Speech and Language Disorders: What’s Genetics Got to Do with It?

Have you ever suspected that a client’s speech or language disorder may be running in the family? So many of the communication disorders we work with every day as speech-langage pathologists (SLPs) are influenced by genetics, and sometimes SLPs may be the first professional to notice this. While there’s still so much to discover, we’re learning more and more about how genes influence the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course will explore how changes to our genes can influence communication behavior via changes to the brain. We’ll review some of what we’re learning about nonsyndromic communication disorders that are influenced by genetics, such as developmental language disorder (DLD) and speech sound disorders (SSD). We’ll also address what action we as SLPs might take in light of genetic knowledge.

Presenters

Laurel Bruce
PhD, CCC-SLP
Laurel receives a salary from Arizona State University. She has a TpT store that is unrelated to her role as a clinical assistant professor. No products from her TpT store will be mentioned in this presentation. She's receiving an honorarium for this presentation and receives a percentage of sales from her courses in the Embracing Expertise Series.
Beate Peter
PhD, CCC-SLP
Beate Peter, PhD, CCC-SLP: Beate earned a master's degree in speech-language pathology and a PhD in speech and hearing sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. Following three years as a practicing speech-language pathologist in the Shoreline (WA) School District, she completed a Graduate Certificate in Statistical Genetics at the University of Washington. Beate is currently an Associate Professor of speech and hearing science at Arizona State University and has an active interest in researching the genetic etiologies of disorders of spoken and written language as well as genetics education. She developed and regularly teaches an introductory course in genetics for speech-language pathology graduate students, and she co-developed an online Certificate in Clinical Genetics for Health Professionals. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of investigating genotype-phenotype associations in communication disorders is the opportunity to use this knowledge clinically to improve outcomes. At ASU, Beate and her lab team launched the Babble Boot Camp, a clinical trial of preventive interventions for infants at known genetic risk for severe speech and language disorders. The pilot cohort consists of very young children with classic galactosemia.

Learning Objectives

List two communication disorders influenced by genetic changes
Describe how changes to genes can affect communication
Describe one action step they can take when they suspect a client may have a communication disorder influenced by genetics

Agenda

5 minutes	Introductions, disclosures, and very basic genetics review.
10 minutes	How genetic changes influence neural development which impacts communication development.
5 minutes	FOXP2: The first “speech gene:” how a family study paved the way for genetic research in speech and language; family design and trio design.
15 minutes	What we’ve learned about the genetics of nonsyndromic communication disorders (DLD, SSD).
10 minutes	What can we do about it? Action steps for SLPs.
10 minutes	The future of genetic research: How can SLPs apply precision medicine? Two examples of genetic research impacting lives: individual level (Shelby’s story) and intervention level (The Babble Boot Camp).
5 minutes	Questions

Disclosures

Speakers - Financial	Dr. Beate Peter is an employee of Arizona State University. Research for the Babble Boot Camp is funded by a grant from the NIH. Dr. Laurel Bruce is an employee of Arizona State University.
Speakers - Nonfinancial	Dr. Peter has no relevant non-financial disclosures. Dr. Bruce has no relevant non-financial disclosures.
Course - Content	This presentation will briefly mention a relevant continuing education option provided by Arizona State University: a self-paced online certificate in clinical genetics for health professionals. Dr. Peter and Dr. Bruce have no other relevant content information to disclose.
Course - Financial Support & In Kind	This webinar was funded by our sponsors, SLP Toolkit and SLP Now. We would also like to thank the presenters of this course who have provided their speaking services at no charge.

ASHA

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs, Intermediate Level, Professional Area, Professional Area

Speech and Language Disorders: What’s Genetics Got to Do with It?