Elizabeth Grillo PhD, CCC-SLP; Megan Gallagher, BA, from West Chester University
This poster explores the development of a transgender support group that will serve clients and families in the West Chester University (WCU) Speech and Hearing Clinic. Various strategies were implemented to create a framework for the support group. The first strategy was to gather peer-reviewed literature sources focusing on the needs and benefits of support groups for transgender individuals. After gaining additional knowledge about support groups through the literature, the second strategy involved conducting internet searches and reviews of transgender support groups in the greater Philadelphia area. Locally, The Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic (GSD) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers support groups for gender diverse children, adolescents, and their families. The third strategy was to conduct a phone interview with care providers at GSD to obtain information about the content, organization, and structure of their support groups. The fourth strategy was to partner with the Doctor of Psychology department at WCU creating an interprofessional education and practice opportunity between clinical psychology and speech-language pathology. The interprofessional support group focuses on the needs of the participants through counseling, mental health, and gender affirming voice care. The support group is facilitated by students and faculty in clinical psychology and speech-language pathology. This poster will discuss the strategies used to develop the support group, the curriculum, organization, and structure of the support group, and lessons learned from the interprofessional experience.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Melissa Brydon, PhD, CCC-SLP; Sheri Lake, EdD, CCC-SLP; Mikayla Cummings, BS; Rebecca Brown, BS, from Penn West Clarion
African-American English (AAE) is a rule-governed dialect of Standard American English (SAE) that is prevalent in schools throughout the US. Therefore, it is crucial for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to become proficient in the characteristics of the dialect to effectively distinguish language differences from language disorders. The purpose of this session is to present salient features of AAE as well as culturally responsive language assessment procedures. Various assessment options will be discussed including norm-referenced and dynamic assessment and language sample analysis. Methods for adapting the administration and scoring of norm-referenced assessments will be presented. References and resources related to AAE, and graphic references of contrastive and non-contrastive features of AAE and SAE and language assessment tools will be provided.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Faith Foster, BS; Brooke Penrod; Megan Fenstermaker; Samantha Delmar; Maria Monteleone; Glen Tellis, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, from Misericordia University; Kathleen Scaler Scott, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, Monmouth University
The purpose of this study was to conduct extensive research to create a synthesized source for student clinicians and speech-language pathologists to guide them in their assessment and treatment of stuttering and cluttering. The methods of stuttering and cluttering assessment and treatment have evolved over the last 25 years, so it is important that clinicians have the most up-to-date information to help their clients most effectively. This poster will outline the process of creating this new source, which includes a multitude of activities that clinicians can use with their clients. This research was conducted by reviewing the current literature on assessment and treatment of stuttering and cluttering. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) practice portal on fluency disorders and other sources were used when compiling this source. Once all the pertinent information was collected, numerous resources were created. For example, for the assessment of fluency disorders, fillable PDF case history forms were developed for clinicians to use. For stuttering and cluttering treatment for preschool children through adults, resources created include materials such as homework sheets for techniques (e.g., fluency shaping and stuttering modification), teacher and parent handouts, example goals and therapy activities. The end goal of this project is to have all of these resources available together on a website to allow for easy access for clinicians to use when they assess and treat fluency clients. More specific examples of the information included and resources developed will be discussed at the Convention.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Brooke Penrod; Megan Fenstermaker; Samantha Delmar; Maria Monteleone; Glen Tellis, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, from Misericordia University
