This collection is the first of its kind to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the caseloads and clinical practice of speech-language pathologists. The volume synthesises existing data on the wide-ranging effects of COVID-19 on the communication, swallowing, and language skills of individuals with COVID infection. Featuring perspectives of scholars and practitioners from around the globe, the book examines the ways in which clinicians have had to modify their working practices to prioritise patient and clinician safety, including the significant increase in the use of telepractice during the pandemic. The volume also reflects on changes in training and education which have seen educators in the field redesign their clinical practicum in order to best prepare students for professional practice in an age of COVID-19 and beyond, as the field continues to grapple with the long-term effects of the pandemic. Offering a holistic treatment of the impact of COVID-19 on the work of speech-language pathologists, this book will be of interest to students, researchers, and clinicians working in the discipline. Chapters 5, 6, 10, and 13 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com

Speech and language are central to the human experience; they are the vital means by which people convey and receive knowledge, thoughts, feelings, and other internal experiences. Acquisition of communication skills begins early in childhood and is foundational to the ability to gain access to culturally transmitted knowledge, organize and share thoughts and feelings, and participate in social interactions and relationships. Thus, speech disorders and language disorders-disruptions in communication development-can have wide-ranging and adverse impacts on the ability to communicate and also to acquire new knowledge and fully participate in society. Severe disruptions in speech or language acquisition have both direct and indirect consequences for child and adolescent development, not only in communication, but also in associated abilities such as reading and academic achievement that depend on speech and language skills. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for children provides financial assistance to children from low-income, resource-limited families who are determined to have conditions that meet the disability standard required under law. Between 2000 and 2010, there was an unprecedented rise in the number of applications and the number of children found to meet the disability criteria. The factors that contribute to these changes are a primary focus of this report. Speech and Language Disorders in Children provides an overview of the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders and levels of impairment in the U.S. population under age 18. This study identifies past and current trends in the prevalence and persistence of speech disorders and language disorders for the general U.S. population under age 18 and compares those trends to trends in the SSI childhood disability population.

There is very little discussion of socially just approaches to speech-language pathology. Within other fields of clinically-oriented practice, social justice is a topic that has received a great deal of attention within the last few years. Pedagogy for addressing social justice has been developed in other disciplines. The field of communication disorders has failed to move forward and do the same. Discussion of social justice is important given the current sociopolitical climate and landscape that clients carry out in their day-to-day functioning. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have an opportunity to engage in practices that help address and alleviate some of the injustices that contribute to educational and health disparities experienced by communities of color. They may do this through the development and application of a socially just orientation of culturally competent practice that fosters changes beyond the individual level. Adapting such a framework makes it possible for SLPs to effectively advocate for and foster equity and inclusion for the individuals and broader communities impacted by SLP services. Critical Perspectives on Social Justice in Speech-Language Pathology addresses the socio-political contexts of how the field of speech-language pathology and service delivery can impact policy and debates related to social justice issues. It explores social position factors and the experiences of marginalized communities to explore how speech-language pathologists deliver services, train and prepare students, and carry out research in communities of color. It covers topic areas including disproportionality in special education, disability rights and ableism, achievement and opportunity gaps, health disparities, and LGBTQ+ rights with a focus on voice, communication, and gender-diverse populations. This book is essential for speech-language pathologists, administrators, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how the SLP profession and discipline can contribute to or develop efforts to help address injustices faced by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities.

This book is out of print. See Transforming Cognitive Rehabilitation, ISBN 978-1-4625-5087-6.

Many school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) deal with large caseloads and limited resources. Taking on additional workload by implementing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) can seem overwhelming. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: Implementation Tools for Speech-Language Pathologists in Education offers practical research-based tools that school-based SLPs can use to balance the high demands of their job with supporting general education students. This professional resource provides answers to a range of questions about policy implications, applicability of the framework to a speech-language pathologist’s role in schools, and how an SLP can implement MTSS in their practice. Part I breaks down the important concepts of MTSS, while Part II is designed as an SLP MTSS Toolkit, featuring the collective wisdom of practitioners and researchers in the field. Throughout the text, readers will also find real-world snapshots of MTSS in action based on the experiences of actual SLPs in the field. Disclaimer: Please note that ancillary content (such as documents, audio, and video, etc.) may not be included as published in the original print version of this book.