New!
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
The three articles in this SIG 18 activity were selected to provide information on the
present and future of telepractice service delivery from the perspectives of current
speech-language pathologists and graduate student clinicians.
The first article by Page, Hughes, and Woody investigates the initial perceptions
of graduate student clinicians following the implementation of telepractice. Findings
reveal themes including comparisons between in-person services and telepractice
regarding learning technology, managing environmental distractions at home, and
caregiver involvement.
The second article by Douglass, Lowman, and Causey-Upton provides a metaanalysis study on clinicians’ perceptions of telehealth across disciplines within
rehabilitation and other allied health fields. Several themes are identified, including
acceptance, lack of telehealth training, and the flexibility of telehealth.
The third article by Edwards-Gaither, Harris, and Perry presents a viewpoint for
the future of telepractice in speech-language pathology. Challenges and opportunities
for the longevity of telepractice service delivery are discussed, including consensus on
telepractice terminology, designating a service delivery model, and exploring telepractice
occupational culture.
New!
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
These SIG 13 articles provide helpful information in dysphagia practice. Tasia Gibbons, Sophia Werden Abrams, Nazia Mohsin, Rebekah Guastella, Stefania Oppedisano, and Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald endeavor to validate a new device to measure lingual strengthening and swallow function. Kelsey Thompson, Cara McComish, and Suzanne Thoyre’s work aims to introduce dynamic systems theory to pediatric feeding clinicians. Margaret Wright and Justin Sleffel demonstrate the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach and the vital role of speech-language pathologists in the evaluation and treatment of dysphagia of unknown etiology. Hollie-Ann Lee Shortland, Gwendalyn Webb, Anne E. Vertigan, and Sally Hewat aim to explore the use of myofunctional devices and how speech-language pathologists gain better understanding of this modality.
New!
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
These three articles center on aspects of audiology and speech-language pathology providers in pediatric hearing loss.
First, “eHealth Coaching: Counseling Characteristics of Coaches Used With Parents” centers on identifying clinician communication behaviors and missed opportunities during an eHealth intervention. Themes were identified within each category. Trends included greater use of close-ended questions over open-ended questions, frequent responses to parent emotions, and engagement in a shared process through providing information and exploring progress on parent goals. Missed opportunities occurred within each category. Coaches' communication behaviors demonstrated support for parent learning that was positively received. Joint planning to address parent challenges was a missed opportunity to support parent behavior changes regarding hearing-aid routines.
The aim of “Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Auditory–Verbal Certification: Self-Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Inform Change” was to explore the professional's viewpoint on the path to the Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) certification. There were 295 participants from different parts of the world: certified LSLSs, mentees pursuing certification, and professionals interested in certification. The study addressed motivation, self-perceived gains, challenges, and barriers in an international cohort. The purpose of the study was to guide future changes within the certification system. Several indicators pointed to the need for more awareness of significant gains LSLS certification can bring to professionals. There is also a need to address, minimize, and overcome perceived barriers in the process. Similarly, research is warranted to explore obtaining LSLS certification outside English-speaking countries and with a larger, more population-based sample.