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness and benefits of virtual dissection as means of learning essential anatomical structures related to speech, language and hearing. With a greater understanding of anatomy and physiology, speech-language pathology students are more likely to have a higher success rate beyond the classroom. Virtual cadaveric dissection is a promising new learning tool that can assist in gaining knowledge of anatomy and physiology concepts. In contrast to traditional study methods utilizing textbooks and line drawings, using computer-based cadaveric dissection provides students with a hands-on learning experience. Although preserved cadaveric dissection has proven to be beneficial to learning, Saltarelli and colleagues (2014) noted that computer-based cadaveric dissection yields educational benefits for all users because of its ability to provide an individualized and systematic experience for students. The virtual cadaver includes realistic, 3-D imaging and various tools (i.e., coloring, labeling, pen, quiz, flashcards, prosection, high-resolution images, gross anatomy, clipping, dissection, explore, display, origin and insertion, histology and case studies). These features allow the user to explore and manipulate anatomical structures in a way that facilitates a deeper understanding of anatomy and physiology. Through the use of a virtual dissection table, users have the ability to expand on previous knowledge and reinforce classroom concepts. Therefore, this technology aids in the integration of both classroom and clinical concepts. Details of all features of this virtual dissection technology will be discussed at the Convention.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Isabella Fredo; Reethee Antony, PhD, CCC-SLP, from Misericordia University
Models of education have changed since the onset of COVID-19. Many studies conducted during the pandemic in academia focused on mental health status. Research lacked information on the impacts of student learning across universities and across disciplines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact COVID-19 had on the academic preparedness of undergraduate students, within speech-language pathology (SLP) and outside of SLP. The specific aim of this study was to compare the student learning strategies and perspectives of undergraduate SLP versus non-SLP students and to understand how COVID-19 impacted learning across disciplines. A survey design was used to assess the academic preparedness of undergraduate students. Sixteen SLP and 16 non-SLP undergraduate students participated. The survey included 16 closed-ended and 20 open-ended questions. The overarching topic of academic preparedness was defined by seven themes that aided in the creation of survey questions including motivation, strategies/assessments, academic integrity, participation, preparedness, outside factors and training. Quantitative analysis and thematic analysis were done. Statistical analysis included ANOVA (p < 0.01) to compare the responses within undergraduate SLP students and outside the discipline. Results from this study will be useful at many levels. Students can use this information to explore different learning styles and understand the wider scope of their peers’ challenges and how they navigate them. Professors can use this information to develop teaching strategies that could be implemented for online teaching. Administration can use the results to design education models and gain more insight into current education trends.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Isabella Fredo, Misericordia University; Kathleen Scaler Scott, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, Monmouth University; Ann Roman, MS, CCC-SLP; Glenn Tellis, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, from Misericordia University
Within current literature, there are limited sources on assessment and treatment of individuals with fluency disorders and concomitant diagnoses. Since the incidence of children in the United States with a fluency disorder is approximately two percent (Zablotsky et al., 2019), there is an already limited population. This proposed retrospective case study would begin to fill gaps in literature by addressing the tasks completed in this evaluation. This evaluation was conducted on a 15-year-old boy who presents with a fluency disorder characterized by rapid rate, excessive non-stuttering-like disfluencies, stuttering-like disfluencies, secondary behaviors and strong emotions related to his stuttering. This client has concomitant disorders of autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and an intellectual disability. The critical component of this evaluation was to differentiate cluttering behaviors from secondary behaviors related to stuttering. Procedures were used to determine whether rate was rapid at times when the client was not exhibiting a stuttering block (cluttering) or whether rate was only rapid after release of a stuttering block (response to stuttering, not cluttering). The scope of the evaluation included formal and informal tasks related to stuttering and cluttering to address differential diagnosis. Preliminary data and results led to a diagnosis of a severe stuttering characterized by blocks, prolongations and part-word repetitions. The client presented with features of cluttering (i.e., rapid rate and excessive non-stuttering disfluencies); however, these were found to be avoidance behaviors for his stuttering rather than cluttering. The client was stimulable for catching disfluencies and using easy onsets.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Leah Konsel, BS; Halle Snyder, BS; Abigail Leposa, BS, from Pennsylvania Western University– Edinboro
During our externships, we noticed the research-practice gap and lack of evidence-based practice being used. This inspired us to create resources for students, professionals, and supervisors to help close the research-practice gap and to make utilization of evidence-based practice more achievable within our scope of practice.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Megan Fenstermaker; Brooke Penrod; Samantha Delmar; Maria Monteleone; Reethee Antony, PhD, CCC-SLP; Chitrali Mamlekar, PhD, CCC-SLP; Glen Tellis, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, from Misericordia University
