Launching This Week: Your New Leader Live Website
For the past year, ASHA has been building a single-source website for all Leader content. Now prepare for the unveiling: This new, dynamic, frequently updated site launches Wednesday. You can find everything Leader contributors and staff produce—magazine articles, online-only columns, podcasts, blog posts, news—in one place. The site will display the “Leader Live” name and tagline—”happening now in the world of CSD”—to highlight our ability to publish quickly and responsively. Discover the many changes in design and functionality you’ll enjoy: A redesigned home page features mor...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 13, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Shelley D. Hutchins Tags: Academia & Research Advocacy Audiology Health Care News Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Professional Development Source Type: blogs

ASHA Learning Pass Offered Free of Cost During COVID-19
Let’s face it—daily life feels more hectic than ever, as audiologists and speech-language pathologists juggle unprecedented COVID-19-related changes and challenges, professionally and personally. While it’s hard to find a spare second, tapping continuing education (CE) online is one way to pivot to new practice approaches, such as telepractice, while also meeting CE requirements (as in-person conferences and professional-development events are cancelled). To help out, ASHA has made its ASHA Learning Pass free for all members through June 30, 2020. Existing ASHA Learning Pass subscribers have had their subscriptions e...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 10, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Leslie Katz Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Practice Management Professional Development Source Type: blogs

ASHA Voices: SLPs in Quarantine and a Look at PDPM 6 Months Later
This week on the podcast: What happens when health care workers are exposed to COVID-19? We hear from two SLPs who share their experiences with potential exposure and self-quarantine. We also check in on the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) six months after it went into effect in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Read the transcript for this episode.  If you work in health care, there’s a possibility you will encounter a patient who has COVID-19. And if you are exposed without personal protective equipment (PPE) … What happens next? In the first half of this episode, ASHA Voices speaks with two SLPs about their p...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 9, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: J.D. Gray Tags: Health Care Podcast Slider Speech-Language Pathology covid COVID-19 medicare PDPM Source Type: blogs

Home Practice Guidance for Parents During COVID-19
With schools closed and treatment moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic, parent involvement is more important than ever to support children with their speech-language homework. Some parents and caregivers may be well prepared to take this on, but others may have trepidations: Some may see it as too time-consuming, while others might be concerned that they won’t do it correctly. Making speech carryover practice easy to implement can increase the likelihood of parent/caregiver participation. Here are some strategies I share with parents to help them effectively incorporate speech and language practice into their everyd...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 8, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Kim Delude Tags: Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology COVID-19 Source Type: blogs

Keeping Adult Clients Motivated at Home During Physical Distancing
We’re in the midst of unprecedented physical distancing to stay safe and reduce exposure to COVID-19. With remote working, school closures, and virtual learning, everyone is forced to abandon previous daily routines and create new ones at home. This disruption is affecting our speech-language clients and their families across the health care continuum. For those of us working in hospital outpatient settings in hospitals, the challenge is providing clients at home with enough consistent and intensive practice during a critical time in their recovery. When adult clients are at home, they can be easily distracted and caught...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 7, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Emily Dubas De Oliveira Tags: Health Care Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology COVID-19 Telepractice Source Type: blogs

In Appreciation: Sandra C. Holley-Carter
The Leader is grateful to the Holley-Carter family for providing this tribute. Dr. Sandra C. Holley-Carter, 1988 ASHA president, died in her home in Mesa, Arizona, on March 9, 2020. Holley-Carter was born Sandra May Cavanaugh, March 30, 1943, in Washington, D. C., the daughter of Clyde Howard and Rebecca Naomi (Arthur) Cavanaugh. She was that rare blend of kindness, brilliance, and grace that is only found in natural and inspiring leaders. She commanded perfection and brought elegance and class to everything she did. Holley-Carter was a remarkable and relentless trailblazer, history maker, and visionary. As a child growing...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 6, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: ASHA Staff Tags: News Slider Speech-Language Pathology audiology Source Type: blogs

Masks Pose Barriers for People With Hearing Loss: Here ’s a Novel Solution
Federal health officials are on the brink of recommending face coverings to help stem the spread of COVID-19, according to recent news reports. But masks and other face coverings muffle the wearers’ voices and prevent people from reading their lips, writes University of Florida graduate student Laken Brookes in a CNN article. For people who are hard of hearing, that’s a problem, she says. Brookes, who has tinnitus, connected with a number of people with and without hearing challenges about communication problems related to masks. She notes that the fallback method—using a whiteboard passed back and forth—isn’...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 3, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Carol Polovoy Tags: Audiology Health Care Slider audiologist COVID-19 face masks Hearing Assistive Technology hearing loss Source Type: blogs

Coping with a Loss of Income During COVID-19 — or Anytime
Planning cures panic. At least it’s always made me feel better. Whenever I get hit upside the head with anxiety, the first thing I do after taking a few deep breaths is to figure out what actions I can take to regain some semblance of control and peace of mind. We’re all trying to control as much as we can during this unprecedented time. If—among other things—you’re feeling on edge because you’ve recently seen a loss of income, or you’re afraid it may happen to you soon, here are the steps to take. Evaluate your emergency fund The first step is figuring out your essential monthly expenses. I’m talking the b...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 2, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Jacob Parish Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology COVID-19 Practice Management Source Type: blogs