In the closing article, “Comfort Levels of Providers Serving Children Who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing: Discrepancies and Opportunities,” Blaiser and Mahshie discuss that while best practice outlines specific skills and expertise from highly qualified providers, in reality, many lack confidence related to hearing technology and resources related to serving children who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH). The study surveyed 459 professionals in ASHA serving children who are DHH. The intent was to compare differences in confidence, training, and using resources between providers who have a self-selected interest in working with children who are DHH (membership in SIG 9) and those who serve children who are DHH and are not part of the hearing-related SIG. The results indicate that there is limited provider confidence in working with this population. These conclusions provide graduate training programs opportunities to explore provision of more intensive, comprehensive experience to better serve children who are DHH.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
In this SIG 4 activity, authors describe ways to (a) increase speech-language pathologists’ comfort with treating stuttering by providing a structured grouping of activities centered around using education, ease, and empowerment (Gore & Margulis); (b) continue using empirical evidence and clinical experience to make informed decisions about assessment procedures for young children who stutter (Singer & Kelly); and (c) provide holistic speech-language therapy services for stuttering using telehealth (McGill & Schroth). Each of these articles provides practicing clinicians ways to gain confidence in their abilities to provide evaluations and treatment across delivery
paradigms.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
In this SIG 4 activity, authors detail the myriad of ways that stuttering can influence aspects of life, from parents’ differing perceptions of their child who stutters (Mostafa, St. Louis, El-Adaway, Emam, & Elbarody), to completion of turns by people who do not stutter when the person who stutters experiences stuttering (Kondrashov & Tetnowski). These articles help readers understand the pervasive nature that stuttering exerts on the lives of people who stutter across the lifespan.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This SIG 19 activity bundles four articles providing perspectives on a broad variety of topics in speech-language pathology. First, Holt provides an overview of current and historical discussions of gender and race, challenging the reader to accept that one’s perspective is indebted to a specific belief system. Readers are to evaluate how gender and race are used to categorize people and examine whether a member of a marginalized or minoritized group affects that person’s access to or use of intervention services. Next, Cox and Koenig define speech privacy and provide a brief history and applications in the health care setting. A general perspective is outlined, including threats to speech privacy, and speakers who use an electrolarynx are used as an example to highlight specific issues clinicians may encounter. Ramanarayanan et al. discuss the use of speech as a biomarker in therapy and research. In summary, robustness of analytics—specificity, diversity, and physiological interpretability—must be further developed. Finally, Weerathunge, Tomassi, and Stepp review a number of populations with voice disorders that have been studied using altered auditory feedback. Many have hyperactive auditory feedback responses and the differing underling reasons are reviewed. Therapy considerations are also described.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
These four SIG 13 articles provide information for dysphagia practice. They address a unique array of special populations and challenges in patient care involving swallowing and feeding difficulties.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
The theme for this SIG 14 activity is self-reported confidence and knowledge between multilingual and monolingual speech-language pathologists in working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) individuals and assessment considerations when working with individuals who speak a language other than English. Topics include (a) examining differences between self-reported confidence and knowledge in multilingual and monolingual speech language pathologists; (b) nonword repetition in assessment; and (c) sound sequencing characteristics in words of children who speak German.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
The first article in this SIG 18 activity investigates the applications speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists used most frequently during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also discusses the main obstacles to providing speech, language, and hearing services through telepractice. Through the international distribution of an electronic survey, a total of 1,466 surveys from SLPs and audiologists from 40 countries were used for the analysis.
The second article discusses the Auditory Verbal UK's training program for prospective listening and spoken language specialist certified auditory verbal therapists delivered globally via telepractice. The article explores, from a global perspective, audiology and early intervention services and perspectives regarding telepractice.
The third article explores parents' and therapists' views of the benefits and challenges of telepractice for early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through survey and analysis, the article probes the views of parents, Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory Verbal Therapists in using telepractice to deliver auditory verbal sessions.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This trio of SIG 9 articles provides the reader with three diversely focused topics related to pediatric hearing and hearing disorders. These range from a review of barriers to equity in pediatric hearing health care, to students’ perspectives on preservice education about cued speech, and then how practitioners measure receptive and expressive American Sign Language (ASL).
The review, “Barriers to Equity in Pediatric Hearing Health Care: A Review of the Evidence,” explores data to suggest that hearing health care disparities constitute a major factor in loss to follow-up or documentation for children going through the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention process. Underlying disparities are multifactorial and result in delayed care and suboptimal developmental outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“ASL Assessment in Practice: Assessing American Sign Language Across Clinical Settings” discusses exploratory research to investigate what assessment tools professionals use in measuring receptive and expressive ASL. Conclusions indicate that there is variable access and knowledge for appropriate assessment measures in ASL.