As technology evolves, innovative study methods are in high demand. Computer-based cadaveric dissection is a novel educational approach, providing users with three-dimensional (3-D) imaging highlighting the intricacy of anatomical structures (Saltarelli et al., 2014). Narnaware and Neumeir (2021) revealed that nursing students who used a virtual dissection table in combination with classroom instruction had higher examination grades than those who received only classroom instruction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the student learner outcomes of using a virtual cadaver to learn speech- and language-related anatomical structures (i.e., laryngeal anatomy) and to understand first-year speech-language pathology students’ personal experiences with this technology. A pre-test post-test design was used in this study, which included five, first-year speech-language pathology students with no prior anatomy and physiology experience. Results indicate that virtual dissection improved participants’ performance on the posttest relative to pretest scores. When asked to identify laryngeal structures from a textbook image during the pretest, participants correctly identified 28% of structures, which improved to 50% of structures in the posttest. When tested on laryngeal structures from the image generated using a virtual cadaver, participants correctly labeled 65% of structures in the pretest and 100% of structures in the posttest. Survey results indicated that 100% of participants agreed that virtual dissection significantly improved their knowledge of laryngeal anatomy, and 80% stated that they would prefer to study using computer-based cadaveric dissection rather than study images from a textbook, the internet or other sources. Additional results will be discussed at the Convention.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Mary Weidner, PhD, CCC-SLP; Bailey Hoffman, BS; Jordan Brewer BS, from Pennsylvania Western University – Edinboro
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, telepractice utilization has increased to foster continuity of care and prevent clinician and client illness (Roman et al., 2021). This online mode of service delivery has resulted in several benefits for clients, such as increased access to therapy, increased family involvement, and decreased financial and time constraints due to associated travel (Passalacqua & Perlmutter, 2022; Tar-Mahomed, Z. & Kater, K., 2022); however, speech-language pathologists have reported decreased comfort levels and decreased confidence with telepractice delivery due to several challenges associated with this mode of delivery (Biggs et al., 2022; Roman et al., 2021; Sylvan et al., 2020). Two of the clinician reported barriers to telepractice delivery that have been identified across various studies include the following: lack of telepractice materials and resources and lack of specific telepractice training. To increase SLP’s levels of comfort and confidence with telepractice delivery, challenges such as lack of telepractice materials and lack of telepractice training must be addressed. To do so, our group has created two resources that can be easily accessed by clinicians: one which includes a list of 10 telepractice continuing education credits or trainings, and one that includes a list of 10 websites which offer telepractice materials and activities.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Elaine Shuey, PhD, CCC-SLP, retired faculty; Spring 2022 ESU Speech Science class, from East Stroudsburg University
A variety of apps are available for tablets and smart phones that measure several aspects of voice. Therapists are using these for diagnostics and therapy with voice and transgender clients. While handy to use both physically and financially, not all such apps have been evaluated for the validity and reliability of their measures. The Spring 2022 ESU Speech Science class evaluated the reliability of the popular app Voice Tools as a measure of vocal intensity in a sustained vowel. All students downloaded the app and participated in a training regarding IRB procedures and procedures to measure the voice samples. They took two samples within 48 hours, with at least 24 hours between the first and second samples. They served as their own subjects and also evaluated any willing adult volunteers in their environment. A total of 49 samples were obtained. Despite the fact that the mean of sample one was 63.04 dB and the mean of sample two was 64.96 dB, a paired t-test of the two resulted in a P of 0.0053, thus indicating that the app lacked reliability in the measurement of vocal intensity in a prolonged vowel.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Isabella Fredo; Stephanie Fazio; Meghan Dunne; Emma Schaedler; Erica Scheinberg; Isabel Falguera; Reethee Antony, PhD, CCC-SLP, from Misericordia University
