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Speech & Hearing Month 2021: The Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in Schools

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“Speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) are essential members of education teams.

S-LPs have a variety of roles within the school setting. This includes collaborating with teachers in the classroom as well as working with speech-language pathology assistants to provide individualized and group services to students of all ages. As members of interprofessional teams, they also contribute to educational goal setting, planning and curriculum accessibility. S-LPs play a critical role in supporting academic success, as well as the social and emotional well-being of students…”

Learn more about S-LPs in schools on the Speech & Hearing Month website. 

SAC has developed an infographic on S-LPs in schools for Speech & Hearing Month 2021.

 

Speech & Hearing Month 2021: What is Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL)?

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Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an unexplained and rapid loss of hearing. Hearing loss usually occurs over three days or less, usually affecting only one ear. Annually, 27 per 100,000 people will be affected by SSNHL.

SSNHL can heavily impact your mental health and overall quality of life. People with SSNHL may experience ear-fullness, dizziness, and/or tinnitus.

A sudden change in your hearing should not be ignored – seek medical attention right away!

Learn more about SSNHL on the Speech & Hearing Month website. 

SAC has developed an information sheet on SSNHL for Speech & Hearing Month 2021.

 

 

 

Speech & Hearing Month 2021: What is Aphasia?

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“Aphasia is a language disorder that may impact a person’s ability to speak, listen, read and write. Appearing as a common side effect following a stroke, aphasia occurs in approximately 30% of stroke survivors and more than 100,000 Canadians are living with aphasia.

Some people with aphasia cannot speak at all, some are unable to find the right words or pronounce the words properly, some have difficulty understanding the words they hear and others may not be able to read and write. Aphasia can be very frustrating and frightening for the person with aphasia and their caregivers. Aphasia often affects the ability to have conversations and can be very isolating.

Aphasia makes a person look less competent than they actually are…”

Learn more about aphasia on the Speech & Hearing Month website. 

 

SAC has developed a poster on aphasia for Speech & Hearing Month 2021.

 

 

 

 

New Communiqué Article – Building One Reading Brain at a Time: The Journey to Aligning Classroom Practices to the Science of Reading

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Credit: Tiffany Kalsi, Julie McDermid & April Hackett-Helmkay

SAC members Tiffany Kalsi, Julie McDermid and April Hackett-Helmkay have been featured in a new article on SAC’s Communiqué Blog for their extensive system-wide work to revolutionize the way educators teach reading.

“Over the last year, our team has embarked on a journey in supporting the educators within the CDSBEO in aligning their classroom practices with the one way that the brain learns to read. Teachers leave teacher’s college not knowing how to teach kids to read, and all of the research on the science of reading and how to teach reading has been buried deep in academic journals. Our mission is to share this information with all educators in our board. Because as Dr Pam Kastner says, every teacher deserves to know the science of reading, and every child deserves a teacher who knows it.”

Read the full article on Communiqué!

 

 

 

New Communiqué Article – Reflections of a Speech-Language Pathologist: Perceptions of our Profession and Unique Opportunities

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Credit: Patricia Smith, S-LP(C)

SAC member Patricia Smith, S-LP(C) has written an article for the SAC Communiqué Blog to tell the stories of two of her clients and to reflect on the impact S-LPs have on the clients they serve. She aims to answer the following questions: what is needed for essential advancements in the areas of communication that would ultimately lead to a happy life and what are the key factors that make this happen?

“This is certainly not a scientific study and my results and comments are merely reflective of my life spent as an S-LP. Based on this, my hypothesis would be that positive connections between a professional (in this case, the S-LP) and clients as well as their families is one of the key factors to their success. These connections are not only with our clients. Looking at that person as a “whole” and not just at the separate “parts”, it is equally as important to build connections with the parents, grandparents and others significant in the life of that individual. We do not take a course on this when we are working towards our degrees, but maybe we should.”

Read the article now!

 

 

Provide Your Input to the CAHS’ Assessment on Autism

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Credit: Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences is conducting an assessment on autism which will be used by policy makers to inform the development of a National Autism Strategy.  An important part of the assessment process is gathering input from organizations that serve Autistic people, families or other supporters such as service providers and educators.

