Conference Program Detail

Morgan Ansel, MS, CCC-SLP, CommonSpirit; Sydney Fleege, OTD, OTR/L, CommonSpirit, MGA Homecare

This session provides a foundational overview of feeding practices in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), designed to support clinicians in safely advancing infants from pre-feeding readiness to successful oral feeding. Content will reflect real-world, bedside application and emphasize a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to feeding. Participants will learn how to assess pre-feeding skills, interpret infant-driven feeding readiness and quality, and conduct a basic oral mechanism examination. The presenters will also review hunger cues, strategies to promote positive feeding experiences before oral feeding initiation, and how to identify and respond to infant stress cues during feeding. Special emphasis will be placed on clinical decision-making, including positioning, feeding techniques and individualized interventions. The presenters will also discuss how swallow study findings influence bedside feeding practices and provide guidance on selecting appropriate bottle flow rates based on infant needs. This session is co-taught by an occupational therapist and speech-language pathologist, offering a comprehensive perspective on each discipline’s role in supporting safe; developmentally appropriate feeding in the NICU.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify key components of pre-feeding readiness and oral feeding progression in the NICU population.
• Demonstrate how to assess feeding readiness and interpret infant-driven feeding cues.
• Apply appropriate positioning, techniques and interventions in response to infant stress cues during feeding.
• Describe how swallow study results and bottle flow rate selection impact feeding safety and outcomes.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Medical

Jennie Bjorem, MA, CCC-SLP, Bjorem Speech Publications

This practical, play-based session explores how to effectively use sound cues within the framework of the Miccio & Elbert (1996) Stimulability Training Program to expand children’s phonetic inventories and improve overall speech sound acquisition. Participants will learn to define stimulability and explain its critical role in predicting speech sound development and generalization. The presenter outlines the primary purpose and guiding principles of stimulability training and provides step-by-step guidance for implementation in clinical practice. Through real-world examples and evidence-based strategies, clinicians will discover how to increase stimulability in children with limited phonetic repertoires including CAS, using multimodal cueing (visual, auditory, tactile) and play-based learning activities. Special emphasis is placed on identifying the appropriate target population for this approach, young children with moderate to severe speech sound disorders. Participants will leave with actionable tools, practical therapy ideas and the confidence to integrate stimulability training into everyday practice.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Define stimulability and describe at least two ways it influences speech sound acquisition and generalization in children with speech sound disorders.
• Describe the primary purpose and guiding principles of the Miccio & Elbert (1996) Stimulability Training Program and its application in clinical practice.
• List at least four evidence-based strategies for increasing stimulability in children with limited phonetic inventories.
• Identify the target population for which the Miccio & Elbert (1996) Stimulability Program is most effective.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Education

Jill Hess, MS, CCC-SLP, Connect the Tots Speech Therapy; Caroline Mancuso, MA, CCC-SLP, aLINEment Therapy

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that affects a child’s ability to coordinate the movements necessary for speech. This session provides an in-depth overview of CAS, defining its primary and additional diagnostic features. We will explore how to identify early signs of CAS, particularly in children under the age of three, when intervention can have the greatest impact on speech development. Central to this discussion is the application of principles of motor learning in early intervention. These principles are crucial for optimizing treatment and helping children with CAS improve speech production. Attendees will gain practical knowledge on how to effectively apply these principles to their therapeutic approaches with young children. The session will also emphasizes the importance of empowering parents through coaching to support their child’s progress. By teaching caregivers strategies that align with current research, clinicians can help families reinforce therapeutic goals outside of therapy sessions. The session will provide actionable strategies for teaching parents how to use communication techniques and modeling in their daily interactions with their child, ensuring consistency and progress across environments. Specific strategies tailored to children with suspected CAS in early intervention will also be discussed. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the signs, principles of intervention and how to effectively collaborate with families to support the child’s development, leading to improved speech and communication outcomes.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify at least three primary diagnostic features and two additional indicators of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), including early signs in children under age three.
• Identify and describe at least two reasons why it is important to provide intervention for suspected childhood apraxia of speech (sCAS), even in the absence of a formal diagnosis.
• Describe and implement at least two key motor learning principles in early intervention, demonstrating how they can improve speech production in children with CAS.
• Formulate a plan for incorporating family collaboration techniques to reinforce therapy goals across home and community settings.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Early Intervention

Christine Brennan, PhD, CCC-SLP, University of Colorado Boulder

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming clinical practice in speech-language pathology and audiology by offering new opportunities to support communication, streamline documentation and enhance efficiency. At the same time, AI use raises important ethical and practical considerations, including issues related to accuracy, bias, data privacy and appropriate reliance on AI-generated outputs. Clinicians must be equipped to evaluate and implement these tools in ways that enhance, rather than replace, clinical expertise. This session presents a structured clinical decision-making approach (evaluate, apply, monitor, and reflect) for the ethical and effective use of AI in practice, informed by principles of evidence-based practice, ethical AI and implementation science. A case example, involving the use of ChatGPT to support written language in an individual with aphasia, will illustrate how AI can support functional communication outcomes. Building from this example, the session will explore applications of AI across clinical workflows, including intervention planning, documentation support and communication facilitation. Emphasis will be placed on identifying appropriate use cases, recognizing limitations of AI-generated content and maintaining clinical judgment. Ethical considerations will be integrated throughout, including transparency, bias mitigation and protection of patient privacy and confidentiality. The session will also briefly address how AI use in clinical contexts can inform research questions, while highlighting risks related to validity and authorship if AI is misapplied. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to evaluate AI tools and implement them responsibly in clinical practice.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and evaluate AI tools for clinical use by identifying potential risks related to accuracy, bias, data privacy and appropriateness for specific clinical tasks.
• Identify and apply AI-supported strategies to clinical workflows, including intervention planning, documentation and communication support, while maintaining clinician oversight.
• Analyze and monitor AI use in clinical practice by assessing output accuracy, patient impact and ethical considerations, including transparency, bias and appropriate implementation.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Multi-Interest │ASHA Certification Maintenance:  Content Area 1 (Ethics)

