Building an Evidence Base for Effective Supervision Practices: An Analogue Experiment of Supervision to Increase EBT Fidelity

Purpose This paper aims to present findings from 440 responses regarding the experiences of supervision, coping and well-being of 83 service providers and policymakers from eight countries working to support children’s well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach A smartphone survey hosted on a custom-built app was used. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The data were gathered in the last quarter of 2020. Findings While most respondents described the supervision they received as “useful” – both personally and professionally – and reported several characteristics of effective supervision practices, concerns about not receiving optimal support were also voiced. Respondents shared a range of stress management and other self-care practices they used but also revealed their difficulties optimally managing the stresses and anxieties during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, some respondents shared they were feeling helpless, unmotivated and unproductive. Yet, overall, responses were imbued with messages about hope, perseverance and self-compassion. Originality/value Using a bespoke smartphone app, rich and intimate insights were generated in real time from a wide range of professionals across high- and low- and middle-income countries – indicating the need to better support their well-being and service delivery.

Download Full-text

Leading the Way With Supervision Training: Embracing Change and Transforming Clinical Practice

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/persp2.sig11.42 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (11) ◽

pp. 42-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Samantha J. Procaccini ◽

Kevin M. McNamara ◽

Natalie M. Lenzen

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Clinical Supervision ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Prior Training ◽

Training Requirements ◽

Supervision Training ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Supervision Practices ◽

Effective Supervision ◽

Training Opportunities

The practice area of clinical supervision has recently acknowledged a demand for efficacious and accessible supervision training opportunities. As with any area of clinical practice, effective supervision requires prior training. Those who engage in supervision practices must be well-trained to adequately support the advancement of evidence-based clinicians. This article will discuss the upcoming changes in supervision training requirements and how embracing these changes will ultimately transform the fields of audiology and speech language pathology.

Download Full-text

Current Trends in the Training and Utilization of Paraprofessionals in Speech and Language Programs

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/0161-1461.2202.51 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 51-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Kathy L. Coufal ◽

Allen L. Steckelberg ◽

Stanley F. Vasa

Keyword(s):

Selection Criteria ◽

Job Descriptions ◽

Paraprofessional Training ◽

Language Programs ◽

Program Administrators ◽

Current Trends ◽

Training And Supervision ◽

Communicative Disorders ◽

Supervision Practices ◽

A Current

Administrators of programs for children with communicative disorders in 11 midwestern states were surveyed to assess trends in the training and utilization of paraprofessionals. Topics included: (a) current trends in employment, (b) paraprofessional training, (c) use of ASHA and state guidelines, and (d) district policies for supervision. Selection criteria, use of job descriptions, training programs, and supervision practices and policies were examined. Results indicate that paraprofessionals are used but that standards for training and supervision are not consistently applied across all programs. Program administrators report minimal training for supervising professionals.

Download Full-text

Classifying Disfluencies in Preschool- and School-Age Spanish–English Bilinguals Who Do Not Stutter: An Exploratory Study

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_persp-19-00164 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 119-130

Author(s):

Raúl Rojas ◽

Farzan Irani

Keyword(s):

Exploratory Study ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Medium Effect ◽

Bilingual Children ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Total Percentage ◽

Narrative Production ◽

Language Measures ◽

Mean Length Of Utterance

Purpose This exploratory study examined the language skills and the type and frequency of disfluencies in the spoken narrative production of Spanish–English bilingual children who do not stutter. Method A cross-sectional sample of 29 bilingual students (16 boys and 13 girls) enrolled in grades prekindergarten through Grade 4 produced a total of 58 narrative retell language samples in English and Spanish. Key outcome measures in each language included the percentage of normal (%ND) and stuttering-like (%SLD) disfluencies, percentage of words in mazes (%MzWds), number of total words, number of different words, and mean length of utterance in words. Results Cross-linguistic, pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences with medium effect sizes for %ND and %MzWds (both lower for English) as well as for number of different words (lower for Spanish). On average, the total percentage of mazed words was higher than 10% in both languages, a pattern driven primarily by %ND; %SLDs were below 1% in both languages. Multiple linear regression models for %ND and %SLD in each language indicated that %MzWds was the primary predictor across languages beyond other language measures and demographic variables. Conclusions The findings extend the evidence base with regard to the frequency and type of disfluencies that can be expected in bilingual children who do not stutter in grades prekindergarten to Grade 4. The data indicate that %MzWds and %ND can similarly index the normal disfluencies of bilingual children during narrative production. The potential clinical implications of the findings from this study are discussed.

Download Full-text

Bang for Your Buck: A Single-Case Experimental Design Study of Practice Amount and Distribution in Treatment for Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2019_jslhr-s-18-0212 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (9) ◽

pp. 3160-3182 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Edwin Maas ◽

Christina Gildersleeve-Neumann ◽

Kathy Jakielski ◽

Nicolette Kovacs ◽

Ruth Stoeckel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Single Case ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Distributed Practice ◽

Single Subject ◽

Single Subject Design ◽

Apraxia Of Speech ◽

Childhood Apraxia Of Speech ◽

Opposite Pattern ◽

Massed Practice ◽

Treatment Conditions

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine 2 aspects of treatment intensity in treatment for childhood apraxia of speech (CAS): practice amount and practice distribution. Method Using an alternating-treatments single-subject design with multiple baselines, we compared high versus low amount of practice, and massed versus distributed practice, in 6 children with CAS. Conditions were manipulated in the context of integral stimulation treatment. Changes in perceptual accuracy, scored by blinded analysts, were quantified with effect sizes. Results Four children showed an advantage for high amount of practice, 1 showed an opposite effect, and 1 showed no condition difference. For distribution, 4 children showed a clear advantage for massed over distributed practice post treatment; 1 showed an opposite pattern, and 1 showed no clear difference. Follow-up revealed a similar pattern. All children demonstrated treatment effects (larger gains for treated than untreated items). Conclusions High practice amount and massed practice were associated with more robust speech motor learning in most children with CAS, compared to low amount and distributed practice, respectively. Variation in effects across children warrants further research to determine factors that predict optimal treatment conditions. Finally, this study adds to the evidence base supporting the efficacy of integral stimulation treatment for CAS. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.9630599

Download Full-text

Inclusion of Transgender Voice and Communication Training in a University Clinic

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/persp2.sig10.109 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (10) ◽

pp. 109-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jennifer Oates ◽

Georgia Dacakis

Keyword(s):

Training Program ◽

Clinical Education ◽

Well Being ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Communication Training ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Transgender People ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Effectiveness Of Training ◽

Negative Impacts

Because of the increasing number of transgender people requesting speech-language pathology services, because having gender-incongruent voice and communication has major negative impacts on an individual's social participation and well-being, and because voice and communication training is supported by an improving evidence-base, it is becoming more common for universities to include transgender-specific theoretical and clinical components in their speech-language pathology programs. This paper describes the theoretical and clinical education provided to speech-language pathology students at La Trobe University in Australia, with a particular focus on the voice and communication training program offered by the La Trobe Communication Clinic. Further research is required to determine the outcomes of the clinic's training program in terms of student confidence and competence as well as the effectiveness of training for transgender clients.

Download Full-text