Purpose: Speech-language pathology (SLP) is inherently a humanistic and interpersonal profession, but clinicians often report uncertainty about their role in engaging clients and families in counseling. Although the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) explicitly includes counseling within the SLP scope of practice, the application and boundaries of that role remain elusive to many practicing clinicians, students, and educators. Method: This tutorial examines ASHA's SLP scope of practice and related policy documents to clarify the professional mandate for counseling in SLP and to clarify how counseling is defined, limited, and practiced within communication and swallowing disorders. Drawing on existing counseling literature, both in general and specific to SLP, we distinguish informational counseling from personal-adjustment counseling and propose a comprehensive, person-centered definition of counseling in SLP. To facilitate clinicians' integration of counseling into their clinical practice, we also introduce an adapted stepped-care model and a clinical decision tree that outline five levels of counseling involvement, including when to refer clients to other professionals. Conclusion: Together, these frameworks help clinicians, educators, and supervisors follow a clear structure for ethical, effective, and person-centered counseling practice, supporting both positive client outcomes and professional accountability in SLP practice.

You have accessSIG 20 CounselingEditorial12 Oct 2023Yes, Virginia, There Is Counseling in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Anthony DiLollo Anthony DiLollo Davies School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth Google Scholar https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_PERSP-22-00270 SectionsAboutAbstractPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In Change is hard. Interestingly, it doesn't even seem to matter if the change is for the better or something negative. It is still hard! As audiologists and speech-language pathologists, we are in the business of change! We work hard to help our clients change behaviors and attitudes and to deal with change that has been thrust upon them. Significantly, these changes that our clients face involve systems that are integral to how we present ourselves to the world and how we perceive ourselves internally (i.e., our identity). Given all this change, it is not surprising that our clients often exhibit emotional reactions, both to the communication problems they are experiencing and to the solutions to those problems that we are presenting to them. Yes, both the problems and the solutions represent changes that can be extremely challenging to the client! As such, audiologists and speech-language pathologists need to engage clients in counseling to help our clients deal with these difficult circumstances—but what does that really mean? We are not psychologists or counselors or social workers. Our primary focus is to help clients improve their communication and/or swallowing, and we have innumerable behavioral methods that we use to achieve those goals. So, where does counseling fit into that picture? First, even though we are not psychologists, counselors, or social workers, we have a mandate to engage clients in counseling based on scope of practice documents in both audiology (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA], 2018) and speech-language pathology (ASHA, 2016). With that being said, counseling in our professions is inherently different from those helping professions where the counselor role is the primary function of the clinical interaction. So, what does counseling really mean in the context of our work as audiologists and speech-language pathologists? Although there is no definitive or simple answer to that question, there are a myriad of definitions of counseling that have been developed within our professions. Some are tethered to particular psychotherapeutic approaches, others are more eclectic, and some are basic role statements. Although there is no real consensus, a common thread is that, in its most basic sense, counseling is about recognizing and valuing the person behind the communication disorder. The difficulty for audiologists and speech-language pathologists is finding a balance between the technical work that we do (e.g., speech and language remediation, dispensing hearing aids, dysphagia treatment, aural rehabilitation) and this counseling role. I frequently get questions from students and practicing clinicians asking, "How do I know when to do counseling?" My answer is always the same: "We are always counseling!" What I mean by that is that we should always be mindful of the person, not just the disorder, and that this person functions in a dynamic social environment that can be disrupted by the effects of both the disorder and the treatment for that disorder. By recognizing that each client has their own unique profile of strengths, weaknesses, insecurities, and resiliencies, we can tailor our technical work to meet that individual where they are rather than where we are or where we think they should be. Of course, as Shakespeare wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Counseling is still counseling, regardless of whether we are speech-language pathologists, audiologists, psychologists, or counselors, and the basic skills needed to be an effective counselor remain the same across the various helping professions. Empathic listening and a focus on the therapeutic relationship are the cornerstones of counseling regardless of the particular profession. So, building knowledge and skills as a counselor are critical to, and I would say foundational to, being an effective clinician. Despite this, counseling remains a rather elusive topic in many graduate programs, continuing education offerings, and conference programs. Indeed, Doud et al. (2020) conducted a survey of graduate programs in speech-language pathology and found that over 41% of respondents do not offer a stand-alone course in counseling. Furthermore, these authors reported that the number increases to 60% when based on a review of curricula on program websites. Clearly, there is a need for students and practicing clinicians to have access to materials and resources to build their knowledge and skills in counseling and to learn how to best integrate counseling into their clinical practice. Recently, ASHA approved the launch of a new Special Interest Group (SIG) focused on counseling (SIG 20). The mission of SIG 20 is to promote counseling education, research, and practice among National Student Speech Language Hearing Association and ASHA members in order to optimize treatment outcomes and equip clinicians with knowledge and skills to support clients and families within ASHA's Scope of Practice. I encourage students and clinicians to join SIG 20 and participate in the exploration of counseling in audiology and speech-language pathology and take advantage of the resources that will be available. There are many ways to get involved, as a consumer of the literature (including specific counseling articles in Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups), as an active participant in ongoing conversations on the SIG 20 Community page, participating in continuing education events that SIG 20 will develop (as a consumer and/or presenter), and as an author for specific counseling content in Perspectives. Regardless of your level of skill and experience—from novice to expert—there is a place for you to participate and contribute within SIG 20! References American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2016). Scope of practice in speech-language pathology. https://www.asha.org/policy/SP2016-00343/ Google Scholar American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2018). Scope of practice in audiology. https://www.asha.org/policy/SP2018-00353/ Google Scholar Doud, A. K., Hoepner, J. K., & Holland, A. L. (2020). A survey of counseling curricula among accredited communication sciences and disorders graduate student programs.American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(2), 789–803. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00042 ASHAWireGoogle Scholar Author Notes Disclosure: The author has declared that no competing financial or nonfinancial interests existed at the time of publication. Correspondence to Anthony DiLollo: [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Celeste Domsch Additional Resources FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 8Issue 5October 2023Pages: 1152-1153 HistoryReceived: Dec 16, 2022Accepted: Jul 31, 2023 Published online: Sep 14, 2023 Published in issue: Oct 12, 2023 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library Metrics Topicsasha-topicsasha-sigsasha-article-typesCopyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2023 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationPDF downloadLoading ...

PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of academic factors and sociodemographic factors on offers of admission to graduate education programs in communication sciences and disorders (speech-language pathology and audiology) in the United States. METHOD:A retrospective analysis of extant data from undergraduate students applying to graduate education programs through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) was conducted. Descriptive, parametric, nonparametric, and multivariate hierarchical logistic modeling analyses were applied to data from 38,625 unique applicants across four consecutive application cycles from 2016 to 2020 to assess relationships between admission offers, and academic and sociodemographic factors. The academic factors included Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and grade point average (GPA; cumulative undergraduate GPA and cumulative communication sciences and disorders [CSD] GPA), and sociodemographic factors included race/ethnicity, age, disadvantaged socioeconomic status, first-generation status, and multilinguistic status. RESULTS:The rate of receiving an offer of admission continuously increased from 59.4% in the 2016-2017 cycle to 75.4% in the 2019-2020 cycle (p < .001). The significant predictors for admission offers across all four application cycles were GPA, GRE, and applicant age. While the odds ratios of GRE and age were relatively stable, the odds ratios of GPA had a decreasing trend. Bivariate analyses showed that students who were non-White, older, socioeconomically disadvantaged, first-generation, and nonmultilingual were significantly less likely to receive offers of admission than their counterparts, but the relationships between those sociodemographic factors, except for age, and admission offers diminished when all factors were considered in the logistic regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS:Academic and sociodemographic factors significantly affected the likelihood of obtaining at least one offer of admission to a graduate program in CSD at different levels. While the effect sizes were variable, these findings provide evidence-based guidance for admission committees seeking to improve the inclusiveness of admission processes and the realization of greater diversity across multidimensional domains (e.g., race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age).

Social communication is a core deficit of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) play a key role in evaluating social skills of individuals with autism. Use of person-centered assessment tools in individuals with autism to explore social communication may facilitate improved consideration of perspectives of individuals with autism, which is critical for developing interventions and supports that align with their perspectives and values. An assessment process called the repertory grid can be used to explore one’s personal construction systems as they relate to social relationships. This article describes a process for administering this person-centered diagnostic process in individuals with autism using a semi-structured format established by Hess and colleagues. Data obtained through repertory grids may expand upon information gleaned from traditional assessment protocols when evaluating social communication strengths and challenges of individuals with autism. Furthermore, it offers clinicians and clients insight into clients’ unique personal experiences and relationships.

