Resound))) - Fall, 2017In this Issue:
We value your membership but much more, we value you as part of our network of pathways that support and strengthens our unique organization. NBASLH is much more than an association, it’s a culture. Let me know how networking has enhanced your career and how our pathways can strengthen you further. Cathy Runnels, M.S., CCC-SLP
Upcoming Board Meetings:
Board Member News
NBASLH @ ASHA  ATTENDING ASHA??? Come Join the National Black Association of Speech, Language and Hearing for a rooftop MIX N MINGLE Reception this year at the ASHA convention! What better way to end a convention day by joining us under the stars, on the rooftop! Sponsored by High Desert Speech and Language Center, Inc.Where: 1360 S. Figueroa (on the Rooftop), Los Angeles California
(right across the street from the Los Angeles Convention Center) Time: 8:30pm-11pm
Food and Drinks will be served
RSVP to Dr. Elle at [email protected] or 760-403-7396
Interested in volunteering at the NBASLH Exhibit Booth during ASHA? Email Dr. Elle at:
Washington, D.C. is our nation’s capital and the place where the first formal NBASLH committee meeting was held on the campus of Howard University. The significance of Washington, D.C. is important in the history of NBASLH as well as the African-American experience. We encourage you to experience all of the culture, sights and sounds of what “The District” has to offer. We know that the hottest ticket in town is for the culture; however, there are plenty of other museums and points of interest to be explored! Check out the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, The African American Civil War Memorial, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House or National Museum of African Art. Are you a foodie? If so, you will love the food scene. Washington, D.C. has a variety of black owned restaurants that will be great to sample such as Ben’s Chili Bowl, Smith Public Trust and Twin Jazz to name a few. We hope to see you for the 40th in Washington, D.C.! Sincerely, Jessica Sullivan, PhD and Hadiya Coppedge, MA This is the 40th year of the NBASLH Convention. Our theme is "40 Years of Legendary Leadership in Speech, Language, and Hearing". We are requesting research proposals that focus on the cultural and linguistic influences on communication disorders, especially in the African American community. In addition, research proposals should present new research findings or research in progress dealing with typical and/or atypical aspects of hearing, language, speech, or swallowing. Presentations should be based on original research and provide new data/information pertaining to either scientific bases of the discipline or clinical practice. Data/information regarding new interpretations of existing data may also be included in this category. The objective of a research presentation is to share the process and products of inquiry. Visit http://www.nbaslh.org/call-for-papers for more details and to submit your abstract online. Proposals must be submitted by midnight, November 17, 2017. Thank you,
Giving Back to My People, My Home: An SLP’s Commitment to HAITI: Pearl of the Antilles
Haiti which is also referred to as Ayiti has been labeled the “Pearl of the Antilles”. Haiti occupies the western one-third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with its neighbor, the Dominican Republic. The perception that many have of Haiti, has been shaped by historical events or media images that have highlighted: Haiti’s as the first black independent republic (1804), the devastating earthquake that occurred in 2010, and the poorest county in the Western Hemisphere. Over the years, Haiti has had its challenges and share of negative press, yet it is the country I love and call home. It has always been my passion to bring my talents to my country, my home. My years of experience have afforded me the opportunity to do just that, to provide not only professional services to my home, but to expose others to the rich culture, people and resiliency of the Haitian community, thus changing the narrative and inviting others to serve. While I have always called it my mission to bring Speech Pathology to Haiti, my service to Haiti first started after the devastating earthquake in 2010. In response to the devastation and the cries of students, faculty, and staff of Haitian descent, Howard University, extended its annual Alternative Spring Break (ASB) to include the nation of Haiti, which had been ravaged by an earthquake the year before. service learning opportunity to include the island of Haiti in 2011. As a faculty member of Haitian descent, I welcomed the opportunity to serve both my people, as well as, the university, and have been so annually since then. Alternative Spring Break is a University wide initiative, coordinated through the Office of the Dean of the Chapel, at Howard University. This service learning program is a meaningful opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills through community service while honing in on the skills of their profession and discerning how their unique gifts and skills can be used to address the problems of communities in need and the world at large. As the