November 15, 2012

Election Year, Taxes and the HES CSD Education Survey

Tax Day

Photo by MoneyBlogNewz

This has been an election year and one could not help but hear the debate over taxes. As I listen, it occurs to me that there are some interesting parallels between taxes and the Higher Education System (HES) CSD Education Survey.

This may seem like an odd comparison but think about the following:

  • Tax time comes around the same time every year, April.  The HES CSD Education Survey opens every September (although slightly delayed this year because of enhancements including pre-population of certain data).
  • The government “collects” money. ASHA and CAPCSD “collect” data on CSD undergraduate through PhD education.
  • The government uses the money for defense, public works, schools, Medicaid, etc. ASHA and CAPCSD use the data to showcase academic programs in EDFIND, an online search engine, as well as publish national aggregate and state aggregate reports on undergraduate through PhD education in CSD. The data, in turn, is used to inform the personnel pipeline, assess potential academic capacity building, gauge student diversity plus much more!
  • Taxes are a source of debate. Differences of opinion abound. The challenge is how much tax to collect and how to use it. Well, so too, ASHA, CAPCSD, faculty and other stakeholders grapple with which questions to ask and strive to ask the lowest number of questions that will provide the greatest value and benefit for the discipline.

Emotions about taxes and the CSD Education Survey are somewhat analogous:

  • First, there is an initial sense of hesitation about the magnitude of the task. Academic programs must gather their data on applications, admissions, enrollment, graduation, first employment and more for all CSD degree programs offered at the institution. Likewise, tax payers must gather up a year’s worth of receipts and forms before sitting down in front of Turbo Tax or sending it all off to the CPA.
  • Once the initial feeling has passed, acceptance prevails.  We recognize taxes are necessary for the common good. So too, faculty recognize the need to inform the pipeline of the professions and advocate on its behalf. Getting the academic program profile in EDFIND is a plus too.
  • Once tax forms are completed and documents and checks signed, a sense of relief and triumph takes over.   For the CSD Education Survey, the final review of the data by the program director or chair and the subsequent click of the submission button also provide a feeling of accomplishment.   Edfind will showcase the program’s academic profile and related information and the academic program’s data will be part of the National Aggregate and State aggregate reports, thus contributing to greater efforts in support of the professions.

Collection mechanisms are complex and require systems that mitigate burden.  Imagine trying to collect money from millions and millions of U.S citizens and residents and organizations?  While ASHA’s and CAPCSD’s data collection endeavors are not of the same magnitude, they are, nonetheless, challenging and require the collaboration of many stakeholders.  The CSD Education Survey goes out to 300 institutions with multiple undergraduate through PhD programs in audiology, speech language pathology and speech language and hearing sciences. This translates into 700 plus degree programs for which data is compiled!  As a result, ASHA and CAPCSD are forever striving to streamline the process.  Academic programs now use a convenient and easy-to-use platform to report data  To that end, ASHA and CAPCSD employ some similar tools used by the IRS:

  • The IRS has a Website with instructions and forms; ASHA has a website with instructions and forms too.
  • Tax payers use nifty electronic platforms that allow for online submission and payment. The HES is housed on a platform that allows for online submission of data.
  • The IRS has an email and phone numbers for folks with questions.  ASHA has an HES Manager who answers questions too; simply email hes@asha.org.
  • In both cases, finishing early has its rewards.  Early refunds for the taxpayer or the satisfaction of completing the task as part of one’s civic duty.  For academic programs, completing and submitting their HES CSD Education Survey results in immediate update of their CSD program’s profile in EDFIND. The satisfaction of knowing the data is part of the larger aggregate national and state reports should not be overlooked.

Let’s face it, taxes are necessary. We all benefit from roads, schools, healthcare etc… The CSD Education Survey is also necessary and valuable. Without it, there would be no coordinated mechanism for systematically collecting CSD education data and there would be no data reports to inform the personnel pipeline.   For the past two years the CSD Education Survey completion and submission rate has been over 80%.  This leads to robust data for use by all. Additional benefits of having the national aggregate and state  data reports include their use in strategic planning, grant proposals, federal and state advocacy,  first employment trends, and  data based decisions for the professions.

The CSD Education Survey is currently open and will close December 17th.

