This course will describe the changes in diagnostic criteria and practices from the time autism was first described by Leo Kanner in 1943 until the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition) criteria were published in 1994. This historical perspective will enable speech-language pathologists to gain a deeper understanding of how autism has evolved through the decades.

This course describes the various intraluminal and peristomal attachment options for attaching a Heat Moisture Exchange (HME) system and/or hands-free device. It will discuss how to select the appropriate attachment for your patient, techniques for placement/application of the attachment for optimal adhesion, and troubleshooting attachments for difficult stomal topography. This course is presented jointly with Atos Medical.

This course addresses the perspectives of a graduate student who has experienced simulations as part of her clinical training program. We will probe her thoughts on the strengths and limitations of this application. She will provide us with insights about how simulations can best be integrated into a graduate curriculum.

This course will discuss anatomy of the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx in adults, as viewed endoscopically. Normal variations in anatomy that would NOT necessitate referral to an ENT will be described.

Like many other discrete skills, student participation in the individualized education program (IEP) process can be taught in a straightforward and systematic way, slowly increasing their participation and independence. This course will focus on keys to a successful student-driven conference, including carefully scaffolding the process in ways that provide support at each stage of the process until the student reaches maximum independence.

A hallmark of age related hearing loss is difficulty understanding in noisy environments. The difficulty requires significant listening effort on the listener’s part which, when prolonged, is associated with fatigue. The fatigue in combination with the listening effort and cognitive load often leads people to withdraw from social situations. Social disengagement has many downstream negative outcomes - including dementia - that will be discussed, along with simple solutions for clinical practice.

This course is designed to meet the requirements of biennial licensure renewal for healthcare licensees in Pennsylvania. Content includes the nature of the child welfare system in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the aspects of child abuse in Pennsylvania law, potential indicators of child abuse, the provisions and responsibilities for reporting suspected child abuse, and how to make appropriate referrals to the child welfare system.

This course will discuss evaluation and management of auditory processing disorders (APD) in young children. The role of different professionals will be reviewed and case discussion will be included.

Workbooks, card games, and board games are often readily available for use in speech therapy to treat cognition in neurogenic disorders; however, these treatment methods are not in line with the most recent research for best practices in acquired brain injury (ABI). This course offers evidence, support and practical ideas for embedding functional treatment into current evidence-based frameworks for neurogenic disorders.

This course will review the research on how default roles, burn-out, extra duties, and lack of training on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates adversely affect service delivery to children with disabilities. This course will discuss key strategies for how SLPs can advocate for students with special needs through professional role empowerment methods.