“The Effect of a Graduate Course in Cued Speech on Students' Perspectives: A Pilot Study” is a pilot study investigating the beliefs and attitudes in Deaf Education related to a course on cued speech. The investigation revealed that a single course in the approach could influence student perspectives on cued speech and other Deaf
Education instructional approaches.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This SIG 5 activity analyzes the relationship between the opioid crisis and cleft lip and palate care across the life span. Two main themes of prevention and treatment after exposure are explained. The articles outline alternatives to opioid use after cleft-related surgeries, impacts on infants and children who were exposed in utero, and velopharyngeal insufficiency treatment after substance abuse.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
These SIG 12 Perspectives articles provide information on current issues associated with visual processing of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) displays for people with traumatic brain injury, assessment of the expressive language abilities of Spanish-speaking children who rely on AAC, and culturally sensitive approaches to aided language modeling. Readers will be more adept at designing effective AAC displays for adults with traumatic brain injury and at providing AAC services to children from multilingual and multicultural backgrounds.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
These SIG Special Topics articles provide guidance to current and future researchers in communication sciences and disorders about how to maximize the clinical impact of their research. Utianski et al. describe clinical practice research and the current barriers to it, while highlighting initiatives researchers can take advantage of. Douglas et al. define knowledge brokering and outline the roles of organizations and individuals who take on that job. Then, Davidson and colleagues offer researchers concrete steps for using social media to enhance impact. Finally, Nicholson and Smith review both traditional science impact metrics and alternative metrics and offer concrete recommendations for documenting clinical impact for use in one’s CV or career advancement materials.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This SIG 16 Perspectives activity includes research that focuses on caseload issues and articulation intervention. In the first article, Shanks and Hall-Mills examine the relationship between school factors and speech-language therapy enrollment in public schools. They determined that certain factors such as socioeconomic status and English as a second or other language enrollment correlate to high caseloads. The next two articles focus on articulation intervention in special populations. Flipsen and Sacks replicate the findings of a previous study regarding the efficacy of using the SATPAC (Systematic Articulation Training Program Accessing Computers) approach with children receiving intervention through response to intervention. Reported findings indicate that SATPAC can be used effectively within the response to intervention process to remediate single sound errors in children. Finally, Findley and Gasparyan investigate the effectiveness of biofeedback technologies as a form of intervention for speech sound production. Specifically, they explore the use of speech to text in children with articulation disorders.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This collection of SIG 13 articles addresses popular topics in dysphagia care throughout the life span regarding thickening practices, family-centered care, and early intervention. Jane Mertz Garcia, Edgar Chambers IV, and Anna Boyer utilized a survey to re-examine practice patterns for thickened liquids and provided a comparison of past practices with current to provide insight into contemporary themes that have previously not been considered. Doreen Benson and George Barnes explore the utility of a mathematical prediction model (Bayes theorem) in dysphagia management. Samantha E. Shune, Deanna Linville, and Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald address maximizing treatment effectiveness by using an approach with family resiliency and adaptation. Drawing from the principles of family systems theory and the biopsychosocial-spiritual framework, they use a case study as a tutorial to explore the application of family-centered care models to dysphagia management. Stephanie C. Cohen and Karen Dilfer focus on the definition of pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and the multifaceted needs of families and children in early intervention, support for use of responsive feeding in treatment of PFD, alignment of responsive feeding strategies with early intervention principles, and barriers limiting access to consistent, high-quality early intervention services for children with PFD.
