The majority of individuals in nursing homes have cognitive-communication impairments which impact quality of care because direct care providers, certified nursing assistants, (CNAs) are unsure how to respond to resident’s communication behaviors. One intervention that facilitates staff-resident communication in nursing homes is communication plans; however, the research to date about communication plans has not specifically involved CNAs. The purpose of this study, using a grounded theory qualitative approach, was to describe development, implementation and evaluation of communication care plans (CCPs) for residents with cognitive-communication impairments in nursing homes by CNAs who did and did not receive professional support. Communication care plans are communication plans with the addition of autobiographical information. Twenty residents and ten CNAs from two nursing homes participated in the study. Once CCPs were created, CNA participants in one facility received support each day. Following two weeks, CNAs participated in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using open, axial and selective coding. Findings revealed a core category, meeting resident’s needs through professional support and communication, which describes the progressive process these CNAs underwent to effectively communicate with residents in nursing homes using CCPs. Evolution of this process occurred as CNA participants became familiar with residents. An underlying component facilitating this familiarity was support during CCP implementation. Initially, these CNAs had negative views about nursing home care because they were unsure how to communicate with residents and received little support from higher levels of nursing authority. Over time and with application of CCPs, CNAs became familiar with residents and their communication behaviors. Application of specific communication strategies on CCPs required ongoing support from the investigator/speech-language pathologist which was evident by the comments between CNA participants from each facility. Participants from both facilities reported positive experiences during application of the autobiographical information on the CCPs. This personal information coupled with increased knowledge about resident’s specific communication abilities fostered the formation of a relationship between residents and CNAs. In summary, support during application of CCPs supplements CNAs’ abilities to meet residents’ needs.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) refers to the withdrawal infants exposed to opioids in utero may experience following birth. In recent years, the number of infants born who present with NAS has grown exponentially. This increase in the number of infants with NAS has led to a new population within the caseloads of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). SLPs’ knowledge base and skill set of assessment and treatment of swallowing and feeding disorders in infancy play a vital role in the treatment of infants with NAS in the NICU. A dearth of research exists regarding the specific nature of the feeding problems and skills of infants with NAS and whether SLP intervention for infants with NAS needs to differ from that of other infant NICU populations. Identifying how SLPs can best serve infants with NAS in the NICU is essential to their immediate well-being as well as the development of these infants. The purpose of this survey-based research study was to examine NICU SLPs’ perceptions of infants with NAS, and more specifically, how NAS affects the infants’ feeding skills, structural, and oral-motor characteristics. A questionnaire was developed based on an in-depth literature review to collect information on NAS, caseloads, treatment environment, and respondent demographics. The survey consisted of three sections: NAS (further divided into Assessment, Treatment, and Education), Environmental Description, and Respondent Demographics. The secure web-based questionnaire was distributed through SurveyMonkey™, an online survey platform. Survey research was conducted, and hospital-based speech-language pathologists within the USA acted as respondents. The findings will contribute to establishing a preliminary base of information on this topic. The results are expected to further inform the field as well as current practices in evidenced-based practice care for infants with NAS.

SAMMANFATTNING Det finns ett stort behov av psykosociala insatser för personer med afasi (PMA); docksaknar många logopeder kunskap om logopedisk psykosocial intervention för PMA. Enkunskapsöversikt i ämnet vore därför önskvärt. Syftet med studien är att sammanställaresultat från tidigare studier om hur logopeder arbetar kliniskt med psykosocialintervention för PMA. Studien är en litteraturöversikt och litteratursökningen utfördesmellan september och oktober 2020 i ett flertal databaser. Artiklarna behövde uppfyllaspecifika kriterier för att inkluderas. Åtta artiklar identifierades, varav tre beskrev tvåolika psykosociala interventioner för PMA. Resterande fem studier beskrev logopedersanvändning och inställning till psykosocial intervention. Psykosocial interventiontillämpades genom olika metoder inklusive psykoterapeutiska metoder; få renodladepsykosociala metoder identifierades. Resultaten visade att det finns en osäkerhet blandlogopederna gällande psykosocial intervention på grund av kunskapsbrist och oklarheteri arbetsfördelning mellan kurator, psykolog samt logoped. Vidare beskrevs en oklarhetgällande begreppet och definitionen av logopedisk psykosocial intervention. Samtligastudier kvalitetsgranskades och de två interventionsmetodernas evidensnivå bedömdes;båda interventionsstudierna visade på otillräcklig evidens. / ABSTRACTThere is a great need for psychosocial interventions for people with aphasia (PWA);however, many speech-language pathologists (SLP) lack knowledge about psychosocialintervention for PWA. Therefore, a comprehensive overview about the subject isrequired. The aim of this study is to compile and critically examine results fromprevious research about SLPs’ clinical work within psychosocial intervention for PWA.The study is a literature review, and the literature search was conducted duringSeptember and October 2020 using several databases. The articles needed to fulfillspecific criteria to be included. In total, eight articles were identified; three of themdescribed two psychosocial interventions for PWA, the remaining five studies describedhow psychosocial intervention is managed by SLPs and their attitude towardaddressing psychosocial needs for PWA. Psychosocial intervention was applied throughvarious methods, including psychotherapeutic methods, few pure psychosocial methodswere identified. The results indicate that the SLPs had low confidence due to lack ofknowledge and uncertainty of work allocation between counselor, psychologist andSLP. Furthermore, an ambiguity was described regarding the concept and definition ofpsychosocial intervention. The studies quality and the strength of the evidence wereassessed, both intervention studies showed insufficient level of evidence.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs’) perceptions regarding the concept of severity of speech sound disorder (SSD). Methods: An online survey of 40 questions was created using REDCap® and disseminated to currently practicing SLPs across the United States. A total of 296 responses were completed, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and coding according to grounded theory. Results: The top five factors SLPs consider when determining SSD severity are types of errors, intelligibility, perceptual judgment, normative data, and percentile rankings. Most SLPs were unfamiliar with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO, 2001), which was reflected in how they prioritized the ICF component of body function over activity/participation and personal factors. Conclusion: SLPs need a standard, biopsychosocial model for rating SSD severity, clinical training and continuing education on the ICF, and exposure to holistic tools for assessing children with SSD.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a low-incidence disorder with high impacts on individuals, families, and society. School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have tremendous responsibilities toward individuals with ASD, but pre-service SLPs are not adequately trained to fulfill these expectations. In order to reduce the widespread financial and social impact of ASD, school-based SLPs need to complete effective training to prepare them for the selection of established social-communication practices. One framework for the selection of individualized intervention is the Ziggurat Model (Aspy & Grossman, 2008). The following study used mixed methods to investigate the research question: “Does the ASD knowledge base of ASHA-certified school-based SLPs change when they complete an online training module based upon Aspy and Grossman’s Ziggurat Model? If so, what are those changes?” A pre-test post-test control group design demonstrated a significant difference in the experimental group’s and the control group’s pre-test post-test change scores, as demonstrated by an independent samples t-test (p=.039, 18df). Qualitative data analysis resulted in six themes. While the online training of Aspy and Grossman’s Ziggurat Model used in this study was an effective method with which to train school-based SLPs in using a comprehensive framework, more rigorous research is needed on this model relative to the selection of intervention.

