This course will summarize the recommendations of the recently released Communication Guidelines in Rett Syndrome. Best practices for assessment and intervention of communication in individuals with Rett syndrome, including use of alternative/augmentative communication (AAC), will be described and demonstrated.

Have you ever wondered how to focus aphasia therapy and set reasonable goals when treatment time is limited? This course will provide evidence-based guidance on goal-setting and treatment selection for aphasia with examples from time-limited situations.

This course will describe the Triple Aim, an initiative by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, which focuses on improving population health, improving patient experience and care, and lowering costs. This is part of the evolving healthcare landscape which focuses on value vs. volume. We will also discuss how SLPs can advocate for their important role in this value-based world.

This Research Watch Report focuses on some of the most current research in the area of acquired apraxia of speech (AOS). Three research articles are summarized and potential clinical applications of the evidence are discussed.

The clinical swallow evaluation, or bedside swallow evaluation, is sometimes a maligned component of dysphagia assessment because of its inability to definitively assess for aspiration. This course will provide participants with an understanding of the applications of clinical assessment, appropriate components for inclusion, and direction for forming conclusions and making recommendations based on clinical observations.

This course will discuss the importance of stressing academic language in addition to phonological awareness when preparing preschoolers with language impairments for later reading development. The purpose of academic language, its components, importance to later reading comprehension, development progression, typical cultural variation in preschoolers’ exposure to it, and ideas for teaching it will be included.

In order to treat the whole patient, we need an understanding of how stress and trauma impacts their treatment, as well as the importance of self-care to keep us sustained. Participants will be able to identify rising levels of stress, understand trauma, and employ self-care tools to bring them back to effectiveness and wholeness.

This course will describe the need for alternative management methods for community-dwelling individuals living with dementia, including creative quality of life approaches. Focus will be on the increasing research interest in music-based interventions to maintain and enhance function in daily settings.

Behavior is frequently the first sign of underlying emotional difficulties in early childhood. Many times these early symptoms are signs of diagnoses such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This course will provide information regarding ADHD, the common manifestations of ADHD symptoms, the neurological impact of ADHD, common interventions for ADHD and differential diagnosis.

Screening of swallow function is a well-regarded tool to identify individuals who are potentially at risk of dysphagia and in need of full swallow assessment, but the options are many and varied. This "back to basics" course will teach participants to make informed, evidence-based choices regarding appropriate screening tools specific to their particular patient populations and settings.