This course will provide SLPs working in home health care with an overview of the Patient Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) for reimbursement and discuss how services for patients with dementia fit into this model. Strategies for working with patients and families will be discussed.

This course will provide a literature review addressing the feasibility and utilization of hands-free speech devices, along with a discussion of patient goals and quality-of-life concerns after laryngectomy. Device mechanics and design, patient candidacy, fitting procedures, and problem-solving strategies to support successful hands-free speech will also be covered. This course is presented jointly with Atos Medical.

This is Part 2 of a two-part series on the International Dysphagia Diet Standard Initiative (IDDSI), which was finalized in 2015 and provides more comprehensive guidelines for diet selection. This course will discuss the framework and rationale for diet and liquid selections as well as testing methods.

Language sampling is a powerful assessment tool that can provide a valuable, broad-based view of a child’s speech and language skills. This course will review current research regarding the how and why of language sampling, and offer suggestions as to how a child’s language sample may be used as an assessment and progress-monitoring tool for a variety of speech and language concerns.

This course will present a multimodal approach to addressing social communication needs through a real-life, video-based peer modeling method that targets comprehension of social context cues, reading and using facial expressions and tone of voice. Specific skills such as detecting sarcasm, deceit, and expression of empathy will be discussed. This course is presented in cooperation with the Lavi Institute for Research and Professional Development.

Related service providers at all levels benefit from learning more about the individualized education program (IEP) and individualized family service program (IFSP) processes. This course will review the legal requirements, cover qualifying disabilities, and establish procedures for meetings with students and families.

This is Part 2 of a two-part series. This course will review audiograms and assist speech-language pathologists in understanding hearing loss and how to use audiologic test results to plan management. (Part 1 is course 9129.)

Interested in offering accent modification, but don’t know where to start? This course will provide the basic building blocks of what you will need to establish/grow an accent modification business, some potential challenges to be aware of, and resources/tools to help you get started.

This course will discuss the challenges of unilateral conductive hearing loss, why one good ear is not good enough, and why choosing a bone conduction hearing device such as the Oticon Medical Ponto can help improve hearing loss. Information will be provided on how advocacy in the classroom along with help from early intervention services can help children benefit during the critical years of development and beyond.

This presentation will review a guideline of audiological assessment for young children, with emphasis on skill acquisition. It will include discussion of formal and informal materials that may be used to monitor development of auditory skills, progressing from awareness to discrimination to identification to comprehension.