ASHA Health Care/Business Institute 2009: Session Descriptions

Unless otherwise noted, the instructional level of all sessions is Intermediate.

Opening Plenary Session

PL1 - Ships From My Head: Words and World Views of Patients and Health Care Providers
Barbara Bogomolov, RN
Sponsored by ASHA Special Interest Division 14, Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Populations

Too often, cross-cultural communication in health care focuses on the practical aspects of delivering a health message to someone who speaks a different language. Complex concepts, after all, must be conveyed to diverse populations. But truly effective health care requires clinicians to ask a different question: what does the patient's communication tell us about his worldview? And how might we, as health care providers, engage our patients to design more effective intervention strategies and research questions?

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Discuss the concept of worldview and its application to patient and provider communication
• Identify the domains of worldview pertinent to your area of expertise and articulate potential expressions of cultural mismatch in these domains
• Apply a concrete methodology for bridging worldview barriers between patient and provider

ASHA Business Institute 2009

B1 - Start Smart Business Basics: Planning for Success
Shari Robertson, PhD, CCC-SLP

Whether you're just starting out or want to monitor the health of your business, developing a business plan is your first step on the path to success. An effective plan will help you identify the unique needs of your business, guide you through your day-to-day operations, and keep you on track as your business grows and changes. This session guides you through the process of developing an effective plan for your private practice or small business. "Start Smart" and you will find success!

After completing this session, you will be able to

• List the unique parameters of your new or existing business
• Discuss the components of an effective business plan and how they relate to your small business or private practice
• Identify resources from a variety of media to support the development of your business plan
• Create an effective business plan for a new or established business to facilitate success

B2 - Flex Your Marketing Muscle (Without Breaking the Bank!)
Shari Robertson, PhD, CCC-SLP

Marketing is the combination of all your efforts to get people to remember your business. Successful marketing creates a clear and memorable personality for your business that attracts new customers—and keeps them coming back. Fortunately for the small business owner, marketing doesn't have to cost a fortune to be effective. This session reviews the basics of marketing for small businesses and explores strategies for flexing your marketing muscle while maintaining your financial integrity and increasing your bottom line.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• List the four rules of marketing for small businesses
• Implement new marketing strategies for your small business or private practice
• Discuss and share successful marketing techniques with other seminar participants
• Identify resources from a variety of media resources to support your marketing efforts

B3 - Medicare Private Practice and Speech-Language Pathology
Kate Romanow, MA, JD

This session gives you the information you need to bill Medicare from a private practice setting. Topics include enrollment procedures, review of Medicare conditions of participation, coding and reimbursement guidelines, and HIPAA compliance.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe Medicare's enrollment process
• Discuss private practice conditions of participation
• Discuss fundamentals of coding and billing requirements
• Describe impacts of HIPAA on private practice

B4 - Business Roundtables

Focused, facilitated conversations on topics of special interest, roundtables offer the chance to share business-related problems and solutions with speakers and colleagues from around the country. Roundtable topics include private practice, coding, reimbursement, marketing, and more. Complete topic list provided on site.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Summarize other discussants' experience with the roundtable topic
• Describe possible applications to your business or practice

B5 - Employment Law Fundamentals
David Rosenberg, MA, JD

In this session, you'll learn how to avoid litigation problems related to hiring, firing, and other employment-related issues; how to quickly resolve employee disputes; how to effectively handle non-compete and non-solicitation issues; and how to insure against employee disputes and claims.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Avoid many work related disputes
• Resolve employee disputes effectively and successfully
• Properly document employment problems
• Effectively insure against employment related disputes and claims

B6 - Leading the Way to Business Success
Shari Robertson, PhD, CCC-SLP

Great leaders create great businesses! In order for businesses to survive and thrive over the long term, company leaders must possess and exercise a complex set of critical skills. Whether you operate as a sole proprietor or manage a department with a large number of employees, the principles of successful leadership remain the same. This session explores a variety of topics related to organizational leadership in service industries, including facilitating communication, supervising employees, developing effective business teams, dealing with difficult people, and maintaining personal balance. Participants will be encouraged to share their personal challenges and tips for success related to leading their unique businesses.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Identify the key components of successful leadership in a service industry
• Facilitate communication and team building in the workplace
• Implement strategies for dealing with difficult employees or customers
• Employ strategies to maintain personal balance

