Impact of DBS on Independence in Conversation following SPEAK OUT! Therapy

Faculty: Sarah Hoch, BM, MS CCC-SLP

Student: Kevin Alcaraz, and Betsy Wo

This study aims to examine if there are differences between individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) who have and have not undergone Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in the level of cueing required to maintain speaking with intent in conversation, following completion of the 8 sessions of SPEAK OUT! Therapy. The study results aim to inform the clinician's prognosis in the use of SPEAK OUT! Therapy in this population. This is the first study to examine potential differences between people with PD who have had a DBS placed to manage the severity of their PD associated symptoms and those who have not had DBS.

Faculty: Laura B Moss, SLP.D, CCC-SLP

Student: Delaney Miller, and Kaylee Moody

This poster presentation will provide an overview of Mapping Treatment as a therapeutic approach for individuals with agrammatic aphasia. Attendees will be introduced to the core principles and theoretical underpinnings of Mapping Treatment, with a focus on how it supports improved sentence production by strengthening syntactic processing. Illustrative examples will demonstrate how this treatment may be applied in clinical settings. In addition, key evidence supporting the effectiveness of Mapping Treatment in improving expressive language outcomes will be summarized.

Moving Toward Recovery: What the Evidence Says about Non-Symbolic movement and Cortical Activity in Non-Fluent Aphasia

Faculty: Laura B Moss, SLP.D, CCC-SLP

Student: Aine Buchau, and Caitlin Ogdahl

This poster presentation will provide an overview of the use of non-symbolic movement as a treatment strategy for individuals with non-fluent aphasia. Attendees will be introduced to the core features and theoretical foundations of this approach, along with illustrative examples of how it may be incorporated into clinical practice. Key evidence supporting the use of non-symbolic movement to stimulate cortical recruitment and promote improved verbal expression will also be summarized.

Moving Beyond Impairment-Based Therapy: An Evidence-Based Look at LPAA.

Faculty: Laura B Moss, SLP.D, CCC-SLP

Student: Reghan Spence

This poster presentation will provide an overview of Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) principles, explore practical applications in clinical settings, and review key evidence supporting its use. Attendees will gain insight into how this approach complements traditional impairment-based therapy and supports long-term engagement in life activities.

Response Elaboration Training in Action: Mastering and Adapting the Approach for Real-World Impact

Faculty: Laura B Moss, SLP.D, CCC-SLP

Student: Madison Cowart, and Anna Rose Honea

This poster presentation will provide an overview of the principles, efficacy, and supporting research for Response Elaboration Training (RET), a treatment approach commonly used for individuals with nonfluent aphasia. In addition to summarizing key research findings, the presentation will explore practical applications of RET in clinical settings and highlight recent findings that support its use. Overall, this presentation aims to share real-world implications and current research findings regarding a commonly used approach for nonfluent aphasia.

Rethinking the Starting Point: Using Narrative Story Cards to Drive Recovery in Aphasia

Faculty: Laura B Moss, SLP.D, CCC-SLP

Student: Anne Ross Bethea, and Hope Browning

This poster presentation will provide an overview of narrative-level treatment as an approach to aphasia therapy, with a focus on the use of visual story cards to support discourse-level communication. Attendees will be introduced to the purpose and structure of narrative story cards, along with examples of how they can be used to address a range of treatment goals, including lexical-retrieval and sentence formulation. The benefits of narrative story cards over isolated word or sentence tasks will be discussed, and key evidence supporting their use in adult aphasia rehabilitation will be summarized.

Finding Your Voice: Advocacy Skills for Future SLPs

Faculty: Mary H. Bryan, M.Ed. CCC-SLP

Student: Caroline Smith

Emerging speech-language pathologists are uniquely positioned to advocate for their clients, themselves, and the field—but many feel unprepared to do so. This session will provide practical strategies for building confidence as an advocate at the micro (client), mezzo (workplace), and macro (policy) levels. Attendees will learn how to engage in professional and legislative advocacy using real-world examples, case studies, and ASHA resources. Participants will leave empowered to use their voice effectively, ethically, and meaningfully in everyday practice.

Behind Closed Doors: The Hidden Crisis of Elder Abuse

Faculty: Mary H. Bryan, M.Ed. CCC-SLP

Student: Caroline Harrison

Elder abuse is a growing issue that is often overlooked or missed in healthcare and clinical practice. This session will help speech-language pathologists learn how to recognize red flags/signs of elder abuse, understand their ethical and legal responsibilities, and advocate for the safety and well-being of older adults. The session will provide attendees with the knowledge and tools to identify abuse, understand the different forms of abuse, engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and decision making, and ways in which to support these elders.

AI Meets SLP: Navigating the Future of Speech-Language Pathology

Faculty: Mary H. Bryan, M.Ed. CCC-SLP

Student: Carly Blankenship

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are driving significant change across healthcare, compelling professionals to adapt their practices. This session will focus primarily on the evolving role of AI in speech-language pathology, highlighting its impact on clinical workflows, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic interventions. Information will be provided on how to navigate ethical use of AI, to enhance clinician workloads through AI, and to improve patient care.

Singing-Language Pathologist: Incorporating Singing into your Sessions

Faculty: Mary H. Bryan, M.Ed. CCC-SLP

Student: Kate Paras

The intersections of singing and speech-language pathology are endless. Music can serve as a way to communicate, connect people, learn languages, increase breath support for speech, and so much more. This session will introduce ways to incorporate singing into individual and group sessions as a way to reach goals with creativity, efficiency, and fun. Information will be provided on the field of music therapy and evidenced-based health benefits of music and singing. Singing in speech therapy is a fantastic way to improve engagement, connect with patients, and grow clinical skills.

Stuttering and Sleep: Does it Matter?

Faculty: Dr. Shauna Ashley

Student: Kenzie Beard

Within the realm of stuttering, there is insufficient research completed on adults who stutter. However, adults are able to better articulate factors that affect their severity, than children who stutter. In this presentation, research will be presented attempting to answer the question; “Does sleep affect severity of stuttering?”

Parent Perceptions of Early Intervention for Minimally Speaking Autistic Children

Faculty: Dr. Shauna Ashley

Student: Caitlin Lewis

This presentation explores parents' perceptions of early intervention for minimally speaking autistic children. While early intervention is widely recognized as essential for supporting language development, little is known about how parents view these services. Findings highlight parents’ reports of both empowerment and emotional challenges, emphasizing the importance of strong collaboration between families and clinicians. Themes include perceived effectiveness, parental stress, and the need for continued support beyond therapy sessions. Results suggest that incorporating parent perspectives can improve family-centered care and enhance the long-term impact of early intervention.

Preschool Literacy Screening with The Reading House

Faculty: Brenda Beverly, Ph.D., CCC-SLP and Victoria S. Henbest, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Student: Breanna Byrd

The Reading House (Hutton et al., 2019) is a 9-page children’s board book validated for use by pediatricians to screen emergent literacy in preschoolers. It is not known, however, if The Reading House can measure developmental change. To test this, groups of 3- and 4-year olds were screened with The Reading House. Overall results revealed hypothesized age-level differences; however, there was significant variability within the age groups. Also, our scores did not clearly align with The Reading House recommended cut-off scores. Preliminary findings yield feasibility implications for use of this tool and similar measures in preschool settings.