Chelsea Randall, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CNT; Shaunda Harendt, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, from Children’s Hospital Colorado

Infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) face a variety of challenges with feeding and swallowing due to their underlying diagnoses, medical comorbidities and interruption to typical development of feeding milestones that can occur with preterm birth. Many infants leave the NICU with identified oropharyngeal dysphagia and/or feeding difficulties and require ongoing treatment provided by community clinicians. This session aims to provide guidance for early intervention and other community clinicians in progressing oral feeding and managing dysphagia in highly complex patients following NICU discharge. Case studies will be discussed highlighting medically complex infants and considerations for ongoing treatment following NICU discharge.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify common medical conditions seen in infants who are discharged from the NICU.
• Identify and describe how premature birth and medical comorbidities can influence feeding and swallowing development in infancy.
• Apply evidence-based strategies and clinical reasoning to manage feeding and swallowing difficulties in medically complex infants.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Medical

Jaime L. Chadek, MA, CCC-SLP; Laura Cooper, MS, CCC-SLP, from Children’s Hospital Colorado

Play supports a child’s ability to explore their world, connect with others and to have fun. Play transcends culture, race and language and facilitates learning across all areas of development. Additionally, play allows children to repeatedly create, experiment, adjust and re-create, which fosters lifelong skills of ideation, perseverance, problem solving and conflict resolution. Play also provides endlessly motivating opportunities for children to develop symbolic language along with higher-level logic and reasoning goals.  For all these reasons, it is important that we work together to counterbalance, possibly challenge the sole use of concrete instruction by prioritizing play given its evidence-based power to support progress across all developmental domains. Identifying what play is and looks like for each individual child is a crucial objective in our work. The work of Dr. Stanley Greenspan shares the concept of Words-Action-Affect (W-A-A) where play partners introduce ideas and experiences for a young child through communication + action + affect (Brown, 2021). In this way, children can truly experience the depth of language by combining communication and actions in play routines with the ‘just right’ affect.  This approach offers experiential learning as compared to flashcards or direct instruction of vocabulary and basic language concepts. Together, we will explore the components of play and offer strategies on how to best connect with any child in any play or movement routine while considering play profiles and possible barriers to authentic engagement. Additionally, the presenters will provide opportunities to brainstorm and play together for practical takeaways.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe the five essential components of play, the factors impacting the success of a play interaction, and the characteristics of different play partner profiles.
• Identify therapy approaches to become more child-led and play-based to support engagement with a child.
• Identify and practice therapy strategies through sensory social and joint action routines to support your client’s overall communication development.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Early Intervention

Amy K. Peterson, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, University of Wyoming

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental “hidden” disorder that affects 7.5% of the population and is not a result of another disorder or diagnosis (Bishop et al., 2017; Tomblin et al., 1997). People diagnosed with DLD, often in early childhood, do not grow out of a need for support from a speech-language pathologists (SLP) throughout their school-age years, yet their needs will change as they progress through the K-12 academic system (Georgan et al., 2023; Conti-Ramsden et al., 2012; Dockrell et al., 2009). There is a large body of evidence to support SLPs who work with elementary-aged students with many interventions designed to be used by SLPs that tap into their language and learning expertise. SLPs who work with older students, however, do not have as many possible interventions to choose from that are tailored to the expertise of the SLP, fit the needs of their students, are evidence-based at the discourse level, or that integrate the curriculum in meaningful ways (Peterson et al., 2020; Peterson et al., in press). There is also a significant gap in training for SLPs who are working in the school setting related to integrating their knowledge into school-based practice (Farquharson et al., 2020; Heilmann & Bertone, 2021). This perceived gap influences the way SLPs integrate evidence-based practice and may greatly impact job satisfaction (Farquharson et al., 2022; Fulcher-Rood et al., 2020; Hall-Mills et al., 2023). SLPs working in secondary school settings feel particularly less supported and prepared to collaborate with their colleagues, which can also lead to difficulty figuring out the role of the SLP in these settings (DeLuca et al., 2023; Peterson et al., 2024; Peterson et al., 2025). This session will use case studies to highlight the ways DLD changes from kindergarten through the senior year of high school to provide SLPs with evidence-based resources and treatment ideas that can be immediately implemented with clients on their caseload. In this session, we will also explore how SLPs can collaborate with other team members in the educational setting to make curriculum-focused intervention plans using evidence-based interventions that meet the needs of students with DLD in different grade levels. We will also talk about the importance of practice-based evidence to support SLP best practice with adolescent students as a critical pillar – clinical expertise – of the evidence-based triangle (e.g., Vollebregt et al., 2022; Vollebregt et al., 2025).