B7 - Supervision in the Workplace
Vicki McCready, MA, CCC-SLP

Sponsored by ASHA Special Interest Division 11, Administration and Supervision Supervision in our field includes professional relationships that begin in pre-service training programs, continue during the clinical fellowship year, and extend to the workplace. This session presents information about models and styles of supervision, types of supervisory relationships along the continuum from student to employee, and specific factors, such as generational differences, that affect the workplace. You'll be invited to apply the session content to case studies of challenging workplace situations.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe Anderson's continuum model of supervision
• Discuss the similarities and differences between supervision of a student, a clinical fellow, and an employee
• Apply knowledge about supervision to case studies of challenging situations

B8 - Maximizing Reimbursement With Correct Coding
Nancy B. Swigert, MA, CCC-SLP, BRS-S

Coding systems exist to provide a standardized nomenclature for service providers and third party payers. Whether you are dealing with Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance, it's necessary to select the right diagnostic code (ICD-9CM) and procedural code (CPT). This session provides an overview of both coding systems, with emphasis on correct use of typically-used CPT codes and avoidance of restricted pairs of diagnostic and procedure codes. Impending changes to coding and reimbursement are highlighted, including the new ICD-10, recognition of SLP private practice provider status, and valuing the professional component of SLP CPT codes.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe the differences between the two major coding systems
• Compare ICD-10 and ICD-9
• List typically used CPT codes
• Discuss edits placed by third party payers on use of certain codes
• Select appropriate diagnostic and procedure codes for example scenarios

B9 - Establishing a Clinical Ladder Program in Speech Pathology
Barbara Messing, MA, CCC-SLP, BRS-S

Clinical ladder programs, well established in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other professions, systematically recognize and reward clinicians' experience and professional achievements. These programs promote the attainment of higher levels of clinical competency and specialization, and may lead to enhanced job satisfaction, increased compensation, and greater employee retention. This session presents practical steps toward establishing a clinical ladder program for speech-language pathologists, using an established program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center as a model.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Discuss the history of clinical ladder programs
• Describe methods of establishing a recognition and advancement program through a clinical ladder in speech pathology
• Discuss how clinical ladders provide staff recognition and compensation and enhance retention and satisfaction

B10 - Managing Productivity
Lisa Bazemore, MS, MBA, CCC-SLP

Managing productivity effectively means achieving a delicate balance of staffing levels and activities, financial performance, and customer satisfaction. This session explores the connections among these factors, with emphasis on practical scheduling strategies to help meet productivity goals. Topics include CPT codes; time in therapy activities and billed units; reconciling billed units with time worked; and setting appropriate productivity measures and targets for speech-language pathologists.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• State appropriate productivity measures and targets for speech-language pathologists
• Manage staff performance to hit productivity targets
• Set a daily schedule to optimize a clinic's financial performance

B11 - Performance Improvement
Lisa Bazemore, MS, MBA, CCC-SLP

This session defines what performance improvement is and how it applies to speech-language pathologists in a variety of settings, and helps you select appropriate quality and financial performance measures. Since an important component of quality improvement is documentation to support your claim, critical elements of defensive documentation are reviewed. The session also introduces methods for reporting the results of performance improvement initiatives.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Define performance improvement and its application in your therapy setting
• Select meaningful performance measures
• State the critical elements of defensive documentation
• Report the results of a successful performance improvement plan

B12 - Finding Your Niche in Private Practice
Janet Krebs, MS, CCC-SLP

Making decisions about the direction of your practice is easier if you have explored all the possibilities. This presentation surveys varied practice delivery models and looks at different structures, forms of organization, locations, populations, and ways to use your professional expertise to establish a practice.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Determine the types of populations to work with
• Analyze different settings in which you can work
• Identify the treatment model you would like to deliver
• Describe different ways to organize your practice

B13 - Contracting Basics
David Rosenberg, MA, JD

Instructional level: Introductory This session addresses contracting basics that every SLP in private practice or management needs to know. You'll learn how to adequately and protectively contract with therapists in private practice; how to avoid unenforceable covenants not to compete; and how to effectively contract with and manage independent contractors.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Discuss the importance of basic, protective contractual provisions
• Describe the components of a valid, enforceable covenant not to compete
• Effectively retain and contract with independent contractors
• Identify important contractual considerations for the practitioner

ASHA Health Care

Track 1: Dysphagia

D1 - Pneumonia, Aspiration Pneumonia, and Pulmonary Diseases
James L. Coyle, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-S