 

Silvia Quevedo, Associate Director, Academic Affairs and Research Education at ASHA, can be reached at squevedo@asha.org.

 

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November 1, 2012

The ASHA Community Turns One!

Cupcake and candle

Photo by amylovesyah

It was one year ago this month that we launched the ASHA Community, our online directory and professional network. In the past year

We want to take a moment to thank all of the members who have made the ASHA Community a success!

In August, we started a monthly Community Spotlight on the ASHA Community homepage to recognize some of the individual contributors who have been especially generous in helping answer questions and share their knowledge.We asked each contributor why she participates in the ASHA Community. Here are the answers they gave:

I participate in the ASHA Community because it is a wonderful opportunity to glean from other professionals, respectfully exchange ideas, encourage others, and be encouraged. This is absolutely vital to my growth as a speech pathologist and business owner.”

Pamela RowePamela Rowe, MA, CCC-SLP
Clinical Director
Pamela Rowe, MA, CCC-SLP, LLC
Longwood, FL

When I received my master’s in 1977, a wise professor told us the most important thing we learned in grad school was the value of learning, reflective thinking, and asking questions. I have always had a commitment to learn something new every day and to ask questions that make me a more critical thinker. The ASHA Community provides a wonderful way to share information, learn from others, problem-solve patients and professional issues.”

Catherine ShakerCatherine Shaker, MS, CCC-SLP
Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist
Florida Hospital for Children
Orlando, FL

Communicating with and sharing ideas with colleagues is a great way of giving back to my profession. My graduate school mentors set the example as we traveled with them to conferences and sat in during their tenure on committees and boards. I have served on state and national committees and boards and, after more than 50 years in this profession, I still find myself interested in continued participation and energized by ongoing discussion on many varied topics. The ASHA community allows for participation on many levels with colleagues in many different work environments and many different patient/client populations, and I consider these communications a form of continuing education. It is vital that we share our expertise and ideas; the future of our professions is well served by ongoing communication.”

Roberta AungstRoberta Aungst, MS, CCC-A
ASHA Fellow
Atlantic County, NJ

Get Started

If you haven’t had a chance to try using the ASHA Community, it’s easy to get involved. We recommend you follow these steps to get started:

  1. Complete your profile. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can easily import the information!
  2. Customize your privacy settings, including your contact preferences.
  3. Subscribe to ASHA Discussion Groups, customize how you’d like to receive updates, and start posting comments.
  4. Browse or post content to the community library—including documents, videos, and audio files.
  5. Find an ASHA Community Member to connect with using our online member directory.

If you have any questions or need any help, post a comment below.

Tom Jelen is the Director of Online Communications for ASHA.

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October 23, 2012

How to Use and Set up Guided Access on iOS 6.0

Apple never stops impressing me with their always evolving nature. With the release of iOS 6.0, one of the most anticipated features for the special education community is a well-designed accessibility feature called ” Guided Access”.

During my many presentations, I have seen therapists come up with creative ideas to get students to stop exiting a specific application by pressing the home button on their iPads. I have seen therapists use bub caps which reduce the sensitivity on the home button and even tongue depressors to make the child stay focused on one application. Those days are OVER! Apple has given us the guided access that allows adults to set up a password so that the iPad can stay on the same application and disable the home button from exiting the application without that password.  Do you want to know how to set up guided access? On today’s episode, GeekSLP TV #33, I demonstrate how to access, set up and use one feature that will help children learn and become more efficient in using their iPad for communication. Here is the episode for you:

(This post originally appeared on GeekSLP.com)

 

Barbara Fernandes is a trilingual Speech- Language pathologist, a geek  and an app developer. She is the founder and CEO of Smarty Ears Apps , a company that creates apps for speech therapy. Barbara is also the face behind GeekSLP TV, a blog and video podcast focusing on the use of technology in speech therapy. Barbara has also been a practicing speech therapist both in Brazil and in the United States. Barbara has created over 21 applications for the mobile devices for speech therapists.

 Going to the 2012 ASHA Convention? Barbara Fernandes will be presenting a short course on November 14 “The iPad and Your Therapy – Apps, Accessories, Accessibility and Features,” as well as sessions PC04 “The iPad & Your Therapy: Apps, Accessories, Accessibility, & Features (Invited)” and 1179 “Using Apps to Assess & Treat Articulation & Phonological Delays.”