There is a dearth of literature in the area of perceptual advantage in speech perception. This study is part of a bigger project by Antony and colleagues. In an initial study, they examined 10 sports players and 10 non-team sports players and observed that perceptual advantage was present in team sports players with higher percent correct scores relative to non-team sports players, specifically in noise. Research is required to understand if the perceptual advantage is present only for players in specific team sports, hence this study. The purpose of this study is to examine if perceptual advantage in speech perception is higher in soccer players or not. Thirty participants in the age range of 20-45 years participated. Ten of them were soccer players, 10 were team sports players engaged in other sports, (e.g., football), and 10 had no experience in team sports. Prior to testing, consent was obtained. The stimuli included /a/-/a/, /a/-/s/, /s/-/a/, /s/-/s/. The stimuli were presented in quiet and in the presence of background noise. The procedure included two speech tasks: speech discrimination and speech identification. AX paradigm was used for the discrimination task. Forced choice identification from a set of four options was presented for the identification task. Percent correct responses and reaction times were measured and analyzed using mixed model ANOVA. The key finding from the study will help towards expanding our knowledge about speech perception and further help us towards application of auditory training in the area of sports rehabilitation.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Isabella Fredo; Reethee Antony, PhD, CCC-SLP, from Misericordia University
With the sudden change to online learning, students and faculty at the collegiate level had to adapt to an everchanging educational landscape the past three years. Although the impact of COVID-19 was examined in academia, it was often limited to either students or faculty. Little research has been done to examine the impact of the pandemic across both stakeholders involved in education: Faculty and students. The purpose of this study was to examine the convergence versus divergence of challenges and approaches taken by both faculty and students in the field of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) to address issues in academia during the pandemic. The specific aim of this study was to examine the perspectives of SLP students and faculty and the impacts of COVID-19 on their learning and teaching. The present study employed a survey design. Sixteen undergraduate SLP students and 16 SLP faculty who have taught undergraduate courses completed an online survey. Both faculty and students had similar questions based around seven themes that defined academic preparedness: motivation, strategies/assessments, academic integrity, participation, preparedness, outside factors and training. Students completed 16 closed ended and 20 open ended questions while faculty had 16 closed ended and 18 open ended questions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze quantitative data and content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The results from this study will be useful to both stakeholders in the area of education including students and faculty. Results from the current study has both theoretical and pedagogical implications.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Isabella Fredo; Reethee Antony, PhD, CCC-SLP, from Misericordia University
Many studies during the pandemic have focused on teaching. However, previous literature did not explore possible interdisciplinary effects of COVID-19 on professors and how the impact may have differed between universities. It is unknown if the challenges and strategies used to navigate the previous two years of instruction are similar across disciplines or not. The purpose of this study was to examine the interdisciplinary effects of COVID-19 on professors. The specific aim of this study was to understand how teaching was impacted during COVID-19, both with the field of speech-language pathology (SLP) and outside the discipline. The study included a survey with 16 closed ended and 18 open ended questions; focusing on seven themes that define academic preparedness. The participants included 12 SLP faculty and 12 non-SLP faculty. Quantitative and qualitative analysis were used to analyze the results from the study. Statistical analysis included T-tests (p < 0.01) to compare the results from SLP faculty versus non-SLP faculty. Thematic analysis was done on the qualitative data.
The results from this study will be useful to professors within speech-language pathology from an interprofessional perspective. Within universities and across universities, collaboration is extremely encouraged. So, to hear the perspectives of other professors gives better insight to the successes and failures of multiple modality teaching. It is important share these strategies that could cater to diverse student populations and address the future trends in education.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Meah Watson, BS; Camree Nelson, BS; Lauren Hopkins, BS; Samantha Dalessio, PhD, CCC-SLP, from Carlow University
Daly et al. (1995) defined affirmations as “statements of truth written in positive language in the first person, present tense that are not true now, but rather something the person wishes to be true in the future” (p.166). Daly et al. (1995) found affirmations to be effective in helping adolescents who stutter achieve more fluent speech in response to direct speech therapy techniques used initially in treatment. However, minimal research has investigated the impact of positive affirmations on improving communication perceptions and attitudes. This research measures the impact of positive affirmation implementation as stuttering intervention on communication perceptions for adults who stutter (AWS) through single-subject AB design. The researchers seek to answer the following research question: For adults who stutter, do individualized positive affirmations decrease negative feelings about one’s stuttering compared to no affirmations at all? This study builds upon previous research into possible effects of affirmation training on people who stutter, emphasizing the importance of addressing both communication perceptions and compensatory strategies to target stuttering behaviors. This study quantifies the effects of implementing positive affirmation intervention on communication perceptions in adults who stutter. Statistical analysis determined no significant difference between affirmation training and traditional fluency therapy on communication perceptions. However, subjective interpretation of research findings are congruent with current fluency research that understanding a speaker’s experience may improve fluency therapy outcomes.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Erin Roberts, MS, CCC-SLP; Cecilia Heidelberger; Rebecca Rehrey; Kara Thourot; Michaela Raub, from Misericordia University
