Update on Academic and Clinical Training in Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Anomalies for Speech-Language Pathology Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 870-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Mills ◽  
Mary Hardin-Jones

Purpose The purpose of this study was to survey speech-language pathology master's programs regarding their academic and clinical coverage of cleft palate/craniofacial anomalies. Method A link to a 19-item survey was sent via e-mail to the program directors of 271 accredited graduate programs in speech-language pathology. Information was also obtained via university websites to verify survey responses. Results The response rate was 86% with 232 of 271 programs completing all or part of the survey. Twenty-four percent of respondents indicated their program offers a dedicated and required course in cleft palate/craniofacial anomalies, 22% offer an elective course, and 51% embed this content in other courses. Respondents reported that their students frequently (7%), sometimes (58%), or rarely (34%) receive clinical experience with this population. Conclusion Our findings suggest that an increasing number of academic programs are eliminating dedicated coursework in cleft palate/craniofacial anomalies and are embedding such content in other courses. A legitimate concern resulting from this consolidation of coursework is the degree to which feeding, articulation, and resonance difficulties associated with cleft palate/craniofacial anomalies are being addressed elsewhere in the curriculum.

2014 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 135-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Scherer ◽  

This paper describes the outcome of the 2013 American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association Task Force entitled “Speech Therapy Where There Are No Speech Therapists.” The membership and goals of the initial task force are presented. Survey methods, communication of the members, and meeting discussion of the task force at the 12th International Congress for Craniofacial Anomalies in Orlando, Florida, in May 2013 are described. Conclusions of the task force and recommendations for the future comprised four areas: organization and communication, protocols, service delivery models, and development of training programs/modules in speech-language pathology for craniofacial conditions.


2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda D. Vallino ◽  
Norman J. Lass ◽  
H. Timothy Bunnell ◽  
Mary Pannbacker

Objective: The purpose of this study was to obtain information about academic and clinical training of speech-language pathology students in cleft palate (CP). Methods: Representatives of 232 accredited graduate programs in speech-language pathology were invited via e-mail to complete a web-based 32-item questionnaire. Questions focused on the type and nature of courses offered related to CP, availability of clinical practica, and number of hours of clinical experience by students. An item-by-item analysis was conducted and descriptive statistics obtained. Results: A total of 127 (54.7%) of the programs responded. Sixty-seven percent offered coursework exclusively devoted to CP, and for 53% of these it was a required course. For the programs that did not offer an exclusive course on CP, 35% indicated that CP was covered in other courses such as articulation, voice, or anatomy and physiology. Fifty-four percent of the programs offered clinical practica in CP. For these, a median of five students of a median graduate speech-language pathology class of 43 were enrolled in practica involving CP (range  =  0–21), and students spent a median of 2 hours in practica involving CP (range  =  0–100). Conclusions: Cleft palate is a complex disorder to which many students have limited exposure and for which more graduate training is unlikely since the 1993 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification changes. As a result, there is a need to look towards alternative methods to enhance the educational and clinical experiences of students and practitioners in cleft palate.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 41-49
Author(s):  
Ellen Moore

As the Spanish-speaking population in the United States continues to grow, there is increasing need for culturally competent and linguistically appropriate treatment across the field of speech-language pathology. This paper reviews information relevant to the evaluation and treatment of Spanish-speaking and Spanish-English bilingual children with a history of cleft palate. The phonetics and phonology of Spanish are reviewed and contrasted with English, with a focus on oral pressure consonants. Cultural factors and bilingualism are discussed briefly. Finally, practical strategies for evaluation and treatment are presented. Information is presented for monolingual and bilingual speech-language pathologists, both in the community and on cleft palate teams.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Girolamo ◽  
Stephen Politzer-Ahles ◽  
Samantha Ghali ◽  
BRITTANY WILLIAMS

Purpose: Little is known about how others evaluate applicants to master’s programs in speech-language pathology along criteria used during holistic review, despite more programs adopting holistic review. This knowledge gap limits our understanding of whether holistic admissions may offer a more equitable pathway to entering speech-language pathology. This study investigated how faculty and Ph.D. students evaluated applicants to master’s speech-language pathology programs along criteria used during holistic review.Method: We administered a survey online through a Qualtrics platform. Respondents (N = 66) were faculty and Ph.D. candidates in U.S. speech-language-hearing departments. Survey blocks included demographics, professional background, and vignettes. Vignettes featured profiles of applicants to master’s programs in speech-language pathology. Vignettes systematically varied in the indicators of applicant criteria, which were specified at low, moderate, or high levels, or not specified. After reading each vignette, respondents rated the applicant and indicated their admissions decision. Analysis included descriptives.Results: Relative to an applicant who was at a high level for all indicators except cultural and linguistic diversity, respondents ranked applicants who varied in their indicators of criteria levels lower. Respondents were also less likely to make an explicit “accept” decision (versus “waitlist” or “reject”) for this latter group of applicants. Conclusion: Even when implementing criteria used during holistic review, applicants who vary from a “high-achieving” stereotype may still face barriers to entry. Future work is needed to understand the precise nature of how holistic admissions review may play out in actual practice and help increase diversity in the profession.


