ASHA Convention – Schools Connect 2021 – Our Picks on What to See

Hi Community! ASHA Convention Connect 2021 is right around the corner and being a virtual event, it makes it more accessible for a lot of people to attend.  I have been invited to present 2 of the 6 live sessions at ASHA Connect 2021 so I wanted to tell you about that and then also tell you about some really neat things that are going on this year.

Teletherapy Assessment and Intervention

I will be taking everything that we have learned about telepractice assessments and intervention and boiling it down into two hours!  A challenging feat but it was fun to put together because it is ALL the highlights and the best videos from our clients and students.  And, as most of you know, we work with a very diverse group of kids so I wanted to explain teletherapy in a way that is applicable to all students and clients.  What we do should work with anyone!  Teletherapy allows us to cross this divide easily.

Effective Telepractice Assessment for Diverse Learners

Monday, July 19, 2021 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

In this presentation we discussed considerations for telepractice speech and language evaluations, including teleconferencing needs, how remote testing impacts scores, and ensuring fidelity in testing. We ended by discussing the importance of dynamic assessment and how to write reports to reflect remote testing procedures.

Effective Teletherapy for Diverse Learners

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This ASHA Convention Connect Live presentation introduced new technologies and interaction styles so that speech-language pathologists more easily organize therapy, schedule effectively, increase show-rates, collaborate with parents and teachers, share materials electronically, and conduct effective therapy and evaluations. With a robust framework for organization, speech therapy becomes fun, interactive, and productive again.

Live and On Demand Sessions

I don’t know about you but with everything that happened this last year I have A LOT of family to visit and am really looking forward to my pseudo-downtime.  For this ASHA Convention, they set up the majority of the sessions to be On Demand which makes browsing and scheduling really easy. 

Not Your Age-Old ASHA Conference Organization

Here is a screenshot of the ASHA Convention search function for how they have organized the conference by “Track.”  It is apparent to me that ASHA is acknowledging the complexity of our profession by not just showcasing the standard HEARING/SPEECH/LANGUAGE groupings.  They have brought leadership, professional development, and personal focus to the table. Kudos to ASHA and to the planning committee(s).

14 Quick Ways to Interact with Like-Minded SLPs

The ASHA Planning Committee has put together a nice series of meetings around specific topics that are only 30 minutes long.  There are called Coffee and Tea with AuDs and SLPs and they cover topics from Advocacy, to Data Tracking, and of course hearing, speech, language, and diversity issues. I really like this format and it is a good use of a virtual setting.  At a live event, it is always easier to prioritize the big events, especially when you have a big distance to cross between sessions. Also, these are non-CE events so at a live setting we may prioritize something else. But here, we can get up to speed on what’s going on around each issue. 

Now you can tack on 30-minute sessions related to the topics that are most important to you. Here are three that I thought were really intriguing:

Coffee and Tea With AuDs and SLPs: Tracking Your Triumphs

Monday, Jul 19 – 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM ET

You might be so focused on daily tasks that you forget to notice your accomplishments. Having ways to keep tabs on your achievements and recording them is important not only because it helps you feel good about your work, but also because it’s vital to your career progression. Join us as we chat about strategies to track your triumphs and use them to transform your career.

Coffee and Tea With AuDs and SLPs: Meet the ASHA Audiology and SLP Practices Chief Staff Officers and the Director of School Services

Tuesday, Jul 20 – 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM ET

During this ASHA Convention, get to know ASHA CSO for Audiology Donna Smiley, ASHA CSO for SLP Practices Lemmietta McNeilly, and School Services Director Tiffany White.

Coffee and Tea With AuDs and SLPs: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Monday, Jul 26 – 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM ET

Join members of SIG 14 (Cultural and Linguistic Diversity) and SIG 17 (Global Issues in Communication Sciences and Related Disorders) to discuss how to provide culturally responsive services that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Join members of SIG 14 (Cultural and Linguistic Diversity) and SIG 17 (Global Issues in Communication Sciences and Related Disorders) to discuss how to provide culturally responsive services that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

What am I Most Looking Forward to for this ASHA Convention?

There is a Session Plan Grouping that is focusing on new aspects for our field. These are topics like focusing on writing for AAC, regulating emotion, and social supports for Autism.  These are topics that don’t get enough attention or maybe never got attention and point in the direction that the field is moving. Really novel stuff. 

Increasing Student Confidence Through Acceptance of Stuttering

On Demand CE: 2 hours

J Scott Yaruss, PhD from Michigan State University and Nina Reeves, MS from Frisco ISD and San Diego Unified are talking about stuttering acceptance. 

Acceptance of stuttering is a common but widely misunderstood goal of intervention. In this session, two stuttering specialists will explain what acceptance means and how it relates to helping people overcome the communication challenges they face. The presenters will explore what acceptance is, where it fits into the overall intervention process, and how to help your students gain more comfort and confidence in their communication abilities.

Turn the Page: Addressing Representation in Picture-Book Selection

On Demand CE: 60 minutes

Amanda Owen Van Horne, PhD from the University of Delaware and Sierrah Harris, MA, working in Red Clay Consolidated School District are presenting on storybook selection.

This ASHA convention session will provide tools for evaluating the picture books you currently use, equip you with arguments for why it is ethically important to use representative picture books and other materials, and help you identify resources to develop a bookshelf that is aligned with your caseload composition. In addition, the presenters will describe programs and strategies for implementing these selection practices into your everyday process.

If you see something in the ASHA Connect line-up that excites you, share it here!  Please let us all know in the comments if you are presenting. I look forward to seeing everyone in person in the future. At the moment, this looks quite fun!