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Results 1 - 10 of 19
Credit(s): PDHs: 2.5, ASHA CEUs*: 0.25
Summary: This trio of SIG 13 articles provides information regarding managing and treating dysphagia with adult patients. First, Abrams and co-authors underscore the importance of hydration and discovered that individuals consuming thickened liquids are often at risk for dehydration. Factors to increase fluid intake through different strategies are discussed. Next, Arguello and Kerr discuss the mechanism of a facial burn injury and how it may cause functional impairments that can be directly impacted through early intervention utilizing speech-language pathology services. Finally, Warner and colleagues completed a pilot study investigating the prevalence of pretreatment dysphagia in oncologic patients and individual factors influencing post treatment dysphagia.
Credit(s): PDHs: 2.5, ASHA CEUs*: 0.25
Summary: These SIG 13 articles underscore the importance of being up to date of dysphagia intervention as the diagnosis has many complexities in assessment and treatment. Larsen et al. surmise that current characteristics and physiological rationale may overestimate the skills required for gelatin-based desserts and inappropriately classify them as nontransitional foods. Therefore, as with all products, individual gelatin-based desserts should be tested at the time of presentation to the patient. Mancopes et al. discuss the importance of strategies for facilitating safe and functional bottle feeding in children with dysphagia include selecting nipples that reduce flow rate, pacing, altered positioning, and thickening liquid consistencies. Their study aims to determine the impact of slightly thick liquids on swallowing through retrospective review of a convenience sample of clinical videofluoroscopies (VFSS) from 60 bottle-fed children (21 male, mean age 9.9 months) referred due to suspected aspiration. Garand et al. perform a retrospective analysis of persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using modified barium swallow studies and recommend use of functional scales to help evaluate and treat this special population.
Credit(s): PDHs: 3.5, ASHA CEUs*: 0.35
Summary: This SIG 5 activity includes three articles from a forum aimed at sharing research conducted in clinical settings around the world. Two research articles analyzed surgical and parent-led therapy approaches for improved speech and resonance outcomes. A third tutorial described characteristics needed in an evaluation to analyze clinically obtained data for research purposes. The first research article is based in Brazil. It demonstrates positive long-term outcomes in children with hypernasality/velopharyngeal dysfunction using the Sommerlad procedure of palatal re-repair to treat residual velopharyngeal insufficiency. The reported scores were in the categories of: “hypernasality, global impression of velopharyngeal function, and/or active speech symptoms.” Overall, this study shows significant improvement in a large percentage of children, with less effect on older individuals ages 17–22 years. The second research article includes parents from a previously published twocenter study in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The aim was to analyze parents’ experiences with parent-led articulation therapy (PLAT) following in-depth training. After a detailed outline is provided regarding inclusion and teaching of the participants, four main themes are identified. These include growth of parents, undertaking PLAT, changes in children, and the future. Ultimately, the majority of parents are in favor of a parent-led therapy approach with the caveat that in-depth training and direct supervision from a speech-language pathologist is needed. The third article, a tutorial, addresses the research–clinical practice gap. A description is provided of a perceptual speech assessment protocol for cleft palate speech, to enable clinical data to be used for research purposes. The article provides detail related to determining the most appropriate standardized assessment tools as well as the best ways to collect and analyze this data. Further details related to implementation within the clinical setting are outlined. The data is easily accessible through networking between cleft teams and Sweden’s national cleft lip and palate registry, making retrospective research attainable in a clinical setting.
Credit(s): PDHs: 4.0, ASHA CEUs*: 0.4
Summary: This SIG 19 activity bundles four articles providing perspectives on a broad variety of topics in speech-language pathology. First, Bunta and Gósy discuss how speech-language pathologists and audiologists could utilize acoustic analyses in their clinical practice. They provide specific examples ranging from aphasia to speech sound disorders and various linguistic contexts to demonstrate the utility of these tools. The authors suggest acoustic analyses can be a valued supplement in clinical evaluations. Next, Diekhoff and Lulich examine speech-language pathology students’ conceptualization and description of American rhotic Sounds. They discuss the differences in descriptions of rhotic sounds by students who had experience with those sounds compared to those who did not have experience with those sounds. The role of direct instruction regarding rhotic shapes is highlighted. Then, Gurevich and Kim discuss quantifying allophonic coverage in commonly used reading passages. In summary, they suggest a need for new speech materials that could provide allophonic coverage. Finally, Jung, Jing, and Grigos investigate the accuracy and consistency of students’ perceptions/ratings of speech errors in children. They report that student clinicians’ ratings matched with expert speech-language pathologists’ ratings with training. The importance and need for listening training in speech-language pathology programs are also discussed.
Credit(s): PDHs: 3.5, ASHA CEUs*: 0.35
Summary: 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.
Credit(s): PDHs: 4.0, ASHA CEUs*: 0.4
Summary: 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.
Credit(s): PDHs: 3.5, ASHA CEUs*: 0.35
Summary: 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.
Credit(s): PDHs: 3.5, ASHA CEUs*: 0.35
Summary: 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.
Credit(s): PDHs: 4.0, ASHA CEUs*: 0.4
Summary: 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.
Credit(s): PDHs: 3.5, ASHA CEUs*: 0.35
Summary: 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.
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