech sound disorders, hearing impairment, and cultural and/or socioeconomic differences. It also includes articles that discuss intervention techniques to improve phonological awareness, an important emergent literacy skill. Clinicians can use this information to improve reading and writing assessment and treatment techniques for preschool and early elementary school children.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study explores a variety of issues related to adult vocal health and how voice disorders affect social and work-related interactions. Articles examine prevalence rates of voice disorders among college students; self-reports of vocal use; issues that school workers confront that may affect vocal health; the impact of common workplace issues, such as heating and air conditioning levels, on vocal functioning; and how voice disorders may affect listener processing and comprehension.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Children with speech sound disorders make up a large part of the caseload for many SLPs who work with preschool and school-age children. Speech sound disorders not only affect a child’s ability to communicate at a young age but also may lead to later speech and literacy difficulties. This journal self-study explores issues related to managing speech sound disorders, including assessment and treatment options. It also includes articles that identify predictors of future speech and literacy problems. Clinicians can use this information to help identify appropriate assessment tools and potential treatment options, as well as counsel parents and teachers of children who may be at risk for continuing speech and academic difficulties.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
As people age, they often experience a variety of health-related issues, including hearing loss and memory difficulties. This journal self-study explores the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive functioning and considers what is known about age-related cognitive decline and how it may be influenced by hearing loss and the use of amplification. As the primary provider of hearing-related services for older adults, audiologists are in a position to address cognitive issues and assist patients and families. This journal course discusses strategies on how to do so effectively.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Distinguishing between language disorder and language difference can be a challenge when a child speaks a nonmainstream English dialect. This journal self-study presents research findings that clinicians can implement with this population in their practice. The assessment and intervention strategies and tools discussed in these articles will allow SLPs to deliver more effective services and promote academic success for children who speak nonmainstream English dialects.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
Individuals with severe disabilities require services from many different providers to address their wide and varied needs. This journal self-study discusses the principles of interprofessional collaborative practice and why this approach may be the most appropriate way to provide services to those with severe disabilities. The articles discuss how interprofessional collaborative practice can improve outcomes for children with severe disabilities and describe specific examples of this type of practice, including suggestions about how SLPs can work with parents and other professionals to improve services for this challenging population. The articles utilize case studies to help illustrate key concepts.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
A child’s early language development can be used to predict later language and literacy skills, as well as school readiness and academic success. It has long been a challenge to distinguish children who are “late talkers” and will eventually develop age-appropriate language skills from those who might have a language delay that requires intervention. This journal self-study primarily examines issues related to assessing language disorders in preschoolers, in an attempt to identify those children who may be at risk for language and learning difficulties and would benefit from support. Specifically, articles examine risk factors for being a late talker, alternative methods of screening for language impairment, and the usefulness of parent and teacher reports when screening bilingual children. One final article discusses collecting and reporting outcomes for preschool children with speech and language disorders. Clinicians can use this information to improve their approach to language screening and outcomes reporting for preschoolers on their caseload.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
A significant proportion of treatment research aims to determine whether particular interventions are effective in addressing children’s language deficits, but just as important are ways to increase efficiency of these interventions in practice. The articles in this journal self-study examine a range of variables that promote efficiency. The first article manipulates two parameters of dosage—rate and distribution of teaching episodes—and compares the effects on vocabulary learning in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. The second article examines the dosage parameter of schedule (massed or distributed) on an intervention targeting grammatical morphemes in preschoolers with specific language impairment (SLI). The third article examines adequate intensity for vocabulary acquisition for children with SLI during interactive book reading. A final article demonstrates how the addition of one training component in early educator professional development leads to greater efficiency in children’s responses to the same intervention presented in the third article.
Format(s):
Journal (Online)
This journal self-study course explores some considerations that SLPs who work with specialized patient populations in various health care settings face in dysphagia management. Articles discuss instituting dysphagia exercise programs for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; the injury process and acute care management of individuals with dysphagia due to chemical ingestion; and preliminary evidence concerning new speaking valve technology for patients living with tracheostomy. The final article evaluates from a legal perspective the common practice of encouraging patients who decline dietary restrictions to sign waivers of liability.
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