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October 9, 2012

ASHA’s Leadership Development Program Announces 2013 Cohorts

Graduation Cap

Photo by snowpeak

Do you aspire to expand and refine your leadership skills to drive change in your current work setting or even to become a leader within your state association or with ASHA? ASHA will once again offer its year-long Leadership Development Program (LDP) in 2013. The 2013 LDP will be focused on two different cohorts: Early Career Professionals and Speech-Language Pathologists or Audiologists in a School Setting.

Each program is limited to 30 participants selected through a competitive application process which requires applicants to submit a leadership statement as well as a description of a leadership project they’d like to pursue during the LDP.

The LDP program for Early Career Professionals will begin Saturday, May 4, with a kick-off workshop at the National Office in Rockville, Maryland. Applications for this cohort open October 9, 2012 and will close on Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 3pm Eastern time. More information is available by visiting the ASHA website.

Speech-language pathologists or audiologists with 10 or fewer years of professional experience may apply to this year-long program that will develop their leadership skills. Preference will be given to members who belong to a Special Interest Group (SIG). Preference will also be given to past leaders of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) who have no prior service on an ASHA or SIG committee, board, council, working group or task force.

Individual learning projects for the LDP for Early Career Professionals should be focused on showcasing leadership in one of the following areas:

  • Work setting
  • A related professional organization (college, university, association)

The LDP for School-Based Professionals will begin one day prior to the ASHA Schools Conference in Long Beach, California, on Thursday, July 11, 2013. Applications for this cohort will open January 24, 2013, and must be submitted by April 4, 2013 at 3pm Eastern time. This year-long program will develop essential leadership skills and help participants acquire knowledge and skills for future professional and volunteer growth. Preference will be given to members who are school based and belong to a SIG.

The LDP in Schools is open to any member who is school-based, including both speech-language pathologists and educational audiologists

Individual learning projects for LDP in Schools should be focused in one of the following key areas:

For more information on the Leadership Development Program, contact Haley Jones, volunteer operations manager, at hjones@asha.org.

 

Andrea Falzarano is Director, Association Governance Operations at ASHA.

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September 27, 2012

Being More Responsive

ASHAsphere in multiple screens

Approximately 14% of the visits to ASHAsphere are now coming from a mobile device. With that in mind, we have implemented a new responsive design theme for ASHAsphere to provide a better user experience for our mobile users. We were previously using two plug-ins to optimize the user experience for tablet and smartphone users, but we think that a responsive theme will provide a more uniform user experience across all platforms. While the design is a little different, all the existing ASHAsphere content and features should still be accessible. If you have any problems or cannot find something, please let us know in the comments. Switching to a responsive theme is part of a larger ASHA strategy to use responsive design techniques to meet the needs of our growing audience of mobile users. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome!

Tom Jelen is the Director of Online Communications for ASHA.

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September 4, 2012

Back to School Organization

I haven’t written a post in a while because I have been trying to enjoy my last weeks of summer break.  The start of school is just around the corner and that means back to work for me.  This year, I will be starting a new job as a SLP at the preschool level in a public school.  I have seen my new speech room, however, I haven’t been able to get into the room and get organized yet.  I will be able to get into my space in another week or so.  In the mean time, I have been trying to get my “speech stuff” organized at home.  I have bins of materials that have been stored in my basement since we moved last summer.  It is time for me to sort through everything and gather up the items that will be useful for my preschool caseload.

Sorting through stacks of speech materials and selecting my favorite items is a post for another day.  Today I want to talk about my first step in organizing any space….containers.  We have all heard the old saying ”a place for everything and everything in its place.”  I take this to the extreme when organizing my speech rooms.  That said, I have been spending the past few weeks shopping for new containers for my new room.  One of my first purchases was this for my desk.  I have seen pictures of this container floating all around teacher pin boards on Pinterest.

speech room organization www.speechgadget.com

I absolutely love this idea. All of your “office supply needs” are met in one little container. The drawers are clear and I covered mine with sticky labels. I wrote on my labels, however, I have seen photos of fancy labels that people have printed for their drawers.  I bought my container at Lowe’s for under $20.00.  You can find this and similar storage containers in the aisle with the screws, nails and other fasteners.  I believe the original purpose for this container was to store small tools, nails, etc.  Some clever person decided it would also serve as a great desk organizer and I agree.  I am not sure who came up with the original idea.  If anyone knows the name of the person who first posted on Pinterest, I would love to hear from you so I can give her/him props.

