Barbara Weber, MS, CCC-SLP, Private Practice
This session will present a comprehensive approach to promoting early language via augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for beginning communicators with neurodevelopmental speech and language delays. Focus will be on early intervention, with children ages birth to three. Behavioral and naturalistic strategies are identified to provide optimized supports. Specific strategies for embedding skills into daily routines and fostering family collaboration will be discussed. The focus will be on clinical challenges and considerations as beginning communicators move from first words utterances to multi-word combinations and their generalization. The presenters will share the results from their single-subject research designs to document evidence-based practices and effectiveness of AAC interventions for early language support. Video cases will highlight a variety of AAC interventions based both low and high technology applications.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Pediatric SLP
Cindy Herdé, MA, CCC-SLP, Talk Eat Play
The purpose of this session is to illustrate how memory, sensory and play are related and their effects on feeding in the pediatric population. We will identify ways to create food-related opportunities that positively alter sensory experiences as well as outline the curriculum and feasibility of an individual and group-based program for children with pediatric feeding disorders.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Pediatric SLP
Richard Lytton, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, Salus University
There are various forms of capital people use to navigate the world around them, from financial and material capital, to human and cultural capital. The theory of social capital examines how social relationships can benefit individuals and enhance organizations beyond their original means. This session will explore the origins of social capital and set the groundwork for understanding its applications to the field of Speech-Language Pathology and to AAC implementation plans with children and adults who have complex communication needs. The presentation will include demonstration of how the language of AAC systems can support this population’s development of pragmatic and social communication skills across different domains of school, home, and community communication opportunities. Functional communication skills must include Social Communication skills. Such skills are so important that the multi-disciplinary educational framework of the SCERTS® model for people with ASD and their families starts with Social Communication (SC) and integrates it with Emotional Regulation (ER) and Transactional Support (TS). Social Communication skills are at the heart of relationships and friendships with others in their communities. Such friendships are too rare for adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities and speech/language disorders, especially when we do not consider friends who are paid to be aides and helpers.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Multi-Interest
Vivian Sisskin, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, University of Maryland; Samantha Wasilus, MA, CCC-SLP, Prince Georges County Public Schools
This session will provide theory and rationale for school-age stuttering therapy within the social model of disability. Stuttering will be framed as a difference rather than a disorder. Participants will gain knowledge and skills for providing stuttering therapy with functional, meaningful outcomes including comfort and confidence in communication. Children who stutter will be supported to embrace their difference, stand up to stigma and reduce struggle they have learned through previous efforts to hide stuttering. Therapy goals will be presented along with sample therapy activities.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Pediatric SLP
Andrea King, MA, CCC-SLP, Smartbox Assistive Technology, Inc.
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users have the right to participate in all aspects of life: telling a story, having an argument, interjecting in conversation, expressing frustration, advocating, self-regulating using language and communicating daily needs. While a top-down approach to aided language stimulation is common in the field, this is not always possible from a practical standpoint. Not all AAC users have a supportive social network to model language extensively. When we look at real world examples of AAC use, expression is often telegrammatic, even when the user has wide range of language available. In addition, symbol use is becoming part of everyday life with emojis. Smartbox has created Voco Chat, a new vocabulary with a low cell count of just 20 cells per grid. This vocabulary is designed to enable users who have a learning disability and/or highly complex access requirements to quickly and efficiently communicate messages, using sentence starters and phrases and dynamic pages.
To support the use of symbol communication in real life, Smartbox has also created a novel symbol communication concept called Symoji. This is a collection of expressive animations that can be used to quickly convey feelings, emotions and responses within conversation. This presentation summarizes the need for a comprehensive yet efficient vocabulary package for complex communication or access needs in addition to a supplementary animated tool to support users’ expression in a variety of contexts. We will also give a tour of these two new AAC tools.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Introductory | Multi-Interest
Elizabeth Grillo, PhD, CCC-SLP; Patricia Davidson, DCN, RDN, CDCES, LDN, FAND, CHSE; Alexa Moran, BS, RRT CHSE; Christine Thomas, PhD, from West Chester University
Simulation experiences offer students an opportunity to practice the application of knowledge and skills in a safe, risk-free environment and to reflect on the experiences for enhanced learning. Interprofessional education (IPE) is when two or more students from different disciplines learn from, with and about each other. Students who engage in IPE are more likely to embrace and use interprofessional practice, which in turn enhances patient outcomes. Faculty members at West Chester University (WCU) have developed IPE experiences that are integrated in academic courses for the disciplines of nursing, nutrition, respiratory therapy and speech-language pathology. The IPE experiences use simulation as the main pedagogical method. This presentation will discuss the interprofessional simulation experiences used at WCU and offer strategies for integrating such experiences in academic courses with large numbers of students.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Introductory | Multi-Interest
Pamela Smith, PhD, CCC-SLP, Bloomsburg University; James Lemma, MS, CCC-SLP, East Coast Dysphagia Management
The years have passed so quickly and somehow, we now have more than 70 years of speech-language pathology (SLP) practice between us. Communication sciences and disorders (CSD) professionals of a certain age can be overheard discussing the good old days in the field, before X and before Y. How has practice changed in our field from way-back-then until now? What was better then, what is better now and why? How has the use of instrumentation changed? This session is for newbies, early birds and old-timers alike. Grab a progress note and a black pen and travel backwards to see where we’ve all come from. Binge-watch and be amused by yesterday’s tools and procedures. Join us to appreciate how important it is to stay out of a clinical rut, and to remember that it really doesn’t take long to become old school. What changes can we expect moving forward? How should clinicians keep up with changing information? How should they respond to advances in knowledge that change the basis for everything we do? Is our “curtain call” really just a new beginning?