‘Not Just Dots On a Map’: SLPs Speak Their Truth From the COVID-19 Battlefront
Tuesday, March 10. Speech-language pathologist Fatima Warren was grocery shopping with her grandmother when she first noticed the painful body aches. Chalking it up to the rainy day and an earlier workout, she ran a hot bath. Wednesday, March 11. Warren woke up with chills, fever, and worsening aches. She drove straight to the closest ER in her hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. There, staff ran numerous tests, but not for COVID-19. The 45-year-old didn’t qualify because she hadn’t traveled outside the country and couldn’t name a contact with the virus. Thursday, March 12. Worried about infecting her 13-year-old son an...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - April 1, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Bridget Murray Law Tags: Slider Speech-Language Pathology Uncategorized acute care Cognitive Rehabilitation Dysphagia FEES Health Care MBSS personal protective equipment skilled nursing facilities Swallowing Disorders Source Type: blogs

COVID-19 and Audiology: Closed Practices, Empty Campuses, Halted Research
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the country, most everyone has had to adapt in some way to accommodate this strange new normal—audiologists and hearing researchers included. With calls and procedures for self-quarantine and guidance for small businesses and universities varying from state to state, hearing care professionals may find themselves thrust into new situations. Some are being asked to adopt telepractice for the foreseeable future, and others are quickly switching to virtual-only learning for their audiology students. ASHA is constantly monitoring the situation as it evolves daily. For more informa...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 31, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Jillian Kornak Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care News Private Practice Slider audiologist COVID-19 Telepractice Source Type: blogs

COVID-19: Ethical Considerations for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
Many ASHA members are calling with questions, as almost all types of service delivery are changing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Donna Euben, ASHA’s ethics director, along with our practices teams, pulled together some of the most frequently asked ethics-related questions during this unprecedented time. Read her answers to these questions, which also include links to numerous resources. Plan for providing uninterrupted services.  I’m an audiologist at an outpatient/inpatient hospital clinic. Am I at risk of client abandonment if I refuse to treat patients to minimize my exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19?...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 30, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Donna Euben Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology COVID-19 Professional Development Technology Telepractice Source Type: blogs

UHC, Cigna, Tricare Health Plans Expand Telepractice Coverage
Three major health plans—United HealthCare (UHC), Cigna, and Tricare—have expanded telepractice coverage for speech-language pathology services, potentially affecting more than 70 million American subscribers. UHC’s coverage includes commercial plans, Medicaid managed care plans, and Medicare Advantage plans, which together cover about 45 million Americans. ASHA has been building relationships with UHC for two years through ASHA’s Private Payer Summits and has been advocating for several weeks for telepractice coverage in the wake of COVID-19. UHC announced the coverage expansion Thursday, March 26, and also shared...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 28, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tim Nanof Tags: Advocacy Health Care News Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology COVID-19 Telepractice Source Type: blogs

10 Ways Children With Language Disorders Can Maintain Both Physical Distance and Social Connection
Social distancing—or more accurately, physical distancing—is now our way of life. As difficult as it is, it’s our new normal, at least for the short term.  Even with physical distance, we find ways to connect socially. We call or use video chats to stay in touch with friends and family, email jokes or stories, and post on social media. Other community activities continue virtually: worship services, fitness classes, concerts, and more. We discover ways to maintain social distance without losing social connections. Children with language disorders, however, find social interactions challenging in the best of times. ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 27, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Diane Paul Tags: Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder COVID-19 Language Disorders social skills Source Type: blogs

ASHA Voices: How COVID-19 is Changing Our Work Lives
In this episode, we talk with audiologists and SLPs throughout the country about the pandemic’s immediate and drastic effects on their work. From the Seattle area to New York City, they are facing significant challenges, but they are also rising to those challenges. Read the transcript for this episode.  Featuring voices of professionals in schools, private practice, academia, and health care, this episode delivers snapshots of what members are experiencing in various workplace settings, including skilled nursing facilities. Before I can clock in, we have to go and take our temperature and record that. And then, i...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 26, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: J.D. Gray Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care Podcast Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology audiologist Augmentative Alternative Communication communication sciences and disorders COVID-19 hearing loss Social Medi Source Type: blogs

COVID-19: Private Practitioners Report on Office Closures and Telepractice
As schools and businesses shut down the week of March 16 in response to social distancing and shelter-in-place directives related to COVID-19, private practitioners put the brakes on in-person treatment. To keep their services going in this uncertain time, many have embraced telepractice—a new medium for some. State and individual payer regulations vary on telepractice coverage; check state and payer websites regularly for updated information. ASHA is continually updating webpages on telepractice and COVID-19 (also listed below in the resources section), and has also released new guidance on providing private-pay servi...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - March 25, 2020 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Carol Polovoy Tags: Advocacy Audiology Health Care News Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology COVID-19 medicare Source Type: blogs