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):
SIG Perspectives
This SIG 13 collection of astute articles provides information regarding managing and
treating dysphagia in the hospital for both adult and pediatric patients. Nalia GurgelJuarez and colleagues explore the frequency of oral care based on staff adherence to
oral care policies. Rebecca Smith et al. investigate the quality-of-life impacts of
dysphagia and its interventions on mealtimes using the Swallowing Quality of Life
Questionnaire and the Eating Assessment Tool. Jessica L. Rice and Maureen A. LeftonGreif review high-flow nasal cannula mechanisms of action, its use in specific
populations and settings, and what is known about initiation of feeding during this
therapy. Finally, Donna Edwards and colleagues explore the impact of COVID-19 on
modifications in clinical practice related to pediatric feeding disorders and dysphagia via
telehealth.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
The first two articles in this SIG 19 activity provide information to better our assessment and treatment of individuals in the area of voice, while the latter two articles focus on treatment of individuals in the area of speech production. The authors for all four articles present a review of the literature as well as challenges and future directions. First, Van Hook and Duffy conducted a pilot study to trial the Gender Spectrum Voice Inventory. This article provides a review, discussion of validity, and speech-language pathologists’ perceptions of the inventory in an effort to address a gap in available clinical tools for transgender and nonbinary people. Next, Hammer reviews the relationship between air flow with sound pressure level during syllable production while holding fundamental frequency and subglottic air pressure constant. The results have clinical implications that stress the importance of an increase in air flow and focus on vocal fold contact. Then, Gritsyk et al. describe their study to determine which measures of somatosensory acuity best predicted change in production accuracy during vowel learning tasks while controlling auditory acuity. Results indicate only bite block adaptation with auditory masking was significantly associated with performance. Finally, Zajac et al. discuss their preliminary study that indicated cleft type contributes to production errors, specifically backing, in children with repaired cleft palate. Additionally, a history of otitis media affects the spectral contrast of alveolar consonants in children without clefts.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This SIG 1 activity focuses on ethical challenges that audiologists and SLPs may face in various school-based scenarios. A 5-step ethical decision-making approach is presented. An ethical decision-making model is used to help prepare clinicians for the ethical continuation of telepractice in schools. Some thoughts and tools for connecting ethical practices with the provision of culturally sensitive/responsive services are provided.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
The theme for this Perspectives activity is clinical considerations for working with multicultural populations in schools and the community. Topics include (a) assessment practices for multilingual children in schools, (b) school-based speech language pathologists working with interpreter-translators, and (c) factors associated with clear speech and accentedness in American English.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
These SIG 17 Perspectives articles focus on the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on service provision and student training in four global contexts: Cyprus, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Topics include the rise of telesupervision, telepractice in speech-language pathology (SLP), and distance learning in Cyprus during COVID-19; the effectiveness of SLP and related service treatment of patients with COVID-19 in an inpatient rehabilitation setting in the United States; the impact and transformation of an SLP university program in South Africa due to COVD-19; and the perspectives of parents/caregivers on SLP service provision during the pandemic for children born with cleft palates in the United Kingdom.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
These SIG 12 Perspectives articles provide information on current issues associated with display design and image complexity for individuals with cortical visual impairment and an in-depth overview of telepractice for people who rely on augmentative and alternative communication. Readers will be more adept at assessing and assisting children with cortical visual impairment and will have a better understanding of telepractice methods that can be used to improve virtual service delivery.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This activity presents a variety of topics related to telepractice service provision. The first article offers a case study on the effects of a hybrid telepractice/onsite treatment program for a child who stutters. The following article discusses common technical issues encountered during telepractice and a process for managing them with English- and Spanish-speaking clients. The final article details the findings of a study on integrating technology through telepractice to support clients with dementia.