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe how developmental language disorder changes throughout the school years.
• Identify and compare language services in schools with the services provided by other special educational team members.
• Describe how the role of the SLP can fit into the curriculum and support students with DLD across grade levels.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │Education

Abigail Anderson; Julie Barnett from Lupine Design Co.

This session explores an interdisciplinary collaboration between Lupine Design Co. and speech-language informed fields, highlighting the emerging role of sensory murals in supporting regulation and participation in community spaces. Sensory murals are intentionally designed, interactive installations that incorporate principles of sensory integration to provide accessible sensory input for children, particularly those who are neurodivergent. Grounded in speech and language theories and neuroscience, this session examines how visual, tactile and proprioceptive inputs within the built environment influence arousal, attention, emotional regulation and engagement in daily activities. Participants will review evidence supporting sensory-based environmental modifications and their impact on self-regulation and participation. Real-world applications will be demonstrated through case examples and video content showcasing implementation in a community-based sensory gym. Attendees will also gain practical strategies for collaborating with artists and community partners to design inclusive, regulation-supportive environments across clinical, school and community settings.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe the core components of sensory murals and how visual, tactile, and proprioceptive elements support sensory processing and engagement.
• Identify and analyze evidence-based principles related to sensory processing, nervous system regulation and environmental supports, including their impact on arousal, attention and participation.
• Identify strategies to integrate sensory mural concepts into practice and community settings through interdisciplinary

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Multi-Interest │ASHA Certification Maintenance:  Content Area 2 (CLI)

Christine Brennan, PhD, CCC-SLP, University of Colorado Boulder

Clinicians are expected to engage with research to support evidence-based clinical decision-making, yet many clinicians face barriers to locating and accessing high-quality publications, interpreting findings and translating results into practice. This session addresses these challenges through a practical, clinically grounded approach to research literacy and collaboration in speech-language pathology. The session begins by focusing on research literacy, including strategies for identifying credible publications, accessing relevant databases and evaluating methodological rigor. Participants will learn how to interpret key components of research studies, including study design, outcome measures and sources of bias, with an emphasis on determining clinical applicability. Structured approaches to critical appraisal will be introduced, drawing on established frameworks in speech-language pathology for evaluating the quality and applicability of research evidence, including systematic reviews. Participants will engage in guided examples to apply these appraisal strategies to real research scenarios. Building on this foundation, the session introduces models for clinician–researcher collaboration that move beyond passive consumption of research. Participants will develop initial plans for engaging in practice-based research, including initiating partnerships with academic researchers, contributing clinical data and participating in study design and implementation. Strategies for fostering sustainable collaborations, clarifying roles and aligning clinical and research priorities will be emphasized. Participants will leave with concrete tools and a structured approach for evaluating research and actionable strategies for initiating and sustaining collaborations that enhance both clinical practice and research outcomes.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
• Identify how to access high-quality research articles using discipline-specific databases and targeted search strategies.
• Identify and evaluate research studies for clinical applicability by analyzing study design, levels of evidence, outcome measures and potential sources of bias.
• Develop a plan for initiating clinician–researcher collaboration, including identifying potential partners, defining roles and integrating clinical data into research activities.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Multi-Interest

Brittany Hensley, AuD, CCC-A, UCHealth; Peyton Wilken, BA, University of Colorado Boulder

Public awareness of auditory processing (AP) differences is increasing, yet auditory skills–based evaluation and diagnosis remain widely misunderstood. Although the term auditory processing suggests a primarily peripheral auditory issue, listening difficulties are strongly influenced by language, cognition and neurodivergence—factors that are frequently underappreciated in clinical discussions. As a result, many individuals seeking AP evaluations report having their concerns minimized after receiving “normal hearing” results on standard audiometric testing. For these patients, validation of lived listening experiences and thoughtful counseling are often as impactful as formal assessment. This session will review current assessment tools and intervention approaches for auditory processing disorder (APD), discuss emerging evidence regarding the relationship between listening challenges and neurodivergence and present case studies of adults who self-referred for AP evaluation. Particular attention will be given to common referral patterns, patient expectations and counseling strategies when test results and functional complaints do not align neatly. The presenters will also share their own perspectives as neurodivergent clinicians and how this lens informs patient-centered care and rapport-building. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of when AP evaluation is appropriate, how to interpret results within a broader cognitive and linguistic context, and practical strategies for counseling patients who experience significant listening challenges despite normal audiometric findings.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe the multidimensional nature of auditory processing challenges, including the roles of auditory, language, cognitive and neurodivergent factors, and explain why “normal hearing” does not preclude significant listening difficulties.
• Identify appropriate indications for auditory processing evaluation and summarize current assessment and intervention approaches for adults with suspected auditory processing disorder (APD).
• Identify and apply patient‑centered counseling strategies to validate lived listening experiences, interpret assessment results in context and effectively support adults who self‑refer for auditory processing concerns.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Medical │ASHA Certification Maintenance:  Content Area 2 (CLI)

Amy K. Peterson, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, University of Wyoming

