From Awareness to Action: Neurodiversity-Affirming Care in S-LP
Drawing on nearly two decades of clinical and research experience, Dr Binns will explore the concept of neurodiversity and the importance of adopting neurodiversity-affirming approaches within speech-language pathology practices. As a clinician-scientist leading community-engaged research to strengthen services for autistic children, her work responds directly to the realities of service systems and the lived experiences […]
Dysphagia in Parkinson’s Disease: Strengthening Detection and Care Pathways
Dysphagia in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is common, consequential, and frequently under-recognized. At the patient level, commonly used patient-reported questionnaires in clinical practice may miss or mischaracterize swallowing risk due to unclear wording, vague response options, and inconsistent recall periods. At the research level, variability in how swallowing assessments are conducted and reported limits comparability across […]
The Evolving Landscape of Head and Neck Cancer Treatment: Impact on Patients and Dysphagia Care Practices
As the head and neck cancer (HNCa) treatment landscape evolves, so do the associated treatment-related toxicity profiles. Understanding the impact of novel oncological treatment approaches on swallowing function and health-related quality of life provides opportunities for multidisciplinary teams to examine dysphagia care practices. In the context of increasing HNCa incidence and improved survival, the burden […]
The Aligned S-LP: Reclaiming Sustainability Through the Workload Approach
School-based speech-language pathologists are facing a growing crisis. Identified student need has increased, caseloads feel impossible, and the traditional model of individual pull-out therapy is no longer sustainable. Yet many SLPs continue to measure their work by the number of students on their caseload – a metric that fails to capture the full scope of […]
Living Well with Aphasia: The S-LP Role in Supporting Life Participation throughout the Aphasia Journey
Aphasia and other acquired communication disorders can have a profound effect on all aspects of an individual’s functioning. The speech-language pathologist (S-LP) plays a critical role in helping people with aphasia and their loved ones adjust to their condition. Throughout the journey, the S-LP accompanies the person with aphasia in addressing the various domains of […]
Promoting Communication Accessibility in Healthcare: A Multiphase Evaluation of Current Strategy and Resource Use Within a Large Healthcare System
Communication is essential for effective healthcare, yet people with speech, language, and hearing difficulties often struggle during healthcare interactions. Recognizing this, Alberta Health Services (AHS) developed practice resources and training materials to raise awareness and assist healthcare providers communicate effectively with individuals with communication difficulties (CD). AHS partnered with the University of Alberta to evaluate […]
Evidence-Informed Collaboration to Support Children’s Literacy Development: Strengthening S-LP and Educator Partnerships
Collaboration between speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) and educators is crucial for supporting children’s literacy development, yet research shows it can be difficult to implement in practice. This mini-seminar presents recent evidence on collaboration in literacy instruction, highlighting three strands: a practice-based definition of collaboration, francophone S-LPs’ experiences with a universal interactive reading program, and the role […]
Who Are the Speech-Language Pathologists of the Future?
Prior demographic research suggests there is a mismatch between speech-language pathologists’ (S-LP) demographics and client populations, raising concerns regarding culturally and linguistically responsive care. This study surveyed Canadian S-LP students (N=525; 53% response rate) to examine age, sex, gender, language, racial, cultural, and socioeconomic identities. Students were predominantly cisgender females, from higher-income households, and identified […]
Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Education: A Case-Based Discussion
Discover how artificial intelligence (AI) can be thoughtfully integrated into competency-based clinical education for speech-language pathology, audiology, and communication health assistant students. Through case-based scenarios and interactive discussion, this mini seminar explores how AI may both support and challenge the development of essential entry-to-practice competencies, particularly professionalism and clinical reasoning. Participants will engage with the […]
Conversation Training Therapy in a Group Model
Conversation Training Therapy (CTT) emphasizes spontaneous speech as the context for voice rehabilitation. While its efficacy has been established in individual therapy, little is known about its delivery in groups. This study compared outcomes of CTT in individual versus group formats for adults with functional and organic voice disorders. Participants completed four sessions, with outcome […]