Sponsored by ASHA Special Interest Division 13, Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders The diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia (AP) quintupled over an eight-year period in which pneumonia incidence increased by merely 21%. The explosion of this diagnostic label underscores the importance of SLPs' knowledge about this and other pulmonary conditions and the respiratory system overall. This session focuses on human pulmonary function, the pathophysiology of common pulmonary diseases including pneumonia, and the differences between AP and other forms of pneumonia.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Explain the mechanics of human physiological ventilation
• Explain the difference between restrictive and obstructive pulmonary diseases, and name at least two of each
• Define community acquired pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia, aspiration pneumonitis and ventilator associated pneumonia, and identify their similarities and differences
• Identify radiographic, hematological, and clinical signs of aspiration pneumonia and aspiration pneumonitis, and other common pulmonary diseases

D2 - Biomechanical Causes of Bolus Misdirection
James L. Coyle, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-S

Bolus misdirection is the most salient feature of instrumental examination of dysphagia. Yet focusing on the bolus can lead to treatment plans that fail to address the biomechanical impairments that misdirect the bolus in the first place. The ability to validate interventions based on the physiological impairments they remediate is essential to proper treatment selection and therapeutic success—and also for justification of reimbursement. This session reviews common oropharyngeal biomechanical impairments and how they cause bolus misdirection, and presents strategies clinicians can use to ensure attribution of bolus misdirection to appropriate biomechanical impairments.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Identify four biomechanical explanations for retention of contrast in the pyriform sinuses
• Identify three biomechanical explanations for incomplete epiglottic inversion
• Describe the mechanics of epiglottic inversion
• Use the Penetration/Aspiration Scale to rate airway compromise in videofluoroscopically recorded swallows

D3 - Clinical Case Studies: Adult Dysphagia in a Community Hospital
James L Coyle, PhD, CCC, BRS-S

This session presents three cases of adult dysphagia, including data from the medical record and clinical and instrumental evaluations, for discussion and critical problem solving. Discussions emphasize differential diagnosis, diagnostic uncertainties, and advance directives and their influence on clinical decision making.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Combine data from the medical record, clinical examination, and instrumental examination in clinical decision making
• Contribute productively to group clinical decision making
• Identify and analyze clinical dilemmas that complicate the clinical process

D4 - Evaluation and Treatment of Swallowing Function in Patients With Tracheostomy or Ventilator Dependence
Roxann Diez Gross, PhD, CCC-SLP

This session reviews the literature on the effects of tracheostomy tubes on laryngeal function and explores how the information can be used in treatment. The effects of loss of pressure and airflow to the upper airway and possible effects on swallowing function are reviewed. Methods to evaluate swallowing function and conditions that can be manipulated as part of evaluation (such as cuff status) are explained. The role of the respiratory cycle (both on and off the vent) at the time of the swallow is addressed, along with practical examples of how to use this information during rehabilitation.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Discuss the role of airflow and air pressure on upper airway sensation and swallowing function
• List methods to provide airflow and pressure to the upper airway
• Employ research evidence to determine the best method to evaluate swallowing function in patients with tracheostomy or ventilator dependence
• Explain the effects of the respiratory cycle on swallowing function

D5 - Dysphagia Management: Fighting for What Your Patients Need
Nancy B. Swigert, MA, CCC-SLP, BRS-S

This session explores fundamental tenets of persuasion and negotiation applied to situations like these: What if the director of nursing isn't enforcing dysphagia precautions? What about the physician who doesn't understand that a ‘water swallow' test doesn't give you the same information as an instrumental study? What if your administrator wants nursing to drive the dysphagia program for patients admitted with stroke? This session provides concrete examples of ways to use skills of persuasion and negotiation, backed by data and evidence, to be an effective educator and advocate—and get what you need for your patients.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Identify effective problem-solving strategies
• Discuss effective strategies to use in meetings and discussions
• Discuss common practice issues that require education and advocacy
• Describe evidence found in the literature to support your argument
• Apply this information to case examples of daily problems

D6 - Improving Dysphagia Therapy Outcomes for Cognitively-Impaired Clients
Nidhi Mahendra, PhD, CCC-SLP

This session applies current information on best practices in assessing and treating clients with dementia and related cognitive impairments to the successful implementation of dysphagia therapy. Techniques to enable both clients and caregivers to recall and implement therapeutic strategies are presented, with attention to interventions designed to maximize clients' swallowing safety and nutritional status. Finally, the use of everyday technologies to support dysphagia therapy is discussed.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe how cognition and communication are impaired in dementia
• Summarize best practices in assessing and treating clients with dementia
• Discuss how these best practices in assessment and treatment of persons with dementia can be extended to providing dysphagia therapy
• List at least four evidence-based techniques that can be used during dysphagia therapy with clients who have dementia