This session will first explore the importance of learning strategies to understand and use complex informational discourse. Discourse-level interventions are often contextualized as they require the SLP and the student to use language skills in the context of a larger unit of language like a textbook or an article. We will discuss how note-taking and oral practice can be used as learning strategies and then explore the combination of these strategies in one intervention. Sketch and Speak intervention is a contextualized, discourse-level intervention that has preliminary evidence of effectiveness to improve comprehension of informational texts for students who have language-related learning disabilities in grades 4-9 (Peterson et al., 2019; Peterson & Gregory, under review; Peterson & Ukrainetz, 2023; Peterson & Ukrainetz, 2025; Peterson et al., 2025; Ukrainetz, 2019; Ukrainetz & Peterson, 2021; Ukrainetz et al., 2025). Studies of this intervention have been conducted with speech-language pathologists as the interventionists, primarily in 1-1 settings, though clinically this has been used with small groups of students with positive results. The goal of this session is to provide educators with an alternate strategy intervention for their tool belt that could be useful for students who are averse to writing notes in traditional forms. The note-taking strategies include pictography and bulleted note forms to decrease some demands of academic writing for struggling students. The addition of oral generation and practice of complete sentences to note-taking in this intervention also helps students who have difficulty with language to remember important information, including key vocabulary words, main ideas and supporting details. By the end of this session, attendees will be able to explain the importance of this strategy combination in improving comprehension, implement the strategies on a variety of expository text types after hands-on practice and apply this strategy intervention across the curriculum.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe how to create explicit note-taking instruction and facilitate oral practice strategies to help students comprehend grade-level materials.
• Identify and articulate one way they can incorporate these strategies into reading and writing instruction.
• Describe why the combination of note-taking and oral practice may be more beneficial for students than one of these strategies alone.

Instructional Level:  Intermediate │ Education

Jaime Chadek, MA, CCC-SLP; Cameron Kruis, MA, CCC-SLP, from Children’s Hospital Colorado

Play is essential for child development, laying the foundation for social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth (Ingersoll, 2006; Short et al., 2020; Weisberg et al., 2013). In therapeutic contexts, play fosters increased communication skills and social connection (O’Connor & Stagnitti, 2011). For autistic children, who “require very substantial support” in areas of social communication and/or restrictive and repetitive behaviors (DSM-5, Level 3/Level 3), it’s imperative that therapists prioritize child-led play when designing interventions (Burch, 2022). However, therapists and caregivers often face specific, sometimes perceived barriers in implementing effective play, especially with children who require substantial support to engage and interact with others.  This session explores how ‘the collective we’ can get curious about what defines effective play and the strong strategies for creating adaptive, responsive, and relationship-based interactions. To do this, therapists must also recognize the importance of intellectual humility and the power of self-reflection. Therapy is not just about applying child-led techniques but also about knowing when and how to use these strategies in response to the child’s body and vocal cues. In this way, therapists must be flexible in their approach to play, letting go of control to allow children the opportunity to express themselves and to understand why communication matters. By reviewing therapy scenarios and discussing video clips, participants will learn to integrate child-led play, sensory regulation and joint attention principles into therapy, moving beyond compliance-based, adult-directed methods to foster deeper, more spontaneous communication opportunities for autistic children.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe barriers and challenges to play with children while emphasizing intellectual humility when considering individual differences and our own expectations for play.
• Identify at least three strategies to use inside child-led play routines that ultimately promote social connection and communication development.
• Identify and describe the ongoing dynamic between play partners to best support connection and growth when new ways to play and communicate are modeled and goals are added.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Early Intervention │ASHA Certification Maintenance:  Content Area 2 (CLI)

Shari DeVeney, PhD, CCC-SLP, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Kristina Peterkin, EdD, CCC-SLP, Rockhurst University

Although speech-language pathologists (SLPs) treat many communication disorders in children under three years of age, we rarely assess and treat speech sound production as the primary concern for early intervention services. Even though early therapeutic consideration of functional speech sound production deficits appears to be warranted based on empirical and theoretical support, clinical challenges remain that affect both assessment and intervention practices. Assessment challenges include irregularities in available normative data and limited information about the reliability of informal diagnostic measures. For intervention, empirically supported treatment approaches are limited for this young population. However, despite these and other relevant issues unique to working with toddlers, there are resources available to inform diagnostic decisions and help guide evidence-based speech sound production intervention.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe limitations in assessing speech sound productions of toddlers.
• Identify speech sound intervention approaches that have some available empirical support for use with toddler.
• Describe opportunities to improve evidence-based practice in speech sound production assessment and intervention for children younger than three years of age.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Early Intervention

Nicholas Raymond, MA, CCC-SLP; Conner Vergoz, MA, CCC-SLP; Aspen Christen, MS, CCC-SLP, from National Jewish Health

Inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO), exercise induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) and breathing pattern disorder (BPD) are commonly seen upper airway diagnoses that can be seen across the lifespan and also prominent in adolescence. The aim of the session is to provide key characteristics regarding these diagnoses as well as diagnostics, treatment and referral pathways.  The target audience for this session is clinicians who could come across these in clinical practice. Participants will gain knowledge on general overview of diagnoses, pathophysiology, clinical session, epidemiology, diagnostics and treatment foundations.  Participants will gain tangible tools that will provide clinical utility and direct implementation in their practice.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe key characteristics of inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO), exercise induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) and breathing pattern disorder (BPD).
• Identify and describe common differentiating factors between these diagnoses and commonly seen pulmonary conditions.
• Describe common treatment methods/mechanisms used with these patient diagnoses and presentations.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Medical