faculty advisor and site coordinator for Alternative Spring Break Haiti, I have had the pleasure of organizing the trip and traveling with students across from campus for the past several years including coordinating the sites for service and lodging, arranging visits with governmental agencies/facilities, and implemented interdisciplinary activities for student participants. To date, a total of 93 students and 12 faculty, staff, as well as, university administrators have traveled to Haiti representing our various schools and colleges (i.e. College of Arts and Sciences, College of Dentistry, College of Engineering and Architecture, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Graduate School, School of Business, School of Communications, School of Divinity, School of Education, School of Law and School of Social Work. The student participants have represented a cross section of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students across majors who bring their gifts and talents to serve. This trip not only consists of inter-professional service, but also serves as a mechanism for team building across students, personal and professional development, self- refection, as well as, a cultural/language immersion opportunity. Over the last several years HU: ASB participants have completed a number of projects which include but are not limited to: working on construction and infrastructure development projects (i.e. painting murals/schools and planting gardens); various health care initiatives (i.e. providing hearing and dental screenings, conducting speech and language evaluations/providing classroom teachers with strategies to implement in the classroom to assist students, conducting boardmaker workshops, dental hygiene workshops, infectious diseases workshops); education (i.e. working in classrooms, teaching English language courses, developing and carrying out lesson plans for specified topics requested by the schools or generated by HU students); social service initiatives (i.e. self-esteem workshops for young girls, vision board development, fear burning, etc.); business initiatives (i.e. marketing plan development); as well as, global affairs. Many of the students that have traveled as part of the ASB Haiti delegation have either never traveled outside of the United States and/or have never completed a mission trip dedicated to service and have written testimonials about how the trip has affected their world view, and profession. One student wrote: “This trip also became important to me because I now realize what I want to do with my life and that is serving. I want to get into Public Health but do it globally. I fell in love this week. I fell in love with Haiti, the country and deeply with the people. I would be lying to you if I told you I am not coming back to Haiti. I am. This trip was the beginning of my transformation” My connection to ASB led to collaboration on another project, serving as the co-chair for the annual teacher summer training institute from July 2011 to date. According to UNICEF, only 15% of teachers at the primary level have basic teacher qualifications (including university degrees), and nearly 25% have never even attended secondary school. To address this issue, Teacher Summer Institute (TSI) was developed as a forum to connect teachers in Haiti with those abroad providing professional development workshops. During TSI, certified trainers/professionals lead workshops, lectures, and seminars focused on enhancing teaching practices. These seminars provide a space for the exchange of ideas on contemporary and pragmatic education practices that will be applied to the classroom immediately. Similar to the interprofessional nature of ASB Haiti, TSI has included professionals representing a variety of industries such as business, education, law, media, nursing, psychology, and speech language pathology. To date, approximately 900 teachers have participated in the annual teacher summer training institute. TSI has resulted in: the formation of a local teacher’s union; bonding for teachers across the region; as well as, network of educators committed to the advancement of better education in Haiti. As a Speech Language Pathologist, TSI has served as a need to address special education needs from a communication sciences and disorders perspectives with topics such as: Demystifying Special Education, Creative Ways for Classroom Instruction, Warning Signs: How to identify and modify the classroom for students with suspected disabilities, Learning styles: How To Tap Into Every Unique Learner, Let’s Talk: Language And What It Means In The Classroom, and Using communication boards in the classroom. We often think we are limited to the scope of our training but there is a world beyond just speech and many ways to use both your personal and professional talents. It all starts with our passion and drive. My love of Haiti instilled by parents, proud immigrants, will never leave me, as will my desire to serve and advance both my people and my nation. As Harry Belafonate sings in his song “Haiti Cherie”: Haiti Cherie, says Haiti is my beloved land There is a Haitian saying: “man anpil chay pa lou” with many hands the work is not difficult. I welcome the many hands that want to help continue to work that is being done in Haiti. For more information about Dr. Martine Elie or to participate in the work that she is doing in Haiti, contact her at [email protected]