D7 - Tongue Resistance Exercises and Swallow Function
Catriona M. Steele, PhD, CCC-SLP

Recent studies concur that resistance exercises for the tongue can improve tongue strength. This session explores the role of tongue resistance training in the design of rehabilitative treatment for patients with dysphagia. Normative values for evaluating tongue strength are discussed and protocols presented for resistance training. You will review evidence about functional changes in swallowing following training, and compare treatment outcomes for strength versus skill training for the tongue.

After this session, you will be able to

• Describe the difference between maximum strength tongue pressure measures and swallowing pressure measures
• Discuss how tongue strength changes with age
• Describe how resistance training can alter tongue strength
• Apply knowledge about tongue resistance training to the design of rehabilitative treatment for patients with dysphagia

D8 - PEG Tubes in Adults
William M. Plonk, Jr., MD

Speech-language pathologists are often asked to make recommendations about a person's ability to eat and drink by mouth. Restrictions on oral intake can lead to the use of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube. But recent studies on PEG tubes have raised doubts about their long-term benefit, and concerns about their overuse for providing artificial enteral nutrition. This session reviews the research findings, provides insightful information about the barriers to limiting PEG tube overuse, and offers evidence-based placement guidelines and palliative care consultations.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Discuss the rapid growth of PEG tube use in adults
• List conditions for which PEG tubes have and have not been shown to be effective
• Describe barriers to limiting PEG tube overuse
• Examine the SLP's role in making artificial hydration and nutrition decisions

Track 2: Adult Neurogenic Disorders

N1 - Speech Intervention for Patients With Tracheostomy or Ventilator Dependence
Roxann Diez Gross, PhD, CCC-SLP

This session reviews basic tracheostomy tube styles and procedures for assessing tubes' size and style for the purpose of re-establishing airflow to the larynx and phonation. Conditions that can cause or prevent tracheal damage are explored. You'll compare and contrast types of speaking valves and discuss parameters to choose among them. Other topics include basic ventilator function and "leak speech," when to recommend "talking" tracheostomy tubes, and how to troubleshoot their function. Current research on patients with tracheostomy or ventilator dependence is presented throughout.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe the different styles of tracheostomy tubes
• Select a speaking valve that meets the needs of the patient
• Determine which patients may benefit from talking tracheostomy tubes
• Explain basic ventilator function and leak speech

N2 - Evaluation of Voice Disorders in a Medical Setting: A Pragmatic Approach
Edie Hapner, PhD, CCC-SLP

Sponsored by ASHA Special Interest Division 3, Voice and Voice Disorders Many patients with illnesses commonly seen in acute, rehabilitative, or home care settings have voice disorders that limit their communication and quality of life. This presentation presents low tech, portable, and easily interpretable methods to evaluate voice in patients with neurological impairment or pulmonary impairment, post-operative effects, or general de-conditioning from illness. How to integrate information from other medical professionals into an overall working hypothesis of laryngeal function is emphasized.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Use a validated perceptual voice evaluation tool to describe characteristics of the voice and severity of impairment
• Evaluate maximum performance measures of voice at bedside or home to use as baseline indicators and treatment outcome measures
• Integrate results of laryngeal imaging examination, pulmonary functions testing, modified barium swallow, physical therapy, and other tests in the comprehensive working hypothesis of laryngeal function and resulting voice disorder

N3 - Three Keys to Treating Voice Disorders in Medical Settings
Edie Hapner, PhD, CCC-SLP

For patients in acute, rehabilitative, or home care, a voice problem may be just one part of an overall disabilities picture that also includes dysphagia, dysarthria, or language impairment. The voice problem may be unaddressed due to other treatment priorities or resource constraints. This presentation explores ways to infuse work on voice problems into the total treatment plan. Utilizing treatments that target voice and co-occurring problems is emphasized, and opportunities to practice selected techniques are provided.