Maria Chisolm, MS, CCC-SLP, Layers Consulting

Dynamic assessment is a practical, evidence-based approach that helps speech-language pathologists move beyond static test scores to better understand how a learner responds to support. By using a test-teach-retest model, clinicians can examine learning potential, modifiability and response to instruction in ways that strengthen differential diagnosis and intervention planning. This session will introduce efficient approaches to dynamic assessment for use in school and clinical settings across diverse learner populations, including monolingual students, multilingual learners and students whose performance may not be fully captured by standardized measures alone. Participants will explore structured dynamic assessment frameworks, methods for documenting modifiability and strategies for interpreting findings within the broader evaluation process. Through case examples and video demonstrations, participants will leave with tools they can use to make more accurate and equitable assessment decisions.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe the principles of dynamic assessment and how it informs assessment and diagnostic decisions.
• Demonstrate at least two dynamic assessment techniques that can be used to evaluate learning potential across language domains.
• Interpret dynamic assessment findings to support differential diagnosis and intervention planning for learners with complex communication profiles.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Education │ASHA Certification Maintenance:  Content Area 2 (CLI)

Check back for details.

Danielle Maglinte, MS, CCC-SLP, Talking Together Inc; Colleen Krummenacker, MA, CCC-SLP, NuMotion Speech Solutions

During this session participants will learn the steps to obtaining an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device for their clients. Participants will also learn how to obtain a trial device, recall trial and funding process requirements, justify the speech device in a funding report and describe how to initially set up an AAC device.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe the insurance requirements for the AAC trial and funding process.
• Demonstrate how to write a letter of justification for an AAC device.
• Identify and describe the steps of initially setting up a speech device.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ AAC

Allison Hilger, PhD, CCC-SLP, University of Colorado Boulder; Caitlin Cloud, MA, CCC-SLP, University of Nebraska Lincoln; Kylie Dunne-Platero, MA, CCC-SLP, Medical University of South Carolina

Motor speech assessment requires clinicians to identify perceptual speech features and translate them into a differential diagnosis, a process that is often challenging due to variability in feature identification and lack of structured clinical tools. This session will provide a clinically focused tutorial on the Colorado Motor Speech Framework (CMSF), a practical tool designed to support auditory-perceptual assessment and improve diagnostic decision-making. The CMSF organizes commonly used motor speech assessment tasks and links salient speech characteristics to motor speech disorder subtypes and underlying neuropathophysiology. In this session, participants will learn how to use the CMSF to identify clinically meaningful speech features; recognize patterns of impairment across speech subsystems; and translate those patterns into differential diagnoses. Case-based examples will be used to demonstrate how the tool can be implemented in real-time clinical settings, including time-constrained environments such as acute care. Preliminary data suggest that use of the CMSF is associated with high diagnostic accuracy (95%) and strong agreement in severity ratings, even when agreement on individual speech features is variable. These findings highlight the importance of pattern recognition in motor speech diagnosis and support the use of structured tools to guide clinical reasoning. The CMSF requires minimal equipment and can be completed in approximately 10–15 minutes, making it feasible across a range of clinical settings. Participants will leave with practical strategies for integrating the CMSF into their clinical workflow to support more consistent and efficient motor speech assessment.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify salient speech features across motor speech subsystems using structured auditory-perceptual assessment.
• Describe how to apply the Colorado Motor Speech Framework (CMSF) to organize clinical observations and support differential diagnosis of motor speech disorders.
• Identify and interpret patterns of speech features to distinguish among dysarthria subtypes and apraxia of speech.
• Integrate the CMSF into clinical workflow to support efficient assessment in time-constrained settings.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Medical

Acey Holmes, MS, CCC-SLP, BoredLess Consulting

Burnout is widely discussed in speech-language pathology, yet many clinicians continue to experience high levels of fatigue, cognitive overload and unsustainable workloads. Traditional approaches often focus on individual strategies, while the underlying conditions that contribute to burnout remain unchanged. This session examines burnout through the lens of clinical practice, with attention to how cognitive load, competing demands and workplace dynamics shape clinician capacity. Participants will explore how factors such as constant task-switching, documentation requirements and decision fatigue impact focus, efficiency and overall well-being across school, medical and early intervention settings. The session introduces a framework for understanding sustainability in clinical work, grounded in neuroscience and adult learning. Participants will examine how the brain responds to prolonged demand and limited recovery and how small shifts in workflow, expectations and communication can support more effective and sustainable practice. Participants will identify patterns that contribute to fatigue and reduced effectiveness and will leave with practical strategies to support focus, reduce cognitive strain and improve day-to-day clinical functioning. The goal is not to add more to clinicians’ plates, but to create conditions that allow them to do their work more effectively and sustainably.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe at least two factors contributing to burnout in clinical practice, including cognitive load and workplace demands.
• Identify patterns in their own work that contribute to fatigue, inefficiency, or reduced clinical effectiveness.
• Identify and describe at least two strategies to support focus, reduce cognitive strain, and improve sustainability in clinical practice.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Multi-Interest

Anna Ortlip-Hume, MA, CCC-SLP; Jodi Krause, MEd; Jillian Pesa, BA, from Children’s Hospital Colorado