Tiffany Slater is a second year graduate student at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia. She received her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences Disorders at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Tiffany is currently completing her 12-week educational placement at Springfield Elementary School in Springfield, Georgia. She is a member of the Georgia Speech-Language Hearing Association (GSHA) and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA). Her areas of interest include cognitive-linguistic disorders following stroke, head-injury or neurological illness, aphasia, dysarthria and apraxia of speech. After graduation in May 2018, Tiffany plans to complete her clinical fellowship in Atlanta, Georgia. Tiffany and her colleague, Eva-Christine Hall, were selected to present their research poster at the 2017 American Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention in Los Angeles, California on November 11, 2017. Their topic area is Language Disorders in Adults and the title of the presentation is Pharmacological Intervention in Rehabilitating Word Retrieval Skills in Individuals with Aphasia. Pharmaceuticals can be found in both the treatment of aphasia and the amelioration of neuropsychiatric conditions concomitant to lesions in the brain. As service providers to individuals with aphasia, speech-language pathologists must be aware of the various pharmaceutical approaches and their efficacy to expedite the therapeutic process. They must distinguish between the barriers of the aphasia itself and the socioemotional conditions that accompany the aphasia, considering whether pharmaceuticals may help alleviate either barrier. Four studies were reviewed comparing the effects of pharmaceutical agents and language enhancement in the area of naming/word-retrieval in individuals with aphasia. The analyses focused on the outcomes produced when dopaminergic, cholinergic and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are independently combined with efficient and effective speech therapy. Our findings suggest that pharmacotherapy may have a positive effect on naming/word retrieval in individuals with aphasia. One of the limitations of this research was the selection of the agents used in the studies. There are a myriad number of agents that could be tested to improve language and concomitant issues that may appear in individuals with lesions in the brain. Additional research needs to be conducted to determine the effects, effectiveness and efficacy of pharmaceuticals concurrent to treatment. Particularly, with individuals with aphasia where naming/word retrieval is difficult, Speech-Language Pathologist need to stay abreast of pharmacotherapy approaches.
SCAE AWARDS: As the new semester starts for many of our affiliates so starts the planning and for exciting programs and projects. As a way to increase the visibility and knowledge regarding our organization and the Speech-language Pathology profession, the NBASLH board has “cook up” a friendly completion among the affiliates. We are implementing our SCAE project. SCAE stands for Service, Career Awareness/Recruitment and Education. Using our theme for the 2018 NBASLH convention, 40 years of Legendary Leadership in Speech, Language and Hearing, as a motivation Affiliate chapters are encouraged to create projects in their communities around Service, Career Awareness/Recruitment and Education! These projects can take place between September 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018 and should be submitted by March 31, 2018 to be considered for our Affiliate of the Year award. Chapters should strive to target all three areas for maximum exposure! Thanks in advance for all you do for your local and national communities. Remember to keep the NBASLH legacy strong! Chapters please be sure to send to me and the NBASLH office the contact information for your chapters. (including name, email address and phone number) We want to make sure that we have the most up to date information on our website. Any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me Katrina E. Miller, Affiliate Chair at [email protected] or 919-530-7300 during normal business hours. NBASLH Awards & Scholarships NBASLH award and scholarship opportunities are available! Please visit the website for details and to apply today. The application deadline is March 1, 2018. Please encourage your colleagues to nominate professionals and encourage students to submit applications! Other NBASLH Member News