The current study examined the importance of personal goals to residents; assessed whether goal-related behavior was associated with mental health factors (i.e., depression, experiential avoidance, and quality of life); and explored residents' use of selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) strategies. Interviews were conducted with eight residents at a nursing home along with paper-and-pencil measures of mental health factors. Transcripts were coded first for goal content and subsequently analyzed using an exploratory qualitative method. Most residents (five of eight) denied having goals. Experiential avoidance and depression were significantly negatively correlated with goal content; quality of life was significantly positively correlated with goal content. Eleven themes derived from exploratory analysis suggest SOC processes were important in residents' lives. The study demonstrated the relevance of SOC for residents' quality of life. The potential for developing person-centered interventions to evoke implicit goals and facilitate attainment is discussed. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 14(6), 277-284.].

The importance of critical thinking in training preservice and postservice speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is increasingly acknowledged in the collected works of communication sciences and disorders. Incorporation of critical thinking enhances the quality of clinical decision making, is important for interprofessional practice, and is an essential knowledge in educational services for SLPs at all levels (Finn, Brundage, u0026 DiLollo, 2016). In this article, we propose the need to infuse critical thinking within cultural and linguistic diversity training and recommend the use of literature and instructional activities focused on guiding SLPs in working with Arab Americans to serve this mission. On the basis of existing resources in communication sciences and disorders literature on Arab Americans, we created a study module to target the 3 components of critical thinking: interpretation, evaluation, and metacognition. The first part of the module (Units 1 and 2) is designed to introduce students to critica...

Many protocols assessing social communication skills of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are based on behavioral observations. It has been suggested, however, that social cognition encompasses processes underlying observable behaviors. Such processes include personal constructs, which can be assessed using repertory grids. Personal constructs of five adolescents with ASD with average or above average intelligence and receptive and expressive language skills were explored using repertory grids in this study. With visual structure and verbal scaffolding, all participants successfully engaged in the repertory grid process. Data suggest participants had well organized, complex construct systems, a significant understanding of social roles, and were interested in social interactions. Repertory grids may provide additional person-centered information for assessing social communication skills in ASD.

The importance of critical thinking in training preservice and postservice speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is increasingly acknowledged in the collected works of communication sciences and disorders. Incorporation of critical thinking enhances the quality of clinical decision making, is important for interprofessional practice, and is an essential knowledge in educational services for SLPs at all levels (Finn, Brundage, & DiLollo, 2016). In this article, we propose the need to infuse critical thinking within cultural and linguistic diversity training and recommend the use of literature and instructional activities focused on guiding SLPs in working with Arab Americans to serve this mission. On the basis of existing resources in communication sciences and disorders literature on Arab Americans, we created a study module to target the 3 components of critical thinking: interpretation, evaluation, and metacognition. The first part of the module (Units 1 and 2) is designed to introduce students to critical thinking and facilitate their use of critical thinking in evaluating information presented within speech pathology resources on working with diverse population. The second part, Unit 3, assists learners in reflecting on the impact of their own preconceptions. The last part, Unit 4, facilitates students' understanding of best practices in servicing individuals from diverse populations.

Frail older adults are increasingly being cared for in the community via home-and community-based service (HCBS) programs rather than nursing homes. This policy change challenges psychologists, social workers, and all geriatric practitioners to identify risk and protective factors in order to implement community-based policies in ways which promote the wellbeing of frail older adults. The present small-scale exploratory study focused on the risk factors of social isolation and loneliness, and the potential of computer use to act as a protective factor. Forty HCBS clients were interviewed about their social convoys, social isolation, and loneliness, and their use of computers. Family members made up the largest percentage of participants' social convoys (48%). Forty-two percent of participants were found to be socially isolated or at high risk for social isolation. Twenty-five percent of participants used computers and these participants experienced significantly less loneliness and had significantly larger social convoys. All participants were shown a 2.5 -minute video demonstrating a computer programmed to accommodate older adults and 80% expressed interest in using such a program. Future action research projects are suggested to replicate the study's findings. Such projects could involve collaboration between gerontologists and local area agencies on aging and "service-enriched" affordable senior housing sites.

British Journal of PsychologyVolume 109, Issue 2 p. 391-394 Book Review Critical thinking: Conceptual perspectives and practical guidelinesBy Christopher P. Dwyer , Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2017. $27.99, ISBN 9781316509951 Anthony Dilollo, Anthony Dilollo Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Wichita State University, Kansas, USASearch for more papers by this author Anthony Dilollo, Anthony Dilollo Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Wichita State University, Kansas, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 06 March 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12295Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume109, Issue2May 2018Pages 391-394 RelatedInformation

Awareness and widespread interest regarding sex trafficking has increased significantly over the last decade. However, research demonstrates little success from well-intended human trafficking rescue efforts. In order to increase the capacity for feminist therapists to more effectively serve women and girls who have been subjugated to sex trafficking, a narrative therapy approach is presented as a method for helping survivors reconstruct personal narratives that reflect resilience, recovery, and prosperity.