Students returning to school after acquired brain injury, often present with a complex profile of cognitive communication deficits that impact access to general education curriculum, social participation, self-advocacy and overall school engagement. School-based speech-language pathologists play a critical role in collaboration with members of the special education team in facilitating reintegration, yet these cases require individualized and flexible, often interdisciplinary, approaches. Many school-based professionals’ express discomfort, or a lack of confidence, working with this population.  This session will explore the multifaceted challenges of school reintegration for students following brain injury including deficits in attention, memory, executive functions and language skills. We will explore aphasia, apraxia, alexia and dysarthria in greater detail and discuss appropriate interventions, accommodations and strategies for the classroom and beyond.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between brain injury severities including anticipated recovery and risk of persistent deficit.
• Identify common cognitive communication profiles associated with students returning to school after brain injury.
• Describe how to review clinical assessments to help inform school re-entry and choose additional measures, informal and formal, for ongoing assessment.
• Identify and interpret existing data for intervention development, goal writing and input on accommodations and strategies for all school team members.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Education

E. Danielle Maglinte, MS, CCC-SLP, Talking Together Inc.

There is a smorgasbord of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) options, including a party platter of language systems and spread of hardware systems. This series, Part I (S21) and Part 2 (S25) will serve up wide ranging knowledge about AAC across the board. Part I will focus on learning about the most popular, robust language systems and AAC apps. Part II will focus on learning about the hardware systems and dedicated devices, what language systems are available on the different hardware systems and what alternate access methods are available on the different dedicated devices. Come learn about the tasting board of AAC options that are currently available!

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe the different features of robust AAC language systems and AAC apps.
• Identify and describe different features of AAC hardware systems and dedicated devices.
• Formulate strategies for determining which language system or hardware system may be a good match for AAC trials.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ AAC

Lindsay M. Stevens, MA, CCC-SLP, Dignity Health’s St. Joseph’s Hospital

Dysphagia presents complex clinical challenges that require thoughtful, evidence-informed decision-making. This session delivers a practical, clinically focused overview of swallowing disorders, including key physiological considerations and the potential consequences of aspiration. Participants will examine the role of thickened liquids as a tool to support swallowing safety, with focused discussion on underlying rationale, current evidence and ongoing controversies. Safety considerations and limitations will be emphasized to support individualized, patient-centered care. This session goes beyond foundational content to include practical considerations and clinical nuances not typically addressed in standard dysphagia presentations. Participants will compare commercially available thickening agents across age groups, gain familiarity with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) framework and explore actionable strategies for implementation in clinical practice. The session culminates in an interactive, hands-on thickening lab designed to build confidence and consistency in preparing and testing liquids. Participants will leave with practical tools and clinical insight to support confident decision-making and effective use of thickened liquids in real-world settings.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe swallowing physiology and identify potential consequences of dysphagia.
• Identify and describe the rationale and current evidence supporting the use of thickened liquids.
• Identify safety considerations and limitations of thickened liquids to support individualized, patient-centered care.
• Differentiate commercially available thickening agents, apply the IDDSI framework, and demonstrate accurate preparation and testing of thickened liquids for clinical implementation.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Medical

Jessica Rossi-Katz, PhD, CCC-A, MSU Denver

Speech-language pathologists and audiologists support clients with communication disorders and their families as they experience many different emotions.  Our scopes of practice recognize our professional responsibility to our clients’ feelings through the provision of personal adjustment counseling. David Luterman (2020), offers that grief work is at the heart of personal adjustment counseling.  Grief is a dynamic and complex process that is a natural response to loss.  Yet, grief may be especially difficult for clinicians to navigate in therapeutic spaces.  In this session, we will examine the complex process of grief, how it accompanies loss – including non-death and ambiguous loss – and the connection between grief, loss and change. Participants will be invited to examine their own grief literacy and reflect on their personal knowledge, skills and values surrounding difficult emotions.  As a group, we will explore ways clinicians may work with grief while promoting client/family empowerment and ensuring their own wellbeing.  Clinicians across practice settings and serving diverse populations are encouraged to attend.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and examine difficult emotions that may arise in clinical encounters, including the complex emotion of grief.
• Identify and describe types of losses associated with grief.
• Demonstrate ways that clinicians may work with difficult emotions, including grief, in clinical exchanges.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Multi-Interest

Jaime Chadek, MA, CCC-SLP; Laura Cooper, MS, CCC-SLP, from Children’s Hospital Colorado

One of the hottest clinical topics in the world of speech-language therapy over the last five years has been gestalt language processing (GLP), especially its recent resurgence in the world of social media and often in tandem with the neurodiversity movement. What feels a bit shocking, however, is the fact that both analytic and gestalt language processing has been studied since the early 1970s, with initial works by linguist Ann Peters, followed by Barry Prizant and Marge Blanc in her 2012 book, where she termed natural language acquisition (NLA). As SLPs, we are not only responsible for identifying gestalt language processing but also for prioritizing detective work to create individualized intervention plans that match the child’s communicative intentions and progress them towards the use of conventional language. In this session, participants will learn the differences between gestalt language as compared to analytic language processing, the characteristics that may indicate a gestalt language learner including assessment considerations and comprehensive descriptions of the NLA stages. Through collaborative discussion and review of video case studies, we will strive to show how a collection of specific language facilitation strategies can engage and teach a child who processes language in a gestalt way.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe gestalt language processing (GLP) characteristics and contrast to analytic language processing.
• Identify and explore strategies to support specific stages of GLP through assessment and therapy.
• Describe additional GLP considerations: stuck single words, school-aged children and sensory integration.
• Identify and describe how to analyze clinician and child video case studies.
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Instructional Level: Introductory │ Education │ASHA Certification Maintenance:  Content Area 2 (CLI)

Check back for more details.

