Language Disorder(s) CEU Courses for SLPs

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a prevalent condition, but many people outside of the profession misunderstand its nature and manifestation. This course describes DLD as a neurodevelopmental disability and discusses implications for SLPs related to diagnosis, communication with families, and advocacy efforts. This course is presented in partnership with the American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders (ABCLLD).

The DIRFloortime® framework can be used not only with children with autism, but with a wide variety of ages and diagnoses. This 4-hour master class describes DIRFloortime principles and concepts such as Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities (FEDCs) and relationship-based intervention. Case studies provide examples of goals and therapy activities, including virtual experiences, for various populations.

Personal narratives offer unique opportunities to help students with developmental language disorders find their voices and improve their language. This course discusses an approach that uses language levels and writing processes to target language expression via written narratives, and includes methods for collecting and analyzing narrative samples. Case examples illustrate planning and implementation of individualized intervention for early elementary through high school students.

Children draw upon cognitive resources to tell stories. This course discusses this cognition-narration connection, and teaches participants how to analyze cognitive aspects of children’s narrative language and apply this information to management of children on their caseloads.

This course explores emotional intelligence (EQ) and how to "plug in" and use it in situations that go awry with parents of clients. Specific strategies for handling difficult situations and de-escalating arguments are discussed.

It is imperative for clinicians and educators to be aware of the neurodiversity movement in order to better support all human rights. This course discusses what neurodiversity is and the history of the movement, as well as the potential for trauma related to behavioral interventions. Case examples demonstrate how to apply a paradigm shift to clinical practice that seeks to accept and celebrate differences rather than mask them.

This course explores teletherapy for adults with developmental disabilities (DD) who are users of augmentative/alternative communication (AAC). Topics discussed include funding, quick essentials of teletherapy, and language modeling, as well as age-appropriate non-digital materials and free/paid digital materials that work well for adults with DD.

Sensory integration and processing is foundational to human development, engagement and relationships. This course will discuss theories of sensory processing function and dysfunction, potential impact on communication skills, and considerations for SLPs' therapeutic practice.

This course discusses the syntactical complexities of written language and reasons why adolescents struggle with writing. It further identifies the characteristics of adolescents who are struggling with syntactic demands of writing, and provides ideas for therapeutic practices/activities to target these specific difficulties.

This 2-part series is geared to public school SLPs who serve English Learners with potential language impairment. Part 1 describes research-based, practical strategies, such as gathering thorough case histories and utilizing universal indicators of language impairment, as part of a comprehensive pre-assessment process designed to help SLPs differentiate between language impairment and language difference in English learners with environmental challenges such as poverty, limited schooling experience, and lack of home literacy experience.