Dr. Yvette D. Hyter and Dr. Marlene Salas-Provance co-authored a book on "Culturally Responsive Practices in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences". It is published by Plural Publishing and will be available in December 2017. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Clinical Scholars Program The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Clinical Scholars program provides funding and leadership training to clinically active providers with experience in providing healthcare services in a local community. Preferred applicants are engaged in their community and motivated to leverage their passion and ideas to improve health beyond the clinical setting. Fellows identify complex health equity issues further challenged by social, political, and environmental factors and propose novel interdisciplinary approaches to improve health beyond the clinical setting. Potential fellows apply in multidisciplinary clinical teams (> 2) and may represent the range of health affair professions: dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, social work, and/or veterinary medicine. The currently funded 2016 team projects are focused on a range of complex health issues: oral health, mental health and opioid abuse, behavioral health, immigrant health, community violence, and the foster care system (http://clinicalscholarsnli.org). Applications for Clinical Scholars Fellows will open in January 2018. Sign up at our site to receive updates on the call for applications and invitations to applicant webinars. Clinical Aphasiology Conference Call for Papers The 47th annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference (CAC) will be held at Lakeway Resort and Spa, Austin, TX from May 22 to 26, 2018. The 2018 Conference Chairperson is Swathi Kiran and the Program Chairperson is Mary Boyle. CAC provides a forum for clinicians and researchers engaged in the study and clinical management of persons with acquired neurologic language disorders to present their recent research and engage in extensive discussions with colleagues. To develop an informal atmosphere conducive to the free exchange of ideas, CAC attendance is limited to approximately 120 people. A number of competitive student fellowships are available to students who have earned authorship on a paper submitted to CAC. To attend the 2018 CAC, you must submit a summary of an original paper, poster, or round table discussion no later than Monday, January 15, 2018 at 11:59pm PST. You can submit a paper at https://clinicalaphasiologyconference.org/. Additional information about student fellowships can be found at https://clinicalaphasiologyconference.org/students-at-cac/nidcd-student-fellowship/. Additional inquiries should be directed to Mary Boyle, Ph.D., at [email protected]. Hampton University Adds Area of Specialization and Addresses Shortage of School-Based SLPs Carla J. Jones, Ph.D., Tamara Freeman-Nichols, Ph.D., and Dorian Lee-Wilkerson, Ph.D. It is a well-known fact that the demand for Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) has exceeded the available supply for many years. This is particularly applicable to the need for school-based clinicians where a pervasive shortage exists in both urban and rural settings nationwide. This demand becomes even greater for schools in those districts that have been designated as high need, low achieving schools. Thus, it was with the intent to identify and actively recruit students who were committed to pursuing employment in those designated school-based settings that we sought funding to establish a grant partnership with the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This grant, entitled “A Training Program in Speech-Language Pathology for Scholars to Work in High Poverty Schools” (OSEP Grant # H325K150409), has provided the Department with the resources to provide tuition assistance to twenty-four highly qualified scholars who are interested in acquiring the knowledge and developing the specialized skills sets requisite for working in those school-based settings that serve children living in high-need local education areas, attending high poverty schools, and/or attending low-achieving schools, including culturally and linguistically diverse children. Historically, so few of our students have expressed an interest in working in high need school settings and know even less about “poverty”. Thus, this grant has also allowed us the resources to develop and implement a new course on “Language, Literacy, and Poverty in the School Setting” and a seminar series. We have infused “specialty” coursework around issues and challenges common to high poverty schools into identified courses, and conducted field trips. We have engaged our scholars in unique clinical practicum and other experiences as part of our “specialized” graduate program offerings. The final requirement for our scholars has been engagement in the design, conduct, and publication/presentation of a research project in an area pertaining to an aspect of language, literacy, and poverty. To ensure the adequacy and breadth of this training, our scholars must commit to an additional six weeks (one summer session) of graduate program training. The Department’s Graduate Program has been accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA since 1986. Thus, the eight identified competencies to be obtained through our training program are aligned with the standards established by the CAA and are designed to ensure that the scholars acquire the knowledge and skills, based upon the most current research and evidence-based practices, that will prepare