E. Danielle Maglinte, MS, CCC-SLP, Talking Together Inc.

There is a smorgasbord of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) options, including a party platter of language systems and spread of hardware systems. This series, Part I (S 21) and Part II (S25) will serve up wide ranging knowledge about AAC across the board. Part I will focus on learning about the most popular, robust language systems and AAC apps. Part II will focus on learning about the hardware systems and dedicated devices, what language systems are available on the different hardware systems and what alternate access methods are available on the different dedicated devices. Come learn about the tasting board of AAC options that are currently available!

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe the different features of robust AAC language systems and AAC apps.
• Identify and describe different features of AAC hardware systems and dedicated devices.
• Formulate strategies for determining which language system or hardware system may be a good match for AAC trials.

Instructional Level: Introductory │AAC

Olivia Kunevicius, Mile Hi Modern Realty

After a sudden cardiac arrest resulted in an anoxic brain injury, Jessica’s life changed dramatically. Before her injury, she was a bilingual immigration attorney who worked primarily with Spanish-speaking clients and relied daily on complex communication, legal reasoning and problem-solving. Following the injury, she entered a long rehabilitation journey that included relearning foundational literacy and cognitive-communication skills with the support of speech-language pathologists. In this session, Olivia will share a family member’s perspective on Jessica’s years of recovery, including their time at Craig Hospital and their ongoing work with SLPs in the areas of reading, writing, memory, cognition, executive function and communication in both English and Spanish. Through this personal narrative, participants will hear how speech-language pathology services supported skill redevelopment, identity, participation, independence and quality of life after acquired brain injury. The session will invite clinicians to consider the lived experience of brain injury rehabilitation from the patient and family perspective. Participants will reflect on the role of SLPs in helping individuals rebuild functional skills, navigate long-term recovery, and set meaningful, person-centered goals that connect therapy to everyday life.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Analyze how patient and family narratives can inform person-centered, collaborative goal setting in speech-language pathology rehabilitation.
• Describe the role of speech-language pathologists in supporting reading, writing, memory, cognition and executive function during rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury
• Identify at least three functional communication and cognitive-linguistic needs that may emerge during rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury, including literacy, memory and executive function.
• Summarize a first-person/family perspective on how speech-language pathology services affected functional recovery, daily participation and quality of life after acquired brain injury.

Instructional Level:  Introductory | Multi Interest

PENDING

Caroline Woeber, MA, CCC-SLP; Jaime Chadek, MA, CCC-SLP, from Children’s Hospital Colorado

Traditionally, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems have been designed through an analytic lens, focusing on single words to build sentences. However, for gestalt language learners (GLP), language acquisition typically begins with holistic “chunks” or gestalts. While the clinical community increasingly recognizes this population, there is currently limited evidence-based research specifically linking AAC architecture to GLP. This presentation bridges that gap by delivering practical, effective strategies derived from clinical experience and the natural language acquisition (NLA) framework. Grounded in the Communication Bill of Rights, we will first examine the “why” behind integrating AAC for GLP reframing technology as yet another vehicle for autonomy. Participants will then analyze video case studies to observe how children across various NLA stages utilize AAC with the support of a speech-language pathologist to move from scripts to original and conventionally relevant language. This session will also provide a deep dive into specific AAC features and programming strategies with the opportunity to engage in hands-on practice with multiple AAC applications and vocabularies specifically built or adapted for GLP. Clinicians will leave with not only a toolkit but also the confidence to initiate AAC intervention early, ensuring that gestalt language learners have expanded communication opportunities.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe the “why” behind integration of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to support gestalt language (GLP) with reference to the Communication Bill of Rights.
• Describe how to analyze video-recorded therapeutic AAC interactions with children who use language across natural language acquisition stages.
• Identify AAC features and programming strategies that may best support a child who is a gestalt language learner and investigate multiple AAC applications and vocabularies already built for GLP with hands-on practice.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ AAC│ASHA Certification Maintenance:  Content Area 2 (CLI)

Laura Smith, MS, CCC-SLP, A Mile High Speech Therapy

Childhood apraxia of speech is a motor speech sound disorder characterized by difficulties with speech motor planning. Treatment approaches for other speech sound disorders are not effective for CAS since they are not targeting the planning and programming of the movements needed for speech. Treatment requires different goals and strategies incorporating the principles of motor learning, with a strategic way to get not only acquisition but generalization of the treatment targets. The importance of a solid treatment plan is integral for success as well as adjustments that may need to be made throughout. This session is designed to guide clinicians into developing a solid treatment plan for CAS to ensure the optimal outcomes. The presenter will be pulling from her more than a decade of experience specializing in CAS as well as personal experiences being the mother to a child with CAS.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and explain how to use data from an evaluation to develop a personalized treatment plan.
• Identify at least three different practical strategies for the treatment of CAS.
• Describe at least two ways CAS affects an individual beyond speech motor planning.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Medical

