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.

You Are Beacons for Those You Serve —Even Long After You Serve Them
Steve Pemberton overcame not having a family and experiencing violent abuse because a few people he encountered “saw” him. He used his experiences to inspire the ASHA 2019 Convention audience at his keynote address. Pemberton reminded the listeners that their work not only changes the immediate lives of the people they serve but continues for years and through generations. He started with the story of a kind stranger who saw a cute little boy living in foster care and for years occasionally brought him boxes of books her kids didn’t read anymore. Pemberton especially liked the mysteries, because his life was one big ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 21, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Shelley D. Hutchins Tags: Audiology Events News Slider Speech-Language Pathology ASHA Convention Source Type: blogs

ASHA Voices: Focusing on What ’s Possible for People with Dementia
What happens when we flip the dementia intervention model from what’s wrong to what can be better? This week on the podcast, we talk about the difference a strengths-based, person-centered approach can make to patients with dementia and their families. We also consider how a voluntary stuttering approach can help children with fluency issues. Want to hear more from this episode’s guests? If you are at the 2019 ASHA Convention in Orlando, Florida, you can see two of them: Natalie Douglas and Joe Donaher. Dementia. The word alone can evoke anxiety, given the toll it can take on families. Because of that, it’s eas...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 21, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: J.D. Gray Tags: Health Care Podcast Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Source Type: blogs

An SLP Offers AAC Intervention at 30,000 Feet
When I boarded an 8-hour international flight home from a language neurobiology conference a this past August, I anticipated getting some major work done. If I was lucky, I could also catch a nap. But my plans quickly changed when assigned seating fates intervened. Thanks to a technical snafu, I got the last remaining seat on the plane. As I walked down the aisle, a flight attendant stopped me. She warned that my seatmate—a young boy with nonverbal autism prone to disruptive behaviors—might make the flight difficult, but that there were no more available seats. When I sat down, the boy’s father preemptively apologize...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 20, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Rachel Romeo Tags: autism News Slider Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder Source Type: blogs

Insights and Tips for My Fellow Introverted SLPs
As a speech-language pathologist, you talk to patients and their caregivers, to colleagues, and to collaborators, and then you talk to yourself while making notes on the all previously listed interactions. Therefore, you’d think an extrovert would be the ideal personality for the job. After all, SLPs devote their careers to promoting better communication, so they must enjoy communicating, right? Not always. As it turns out, a special and not-so-rare species of introverted SLPs quietly works in the profession. The term “introverted SLP” should not come off as an oxymoron. When talking to my peers for this piece, I dis...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 18, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Marsha Pinto Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Professional Development Source Type: blogs

Everyday Ethics: Do I Discontinue Services for Unvaccinated Clients?
Question: I’m a private-practice, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist who is three months pregnant. I have been treating a child in her home, but I want to discontinue services to the child because no one in the family has been vaccinated for the measles. Can I do so or would it be considered client abandonment? More than 1,150 measles cases occurred in more than 30 states in the U.S. in 2019, and most of those cases involved unvaccinated people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Measles is highly contagious and there is no cure. Measles in pregnant women may have serious cons...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 15, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Donna Euben Tags: Audiology Health Care Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology Early Intervention Professional Development Source Type: blogs

Teaching Older Students Pragmatic Skills for Social Media Use
When speech-language pathologists work with middle and high school students, we can focus our services more on real-life topics—both in addressing academic skills and social interactions. Students at this level also tend to take more ownership of their sessions by recognizing areas needing more attention, helping set goals, and identifying strategies that work best for them. IDK if U Can Read This: Handling ‘Textese’ in Treatment? Handling Trolls on Social Media: A How-To Guide When Viral Videos Fuel Parent Expectations Working with older students and young adults gives SLPs an opportunity to look at goals to enhan...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 13, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Marian Lowther Tags: Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder social skills Technology Source Type: blogs

Voice and Communication Support for Youth Who Are Transgender: Are You Ready?
As more of our students choose to live out their authentic gender expression, school-based speech-language pathologists can play a role in supporting and serving them. Some SLPs they already work with students on their caseload to align their voice and communication with their gender identity and expression. Giving Voice to Teachers on World Voice Day—or Any Day Holistic Voice Therapy for the Whole Person Can Students Qualify for Voice Treatment? For others, learning how to provide appropriate gender-affirming services to those who want and ask for the support might seem overwhelming on top of other responsibilities. B...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 11, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tina Babajanians Tags: Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Voice Disorders Source Type: blogs