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This activity presents a diverse perspective, including four different speech science articles focused on a variety of topics. Kimball and Sayce discuss the pros and cons of research using behavior and functional assessment and treatment in the areas of speech science and voice, specifically their limitation in outlining etiology or explaining treatment resistance. They also provide an overview of genetic research approaches as a possible path forward to develop additional evidence-based treatment approaches. Neel reviews the production and perception of extralinguistic information regarding sex/gender, sexual orientation, age, non-native accent, regional and social dialect, and race and ethnicity. The article explores the literature in the above areas reviewing acoustical features and common misperceptions, concluding with instructional activities to enhance student awareness of indexical characteristics. McAllister et al. studied the effects of biofeedback for residual rhotic errors in a preliminary case series. Participants were five native English speakers who had not yet generalized rhotic production. Treatment consisted of either electropalatographic or visual-acoustic biofeedback using the Challenge Point Program software. Although participant responses to treatment were variable, the median effect size tended to exceed the minimum value considered clinically significant. Gritsyk et al. examined three measures to determine which best predicted change in production accuracy during a vowel learning task. Using 20 female college students, researchers administered three tasks: an oral stereognosis task, a bite block task using auditory making, and a new phonetic awareness task. The bite block task with auditory masking, measuring proprioceptive awareness, was the only task significantly related to performance in speech learning.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
The assemblage of articles presents clinicians with information on a variety of topics in dysphagia that can be utilized in practice. Laura L. Madhoun, Laura C. Merrell, Amanda Smith, Emily Snow, and Kristen M. Cherosky stress the importance of individualized and comprehensive feeding management for craniofacial anomalies through interdisciplinary collaboration. Lena G. Caesar and Meretu Kitila study clinicians’ perceptions and confidence with dysphagia service delivery. Aliaa Sabry, Amanda S. Mahoney, Shitong Mao, Yassin Khalifa, Ervin Sejdic, and James L. Coyle point out an objective way to assess laryngeal vestibule closure and opening at beside. Marie Jardine, Anna Miles, Jacqui Allen, and Rebecca Leonard give an interesting take of assessment of the aging swallow. Kelsey L. Thompson and Wanqing Zhang provide description and examples of mixed method research to comprehensively and holistically report of pediatric feeding disorders.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This Perspectives course focuses on clinical considerations for working with children and adults from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds. Topics presented include (a) effects of clear speech on perceptions of accentedness in American English, (b) ethnographic interviewing in clinical practice, (c) language errors in bilinguals under background noise and quiet conditions, and (d) assessment of speech sound disorders in school-aged children from CLD backgrounds.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This collection of articles presents information currently relevant to caring for patients. Firstly, Cara Donohue and James L. Coyle, and Christina Kang and David Lott, share service delivery focusing on the diagnoses of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and muscle tension dysphagia, respectively. Samantha Shune and Ashwini Namasivayam provide systematic strategies to better support patients’ informal caregivers. Rinki Varindani Desai and Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald describe the practice patterns of speech-language pathologists managing dysphagia in persons with dementia. Lastly, Nancy Swigert and Ashley Wright describe effectiveness and efficiency as the key components of a value-based health-care system.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
In these Perspectives (SIG 4) articles, two of the articles relate to patterns of disfluency in young bilingual children—one of these two articles adds the patterns of stuttering in young bilingual children that stutter. The third article uses a thematic analysis to help understand why adults who stutter attended self-help groups.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
This Perspectives (SIG 1) forum focuses on the treatment of young children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The first article examines the effects of parent-mediated intervention on the spoken language of young children. The second article focuses on an embedded teacher-implemented social communication intervention for preschoolers. The third article examined peer mediated augmentative and alternative communication for young minimally verbal children. The final article reported on social communication predictors of successful inclusion experiences for students with autism in an early childhood lab school.
Format(s):
SIG Perspectives
In these Perspectives (SIG 10) Roos and Schreck examine the stress experienced by undergraduate students in communication sciences and disorders (CSD), including stress levels, reasons for stress, stress management, and knowledge/use of campus resources to address stress. Shah and Galantino address building the emotional intelligence of undergraduate students studying CSD through exercises completed in class. Sylvan, Perkins, and Tuglio study the experiences and perceptions of CSD students applying to master’s degree programs, including deciding factors for top choices of graduate programs, emotional involvement in the application process, biases/rumors heard, student challenges, advice to future applicants, and what students would change about the application process. Finally, Crais and Savage present an examination of CSD graduates’ perceptions of their PhD program, including challenges they faced, facilitators for success, their preparation for research/teaching/job readiness, and ways PhD education might be improved.