These community conversations will take place in Ontario via Zoom on:

  • Tuesday, June 1 at 6:30 pm ET, Pan-Canadian
  • Friday, June 4 at 2:30 pm ET, Pan-Canadian
  • Saturday, June 5 at 2:30 pm ET, for those in Quebec

There are also a number of community conversations listed for other specific audiences that may be of interest to you or the people you serve. The conversations will explore two key questions:

  • How can services and programs better meet the needs of Autistic people?
  • How can we promote inclusion of Autistic people?

Registration is now open and we encourage you and others in your network to consider joining. Please register as soon as possible!

The CAHS is also seeking direct input from Autistic adults, family members and other supporters including service providers, educators and volunteers. They have created an online engagement hub that allows individuals to share their views by taking a survey or participating in discussion forums. The engagement hub is open until June 14, 2021.

Register for the community conversations now!

 

New Communiqué Article – Gender Affirming Voice Training: A Snapshot from Canada

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Credit: Shelagh Davies, M.Sc, RSLP (Retired)

Retired speech-language pathologist Shelagh Davies, M.Sc, RSLP, has written an article on the SAC Communiqué Blog on voice therapy for gender diverse people in the Canadian context.

“Voice therapy for gender diverse people is a new specialty that has grown exponentially in recent years. One of the pioneers in the field, Georgia Dacakis, was curious to know how this service is being offered around the globe and I volunteered to find out what we are doing in Canada. So here is an informal snapshot of 35 Canadian S-LPs’ practice with gender diverse people. This information was obtained through web searches and over 100 emails and phone calls with colleagues.”

Read the article now!

 

Statement on Anti-Asian Racism

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SAC strongly condemns the escalating violence against the Asian community, most recently manifested by the recent mass shooting in Atlanta. To our Asian colleagues, members, associates and friends and your families, we stand beside you in your grief, and we mourn your losses alongside you. We stand in solidarity with you and share a deep concern for the recent events, your safety and your well-being and that of your families in your communities.

SAC calls on our provincial and federal governments to reflect on their roles in addressing racist words and actions. We call on members, students and colleagues to reflect on the consequences of racist and bigoted behaviour as well as the real-world consequences for innocent people.

We call on our SAC community to:

  • Report all incidents of anti-Asian violence to authorities.
  • Provide Safe Spaces: Allow Asian Canadian friends and colleagues to share their experiences and listen to what they have to say.
  • Educate yourself and others: The most effective way to eliminate racism in all its forms is to educate yourself and those around you about other racialized people, their cultures and how racism manifests itself.

Read the full statement on our diversity page.

Medical Assistance in Dying – Update to Canadian Legislation

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Credit: Government of Canada

On March 17, 2021, the Government of Canada announced that changes to Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) law are officially in force. The new law includes changes to eligibility, procedural safeguards, and the framework for the federal government’s data collection and reporting regime.

The new law responds to feedback from over 300,000 Canadians, experts, practitioners, stakeholders, provinces and territories and is also informed by the testimony of over 120 expert witnesses.

Read the amended MAID law.

Specifically, the new law:

  • Removes the requirement for a person’s natural death to be reasonably foreseeable in order to be eligible for MAID, in response to the 2019 Superior Court of Québec’s Truchon ruling
  • Introduces a two-track approach to procedural safeguards based on whether or not a person’s natural death is reasonably foreseeable
    • Existing safeguards are maintained and, in some cases, eased for eligible persons whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable
    • New and strengthened safeguards are introduced for eligible persons whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable
  • Temporarily excludes eligibility for individuals suffering solely from mental illness for 24 months, and requires the Ministers of Justice and Health to initiate an expert review tasked with making recommendations within the next year on protocols, guidance and safeguards for MAID for persons suffering from mental illness
  • Allows eligible persons whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable, and who have a set date to receive MAID, to waive final consent if they are at risk of losing capacity in the interim
  • Allows for expanded data collection and analysis through the federal monitoring regime to provide a more complete and inclusive picture of MAID in Canada

Please refer to the Government of Canada website for further details on what this change in MAID legislation means for Canadians.

 
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