ASHA Voices: Talking About Hearing Loss … and Solving the Cocktail Party Problem?
You know that hearing problem you can have when you’re trying to pick up just one voice in a crowd … This week on the podcast, we talk to neural engineer Nima Mesgarani. His research into how we communicate may lead to a solution to this common “cocktail party” problem. A faculty member at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute, Mesgarani tells us about his lab’s investigations into the brain’s role in hearing—and technology that could one day allow us to highlight a specific voice in a crowd. Also on the podcast, we talk about ways of discussing hearing loss. A new tool from the Ida...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 7, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: J.D. Gray Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care Podcast Private Practice Slider Source Type: blogs

New Rules for Student Loan Forgiveness Program Might Help You
Many of you likely know about the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program,. The program allows you to eliminate loan debt if you work for a qualified public service employer. If you qualify, the program forgives the balance on your federal student loans after you make 120 monthly payments. While the program works well for some borrowers, others encounter problems and confusion. Some expected loan forgiveness, then never saw it materialize. In an effort to aid these borrowers, in spring 2018, the federal government created the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) program. It allocated ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 6, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Jacob Parish Tags: Audiology Slider Speech-Language Pathology Health Care Professional Development Schools Source Type: blogs

SIG 18 Can Answer Your Questions About Telepractice
Got questions about telepractice? Special Interest Group 18 can connect you with resources and colleagues to help you build your telepractice success. What would you say to encourage other colleagues to join SIG 18? Telepractice is a rapidly growing service-delivery model, and many practitioners want information on how to get started using it. SIG 18 is here to help with a robust community of telepractitioners ready to provide a wealth of information. Joining the SIG gives you ongoing telepractice support—based on ASHA standards and best practices—that cannot be found in the social media forums. How has your involvemen...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 4, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Traci Bean Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Telepractice Source Type: blogs

ASHA-Endorsed Telehealth Legislation Introduced in House, Senate
Members of Congress introduced new legislation on Wednesday that could expand the ability of audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and other health care professionals to provide telehealth services. The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2019 (H.R. 4932/S. 2741) could lead to elimination of Medicare restrictions on the types of providers who can  be reimbursed for telehealth services under certain conditions. The bill, which was introduced by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and David Schweikert (R-AZ)...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - November 1, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Jerry White Tags: Advocacy Audiology Health Care Slider Speech-Language Pathology Telepractice Source Type: blogs

Help Parents of Children With Feeding Disorders Prepare for Holiday Gatherings
Aww … home for the holidays. Gatherings with family can create cherished memories. However, parents of children with feeding and swallowing disorders can find navigating holiday meals particularly difficult. As feeding and swallowing specialists, we speech-language pathologists can do much to serve our clients by offering tips to reduce food-related holiday stress. Parents often go on high alert when managing their child’s feeding and swallowing difficulties outside the home. In preparing to travel, they might pack suitcases full of g-tube supplies or specific foods to help make sure their child consumes enough calorie...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - October 30, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Jennifer WIlson Tags: Health Care Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology Dysphagia Early Intervention Feeding Disorders Swallowing Disorders Source Type: blogs

4 Simple Stress-Reduction Strategies for Students and New Clinicians
As the end of the semester and holidays approach, we all start to feel overwhelmed. Students feel the pressure of assignments, placements, paperwork, and the forever-looming PRAXIS exams. Practicing audiologists and speech-language pathologists—along with my clinical fellow peers—must prepare clients, patients, or student for the holidays. Whatever your setting, you’re probably cramming for exams, helping your students prepare for exams, or working to ensure that speech and social skills, hearing assistive devices, and eating issues are ready for large family gatherings. This time of year—and any time of year—we ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - October 28, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Lisa Marie Serrone Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Slider Speech-Language Pathology Professional Development Source Type: blogs

ASHA Voices: Lessons Learned From Stuttering Struggles and Beatboxing Sounds
On this episode of ASHA Voices, soon-to-be 2019 Annie Glen Award winner Taro Alexander shares what it’s like to grow up with a stutter and how that experience led him to start a nonprofit. Later in the program, you’ll hear from two researchers about their work with MRIs of beatboxers. They’ll tell us what this unusual look at the vocal tract in action could teach us about speech. We’re less than one month from the ASHA Convention, where Alexander will officially receive the Annie Award for his work starting the nonprofit the Stuttering Association for the Young, or SAY. On this episode, Alexander t...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - October 24, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: J.D. Gray Tags: Events Podcast Slider Speech-Language Pathology ASHA Convention Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

8 Steps to Self-Publish Your First Children ’s Book
Many speech-language pathologists dream of writing children’s books—or even novels. Maybe you want to target a specific skill, share a great story—or both. I say, go for it! What gives SLPs an edge in creative writing? It is our education in linguistics, grammar, speech, and all facets of language. Add to this our experiences and understanding of a variety of people and the results are a bubbling cauldron of creative juices to churn out the prose. The advent of desktop publishing software along with print-on-demand services makes self-publishing easier and cost effective. What do you want to write? Will your first bo...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - October 23, 2019 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Lavelle Carlson Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Source Type: blogs