Speech Paths: A Journey to Revitalize Your Practice: Recent Episodes

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Elena Dukhovny is an Associate Professor at California State University, East Bay. Her research and clinical interests revolve around Augmentative and Alternative Communication, focusing most recently on developing effective support systems for para-educators and caregivers of SGD users.  Previously, she has also researched the effects of interface design on procedural learning and therefore on fluency of language production via speech-generating devices (SGDs). Prior to coming to CSUEB, Elena worked as a speech-language pathologist and technology consultant, with a focus on children with severe-profound communicative disorders. She is certified in a variety of intervention programs and strategies, including Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (Center for AAC and Autism) and It Takes Two to Talk (a Hanen Program).

Learning Objectives: Participants listening to this interview will be able to:

1. List three evidence-based practices in AAC-supported language intervention. 

2. Describe the relationship between motor learning and AAC.

3. Discuss how to create allied professional buy in when using AAC.

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This course will describe the structure and benefits of a community-based outreach program for persons with aphasia and other communication challenges, which is housed within a university clinic setting. Additionally, the benefits of a 2-week summer aphasia arts program involving choir, theater, and visual art activities will be discussed.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

Participants listening to this interview will be able to:

1. Describe the structure of a community-based outreach program for persons with aphasia and other related communication disorders.

2. List two benefits of a community arts program for persons with aphasia.

3. Identify two possible group activities to try in a variety of settings for persons with aphasia.

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Nich Brock has been a speech-language pathologist for the past 9 years, working in preschool, K-8, middle school, and high school public school settings.  Additionally, he has worked as the Clinic Director for a private university, establishing on-campus clinical experiences for graduate students. His presentation will discuss the importance of adopting a workload approach to manage the increasing demands placed on us professionally. We will adopt strategies to work with our districts, looking beyond caseload numbers to create a more equitable and professional environment…and dare I say obtain the elusive work-life balance?  Simple strategies will be provided for scheduling students, and several service delivery options will be discussed.   

Learning Objectives: Participants listening to this interview will be able to:

1.  Summarize the workload approach and provide three discussion points/tools to advocate for adopting a workload approach while working in the public school setting

2.  Identify three evidence-based service delivery models that can be implemented when utilizing a workload approach

3.  Identify three scheduling strategies that can be implemented when utilizing a workload approach

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Course Description/Abstract:

We will discuss the role of phonological representations as they relate to the development of literacy skills for children with speech sound disorders and dyslexia with Kelly Farquharson Ph.D., CCC-SLP.  Background information will include a brief review of relevant theories and application to clinical practice.  A definition as well as some common myths of dyslexia will be reviewed.  Audience members will be asked to consider the whole child when reconceptualizing how speech sound disorders manifest and are treated.  Implications for assessment and intervention are included. 

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

Participants listening to this interview will be able to:

1.       Identify the role of phonological representations

2.       Discuss the risk factors and outcomes for children with persistent speech sound disorders as well as those with dyslexia

3.       Discuss the SLPs role in facilitating literacy skills for children with speech sound disorder and those with dyslexia

ASHA CEUs to be Earned = .1

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Recent graduate students reflect on their CF experience and dispel common myths about their first year in the field. In this episode, you will learn how to navigate your CF experience from beginning to end as well as receive tips and resources that will help support new graduate students. Supervision experiences, as well as first job experiences, will be discussed in order to help new and experienced clinicians during this most important time of professional development. 

Learning Outcomes/Objectives

Participants listening to this interview will be able to: 

1. Identify the steps on how to complete the process of state license and ASHA certification
2. Identify the alternative settings that you can work at and pros and cons to each - SNF, home health, private pay, clinic, hospital
3. Dispel common myths: (1) You must stay at one job for the duration of your CF experience, (2) You must work full-time for the duration of your CF, (3) Every CF supervisor is good - Discuss qualities to look for and questions you need to ask when choosing a supervisor, (4) You deserve less pay because you’re a CF - Discuss salary negotiation/resources can be posted in the link below, (5) You will have a hard time getting a medical CF position if you don’t have medical experience, (6) Certification is quick/easy.

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I'll tell you my hot take. Aided AAC intervention is not a last resort! Individuals with aphasia don’t simply “get” an AAC system when they “run out” of Medicare/Medicaid insurance visits because they still need a reliable way to engage within their social networks. Aided AAC is so much more than that. It’s an evidence-based intervention with years of data indicating that it works. Not just to compensate or replace natural speech, but to restore natural spoken language and facilitate communication across a variety of settings. So what gives? According to ASHA NOMS, Why did only 2% of the population with aphasia receive AAC intervention? Why do we see so many AAC systems lack customization for individuals with aphasia? Why do we wait until the last minute to even consider AAC? Let’s not even get started on abandonment rates in this population. And ultimately, are we even prepared with the knowledge and skills to implement a syntax and discourse-based aided AAC intervention? I would argue, that for the majority of medical SLPs, WE ARE prepared….we just need to think about AAC differently.

The topic of this CE opportunity will be discussing why AAC is so challenging for SLPs that serve persons with aphasia. It will also address how to overcome those challenges. The following learning outcomes will be addressed:

1. Understand current barriers to successful AAC implementation and highlight key strategies that help promote successful use of AAC for people with aphasia.
2. Summarize how the theory of intersystemic reorganization can be used to successfully employ AAC as a dual-purpose tool in aphasia rehabilitation.
3. Debunk common myths that persist in aphasiology.

