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Lead Change with the UBC Graduate Certificate in Primary Health Care

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Credit: University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine

 

The UBC Faculty of Medicine, in conjunction with Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, has recently launched a new certificate.

This part-time Graduate Certificate in Primary Health Care was developed to support working health care professionals for the transformation to patient-centred, team-based care. Navigate the complexities of interprofessional teams, integrate and apply your skills in context, and lead change in your organization.

Apply for the January 2022 cohort.

So You Want to Learn About Speech-Language Pathology? New Student Resource Guide

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Credit: Evonne Syed & Imad Ali, McMaster University

Two students from McMaster University have developed a student resource guide which serves as an introduction to the profession of speech-language pathology for high school students, youth and all aspiring speech-language pathologists.

Written and designed by Evonne Syed and Imad Ali, in consultation with their professor and SAC member, Dr. Lyn Turkstra, the guide aims to inspire generations of speech-language pathologists to come.

The guide answers questions like:

  • What is a speech-language pathologist?
  • What do they do? Who do they help?
  • How much money can I expect to make?
  • Is this career right for me?
  • … and more!

Access the student resource guide now.

Report on the Impacts of COVID-19 on Communication Accessibility for Adults with Hearing Loss

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Credit: Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility

The Survey & The Report

Earlier this year, the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA), University of British Columbia (UBC), and Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility worked together to collect information from Canadians who experience hearing loss and deafness about how the pandemic has impacted their daily lives.

They received insights from close to 700 responses who noted the demand for universal captioning, impacts of masks on communication, and the ability to receive accessible information from the government and media outlets on COVID-19.

The results from this report will provide a foundation to better understand the impact the pandemic has had on our communities and to ensure that moving forward, we can address these challenges as we continue to manage COVID-19 throughout the recovery phase and beyond.

Click here to read the full report.

Key Findings in The Report

  • More than 80% of individuals with hearing loss found it difficult to understand others with face masks.
  • 60% of individuals reported that their mental health has been negatively affected as a result of the pandemic.
  • At least one-quarter of individuals with higher severity of hearing loss were unable to obtain hearing health services due to COVID-19 restrictions.
  • Only 16% of respondents reported obtaining hearing or hearing aid services remotely from a specialist such as an audiologist or hearing instrument practitioner.
  • Over 60% of respondents reported difficulty in understanding others who are behind plexiglass barriers.
  • At least 60% of respondents indicated that having captioning available would help improve communication with others in video calls and at virtual events.

The Webinar

In May 2021, the research team hosted a webinar where the principal investigators, Dr. Brenda Poon, Wavefront Centre Senior Research Fellow and Assistant Professor at UBC, and Dr. Lorienne Jenstad, Associate Professor at UBC School of Audiology & Speech Sciences, presented the preliminary findings from their work.

Watch the recording of this webinar.

 

Launch of the World Health Organization’s HEARING screening: considerations for implementation

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Credit: The World Health Organization

Background 

The first ever World Report on Hearing was launched in 2021, as a technical guide outlining the  ongoing shifts  in the global epidemiology  of hearing loss, capturing available solutions and  current challenges for  ear and hearing care and also establishing priorities to be addressed. It highlights the link between addressing hearing loss and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The rational for hearing screening across the life course is well outlined in the report. The report shows that increasing hearing screening and early intervention coverage during the next 10 years requires an additional annual per capita investment of US$ 1.33. The resulting health gain during the 10-year period would avert nearly 130 million DALYs (disability adjusted life years), benefit 1.4 billion people and yield a return of nearly US$ 16 for each 1 dollar invested.

The World Report on Hearing recommends that World Health Organization (WHO) Member States take urgent and evidence-based policy action to prevent, identify and rehabilitate hearing loss.

To render technical support to the  Member  States  in implementing the recommendation of the world report into, WHO has developed the HEARING screening: considerations for implementation. This handbook provides technical guidance required for establishing evidence-based programmes for hearing screening facilitating early identification and interventions to address hearing loss and related ear diseases in target groups.
The purpose of the handbook is to provide guidance on how to undertake:

  • Hearing screening in newborns and infants
  • School-based ear and hearing screening
  • Hearing screening in older people

Series of Webinars

The WHO invites you to a series of webinar on the HEARING screening: considerations for implementation.

October 6, 2021

Focus on HEARING SCREENING: considerations for implementation guidance on the hearing screening for newborn babies.

Where: via Zoom

To Register:

 

October 27, 2021

Focus on HEARING SCREENING: considerations for implementation guidance on the hearing screening for school children.