The predictive value of academic measures in the field of speech-language pathology (SLP) has been a topic of debate in recent years, particularly as it applies to graduate school admission. Perhaps more importantly, understanding the connection between students’ academic performance and clinical performance will help identify whether academic coursework is adequately preparing students for their future clinical practice in the field of speech-language pathology. Findings in this area have been varied (Halberstan & Redstone, 2005; Kjelgaard & Guarino, 2012; Richardson, Roberts, & Victor, 2020; Johnson et al., 2021), which only amplifies the need for further study of the connection between academic achievement and future professional success. This study seeks to evaluate the relationship between past graduate students’ academic performance (i.e., undergraduate GPA, graduate GPA and speech-language pathology academic course grades) and clinical performance (i.e., clinical course grades). Researchers utilized deidentified student data (i.e., student undergraduate and graduate GPA, speech-language pathology course grades) from the previous five graduating classes (i.e., graduating classes of 2017-2021) of the Misericordia University Speech-Language Pathology Program. Comparative and descriptive analyses were conducted to identify patterns and relationships between students’ academic and clinical performance. The trends identified in this study will help graduate programs better understand the relationship between academic and clinical success and further inform the design of academic and clinical coursework to maximize students’ potential as young clinicians.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Patricia Swasey Washington, PhD, CCC-SLP, West Chester University
Collaboration is an important component of the clinical work environment, yet students often balk at the idea of participating in group projects. Even before students begin to engage with professional colleagues in communication sciences and disorders or interprofessionally, they must learn to work together in class. Reticence towards group work occurs for various reasons, including fear of having uncooperative group partners, difficulty scheduling meeting times and lack of experience participating in academic or clinical group projects. It is therefore, important to facilitate student communication and interaction and promote the accountability of all students for group projects. This presentation will discuss the benefits of student collaboration, a brief group collaboration rubric and information about how I encouraged student accountability and communication in two communication sciences and disorders courses.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Elizabeth Grillo, PhD, CCC-SLP; Timothy Huang, PhD, CCC-SLP; Sojung Kim, PhD, CCC-SLP; Mareile Koenig, PhD, CCC-SLP; Jennifer Means, SLPD, CCC-SLP; Patricia Swasey Washington, PhD, CCC-SLP; Reva Zimmerman, PhD, CCC-SLP, from West Chester University
In 2023, the West Chester University Department of Communication Science and Disorders will celebrate 100 years of educating future generations of speech-language pathologists and audiologists, conducting scholarship that informs pedagogical and clinical practice, and providing clinical services to individuals within the community. In 1923, Elizabeth Tyson, faculty member in the English Department, established one of the first speech clinics in the United States at West Chester Normal School. The Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) Department has evolved from one “speech correction” course to four unique programs offering a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, a non-degree certificate, a Master of Arts (MA) degree and an accelerated BA to MA degree. The West Chester University (WCU) Speech and Hearing Clinic has grown from a speech clinic linked to one course to a diverse clinical experience serving individuals with communication, cognitive, hearing and swallowing/feeding needs. Service delivery is provided fall, spring and summer four days a week either in-person or via telepractice. Through the years, the CSD Department has advanced its programs, pedagogy, scholarship and clinical services to improve the educational experiences of our students and the clinical service delivery for our clients and caregivers. This poster will present the history and significance of the CSD Department at WCU, as well as establish the vision for the department’s future. Specifically, we will describe the implementation of advanced technologies for didactic and clinical use, as well as innovative pedagogical strategies that address the demand for well-rounded and flexible clinicians of the 21st Century.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Jenifer Ellenberg, MS, CCC-SLP; Emily McCarthy, MS, CCC-SLP, from Western PA School for Blind Children