It would be favorable, during the clinical assessment of language in multilingual children, if the speech-language-pathologist (SLP)spoke all the languages of the child. This is, however, not always possible, hence the need for interpreter-mediation. Furthermore, it would be desirable if the interpreters used in clinical assessments of language are specifically trained. There are only a few studies concerning interpreter-mediated clinical assessment of language and cognition using Conversation Analysis as a method, and no studies of interpreter-mediated clinical assessment of language in multilingual children. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the interaction between the SLP, interpreter and child, in interpreter-mediated clinical assessments of language in multilingual children, with a specific focus on the SLP and the interpreter. Participants of the study were two licensed S LPs, three interpreters and two multilingual children and their caregivers. The study was based on three video recordings of clinical encounters and four semi-structured interviews. The video recordings were translated, transcribed and analyzed using the theory and method of Conversation Analysis, and the interviews were transcribed and analyzed. Analysis of the video recordings resulted in the discovery of three phenomena; the importance of preunderstanding of the working process of SLP, the importance of responsibility during interpreter-mediated clinical assessment of language, and finally communication and language approach. Analysis of the semi-structured interviews resulted in the discovery of four phenomena, which, in addition to the ones already discovered during the video recordings, also included the importance of dialects. Strategies and challenges that the SLP and interpreter faced could be revealed from the phenomena discovered in the video recordings and the semi-structured interviews. It was suggested in the conclusion that challenges were caused by expectations on the interpreter, a lack of preunderstanding of the working process of the SLP, uncertainty regarding the responsibilities of the interpreter versus the SLP, and finally, the demands of a high level of language competence. Strategies that were used within the discovered phenomena were partially consciously applied by the SLP and interpreter. However, there is a great need for further knowledge and awareness of the processes involved in this clinical context, in order to obtain reliable and satisfactory interpreter-mediated clinical assessments of language. Lastly, it was discussed that the patient safety might be compromised if no consideration is taken regarding the investigated challenges and strategies.

This survey research explores neonatal intensive care unit speech-language pathologists’ perceptions of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome; specifically, how NAS affects infants’ feeding skills, along with structural and oral-motor characteristics. The findings of this research will contribute to this population’s information base. The results are expected to inform the field and current evidence-based practice care for infants with NAS.Learner Outcome(s): Explain Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Describe infants with NAS and how NAS affects the infants’ feeding skills from the perspective of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) Identify how SLPs in the NICU participate in intervention for infants with NAS and their families

This study examined healthcare professionals’ perceptions on feeding difficulties experienced by infants with NOWS, the involvement of SLP in care, knowledge and experience levels of professionals, and trends in education and follow up care. A 34-question survey was developed to obtain data from participants involved in the care of exposed infants using the secure webbased RedCap™ platform. Nonparametric inferential statistics and descriptive analysis were used to interpret data. Feeding difficulties in infants exposed were reported by all respondents with SLP involvement reported by 42.2%. Results found that 51.9% of respondents were confident in their ability to educate families about feeding difficult with 60% reported inadequate time to provide education. Discharge follow up was inconsistent amongst facilities. The study supports early involvement of SLPs to address feeding difficulties and improve education.