Katie Brellenthin, MA, CCC-SLP, Children’s Colorado Hospital; Cynthia (Cindy) Durr, MS, CCC-SLP, Children’s Colorado Hospital; Shaunda Harendt, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, Children’s Colorado Hospital, Tracheology Speech-Language Pathology Services

What is the foundational knowledge for school and community-based speech-language pathologists when working with students who have tracheostomies, including those on ventilators? Key areas of focus include pediatric tracheostomy basics, the application of one-way speaking and swallowing valves, strategies for safe participation in snack/lunch times, effective collaboration with medical team(s) and identifying available resources to support you and the students on your caseload.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe the functional differences between trach accessories, including an HME, one-way valve (OWV) and a tracheostomy cap.
• Describe how to recognize when a child is comfortable wearing their OWV and when the OWV should be removed.
• Identify and describe ways to support children with tracheostomies during snack or lunch time during the school day.
• List three support resources for clinicians managing pediatric tracheostomy patients.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Medical

Various

The Knowledge Quest is a review of general knowledge from all areas of practice in speech-language pathology and audiology. While competing for the title of “Champion”, student participants will be required to demonstrate knowledge and best practice in the areas of research methods, professional practice and medical treatment across the disciplines by answering a number of questions related to all aspects of the field.  Audience members, along with students and other professionals will test their knowledge and review important information to gain exposure to new content.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and list pertinent practice concepts related to the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology.
• Demonstrate knowledge of a broad range of concepts and skills related to their field of practice of speech-language-pathology or audiology.
• Identify areas for professional growth through analysis of identified areas of weakness.

Instructional Level: Introductory │ Multi-Interest

Caroline Woeber, MA, CCC-SLP, Children’s Hospital Colorado; Linnéa Johnson, RN, BSN, Parent Advocate

Research has shown the importance of training communication partners who support individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) and use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). However, facilitating early device adoption and caregiver buy-in can be challenging for a multitude of reasons. This session aims to explore the foundational aspects to caregiver-provider partnership and how clinicians may apply similar steps to their patient population. With a focus on holistic care, participants will be able to self-assess their current caregiver-provider relationships and prepare actionable steps to improve patient care in the use of AAC systems.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and differentiate between the three styles of caregiver-provider relationships.
• Formulate three actionable tasks to improve a caregiver-provider relationship.
• Identify and generalize one communication partner strategy to the caregiver-provider relationship.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ AAC

Holly Kleiber, SLPD, CCC-SLP, University of Colorado Boulder; Kristen Mascareñas Wendling, MA, CCC-SLP, Craig Hospital

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a well-established role in supporting communication at the end of life, often focusing on helping individuals express immediate wants and needs. While this work is essential, it represents only part of the role of communication for individuals approaching the end of life. Many patients are also navigating deeper questions about identity, meaning, relationships and legacy, all topics that may be difficult to express, particularly when communication abilities are compromised. This session invites SLPs to reconsider and expand their role in end-of-life care by moving beyond functional communication alone to facilitate opportunities for reflection, connection and meaning-making. Drawing on both professional practice and personal experiences caring for loved ones at the end of life, the presenters will explore how communication support can help patients express important messages to their loved ones. For example, hospice and palliative care doctor, Ira Byock, noted that his patients often wanted to ask for forgiveness, tell others they were forgiven, express their gratitude and say, “I love you.” This session will introduce practical strategies for supporting difficult and complex conversations for patients and families during this last stage of life. Participants will actively engage through interactive case study discussions that highlight common clinical dilemmas and opportunities for intervention. By the end of the session, participants will leave with an expanded perspective on the SLP’s role in end-of-life care and a practical set of strategies to support patients in communicating not only their needs, but also their stories, values and final messages of connection.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Define the role of speech-language pathologists in end-of-life care.
• Identify and explain how SLPs can support individuals to communicate more than their basic wants and needs at the end of their lives.
• Identify and apply strategies to case studies of end-of-life communication dilemmas.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Multi-Interest

Sydney Fleege, OTD, OTR/L, CommonSpirit, MGA Homecare

Primitive reflexes are often taught as a checklist of movements expected to integrate within the first year of life. However, in clinical practice, many children present with persistent or partially integrated reflexes that influence motor development, postural control, sensory processing and functional participation in ways that are not always obvious. This session is designed for clinicians seeking to move beyond basic identification of primitive reflexes and toward a deeper understanding of their functional implications. Participants will explore how retained reflex patterns may present in everyday pediatric populations, including subtle signs that are often overlooked or misattributed to behavior, coordination or attention challenges. Through a neurodevelopmental lens, this session will connect reflex persistence to real-world outcomes such as delayed motor skills, reduced endurance for postural tasks, difficulty with bilateral coordination and challenges with regulation and attention. Emphasis will be placed on clinical reasoning, assessment strategies and practical intervention approaches that support reflex integration within meaningful, functional contexts. Participants will leave with a more advanced framework for identifying, interpreting and addressing primitive reflexes in pediatric practice, allowing for more targeted and effective intervention planning.

Learner Outcomes: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between typical reflex integration and persistent reflex patterns beyond infancy.
• Identify subtle clinical signs of retained primitive reflexes in pediatric populations.
• Analyze the impact of persistent reflexes on motor development, postural control and functional participation.
• Apply evidence-informed strategies to support reflex integration within functional, child-centered interventions.

Instructional Level: Intermediate │ Medical