1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Erwick Roberts ◽  
Vicki McCready

This study investigated differences in causal attributions made by student clinicians taking actor and observer roles in good and poor therapy Sessions. One hundred thirty-four graduate student clinicians in speech-language pathology were asked to imagine a hypothetical good or poor therapy session in which they took either the role of a clinician working with a client in a session or that of a clinician observing the session. To account for the session's hypothesized outcomes, clinicians taking the actor role cited client causes more frequently than other causes while clinicians taking the observer role cited clinician causes. These results are consistent with the actor-observer bias documented extensively in the psychological and educational literatures. Clinicians' causal attributions also differed for good and poor therapy sessions. Implications are discussed in terms of possible impact on the clinical training process in speech-language pathology.


Author(s):  
Lucy Southby ◽  
Sam Harding ◽  
Amy Davies ◽  
Matthew Fell ◽  
Yvonne Wren

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine parent/caregiver perspectives and experiences of speech-language pathology provision during the COVID-19 pandemic for children born with cleft palate. Method: An online questionnaire to parents of children born with cleft palate asked about delays and changes to speech-language pathology provision during the first U.K. national lockdown. Parents were also asked their views on the effectiveness of online speech-language pathology provision. Analysis considered variation in speech-language pathology provision by region. Chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests examined associations between speech-language pathology provision and socioeconomic status and child age. Free text responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Three hundred fifty-six (39.3%) children were receiving speech-language pathology intervention before the first national lockdown. A further 49 (9.0%) were due to start speech-language pathology intervention during the lockdown. Speech-language pathology provision varied both nationally and within smaller geographical regions. Overall, 146 (42.6%) children continued to receive speech-language pathology and 197 (57.4%) had intervention delayed. There was no association between delayed speech-language pathology and socioeconomic status. Older children were more likely to experience delayed speech-language pathology provision ( p  = .004). Qualitative analysis revealed concerns about access to speech-language pathology, challenges with adequate devices to access online provision, technological problems, and child engagement in online provision. Parents reported online provision as being “better than nothing.” Conclusions: Parents/caregivers reported delays to speech-language pathology provision during the first lockdown, but this varied geographically and was more prevalent for older children. Concerns about access to speech-language pathology provision were raised, including challenges regarding online provision. Follow-on work will consider the impact of the delays experienced on longer term outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1243-1261
Author(s):  
Katherine M. DeJarnette ◽  
Jane R. Wegner

Purpose This survey sought to gather information from graduate programs in speech-language pathology concerning their preservice education in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The results were compared to similar previous surveys to identify improvements, continued challenges, and common barriers in providing preservice education in AAC. Method Two hundred fifty-one program directors, department chairs, clinical directors, and faculty members of Council on Academic Accreditation graduate programs in speech-language pathology were surveyed to explore the characteristics of preservice education in AAC. Results A total of 85 survey responses were received for a 33.8% return rate. Data revealed that there has been a general trend toward an increase in the number of graduate programs that offer coursework in AAC, the number of graduate students who are receiving knowledge and skills in AAC, and the number of students who obtain clinical experiences in AAC. However, results indicate that graduate programs in speech-language pathology continue to face barriers in providing comprehensive preservice education in AAC. Specifically, these barriers included limited funding, lack of faculty members with expertise in AAC, access to AAC systems and technologies, and time constraints. Results from this study may be helpful in addressing said barriers in future practice. Conclusions Graduate programs in speech-language pathology have improved their preservice education in AAC over the past 10 years. Survey responses indicate a continued need for improvement in clinical experiences, funding, and an increase in the number of faculty members with expertise in AAC.


2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Varnedoe ◽  
Crystal Murphree-Holden ◽  
Sharon Dixon

Abstract Effective training of external practicum site supervisors is a challenge to university training programs. The number of sites and supervisors, distance, time and cost factors all contribute to the need to find efficient methods of providing supervisors with crucial information pertinent to clinical training. The key components to training supervisors on current certification standards and principles of formative assessment learning are the primary focus of this article. Successful methods for providing this information using both traditional formats and technological advances are described in detail. All methods are easily replicable in order to meet the specific training requirements of individual programs in speech-language pathology and audiology.


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