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):
eWorkshop
This course examines the impacts of impaired anatomy and physiology on swallowing safety and efficiency in adults. The course is designed to aid clinicians in managing the evaluation and treatment of adults with oropharyngeal dysphagia. The speaker discusses the functions of specific structures, spaces, and muscles related to swallowing as well as the relationship between esophageal and oropharyngeal signs and symptoms.
The course features clearly labeled animations and videos of instrumental studies – e.g., videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluations of swallowing (FEES) – at different speeds to guide clinicians’ ability to interpret the imagery. The course also includes interactive “quizzes” throughout, which provide feedback on application of concepts.
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)
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):
eWorkshop
This course includes four recorded sessions from the 2018 online conference “Improving Functional Outcomes in Aphasia.” Two of these sessions address strategies for working with special populations of people with aphasia and two other sessions explore modifications to technology and coding/documentation that may need to be made when working with individuals with aphasia. The conference included a total of 15 sessions, giving a comprehensive view of the current landscape of aphasia intervention as well as related subjects, including medical management, neuroplasticity, life participation, assessment, and more. Sessions explored practical treatment strategies to meet the needs of patients across the severity spectrum and in various treatment settings, as well as the unique needs of a range of patient subgroups.
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):
eWorkshop
This course explores working with adolescents with and without language impairments on written language; the writing process; vocabulary development; and breaking down complex language in texts. The course includes three recorded sessions from the 2018 online conference “Spoken and Written Language in Adolescents: Fresh Solutions.”
Format(s):
Streaming Video
Clinicians frequently find that children with speech sound disorders progress in intervention more slowly than desired, or they may make expected progress within sessions but not carry over or generalize improved speech skills to their daily activities. There is some evidence that using normalized speech sound intervention – treatment activities that reflect the real-world activities and interactions in which children communicate – can lead to more rapid increases in intelligibility. This course will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to implement normalized speech sound intervention using age and developmentally appropriate curriculum-based learning activities in which the production of speech sound targets is integrated in meaningful verbal and social interactions.
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):
eWorkshop
This course includes three recorded sessions from the 2018 online conference “Children With Autism: Matching Interventions to Communication Needs.” Taken together, these sessions provide practical strategies for incorporating and empowering various stakeholders – including family members, peers, educators, support personnel, and other professional team members – to support school-age students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The conference included a total of 13 sessions, with the broad goal of presenting current best practices in intervention for school-age students with ASD. Conference sessions focused on tips and strategies SLPs can use to choose the most appropriate interventions for each child using an evidence-based approach that balances family preferences, research, and clinical judgment/expertise.
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):
Streaming Video
Students in grades 6–12 frequently struggle with both the content and use of academic language. As they move through the secondary grades, they are confronted with increasingly more expository language, as opposed to the mostly narrative language they saw in elementary grades. This course explores the fascinating relationship between these two language structures, which provides a strong basis for our therapeutic interventions as speech-language pathologists. Presenter Judy Montgomery provides examples of linking narratives to expository text to ultimately help students successfully use academic language at the secondary level. Montgomery shares strategies to use in different service delivery settings (one-on-one intervention vs. in the classroom).
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.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Streaming Video
This video course presents systematic, evidence-based strategies for carrying out a comprehensive evaluation of infants and children who demonstrate signs of dysphagia and/or broader feeding problems. The course includes detailed discussion and strategies for collecting a child’s relevant history and conducting a physical examination and feeding observation. With a focus on function, the course offers guidance on interpreting evaluation findings and making optimal recommendations for next steps that promote functional outcomes. Video clips of professionals and caregivers working with infants and children, as well as discussion of case studies, enhance the learning experience.
Best Seller
Format(s):
Streaming Video
This course presents a practical framework for cognitive rehabilitation for patients suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Clinicians can use the framework to identify functional treatments that are evidence-based, matched to individualized patient needs, and feasible given the time and resource constraints of the current health care environment. The course explores specific cognitive rehabilitation interventions that patients with a brain injury may find particularly valuable and motivating. The presenters use case studies to discuss how to write functional goals and identify optimum outcome measures.
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.
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)
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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