them to become certified professionals who are fully qualified under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA PL 101-476) providing the highest quality services to individuals from underrepresented groups and children with disabilities. In addition to these eight core competencies, we added additional “specialized” competencies that each scholar must demonstrate. We chose to align these competencies with those espoused by the Reform Support Network (2014) for teachers who are highly effective in high poverty schools. They include: 1. The demonstration of skills in the identification of barriers that impact the achievement of student learning outcomes in high poverty schools; 2. The demonstration of skills in the application of task-oriented actions to achieve student learning outcomes despite performance barriers in high poverty schools; and 3. The demonstration of a value system and personal beliefs that all students can set high learning goals and achieve them, including students in high poverty, low performing schools. By December, 2017, our first cohort of seven scholars will have completed the requirements for graduation from the program and will have also passed the PRAXIS examination. Of those seven, two are already employed in high need schools in Virginia and Ohio. Three others are seeking employment in the states of Delaware, Georgia, and North Carolina. We are excited about engaging with them at the end of their first year of employment to entertain their input regarding ways in which we can make this specialization even better. We also have two groups of scholars who will begin presenting their research projects at conferences during the 2018 academic semester. This Fall, seven newly selected scholars began matriculation through this specialized training program. Digital Resources NBASLH member, Belinda V. Givens, MA, CCC/SLP has created digital resources for use on Speech Teletherapy Platforms. Visit www.bvgslp.com for more details.
|
Networking was cited as the #1 reason our members attended the 2017 Atlanta Convention according to feedback from our survey. In our technological world, networking has taken on an added meaning. But whether a network of people or computers, the goal is the same: to follow pathways that transmit data. In the case of a computer this pathway is to organize traffic, and in the case of NBASLH it is to develop beneficial relationships. How does this shape our conversations with high school students about our disciplines, with affiliates about events, with consumers? It means we create more pathways that support and enhance connections. I can speak to the value of the NBASLH network. It’s here that I found role models, collaborators, employers, mentors. I’ve found cheering squads that challenged me. I found perspectives beyond my own. 
This year we will be celebrating our 40th Anniversary in Washington, D.C., April 12-14, 2018. Rich in history and significance for African American and American history, Washington, D.C. is the ideal location to celebrate four decades of NBASLH’s leadership and accomplishments in the field of communication sciences and disorders. Every time NBASLH visits Washington, D.C., it marks a significant milestone in the rich and ever evolving history of the organization. The 2018 Convention theme is “40 Years of Legendary Leadership in Speech, Language, and Hearing”. The legendary leadership does not just refer to the accomplishments of our pioneers; it also refers to the future endeavors by students, clinicians, and researchers. This year we will have a spectacular celebration of NBASLH! We will continue to have highlighted speakers that will cover a variety of topics and add depth to what is shaping up to be the best program yet. NBASLH is poised to attract new convention attendees from other professions that have a shared interest the field of communication disorders including deaf educators, linguists, and hearing scientists. As NBASLH continues to grow in membership and presentation depth, we are keeping the core of what makes NBASLH so special. There will be opportunities to network and fellowship. Be sure to plan your schedule to include the Opening Session, Student Mentor Luncheon, the Annual Awards Dinner, the Closing Highlighted Poster Session and Reception. What is new this year at NBASLH? On Thursday, there will be a special leadership symposium for students. This year we will have audiology and speech pathology grand rounds. In addition, this year for NBASLH Cares, we will work with our ASHA office at the capital to visit with the Congressional Black Caucus and our state representatives to discuss issues that affect our profession. Stay tuned for more exciting convention program details over the next coming months! 
Student Member, Tiffany Slater to present Poster Session at ASHA Convention 2017
Dr. Valarie Beavers Fleming, Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Texas State University (San Marcos, Texas), has been selected to serve as the Presidential Fellow for 2017-2018. During the coming academic year, Dr. Fleming will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and will work with President Denise Trauth on special projects. 