In additional to searching tool aisles, I also went to one of my favorite inexpensive aisles….the dollar spot at Target.  The Dollar Spot is a great place to find therapy materials, small games and yes storage containers.  I love these small buckets.

speech room organization www.speechgadget.com

This is an item that you can typically find at the Dollar Spot year round.  At holiday times, they have buckets with holiday themes.  These are great for storing arts/crafts items, such as glue stick, crayons, markers, etc.  You can also use them for sorting games, or for “Ants in the Pants,” “Flipping Frogs,”  “Hopping Bunnies” and other such games. The handles make it easy to transport the buckets from place to place.

Another item from the Dollar Spot:
speech room organization www.speechgadget.com

I bought five of these.  One for each day of the week.  I will be storing my daily lessons in these on my desk top.  I almost bought a set of these online and I would have spent way more money than a dollar each.

Here is a Walmart find:
speech room organization www.speechgadget.com

I love these envelopes.  They are inexpensive and I like to store my picture books with accompanying lessons inside these.  It keeps all those small sequencing and retelling pictures with the book.  I have also used zip lock baggies for the same purpose, but I find these envelopes are easier to store.

My other staple for organization is 3 ring binders.  I have found binders are the easiest way for me to stay organized. I just completed my calendar binder and I will share that with you in my next post.  I am very excited to get into my new speech room. Stay tuned for pictures as I clean, organize and get my room set up for the start of the school year.

That’s all from me for today.  If you have some great inexpensive speech room organization ideas, we would love to hear from you.

 (This post originally appeared on Speech Gadget.)

Deborah Taylor Tomarakos, MA CCC/SLP, has been pediatric speech language pathologist since 1994.   She has experience in both public school settings and in outpatient pediatrics.  She is currently employed by a public school system.  Deb has provided therapy services to children with a wide variety of communication deficits, including children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, CAS, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, language based learning disabilities, and literacy deficits.  Strong areas of interest include technology use in therapy, CAS, and literacy.  You can find her online at www.speechgadget.com where she shares therapy ideas, resources, websites, and technology integration tips. 

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August 23, 2012

Apps and EBP

Stream of Apps

Photo by Phil Aaronson

When I review apps, my years of experience play a significant role in my assessments of their usefulness. I rarely base my reviews on research to determine if the app is evidence based.  This is because research is time-consuming and the reviews of apps already takes a considerable amount of my time. However, I do check suspicious claims. A claim will strike me as suspicious if I suspect that the citation of research has been done to sell the app. Those of you who have read my earlier posts know that I have shown where a claim of an app being based on research is not supported by the research cited.

In this month’s ASHA Leader, Lara Wakefield and Teresa Shaber, in their article, “APP-titude: Use the Evidence to Choose a Treatment App,” noted, “App developers’ descriptions and customers’ reviews, however, may lack discussions of evidence and contain inherent biases. SLPs who use only this information may be relying solely on opinions and advertisements to make decisions.”  Wakefield and Shaber then discuss a five step process for determining if an app is evidence based. These steps are:

Step 1: Frame your clinical question using PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome).
Step 2: Find the evidence.
Step 3: Assess the evidence.
Step 4: Search the app store and consult the evidence.
Step 5: Make a clinical decision and integrate the different types of evidence to determine your choices.

It is quite easy to do the research. Some app developers cite research in their app descriptions. Follow their lead and make sure the research does support the developers’ claims. ASHA has a database of thousands of articles. Do a search using a few key words and a screen will appear with various articles to peruse.

If one wants to be certain that a particular app meets evidence based standards, one needs to go that extra mile.