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Dr. Brandel is the Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at West Virginia University. She is the author of several articles that have examined SLPs’ service delivery factors (time per week, decision making, etc.) as well as the decisions professionals make. Her research suggests decision-making by SLPs has remain unchanged in certain areas as well as vastly different in others. Moreover,  there is limited variability in the decisions related to service delivery despite research indicating that treatments can be effectively provided in variety of locations and intensities. Dr. Brandel will discuss clinical practice and ways to self-reflect in order to break out of these trends to help make student-centered decisions. 

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

Participants listening to this interview will be able to:

1.         Identify different service delivery models appropriate in a school setting. 

2.         Discuss barriers to utilizing various service deliver models.

3.         Evaluate the rationale for their own decision making.

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Carolyn (Director of Clinical Education) and Brittany (Assistant Clinical Professor) create novel group interventions for children with a variety of disorders ranging from speech to AAC use. They run an interdisciplinary “Tykes” camp, a literacy camp, and a school readiness camp to help children succeed in pre-K and kindergarten at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Their work can be adapted by school-based SLPs who need a change-up in the next academic year.  Come check out their effective and fun inter-professional group interventions.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives: 

1. Describe key components of interprofessional collaborative practice and how they impact client outcomes.  

2. Identify at least three factors when developing a summer therapy or learning program. 

3. Discuss at least three strategies to include when training interprofessional team members in preparation for programming.  

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Research addressing multicultural and multilingual issues in the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) field is sparse. This interview series will report the survey data about SLP’s current practice and perception on working with bilingual people with aphasia (PWA) who use speech-generating devices (SGD) to enhance their communication competence. The findings will help clinicians further understand SLP’s current practice working with diverse populations as well as the barriers and suggestions based on user-related, device-related, and environment-related factors.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

1.  The participant will identify three barriers that prevent bilingual people with aphasia (PWA) from using speech-generating devices (SGD).

2.  The participant will describe how interface designs may affect bilingual PWA’s usage of SGD. 

3.  The participant will recognize three facilitators that increase bilingual PWA’s use of SGD.

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Due process, mediation, Supreme Court cases… these are not the words that bring joy to an SLP but dealing with litigious cases is an important part of the work of school-based SLPs. This session will discuss what SLPs need to know about key Supreme Court cases related to special education and will also highlight the most important aspects of special education law that SLPs need to consider in their work in public schools. We will also discuss best practice for school-based SLPs to handle challenging cases with confidence in order to protect themselves from litigation and provide the best services to students.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

1. To describe special education law and important litigation, particularly the most recent Supreme Court case regarding special education (Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District) relevant to SLPs in school-based settings
2. To successfully navigate school-based responsibilities particularly when working with challenging or potentially litigious families
3. To identify best practice to deliver high-quality speech services in school settings that are legally defensible

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SLPs make many decisions about children’s therapy in an effort to promote language skills. Theoretically, we know child-level and treatment-level factors impact outcomes; however, there is currently little empirical information to guide SLPs. In this presentation, we will discuss outcomes from a large-scale study of 75 SLPs serving 294 children with DLD in the public schools receiving services from their SLP. SLPs provided weekly therapy logs detailing information about the child’s therapy sessions as well as 5 videotaped therapy sessions over the academic year. This presentation will discuss key findings on what relates to children’s outcomes as well as strategies SLPs can implement immediately after the presentation.  So Let's Talk  Language Treatment Intensity with Dr. Mary Beth Schmitt.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

Participants listening to this interview will be able to:

1. Explain the role of dose and frequency on children’s outcomes

2. Define behavior regulation as it relates to children with DLD

3. Explain how engagement relates to improved language outcomes.

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Discourse analysis is commonly used to assess more naturalistic language ability and to evaluate language change following intervention in aphasia. But there are several different discourse types, and each taxes the language system in different ways. Moreover, discourse elicitation and analyses are time-intensive projects, and the retest reliability of these different discourse measures may not be as strong as we once believed. So which discourse outcome measures are best? The purpose of this interview will be to (a) discuss the purpose for using discourse in persons living with aphasia, (b) discuss the clinical implications of discourse types and how they impact the language system, and (c) offer thoughts regarding the selection of tasks for analysis as well as analysis methods. Dr. Stark is an early-stage investigator (Assistant Professor) at Indiana University Bloomington, and she was awarded an ASHFoundation Grant investigating test-retest (short interval) reliability across discourse genres in speakers with and without aphasia.  For more information, check out FoqusAphasia.com

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Why is augmentative and alternative communication  (AAC) intervention so hard for so many speech-language pathologists (SLPs), caregivers, clients, and communication partners? This interview-based CE event will explore the potentially hidden and not so hidden barriers related to AAC implementation, intervention, and administration responsibilities. Additionally, to combat these barriers, Dr. Binger will bridge the gap using developmental speech and language milestones that SLPs are very familiar with. Drawing the connection to typical language development and AAC intervention can forge a path forward, allowing SLPs to promote complex syntax for linguistic and social communicative competence while also addressing goals related to semantics and the other communicative competencies (e.g., operational and strategic). Overall, this philosophy of utilizing typical language milestones is grounded in Dr. Binger’s research on expressive syntax.