SLPS Empowering Communities Conference

About this Event

The Speech Empowerment Conference courses focus on appropriately and effectively assessing, servicing, and advocating for clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The purpose of these courses is to provide culturally competent education for speech-language pathologists, pursue equity within the field for clients deriving from historically disenfranchised communities, and empower these communities that we service.

This conference is organized by SLP Private Practice in Color in partnership with speech IRL.

Topic 1: Employing Linguistically Based Strategies to Distinguish Difference from Disorder in Linguistically Diverse Populations

This session will present key strategies and techniques required to effectively discern language difference from language disorder in African-American English speaking or non-mainstream English speaking children. Distinctions between linguistic varieties will be reviewed as well as morphosyntactic features often mistaken for indicators of language impairment. Formal evidence based as well as informal assessment techniques will be presented along with treatment strategies.

Dr. Janice Jackson, PhD, CCC-SLP

Janice E. Jackson, PhD CCC-SLP is president of Speaking Strategies Inc. and a clinical service provider for Dekalb County School District in Georgia. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she contributed to development of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation (DELV) non-biased assessments. She has presented research on African American English and non-biased assessment nationally and internationally. Her research has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, Developmental Psychology, Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistic, and Topics in Language Disorders.

Disclosures

Financial: Dr. Jackson received an honorarium for this workshop. Dr. Jackson could receive payment for consultative services provided to the publisher of the DELV (Ventris)

Non-financial: Dr. Jackson’s dissertation work contributed to the conceptual framework of the DELV and she sits on the advisory board of Ventris, publisher of the DELV.

Topic 2: Appropriately Training Graduate Clinicians, Clinical Fellows, and SLP Assistants to Assess and/ or Provide Intervention to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations

During this period of virtual learning, clinicians have gotten an opportunity to peak into the homes of their students and clients. This new way of learning has highlighted some of the differences in culture as well as some differences in the resources and access their students may have. As we provide services for those from diverse cultures and backgrounds, it is imperative that clinicians learn strategies and skills that allow them to make culturally competent decisions related to therapy and parent education. In this course, we will address ways that supervisors, can provide support and resources for graduate students and new clinicians in order to increase cultural competence and culturally responsive therapy.

Dorothy Gaspard, MS, CCC-SLP

Dorothy Gaspard-St. Cyr is a Haitian-American speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience providing speech therapy services to pediatric and adult populations in school, and private practice settings. She has extensive experience treating a variety of language disorders including apraxia, ASD, DLD, fluency, and cognitive impairments. As a Director of Clinical Operations for private practice, Dorothy mentored and supervised graduate students and new clinicians in their clinical fellow year. Currently, she is a faculty clinical instructor at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington DC where she teaches, and supervisors graduate student clinicians in preparation for the field of speech pathology.

Disclosures

Financial: Dorothy received an honorarium for this workshop.

Non-financial: Dorothy is a clinical instructor at the University of District of Columbia

Topic 3: Creating Culturally and Linguistically Inclusive Therapy Materials

This session will identify the major implications for using culturally diverse and inclusive therapy materials. We will also discuss key topics such as intersectionality, implicit bias, and how efficacy of intervention is impacted. There will also be a presentation of strategies for appropriately creating and purchasing inclusive intervention materials.

Jordyn Carrol, MS, CCC-SLP

Jordyn Carroll, M.S., CCC-SLP is a school-based speech-language pathologist specializing in child language development, culturally-responsive therapy, and advocating for BIPOC both in and outside of the field. She owns a small business, JRC the SLP, that entails providing courses and learning opportunities related to cultural responsiveness, creating diverse therapy materials, consulting, selling meaningful apparel, and servicing private clients. Jordyn uses her social media platform to continue advocating for BIPOC—especially Black children, push for diversity, and emphasize “being the person you needed when you were younger.”

Disclosures

Financial: Jordyn received an honorarium for this workshop.

Non-financial: None

Topic 4: Utilizing Social Media to Educate and Empower Historically Disenfranchised Communities from Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds.

This session will review the impact and significance of social media impressions on both individuals within and outside the field of speech language pathology as well as address appropriateness when advocating for culturally and linguistically diverse populations. We will identify the influence of utilizing social media and present key strategies and techniques to effectively and appropriately educate colleagues, individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds, and the mainstream population regarding relevant topics within the field of speech pathology.

Tamala Close, MS, CCC-SLP

Tamala H. Close is a Dallas Texas native who received her undergraduate degree in CSD from the University of Houston, and a graduate degree from Southern University A & M's Speech-Language Pathology Program. She founded a private practice Close to Perfection Speech Therapy Services LLC in 2018 which has serviced clients of varying ages and disorders. As the founder SLP Private Practice in Color Group, she sought to provide a safe space for resources, networking, and mentorship for clinicians of color who made the decision to pursue entrepreneurship and form their own private practice. Currently, SLP Private Practice in Color has expanded to provide professional development that focuses on providing efficacious intervention to individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Disclosures

Financial: Tamala is the founder and owner of SLP Private Practice in Color.

Non-financial: None

Christina Navas, MS, CCC-SLP

Christina Navas is a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist from the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from San Francisco State University. She has worked in public education and has worked with students from preschool to high school, as well as per diem at a skilled nursing facility and in early intervention. Christina started SLPs of Color as an online community back in February 2019 after being inspired by conversations she and friends had regarding the racial disparities within our profession. In June of this year she and the team at SLPs of Color were able to file for nonprofit status. The mission of the nonprofit is to connect, support and empower the community and recruit diverse students and clinicians to enter our field. She believes in being a lifelong learner, she values authentic connections, and she’s passionate about helping others.

Disclosures

Financial: Christina received an honorarium for this workshop.

Non-financial: None