ASHA Learning Pass

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This dialog features SLPs Megan Leece and Jonathan Preston, who discuss practical, evidence-based intervention approaches for persisting /r/ distortions, common speech sound errors for many children and adolescents. 

The discussion is a follow-up to the webinar Treating R Errors: Evidence-Based Cueing and Practice Strategies, available as part of the ASHA Learning Pass subscription or for a la carte purchase.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Summarize at least two new ideas, strategies, and/or perspectives you gained from the discussion
• Describe at least one insight from the discussion that you can share with others in your work setting

What Participants Say:

"I loved the webinar with these two presenters last year and this one was great too! I also loved the short format! So many times in the webinar presenters spend forever setting it up or concluding. In this case, having a super short time allowed us to get to the meat of the information quickly, and I could access it on my lunch break! If they wanted to do these on a regular basis, I would join every time! I also love how realistic they are about R - so many SLPs get caught up in the weeds!"

"I would love to continue getting more courses from this research center. Their presentation style and resources have been so great!"

Presenter Information

Megan C. Leece, MA, CCC-SLP, received a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Northwestern University and then moved to Central New York to start a career as an SLP. Leece completed a clinical fellowship working in a health care setting, then moved to a school setting, working as a school-based SLP for 9 years. In 2010, Leece joined the clinical faculty of Syracuse University, working as a supervisor in the on-site Gebbie Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. When Dr. Jonathan Preston arrived in 2014, Leece became the Project Manager of the Speech Production Lab. At the lab, Leece has been involved in multiple NIH-funded research projects studying biofeedback treatments for residual speech sound errors, including those due to childhood apraxia of speech. In 2019, Leece followed a passion for research and left the clinical faculty to work in the lab full-time. When not keeping busy with research, Leece can be found listening to Americana music and watching the English Premier League with husband and two boys.

Financial Disclosures:

• Salary from Syracuse University supported by NIH grant funding to study treatments for residual /r/ errors as well as an NHMRC grant through the University of Sydney (Australia) to study Dynamic Therapy in children 3-7
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Jonathan Preston, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist who has been working with children with speech sound disorders for 17 years. He received his PhD from Syracuse University in 2008 and completed postdoctoral training at Haskins Laboratories, an affiliate of Yale University. He is an associate professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Syracuse University. His research focuses on neurolinguistically motivated and evidence-based treatments for children with persisting speech sound disorders. He is currently involved in multiple federally funded clinical trials to study motor-based treatments for persisting speech sound errors as well as childhood apraxia of speech. He has published several treatment studies on remediation of /r/ distortions, including a 2020 tutorial in Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools.

Financial Disclosures:

• NIH funding to conduct research on treating /r/ errors
• Salary from Syracuse University
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete and submit the learning assessment by January 20, 2028.

Program History and CE Information

This course is offered for 0.05 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).