After completing this session, you will be able to

N4 - Beyond Alzheimer's Disease: Clinical Implications of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Other Dementias
Nidhi Mahendra, PhD, CCC-SLP
Sponsored by Special Interest Division 15, Gerontology

This session presents current information on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and select non-Alzheimer dementias and explores important implications for everyday clinical practice. Being able to identify MCI, a preclinical condition that frequently precedes a formal clinical diagnosis of dementia, has profound implications for early identification and intervention. Similarly, the ability to recognize vascular and frontotemporal dementias, the most common non-Alzheimer dementias, can facilitate early and accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. With increased understanding of these conditions, SLPs can play a pivotal role in early identification, differential diagnosis, and longitudinal monitoring of cognitive status in persons with dementia.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Define the terms mild cognitive impairment, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia
• Describe how cognition and communication are impaired in MCI and these non-Alzheimer dementias
• List key parameters that differentiate Alzheimer's disease from vascular dementia and frontotemporal dementia
• List at least four evidence-based techniques/measures for screening and assessing older adults with cognitive impairments

N5 - Neuroanatomic and Neurophysiologic Underpinnings of Acquired Dysarthrias
Joseph R. Duffy, PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD

This session provides a broad overview of the major components of the central and peripheral nervous system essential to normal speech production and to understanding acquired dysarthrias. The anatomy and functions of the upper and lower motor neuron pathways and the cerebellar and basal ganglia control circuits are highlighted. The unique deficits in motor functions associated with damage to each of the major motor pathways and circuits are reviewed.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• List the cranial nerves involved in speech production, as well as their origins, destinations, and primary functions for speech
• State the anatomic locus and primary functions of the lower and upper motor neuron pathways, the cerebellar control circuit, and the basal ganglia control circuit, as they relate to speech production
• Describe the primary neurological signs of damage to each of the major components of the motor system associated with the acquired dysarthrias

N6 - Differential Diagnosis Among the Acquired Dysarthrias
Joseph R. Duffy, PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD

This session reviews the salient speech characteristics of each of the major acquired dysarthria types, as well as confirmatory neurological signs and symptoms. Speech features that permit differentiation among the dysarthria types are highlighted. Audio and videotape samples of each dysarthria type illustrate the distinctive clinical features of each in a manner that sharpens your clinical diagnostic skills and highlights the meaning of important speech signs and symptoms. Recommendations are made for the most appropriate ways of communicating dysarthria diagnoses when the speech diagnosis is important for neurological diagnosis.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• List each major dysarthria type and its primary distinctive speech features
• Identify nonspeech neurological findings commonly associated with each dysarthria type
• Discuss the importance of communicating dysarthria diagnoses and the most appropriate way to do so

N7 - Clinical Decision Making and Principles of Management for the Acquired Dysarthrias
Joseph R. Duffy, PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD

This session addresses the guiding principles of management and clinical decision making for the acquired dysarthrias. A broad overview of the basic medical, prosthetic, and behavioral approaches to treating acquired dysarthrias is provided. Speaker-oriented strategies for improving speech, as well as communication-oriented approaches to improving communication, are defined. Principles of motor learning as they relate to speaker-oriented therapies are reviewed.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Discuss the important clinical decisions and principles of medical, prosthetic, and behavioral treatments associated with managing the acquired dysarthrias
• Describe the differences between speaker-oriented and communication-oriented strategies and techniques for dysarthria management
• Discuss principles of motor learning as they relate to improving speech and communication in people with acquired dysarthrias

N8 - Treatment Techniques for the Acquired Dysarthrias
Joseph R. Duffy, PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD

Specific behavioral approaches and techniques for managing acquired dysarthrias are reviewed, including techniques directed at the respiratory, phonatory, resonatory, and articulatory levels of the speech system. Communication-oriented approaches to improving communication are also discussed. Evidence for treatment effectiveness is presented.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe speaker-oriented strategies and techniques appropriate for dysarthria management, including some that may be appropriate for only certain dysarthria types
• Discuss a variety of techniques for improving respiration, phonation, resonance, and articulation in people with acquired dysarthrias
• Describe communication-oriented techniques for improving communication in people with acquired dysarthria

Track 3: Pediatrics and Early Intervention

P1 - Early Intervention With Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Principles and Practices
Amy McConkey Robbins, MS, CCC-SLP
Sponsored by ASHA Special Interest Division 1, Language Learning and Education

This presentation focuses on the essential elements of appropriate early intervention for infants and toddlers with hearing loss and their families. Differences between working with very young and older children are reviewed. Teaching techniques and practical strategies are shared, illustrated with videotaped examples. Materials that have been found to be particularly useful with this population are presented.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• List four components of appropriate early intervention for infants and toddlers with hearing loss
• Describe four ways that therapy differs when working with young children, compared with older children
• List teaching strategies to enhance communication development in this population