 

(This post originally appeared on Apps for Speech Therapy)

 

Mirla Raz, CCC-SLP, is a speech pathologist in private practice (Communication Skills Center) and the author of the Help Me Talk Book: How to Teach a Child to Say the “R” Sound in 15 Easy Lessons, How to Teach a Child to Say the “S” Sound in 15 Easy Lessons, and How to Teach a Child to Say the “L” Sound in 15 Easy Lessons (also available in Kindle). Her latest endeavor is her blog Apps for Speech Therapy.

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July 31, 2012

ASHAsphere Summer Vacation

Summer Time (I)

Photo by pasotraspaso

Hope you all are having a great, relaxing summer. This is just a quick post to say ASHAsphere is taking a little summer break too–so enjoy a few days with one less item in your Google reader or email inbox! We’ll be back with a new post on Thursday, August 9, but in the meantime, if you’re looking for some reading material, you can always check out some of the blogs from “The Best Speech-Language Pathologist Blogs from A-Z” post that Heidi Kay did back in March.

Spending your summer online time on Pinterest instead of reading blogs? You can follow us there for a mix of ASHA content, study resources, therapy ideas, classroom organization ideas and even just some fun crafts.

If you’re a blogger and interested in applying to be an ASHA Convention blogger, there’s still time–applications are due on Friday, August 10. The details and link to the application are here.

Finally, a huge thanks to all the wonderful ASHAsphere bloggers for their continued contributions–they are what makes this blog such a great and popular resource. And of course thank you, too, readers–there are many, many CSD blogs out there with more cropping up each day, and we appreciate you reading along with us each week. As always, if you have suggestions for posts you’d like to see, leave a comment or, if you would like to write for us, apply to become an ASHAsphere blogger.

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July 19, 2012

Call for 2012 ASHA Convention Bloggers!

 

ASHA is looking for three bloggers to cover the 2012 ASHA Convention for ASHAsphere. If you’re interested in attending the 2012 ASHA Convention, November 15-17 in Atlanta, GA, and willing and able to blog about your experience before, during, and after the event, this could be your chance to win free registration. Selected bloggers will receive complimentary base registration, but will be responsible for their own travel costs and expenses.

If you’re interested in applying to be a 2012 Convention blogger, please fill out and submit the application by Friday, August 10. Three selected bloggers will be notified by Friday, August 24.

Maggie McGary is the online community & social media manager at ASHA, and manages ASHAsphere.

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July 5, 2012

Summer Regression- How to Avoid it!

Summer Shoes

Photo by Klearchos Kapoutsis

Regression is when someone or something goes back to its original state. In this instance, we are talking about a child’s loss of skills or a dip in progress. As a speech pathologist, I see this quite often. Kids tend to relax over the summer, go on vacation, play lots of video games and overall do less academic work. Parents often ask me, “what can I do to help my child’s language over the summer?” I have listed some of my suggestions below:

  • Make sure to visit the library often! Set up a schedule with your child and try to make trips to the library exciting. Many libraries have summer reading programs but if your local library doesn’t, you can easily create a book list or set a goal to read a certain amount of books by the end of the summer. If the goal is reached, a prize or medal can be rewarded to your child to increase confidence and sense of accomplishment. Make sure you ask your child questions about the book to increase literacy skills, sequencing skills and reading comprehension skills.
  • Stick to a schedule! Many children are given a lot of freedom during the summer but many kids need structure like the school day! Start each morning by discussing the plans for the day. If there is a lot of free time, make sure that “screen time” (video games, computer games, tv, movies) is kept to a minimum. Some children may also require a visual to help them understand the sequence of events throughout the day. The extra time you put into it as a parent could make a big difference come September!
  • Make every outing a good one! Whether you are going to the grocery store or running errands, make sure you keep your kids talking! Ask lots of questions and encourage independence in your child! (ex: Johnny, where are the pears? Or Johnny can you grab the red shampoo? Find the lotion that says Jergens, what letter will that start with?)
  • Make sure you ask your child’s teacher what else you can do to support your child during the summer and avoid regression!

(This post originally appeared on Speechbop)

 

Erica Gosling, MA CCC-SLP is a full time SLP working in both Stamford, CT and New York City. She received her M.A. from New York University. She has worked in a variety of settings including schools, private practices and home based therapy. She has experience with a variety of communication disorders. For more information about Erica and speech therapy, please visit her blog at Speechbop.com.

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