Critical thinking is increasingly recognized as an essential knowledge and skill for the helping professions. Yet, our pedagogical literature has provided infrequent guidance on how instructors can help students to understand what “critical thinking” means or how it might contribute to their professional lives. Therefore, the purpose of this tutorial is to provide guidelines on how instructors might teach future practitioners to become critical thinkers. The main topics address an instructional definition of critical thinking, the basic knowledge and skills that comprise critical thinking, a broad view of instructional approaches, and a summary of developmental milestones of adult critical thinkers. Specific teaching strategies from instructors who have hands-on experience with guiding their students to become critical thinkers are included.

OBJECTIVES:The purpose of this study was to explore the network types of HCBS clients based on the structural characteristics of their social networks. We also examined how the network types were associated with social isolation, relationship quality and loneliness.METHOD:Forty personal interviews were carried out with HCBS clients to assess the structure of their social networks as indicated by frequency of contact with children, friends, family and participation in religious and community organizations. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to identify network types.RESULTS:Four network types were found including: family (n = 16), diverse (n = 8), restricted (n = 8) and religious (n = 7). Family members comprised almost half of participants' social networks, and friends comprised less than one-third. Clients embedded in family, diverse and religious networks had significantly more positive relationships than clients embedded in restricted networks. Clients embedded in restricted networks had significantly higher social isolation scores and were lonelier than clients in diverse and family networks.DISCUSSION:The findings suggest that HCBS clients' isolation and loneliness are linked to the types of social networks in which they are embedded. The findings also suggest that clients embedded in restricted networks are at high risk for negative outcomes.

Beyond medical knowledge and clinical skills, physician assistant curricula must include instruction in collaborative, interprofessional, patient-centered, evidence-based practice (EBP). Development and implementation of interprofessional education (IPE) are challenging. This article describes a replicable model for an interprofessional graduate-level course that incorporates both exposure and immersion, allowing students to develop and demonstrate the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's 38 core competencies for interprofessional, collaborative decision making and problem solving while also acquiring functional skills in EBP. Pre- and postcourse surveys demonstrated both improved student self-confidence with EBP skills and appreciation for an interprofessional approach to patient care. Barriers to, and facilitators of, development and implementation of IPE courses, as well as effective IPE strategies and tools, are discussed.

Older persons receiving services in community settings, rather than Nursing Homes, are at risk of social isolation. Computer mediated communication offers technological resources that recipients of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) might use to reduce their social isolation. The present study involved personal interviews with 40 HCBS clients regarding their interest in communicating with members of their social networks and using computers. At the time of the interview, 30 of the 40 participants did not use computers and reported cost, lack of training, physical limitations, lack of interest and access, and fraud as the reasons for not using computers. After watching a videotape illustrating an easy-to-use computer interface that allows older persons to communicate with families and friends, 90% reported that it would be helpful for people like them. Participants said such a computer would be helpful because it would make communication with friends and family easy, it could accommodate visual and manual disabilities, and would be interesting. Eighty-five percent said they would use a system like the one they were shown if it were available to them.

Person-centered care (PCC) is becoming the foundation for practice in many areas of health care provision, including audiologic rehabilitation. Following the rationale of biopsychosocial models such as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, audiologists can enhance their clinical practice to be more person-centered by attending to clients' personal narratives. This article provides audiologists with a starting point for incorporating clients' personal narratives into their audiologic rehabilitation practices to help achieve preferred outcomes.

There has been a growing interest in the use of personal narratives in improving outcomes in almost all areas of health care, including audiologic rehabilitation. This article describes a framework, based on the use of personal narratives, around which audiologists can structure their counseling. This framework can be used to guide audiologists in the elicitation of personal narratives and the use of those narratives to facilitate adjustments to clients' identity in order to accommodate the psychosocial consequences of hearing loss and its treatment.

Research on foreign accent syndrome (FAS), a rare form of speech disorder that typically follows some form of neurological insult, has concentrated almost exclusively on its neurogenic origins and motoric features, to the virtual neglect of its psychosocial implications for the patients who experience it. In this article we draw on the concepts and methods of personal construct theory to analyze two cases of FAS, demonstrating the significant and sometimes sweeping reconstruction of these persons’ sense of identity in the social world.