The Equity Series

This course delves into the concept of diagnostic humility in the day-to-day practice of speech-language pathology. Designed for seasoned clinicians who feel like they have “seen it all”, this course will explore the nuances between humility, confidence, and expertise in diagnostic and assessment processes. Additionally, there will be a focus on how the relationships with our patients and their families can be affected by the ways we approach diagnostics through a combination of theoretical discussion, case examples, and self-reflection.

A mere 8% of practicing SLPs indicated that they identify as a person of color, and this number has remained consistent over many years. Additionally, only 8% of practicing SLPs self-identified as multilingual providers having the necessary qualifications to provide services in languages other than English. According to the 2022 United States (U.S.) Census data, approximately 43% of the general U.S. population identifies as being from a culturally diverse racial group and over 20% of children speak another language other than English at home. The result of these demographic phenomena is that there are often profound communication breakdowns, cultural disconnects, and numerous healthcare disparities in the referral and assessment process. This course will discuss the lack of diversity in the field, healthcare disparities, overarching themes from qualitative data, and actionable steps to increase equity in the field.

In this introductory course, participants will operationalize a definition of gender inclusive language and the incredible need for practitioners to adopt and teach gender inclusive language with children. Using age-relevant strategies and pedagogy rooted in LGBTQ inclusive research, participants will learn key strategies (that are also fun!) for encouraging gender inclusive language with children to create safer spaces for our youth.

Literacy is a social justice issue! One of the obstacles that prevents children from being proficient readers and spellers is access to knowledge. Even though we know how the brain learns to read, we still have shocking levels of illiteracy in Canada and the US. Throughout the past five decades, the science of reading has provided ample evidence that structured literacy is the approach that should be used to support all learners. Yet many educators and caregivers are still using a balanced literacy approach. In this workshop, we will answer 3 important questions. How does the brain learn to read? Why should we ditch the 3-cueing system and leveled readers? What skills should we explicitly teach our students? Participants will learn about six critical components that support children on their journey to becoming proficient readers and spellers.

In this session, we will discuss utilizing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and the descriptive teaching model to support AAC users with accessing and participating in comprehensive educational and literacy instruction and experiences. Additionally, we will review a case study to illustrate the power of MTSS and descriptive teaching in the quest to reimagine education, literacy, and linguistic justice in practice. Lastly, this course will provide some considerations and resources for the implementation of MTSS and descriptive teaching with AAC users.

Discussion from this session will include how to chart pathways forward for neurodiversity as a crucial component of training and practice for practitioners. In addition, attendees will reach a fuller understanding of how to navigate through the nuances of neurodiversity in order to best meet the needs of children, students, and clients. The information presented from this session, and resulting discussion, have implications for advocacy. This session directly aligns to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the discipline and the Association (an ASHA strategic objective), as well as to making human communication, a human right, accessible to all.

This course discusses a framework to guide the clinician in making holistic and affirming choices throughout the episode of voice and communication care. While this course could not possibly cover all vulnerable population examples, it strives to offer an accessible approach to authentically centering client’s needs given possible intersectional considerations.

In this engaging panel discussion, we bring together experts in the areas of speech and language sciences, education, neurodiversity-affirming care, literacy, AAC and diagnostics to spark meaningful dialogue, share best practices, and cultivate a deeper understanding of how to create equitable environments in various settings. Whether you're an educator shaping young minds, a clinician supporting individuals' communication needs, a parent navigating systems for your child, or an administrator driving systemic change, your perspective and expertise are invaluable to this conversation. Throughout this course, our esteemed panelists will shed light on research and practices that lead to inequities in our fields. They will also provide strategies to dismantle barriers and necessary tools to advocate for inclusive spaces and enhanced communication practices.