Spotlight on Special Interest Group 5, Craniofacial and Velopharyngeal Disorders

Peer support. Engaging exchanges on velopharyngeal surgery. Access to timely resources. SIG 5 offers all that and more. What would you say to encourage other colleagues to join SIG 5? Angela Dixon: For much of my career I was the only SLP in my state who specialized in cleft/craniofacial disorders. That was a lot of pressure and can be very isolating. It was difficult to not have an easy team of SLPs to learn from, bounce ideas off, etc. Joining SIG 5 provided that for me. I met a group of SLPs who had passions similar to mine, and SIG 5 allowed me an opportunity to network, learn, grow, and eventually even make friends. Most of those relationships started virtually over email discussions, but developed in person through attending ASHA meetings. How has your involvement in this SIG improved your understanding of and engagement with the field of craniofacial disorders? Alison Scheer-Cohen: When I first started to work with people with craniofacial and velopharyngeal disorders, my CF (clinical fellowship) mentor and colleagues on the cleft team were able to teach me the knowledge and skills for clinical practice with this population. As I transitioned to other employment settings, such as the university, I was often the only instructor who had experience in this area. SIG 5 has provided the opportunity to network and engage with other professionals in practice across a variety of issues (such as feeding disorders and quality-of-life outcomes) in the care of people with craniofa...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Slider Speech-Language Pathology communication sciences and disorders craniofacial craniofacial disorders Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs