Sarah Hagen, MS, CF-SLP, Jacob’s Ladder Pediatric Rehabilitation Center; Carly Tittle, MS, CF-SLP, Jacob’s Ladder Pediatric Rehabilitation Center; Mikaela Molinaro, Saint Mary’s College; Sarah Crofford, Saint Mary’s College; Annalisa Layman, MA, CCC-SLP, Michiana Speech Lab; Rebecca Shultz, MS, CCC-SLP, Michiana Speech Lab; Karin Thomas, CCC-SLPD, Saint Mary’s College
The purpose of this study was to explore use of self-rated scales for anxiety, depression, and quality of life in the case of an athlete recovering from a sport concussion injury. Currently, anxiety related to comorbid medical conditions is increasing and may indicate poorer patient outcomes. Additionally, an individual’s perceived satisfaction with aspects of their life, may impact overall quality of life (QoL). Because anxiety and depression occur together frequently, a specific measure was implemented to rate depression. A case study research design study with measures taken at the initial evaluation, midpoint, and at discharge. No follow-up was conducted. The setting was an outpatient regional rehabilitation clinic in South Bend, Indiana with a single participant a 22-year-old female with a diagnosis of concussion that was referred for speech therapy services. Intervention was restorative cognitive communication skill retraining and compensatory strategy training using internal and external techniques. Results revealed a general reduction in all negative symptoms as measured by the SCAT-5. Trends in anxiety levels can be characterized by an exacerbating-remitting pattern. Significant reductions in anxiety levels from initial evaluation to re-evaluation that ultimately increased by time of discharge. This study highlights the need for further research on how to effectively address the onset of anxiety symptoms post-mild TBI in hopes to improve overall health outcomes and quality of life in our patients.
Instructional Level: Introductory │ Poster (Virtual)
Learner Outcomes: Participants will be able to
Julianne Alexander, PhD, CCC-SLP; Andrea Willett; Jenny Helmer; Ava Cultice; AnneMarie McPartlin; from Saint Mary’s College
Inner speech, the act of talking to oneself in silence, or in one’s own head, is a phenomenon experienced by a significant portion of the population. Retention of inner speech post-aphasia varies depending on the type and location of the lesion that caused the aphasia. Research shows that inner speech interacts with both aphasia and psychosocial health in complex ways. Given documented use of inner speech as an emotional regulation tool, we hypothesized that more frequent inner speech would relate to higher psychosocial health reports among aphasia patients. However, our secondary analysis of data from a 2025 study by Alexander revealed that a higher frequency of inner speech was not correlated with a higher psychosocial health score on the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life scale. In fact, increased inner speech use for certain self- and social-related General Inner Speech Questionnaire variables was associated with lower psychological health, raising questions about the directionality of the relationship between inner speech use and psychosocial outcomes. These findings suggest that evaluating inner speech content at the beginning of treatment might be beneficial. The integration of self-regulation and reframing of inner speech use can support more adaptive self-talk that aligns with improved psychosocial health. This study also highlights the need for greater collaboration between SLPs and mental health professionals, given their complementary expertise in communication and emotional regulation. Regarding future directions, a case study approach is recommended to assess how individualized treatment plans could affect the relationship between inner speech use and psychosocial outcomes.
Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Poster (Virtual)
Learner Outcomes: Participants will be able to
Catherine Reynoso, MS; Alyssa Himschoot, MS, SLP CFY; Kassidy Longenecker, MS; Allyson Krause, MS; Carly Tittle, MS, SLP CFY; Neda Tahmasebifard, PhD; from Saint Mary’s College
Objective: The primary aim was to evaluate speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) knowledge and confidence regarding the feeding of infants with cleft lip and palate (CLP). The secondary aim was to determine the impact of feeding education and feeding experience on SLPs’ feeding knowledge and confidence related to this population.
Method: A survey evaluating knowledge and confidence was distributed through the ASHA
member directory portal to SLPs who were members of ASHA and worked in the United States. Descriptive analysis, Mann–Whitney tests, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to evaluate SLPs’ feeding knowledge and feeding confidence.
Results: The sample included 168 SLPs. Among all SLPs, 46.5% reported “no confidence at all” in providing feeding education to parents of infants with CLP. Regarding the feeding knowledge of SLPs, 8.3% answered all feeding-related questions correctly. Both feeding experience and feeding education significantly impacted SLPs’ confidence in managing feeding difficulties of infants with CLP. However, no significant differences were observed in feeding knowledge scores based on feeding experience and feeding education.
Conclusion: The findings revealed concerning levels of knowledge and confidence among SLPs regarding the feeding of infants with CLP. The results highlight the need for methods that successfully improve the knowledge and confidence of SLPs related to managing feeding difficulties in this population. Additionally, the findings suggest that feeding knowledge and feeding confidence may develop independently. The results underscore the need for future research to explore targeted interventions that address each domain separately.
Instructional Level: Intermediate │Poster (Virtual)
Learner Outcomes: Participants will be able to
Julia Suter, MS; Christi Masters, CCC-SLP; from Purdue University West Lafayette
Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) face persistent challenges in learning and using grammar, addressing the need for efficient, evidence-based interventions. This project investigated how speech-language pathologists can fine-tune the “gears” of recast therapy to enhance treatment efficiency and outcomes. A synthesis of eleven high-quality studies revealed that the Enhanced Conversational Recast (ECR) approach, characterized by focused grammatical targets, high linguistic variability, and attentional cues, sets the therapeutic process in motion toward greater grammatical growth and generalization. These findings highlight ECR as a practical, research-driven framework that helps clinicians keep the gears of language learning turning in children with DLD.
Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Poster (Virtual)
Learner Outcomes: Participants will be able to
Susan Latham, PhD, CCC-SLP, Saint Mary’s College
Learning to read is the foundation for all academic knowledge and skills. Knowledge gained in school subjects is dependent upon a child’s ability to read, hence the adage: First, you learn to read. Then, you read to learn. Being able to read not only improves educational outcomes, it improves health outcomes. When the nonprofit RAND Corporation researchers examined all the possible causes of long life expectancy, the most significant factor was education (Giorgis, 2019). Researcher Lleras-Muney (2005) found that for every year of education, an individual lived an average of one and a half years longer. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, literacy improves lives by increasing an individual’s capacity to engage in their community, reducing poverty, and increasing participation in the labor market.
Establishing the language and literacy-based classroom focused on improving children’s ability to read using developmentally appropriate interventions in a naturalistic child-centered classroom setting.
The curriculum was designed to enhance language acquisition according to the principles of children’s language acquisition and provided for in the least restrictive environment.
This demonstration will describe:
1) Models of service delivery
2) The philosophy of the language & literacy curriculum
3) Curriculum for child-centered naturalistic learning
4) Provision of language intervention in the language & literacy classroom
Instructional Level: Introductory │ Poster (Virtual)
Learner Outcomes: Participants will be able to