P2 - Pediatric Cochlear Implant Therapy: What Every SLP Should Know
Amy McConkey Robbins, MS, CCC-SLP

This presentation gives guiding principles for working with children who have cochlear implants. The principles are illustrated with practical examples, including videotaped segments. The speaker's "Thinking While Listening" approach to cochlear implant therapy is highlighted, along with tools and techniques for maximizing listening benefit within the home and school environments.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe five guiding principles for working with pediatric implant recipients
• List three activities for young children that maximize their use of the cochlear implant
• Outline three teaching techniques to incorporate academic material into cochlear implant therapy, using a "Thinking While Listening" approach

P3 - Early Feeding Intervention: Transition From Acute Care
Kelly VanDahm, MS, CCC-SLP

Infants and children who are diagnosed with a feeding or swallowing disorder in the hospital can continue to struggle after discharge, often affecting the entire family. This session examines the transition from acute care to home-based or outpatient early intervention, emphasizing a transdisciplinary approach to support of the whole family. Case studies offer practical strategies for collaborating with other professionals to maximize their contributions to ongoing therapy.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe the transition from acute care to early intervention
• Implement strategies to support the family as you direct feeding therapy
• Discuss the roles of other professionals who collaborate in feeding therapy

P4 - Treatment Approaches for Food Selectivity: Beyond the Picky Eater
Keith Williams, PhD

Children with food selectivity, who often refuse to eat entire food groups, are at risk from a variety of health problems secondary to their limited diets. Additionally, there are adverse social implications for children who are unable to eat with family and peers. This talk details a variety of empirically-proven treatments for food selectivity.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Identify children who have food selectivity and whose feeding issues warrant treatment
• Describe various interventions for the treatment of food selectivity
• Develop and implement an intervention for food selectivity

P5 - Hidden Issues of Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Children
Roberta DePompei, PhD, CCC-SLP

Young children often acquire brain injuries, but parents and therapists may not associate a concussion or blow to the head with language-learning problems that emerge over time. This session emphasizes research on the developmental aspects of children with TBI and outlines the hidden issues clinicians should watch for when analyzing a possible cognitive-communicative disorder in a preschooler. The spectrum of mild through severe TBI is reviewed, along with strategies that can help the child develop underlying cognitive skills to support language and learning

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Outline causes of injury and the spectrum of mild through severe injury in preschoolers
• Describe behaviors that may indicate reasons for concern
• Define the developmental and language-learning challenges that may occur throughout the child's developmental years
• Suggest ideas for stimulation of cognitive communication skills

P6 - Parents as Partners in the Clinical Process: Making a Difference in Service Delivery
Tommie L. Robinson, Jr., PhD, CCC-SLP

This session is intended to stimulate discussion about parents' roles in making clinical decisions during the evaluation and treatment processes. Public laws and clinical experience indicate the vital role that parents play in the education and service delivery of children with special needs. This interactive presentation addresses the role of parents in all aspects of the clinical process as well as the barriers to successful programming. Model activities are presented.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Maximize parents' effectiveness in providing intake and case history information
• Increase parental involvement as informants and participants in the clinical processes of evaluation and management
• Provide counseling as needed to parents of children with speech, language, and/or hearing problems
• Educate parents about speech, language, and hearing difficulties in children and adolescents

P7 - Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Limited Verbal Skills
Patricia A. Prelock, PhD, CCC-SLP

This session describes selected interventions with varying levels of evidence that support the social communication of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and limited verbal skills. These interventions include joint attention training, picture exchange communication system (PECS), verbal behavior, prelinguistic milieu teaching, Floor Time and Relationship Development Intervention. Videotaped examples of selected interventions are provided.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe at least two strategies that support the social interaction of children with ASD and limited verbal skills
• Explain at least two strategies that facilitate the communication of children with ASD with limited verbal skills
• Differentiate between intervention efficacy and effectiveness

P8 - Interventions for Verbal Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Patricia A. Prelock, PhD, CCC-SLP

This session describes selected evidence-based interventions that support the communication and social interactions of verbal children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These interventions include time delay, pivotal response training, video modeling, social stories, comic strip conversations, and peer mediation. Videotaped examples are provided of selected interventions.

After completing this session, you will be able to

• Describe at least two strategies that support the social interaction of verbal children with ASD
• Explain at least two strategies that facilitate the communication of verbal children with ASD
• Identify the steps for creating social stories and comic strip conversations to support social communication and perspective-taking in children with ASD

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