American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Super Bowl Stuttering Slight Should Not Go Unnoticed
Super Bowl LIII opened with four and a half minutes of Peyton Manning plugging his creative genius—a scene featuring gladiators—to a room of executives who seem doubtful of his brilliant idea. He proceeds to tell them he’s already rented the Colosseum for the actual shoot. Then John Malkovich, standing in the middle of the Colosseum, enters via video call and begins talking about what a trite concept Manning is proposing. Before Malkovich begins his rant, however, one of the executives exclaims in disbelief that John Malkovich is actually at the Roman Colosseum, Peyton Manning states condescendingly, “Of course ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 25, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Ana Paula Mumy Tags: Academia & Research Advocacy Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Fluency Disorders Speech Disorders stuttering Source Type: blogs

Overheard: Using Respiratory Muscle Strength Training in Dysphagia
The objective data comes from what you measure as an outcome. The device is the trainer. Again, use pressure threshold and then set out to measure the outcomes, a scale, a swallow exam, a cough flow rate, a voice quality, etc. Participant: How do you establish goals? There are norms for peak cough, is this what you use? Kiourkas: Respiratory uses cough peak flow to qualify for noninvasive ventilation for ALS and neuromuscular patients. The norms are different for each person. Suggested ranges are used as a guide to assist in determining if the patient is getting worse at subsequent visits. We also use a SNIP (sniffing pres...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 22, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Renee Kiourkas Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Dysphagia dyspnea muscle strength skilled nursing facility Swallowing Disorders Source Type: blogs

Compassion Fatigue: The Cost of Caring
As audiologists and speech-language pathologists, we truly care about our students, clients and patients. Helping change people’s lives is a primary reason why many pursue a career in communication sciences and disorders. But at what cost? Is there such a thing as caring too much? Yes, it’s possible, and it’s known as compassion fatigue. A consequence of possessing a strong sense of empathy, combined with repeated or prolonged interaction with people who have experienced trauma, compassion fatigue can have negative physical, emotional and cognitive effects. Those of us in helping professions are at risk for devel...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 20, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Kathryn Samples Williams Tags: Audiology Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology audiologist compassion fatigue mindfulness Source Type: blogs

Big Changes in Life Resulted in One SLP Creating ‘Small Steps in Speech’
February 12 is a day anyone who was privileged to know Marc Small will never forget. On that day in 2009, Marc—then my fiancé—lost his life in Afghanistan serving our nation as an Army Special Forces medical sergeant. Instead of planning our wedding, I launched a nonprofit in his memory called Small Steps in Speech. I shared the story of launching the organization in a Leader article, which also explains how Marc thought of the name originally for my future private practice. Jumping forward 10 years…. the legacy of Marc Small has changed the lives of children and their families across the country. Small Steps in Spe...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 19, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Amanda Charney-Berardi Tags: Audiology Health Care Slider Speech-Language Pathology Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

An Administrator —and Former SLP—Shares His Perspective on the LA Teachers’ Strike 
Editor’s note: We are publishing this post after the conclusion of the LA teachers’ strike in order to share insights for members about the continuing wave of strikes, such as the current one in Denver. As an administrator in the Speech and Language Program in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), I belong to the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, the union representing administrators. I’m not a member of the union on strike—United Teachers of Los Angeles—so my role during the strike was to provide instruction and supervisory support to those students who reported to school during th...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 13, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Kyle Epps Tags: Advocacy Audiology News Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology audiologist educational audiologist Source Type: blogs

SLP Renee Kinder Shares How Joining ASHA SIG 15, Gerontology, Boosted Her Career
By Renee Kinder 1. When did you join your SIG—and what made you want to join? I joined in 2013. This was secondary to my interest in the field of gerontology, and I had the desire to learn from clinicians with similar interests and experiences. 2. How has your involvement with the SIG helped you in your career? Involvement in SIG 15 allows me the opportunity to not only engage with other SLPs interested in the field of gerontology, but it also allows me to further engage in volunteerism in ASHA via the SIG Professional Development Committee and Perspectives editorship. 3. How do you carve out time to volun...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 11, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Renee Kinder Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Slider dementia Dysphagia gerontology hearing loss Source Type: blogs

How I Learned to Embrace Technology in a School-Based Setting
Let’s face it: Technology makes everything easier. But what are students really learning when they use apps or online games? And what is the best way to target speech and language goals using tech? I interned during the 2017–-2018 school year as a student speech-language pathologist at an elementary school for K–5 students. All the sweet children I saw loved technology, having been born into a digital world. Our main source of technology at this school was a single tablet specific for the speech-language pathology department. This tablet had tons of apps, some for articulation, some for language and some for educati...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 6, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Rachel Allen-Newton Tags: Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Language Disorders Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