“Studies and anecdotal reports indicate that AAC not only enhances communication effectiveness but also speech production and intelligibility, particularly if the AAC method has voice output.” (Why AAC? The Center for AAC & Autism, 2017). This poster will be a survey of two verbal and visually-impaired students at the Western PA School for Blind Children, their goals, the strategies and devices used to facilitate speech and language development and their progress. The students are secondary and middle school ages who are legally blind but have functional residual vision to identify objects, pictures and people. Although both students are verbal, they have difficulty answering questions and making conversation without visual support. Low tech and high tech AAC will be used to help improve receptive and expressive communication. Progress will be reported in areas such as length of utterance, language comprehension and topic initiation.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Melissa Buccellato, BS; Kierra Feeley, BA; Haley Kircher, BA; Tara McLaughlin, BA; Kendall Napuda, BA; Hannah Ozmon, BA; Ian Patterson, BA; Paige Wrigley, BA; Elizabeth Grillo, PhD, CCC-SLP, from West Chester University
Graduate student clinicians are involved in clinical voice research at West Chester University. In preparation for the research, the clinicians completed the graduate voice disorders course during spring 2022. The course included learner outcomes focused on demonstrating Estill Voice Training Figures and Qualities, discussing the voice training programs of Conversation Training Therapy (CTT) and the Global Voice Prevention and Therapy Model (GVPTM), and simulating voice training via Zoom synchronous telepractice sessions. In May and June of 2022, additional preparation activities included administering CTT, GVPTM and modified versions of each for a total of four voice training programs with normal voice users via Zoom. Following preparation, the clinicians facilitated all four voice training programs via Zoom with student teachers and professional teachers during fall 2022. At the end of the fall 2022 semester, the clinicians completed a Qualtrics survey to provide their perceptions on the preparation to conduct the clinical research and the facilitation of the four voice training programs with the teachers. This poster will present an overview of the preparation activities completed by the graduate student clinicians, description of the clinical research study conducted during fall 2022, and the results of the survey.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Kimberly Rodemaker, BS, Lebanon Valley College; Laura Richardson, PhD, CCC-SLP, Lebanon Valley College and Easterseals Eastern PA
Relational health is defined as the social-emotional well-being of caregiver- and toddler-dyads (PA-AIMH, n.d.) A major activity that bonds a caregiver to the infant is feeding. When infants have swallowing and feeding issues this can cause stress between the caregiver and the infant. ASHA defines feeding disorders as “problems with a range of eating actives that may or may not include problems with swallowing disorders” (ASHA, n.d.). A pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) can lead to the inability to consume enough food and liquids to meet nutritional and hydration needs (Goday et.al., 2019). When there is a PFD, alternative feeding methods may be necessary to meet these nutritional and hydration needs. Infants that are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) often have PFD or other health issues or barriers that cause them to need alternative means of feeding. Further, Chourasia and colleagues (2013) found that “the inability to breast feed is associated with higher stress levels,” and mothers of infants in the NICU that were fed parenterally their mothers had high stress levels (Akkoyun & Tas Arslan, 2019). Given the influential relationship between feeding method and relational health, this study investigated the following research question: What are the relational health characteristics of parent-infant dyads who use a variety of feeding methods? Fifty-six parents of children aged birth to three who use a variety of feeding methods (bottle, breast, tube, etc.) responded to the mixed-method survey. Data is currently being analyzed and preliminary results suggest that there exists a complex relationship between expected and actual feeding method used and relational health.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Miguel Rosario; Jennifer Lopez, MS; Michelle Scesa, EdD, CCC-SLP, from Lebanon Valley College
This study aims to explore the knowledge of and experience with speech-language pathology services of Spanish-speaking families in Lebanon County and how this relates to accessibility to speech and language services. Our research question is, what is the knowledge that Spanish-speaking families have regarding speech services and what is the experience of Spanish-speaking families accessing speech and language services in Lebanon County? This research study aims at analyzing the social validity regarding the knowledge and experience concerning Spanish-speaking families’ goals, procedures and outcomes.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Lauren Tusar, MA, CCC-SLP, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
There is little research available that assesses the preparedness of community-based language interpreters to work in a neurologic inpatient rehabilitation unit with patients of Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Rehabilitation therapists have, “described experiencing a lack of control of the interaction, especially if they lacked trust in the accuracy of the interpretation,” when working with interpreters in this setting (Jones and Taylor, 2014). The aim of this project was to provide education to interpreters about acquired brain injury while working on a neurologic inpatient rehabilitation unit with patients of LEP, and to prepare interpreters for interactions with patients who have cognitive linguistic impairments and behavioral issues. An educational module about acquired brain injury was created for interpreters to review. Pre- and post-education surveys were used to gauge interpreters’ comfort level and knowledge about TBI/stroke before and after reviewing the module. Pilot data was collected in a convenience sample of five language interpreters. One interpreter did not participate in a post-training survey or knowledge test, thus complete data was collected for four interpreters. In a sample of four interpreters, pre- to post-survey scores of interpreter confidence working with patients with acquired brain injuries improved for all study participants. In the same sample, pre- to post- knowledge test scores improved from an average score of 75% accuracy to an average score of 90% accuracy with a mean improvement of 15% percentage points. A small sample size was limiting, however results indicate benefits of increased knowledge for interpreters working in this setting.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Kasie Galley, MS, CCC-SLP; David McNaughton, PhD; Emily Laubscher, PhD, CCC-SLP; Janice Light, PhD; Janice Light, PhD, from Penn State University
Culturally responsive services are essential for the successful adoption of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems that support culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children with complex communication needs (CCN). This study examined the impact of an asynchronous online learning module to preservice educators in culturally responsive practice methods (BRIDGE [Build understanding of self, Reach out to the family and develop a communication plan, Identify family perspectives and priorities, Develop culturally responsive activities and materials, Generate positive interactions to build trust and Engage in collaborative decision making]) on the number of identified strategies and associated activities by participants. Analysis of participant responses to case studies, involving CLD school-aged children with CCN that use AAC, was completed using a rubric system. Results of this study provide evidence on the efficacy of an asynchronous online learning module for preparing future educators in culturally responsive AAC practice. Strengths and limitations of this study and future research directions are discussed, as well as implications for improving preservice training in culturally responsive AAC practice.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Tara McLaughlin, BA; Elizabeth Grillo, PhD, CCC-SLP, from West Chester University
Simulation provides students the opportunity to practice clinical skills in a safe, risk-free environment. Well-designed simulations include clear learner objectives, prebriefing, simulation scenario and debriefing. Simulation facilitates reflective student learning, which increases student confidence in their ability to perform. Students enrolled in two sections of the medical speech-language pathology course at West Chester University experienced different simulations. Students in one section completed only computer-based simulations (e.g., SimuCase), while students in the second section participated in a variety of simulations (e.g., SimuCase, part-task trainers, standardized patient actors, telehealth, mid-fidelity manikins and interprofessional education). The current study compared the confidence levels of the two groups of students using The Clinical Decision Making Self-Confidence Scale (Hicks, 2006) adapted with permission. The confidence survey consisted of 15 Likert-scale questions with five response options: not at all confident; somewhat not confident; somewhat confident; moderately confident and very confident. The students who participated in a variety of simulations had significantly increased self-confidence ratings in 11 out of 15 questions ranging from somewhat confident (3) to moderately confident (4). The students who only completed SimuCase had significantly decreased self-confident ratings ranging from not at all confident (1) to moderately confident (3). This poster presentation will define simulation and the benefits of simulation, describe the simulations used in the two sections of the course and provide results including the self-confidence ratings between the two groups and student perspectives as to the reasons behind their ratings.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Patricia Swasey Washington, PhD, CCC-SLP; Jessica Sturm; Maria Smith, from West Chester University
In 2022, the West Chester University chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) achieved Gold Chapter Honors for the ninth consecutive year. A concerted effort among students, faculty and the NSSLHA advisor to improve various aspects of the organization, including effective preparation and support of executive board and general members, has made this possible. This poster will describe the steps we took to consistently promote the ideals of NSSLHA and commitment to the field of communication sciences and disorders, which resulted in the chapter receiving gold status. We will discuss aspects such as local and national NSSLHA involvement, community engagement (local, national and international), use of social media, participation in advocacy events and conducting fundraising activities. We will also share plans and projections for the future of the local organization.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Level of Instruction: Introductory