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Multi-Interest
Raquel Garcia, SLPD, CCC-SLP, Nova Southeastern University
Infants in the critical care units can have multiple medical co-morbidities that impact feeding, swallowing and respiratory function. Some infant’s have respiratory dysfunction related to anatomical deviances, immature lung development and/or congenital anomalies that require the use of tracheostomy at the time of discharge. The purpose of this presentation is to review community re-entry considerations and roadblocks for infants and their caregivers when they are discharged home with tracheostomy dependence. Review of feeding challenges for the infants will be reviewed, including community support, feeding therapist knowledge, and medical provider perception on feeding when tracheostomy dependent. A social media survey of medical providers and caregivers (example- parents) will be examined to identify themes and trends with community re-entry for infants who are discharged home and expected to habilitate and rehabilitate feeding and swallowing.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Pediatric SLP
Robert Augustine, PhD, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
This seminar will open with a definition of advocacy, recognition of ASHA’s advocacy leaders and review of ASHA’s 2022 Public Policy Agenda. A discussion of strategies and resources that ASHA members can use to advocate for policy change at local, state and national levels will follow. The 2022 Public Policy Agenda includes advocacy priorities focusing on access and payment for services within health care organizations and advocacy for resources and workload management for school-based services. The agenda includes advocacy for professional practice credentials and scope of practice protections as well as advocacy to protect patients, clients and students. The agenda also includes priorities to advance diversity, equity and inclusion practices within the professions. Following review of the agenda, the seminar will summarize the tools and resources available to ASHA members to engage with policy makers and promote policies that impact the professions. Participants can consider opportunities for advocacy leadership by connecting to ASHA Headlines, Take Action and Grasstops Envoy. Participants will learn about the value of ASHA’s Political Action Committee (PAC) and ASHA’s newest resource for advocacy, the Committee of Ambassadors. The Ambassadors are comprised of an audiologist and speech-language pathologist from each state, the District of Columbia, international constituents, U. S. territories, and the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association. The seminar will conclude with a review of the role of the Ambassadors and their advocacy and communication in support of the policy priorities of the Association.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Multi-Interest
Emily Doll, MA, MS, CCC-SLP, Colonial IU 20
The recent move towards integrating virtual instruction and teletherapy into everyday practice has required many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to utilize technology in new and innovative ways. SLPs have been inundated with a number of online tools to make their therapy more effective and engaging, and sorting through these options to determine which ones are worth the time and energy to learn and use can be a daunting task. One such tool that has recently grown in popularity is Google Forms, a free program which can be easily customized and used to streamline many of the time-consuming tasks that SLPs engage in every day. This presentation will include step-by-step instructions and examples of how to use Google Forms to efficiently organize screening requests, collect data on students’ goals in both individual and group session settings, collect both parent and teacher input for annual IEPs and evaluations, collect information from team members for consultation and even design surveys to use for professional growth goals. *If technology allows* Participants will be encouraged to bring their own devices to follow along and create their own templates which can be modified to suit their own needs. Participants will leave with a number of ideas about how to utilize this tool in meaningful ways in their own setting with their own clients.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Introductory | Pediatric SLP
Kelly Salmon, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-S SLPD, Salus University; Kristine Goldynia, SLPD, CCC-SLP, Dysphagia Services of Southeastern Pennsylvania, LLC
One in six individuals will experience dysphagia (Adkins et al., 2020). Dysphagia is a key concern for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and often under-recognized. Improved recognition and management of dysphagia may reduce the occurrence of associated health conditions and reduce hospital admission along with premature death in people with intellectual disabilities (Robertson et al., 2018). This course explores the identification, treatment and management of dysphagia as it presents in ID adults. From this course, clinicians will take away a foundation upon which to develop the skills necessary to care for intellectually impaired adults with dysphagia. Along with an introductory overview of dysphagia as it presents within this unique population, clinicians will gain insight into mitigating challenges that can present within both the clinical and residential settings. Through this course, clinicians will obtain strategies to support their practice in areas such as: troubleshooting instrumental evaluations, dysphagia management as viewed through both the rehabilitative and habilitative lens, communication between the medical and residential setting, tips and tricks for implementing exercise programs and compensatory strategies in this unique population and tools for staff training and monitoring.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Introductory | Adult SLP
Laura Sibbald, MA, CCC-SLP
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, children across the country and the world have experienced significant changes within their homes, schools and communities. Interactions with family members, teachers, therapists have suddenly shifted, and become unfamiliar, resulting in less productive opportunities for learning and growth. Children with autism are especially vulnerable to negative impacts, as they work to process complex emotions and implement successful coping strategies in their new environment. Through the development of a trusting relationship, autistic children are able to begin to gain the co regulation skills necessary to develop self-awareness, and ultimately empower independent problem-solving and self-monitoring skills. The initial development of trust and positive regard within a relationship is crucial when supporting emotional advocacy and communication skills.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Pediatric SLP
Kim Arata, MA, CCC-SLP, Geneva College
Spirituality and religion play an important role in health and healing. However, the field of speech-language pathology has largely neglected the clinical relevance of spiritualty and religious belief. Characteristics of religion and spirituality will be provided. Additionally, research from nursing and allied health fields describing the role of spirituality and religion on patient health will be reviewed.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Introductory | Multi-Interest
Alicia Graf, MA, CCC-SLP, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a group of conditions that is caused when a baby withdraws from certain drugs used by the mother during pregnancy. NAS is most often caused by opioids, but can also be caused by antidepressants, barbiturates and benzodiazepines. This presentation will focus on common feeding challenges experienced by infants with NAS who are going through opioid withdrawal and intervention strategies to support their feeding development in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Pediatric SLP
Emily Doll, MA, MS, CCC-SLP, Colonial IU 20
Every speech-language pathologist has been there – reading through an IEP for a brand new student and wondering, “What on earth were they trying to teach, here?” Accurate data collection and effective instruction are driven by students’ IEP goals, so it is critical to ensure that goals are both meaningful and measurable. Specific, measurable goals ensure that data are consistent across sessions and that progress is reported with accuracy and fidelity. They also make it easier for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who are receiving transfer students to know exactly what is being taught, how and how to assess it. This session will review the tenets of writing SMART goals, providing many examples of how to adjust goals and progress through goals from year to year in a logical and systematic way. We will discuss what to do in cases when students aren’t meeting annual goals as well as tackle writing goals for “trickier,” more nebulous areas of speech and language, such as pragmatic language, following directions or functional communication. Participants will have the opportunity to workshop goals for case studies as well as share examples from their own caseloads and will leave with lots of practical advice and examples that they can implement immediately in writing and refining their own students’ goals.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Introductory | Pediatric SLP
Patricia Mayro, MA, CCC-SLP, Salus University
Children with speech sound disorders (SSD) are at risk for persistent reading and spelling disorders in addition to their spoken communication difficulties. This presentation highlights strategies that professionals can implement to help children with speech sound disorders develop skills that are critical to early literacy acquisition.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Pediatric SLP
Barbara Weber, MS, CCC-SLP, Private Practice; Kathryn D’Agostino Russo, MS, CCC-SLP, New York School System
The first part of this session will address targeting the prelinguistic stage while providing early augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports. This section will give an overview of important early communication milestones from infancy through preschool years that lay the foundation for later-developing skills. The second part of this presentation will address transitioning AAC supports into the school setting. Supporting families and teaching staff in meeting ongoing needs of children who use AAC will be outlined, from addressing alternate access needs to other critical variables in AAC implementation.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Intermediate | Pediatric SLP
Amanda Van Horne, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-CL, University of Delaware
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is the internationally recognized term for individuals with a disorder of language learning and use in the absence of any known cause. Nonetheless, this term is underutilized in the US. In this talk we will define DLD and discuss when and how to use this term. We will examine the difference between using a label for diagnostic and for eligibility purposes. We conclude by giving some examples of how using the term DLD with clients can empower these individuals and their families in self-advocacy and raise public awareness of this invisible disability that affects approximately two children in every classroom. This talk builds on a slide deck produced by the US RADLD Committee.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Introductory | Pediatric SLP
Susan Adams, JD, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Examine the role of interstate licensure compacts in today’s society. Learn about the similarities and differences of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC). Participants will be able to identify advocacy resources to assist with the support of the ASLP-IC. Leave feeling more prepared in regards to understanding the process for accessing and advocating for the ASLP-IC.
Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Instructional Level: Introductory | Multi-Interest