Creating an Easier Path for Patients With Head/Neck Cancer
Recently, an article was published in the Leader about my work with patients with head or neck cancer. The response has been great, with the most-asked question being about the pathway I created to help patients and caregivers navigate through and receive improved access to care. How did I create this pathway? The first thing I did was listen to patients and caregivers discuss what they wished they knew before treatment started. After years of listening, I realized something had to change for them. From this realization came the idea of designing a pathway so all treating partners—as well as patients and caregivers—und...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 4, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Stacey Brill Tags: Health Care Slider Speech-Language Pathology Dysphagia Source Type: blogs

Creating an Easier Path for Head/Neck Cancer Patients
Recently, an article was published in the Leader about my work with patients with head or neck cancer. The response has been great, with the most-asked question being about the pathway I created to help patients and caregivers navigate through and receive improved access to care. How did I create this pathway? The first thing I did was listen to patients and caregivers discuss what they wished they knew before treatment started. After years of listening, I realized something had to change for them. From this realization came the idea of designing a pathway so all treating partners—as well as patients and caregivers—und...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - February 4, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Stacey Brill Tags: Health Care Slider Speech-Language Pathology Dysphagia Source Type: blogs

Promoting Healthy Communication in a Tech-Driven World
In the midst of January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES)—an annual spectacle showcasing the latest and greatest (and some not-so-great) technologies set to transform our daily lives and society at large—ASHA came to Las Vegas espousing a different message than most. Via the Healthy Communication & Popular Technology Initiative, ASHA promoted balanced use of technology and the irreplaceable role of face-to-face interaction in children’s communication, social and overall development, along with the critical need to practice safe listening. Surprisingly, reception for ASHA’s message among the audience of tech e...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 30, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Francine Pierson Tags: Audiology Events Slider Speech-Language Pathology digital diet screen time Technology Source Type: blogs

Spotlight on Special Interest Group 13, Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia)
By Megan Urban When did you join your SIG—and what made you want to join? I’ve been a SIG 13 member since at least 2010. At that time, I had recently been promoted from clinician to manager and sought increased opportunities for networking and continuing education to stay current with changes in the field. I found that SIG 13 provides a community for dedicated clinicians who are especially interested in swallowing and swallowing disorders. How has your involvement with the SIG helped you in your career? SIG 13 has provided the opportunity to earn low-cost, high-quality ASHA CEUs by reading Perspectives arti...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 28, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Megan Urban Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Dysphagia Speech Disorders Swallowing Disorders Source Type: blogs

An SLP Shares Lessons Learned from the LA Teachers Union Strike
No one really walks in LA, and we usually stay indoors when it rains. So heads turned when tens of thousands took to the streets all over the city. We chanted with our colleagues, jammed the subways wearing red for education, and made signs with messages demanding funds for schools. Our cause? To get the Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD) to invest in our students, improve school safety, lower class sizes, cap charter school expansion, and provide a fair contract and wage. We were loud verbally and nonverbally. Speech-language pathologists like me joined the picket lines and marched alongside educators despite ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 25, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Felicia Conlan Tags: Advocacy Audiology News Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Source Type: blogs

Overheard: Helping Students with ASD Handle Real or Perceived Bullying
In an online chat, SLP Erin Mauldin discusses how to teach students with ASD strategies for understanding and responding to bullying. Participant: Would you give an example of backhanded bullying? Erin Mauldin: Backhanded bullying happens when someone uses kind gestures or words with the intent of misleading their victim. A bully may say something in a nice or kind manner but the message may be negative, which our students who lack social skills are sometimes unable to interpret. A bully may take advantage of their lack of understanding to trick them into a negative situation. Participant: Is there any research a...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 24, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Erin Mauldin Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology autism Autism Spectrum Disorder behavioral therapy bullying Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

Becoming Detectives to Better Understand Our World Through Inference
When 5-year-old Ryan had trouble “reading the room,” taking on a pretend-play role as part of the Scooby-Doo mystery team helped him think like a detective and look for clues to figure out what was happening in his environment. Not everything is explicitly stated in life, books or conversations, so children need to learn to infer or “fill in the blanks” to understand our world. Inferencing is a sophisticated cognitive skill that helps us understand life’s intricacies. Try these steps to teach students or clients this important skill: Tune in to the environment. “What Does Not Belong?” activities help childre...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 23, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Meredith Gennaro Tags: Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder Language Disorders Source Type: blogs

Good News for Children With Autism
Several recent news items tell of new resources for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). From entertainment to health care to advocacy, these three articles offer something positive for families and caregivers. This is a welcome trend, with reports indicating a rise in prevalence of children diagnosed with ASD, as well as growing concerns about young adults with ASD finding jobs and learning life skills. Video games. Experiences enjoyed by most children can overwhelm those on the spectrum. Now—along with theme parks including quiet rooms, airlines offering programs to help prepare children for travel, retail...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - January 18, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Shelley D. Hutchins Tags: Academia & Research Health Care News Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology AAC Augmentative Alternative Communication autism Autism Spectrum Disorder Source Type: blogs