Where: via Zoom

To Register:

 

November 17, 2021

Focus on HEARING SCREENING: considerations for implementation guidance on the hearing screening for older people.

Where: via Zoom

To Register:

 

 

Join the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care

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Credit: Government of Canada

The Government of Canada is investing in Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) to help Canadian children get the best start in life and have a fair chance to succeed. In support of this commitment, the Government of Canada is establishing a National Advisory Council on ELCC.

The National Advisory Council will provide expert advice and a forum for consultation to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister for Women and Gender Equality on issues and challenges facing the ELCC sector in Canada. The Council on ELCC will be a forum for information sharing and discussion. Its members will bring a diverse range of perspectives and will provide expert advice to the Ministers on ELCC-related issues and challenges.

In carrying out its mandate, the Council will provide third-party expert advice to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister for Women and Gender Equality on topics including:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic, reopening, and the recovery period as it relates to the ELCC sector
  • Promoting information sharing across jurisdictions
  • Developing standards of practice within the sector
  • Establishing a Canada-wide ELCC system
Call for applications: become a member

Apply before September 28, 2021. They are looking for individuals with knowledge and experience in ELCC from a variety of fields.

 

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadian Children with Cognitive, Behavioural or Emotional Disabilities

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Credit: Government of Canada

The Government of Canada pleased to announce the release of a new data blog titled “Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities.”

Using data from Statistics Canada’s crowdsourcing questionnaire: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians: Parenting during the Pandemic, 2020, this data blog highlights the experiences of parents of children aged 0 to 14 years with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities during the early response to the COVID-19 pandemic (questionnaires completed between June 9 and 22, 2020).

The data blog includes a snapshot of parents’ concerns related to their children’s general physical health, general mental health, loneliness or isolation, screen time, physical activity, school year/academic success and their family’s ability to manage. Comparisons are made to the experiences of parents with children that do not have a disability.

Key Findings:

  • Close to two-thirds of parents of children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities expressed concerns about their children’s general mental health.
  • Almost two-thirds of parents who have children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities were concerned about their children’s loneliness or isolation.
  • About 9 in 10 parents reported their children engaged in screen time on a daily basis; however, more parents (close to three-quarters) who have children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities were concerned with the amount of screen time their children engaged in, compared to parents who have children with no disabilities.
  • Half of parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reported their children engaged in physical activity daily and half reported they were very or extremely concerned about their children’s amount of physical activity.
  • More than half of the parents (59%) reported they were very or extremely concerned about their children’s school year success, although school aged children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities received more help to engage in learning activities related to school.
  • More parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities are concerned about their family’s ability to manage compared to parents who have children with no disabilities.

If you have feedback or questions, please contact phac.chronic.publications-chronique.aspc@canada.ca.

Alternate Formats for the 2021 Census

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Credit: Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada has asked SAC to highlight alternate formats and supports available for people who have difficulty completing the 2021 Census in English or French.

Read more about alternate formats and other forms of assistance here.

Statistics Canada has also confirmed that individuals may seek help to complete their questionnaire from a family member, friend or other trusted individual, which may include their speech-language pathologist or audiologist.

New Communiqué Article – Perceived Benefits of the AuD Degree Among Canadian Audiologists

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Credit: Andrea Ruotolo, AuD, Rex Banks, AuD and Melanie Gibson, MA

The United States is the only country that requires a doctoral degree (AuD. PhD, or equivalent) as the entry-level requirement for audiology professionals. Currently, Canada requires a master’s degree to practice. However, an increasing number of Canadian audiologists with a master’s degree have enrolled in and completed an online doctorate in audiology in recent years.

Researchers have conducted a study aiming to assess perceptions of Canadian audiologists with an AuD degree who previously practiced with a master’s degree.

Read the results on SAC’s Communiqué Blog. 

 

* Please note that this article was originally published in the Canadian Audiologist. 

McGill speech-language pathology students work with Kahnawà:ke first-graders

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Six Master’s students engaged in telepractice with children to maximize learning to read amidst COVID restrictions

“Grade one is a critical time in a child’s development. While learning to read, which mostly happens in first grade, may seem fun and effortless for some children, “it can be a great challenge for others” says Sophie Vaillancourt, assistant professor (professional) in McGill’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (SCSD).

So when COVID-19 forced thousands of school-age kids to stay at home, young children lost valuable learning time at a crucial moment in their lives.

Simultaneously, many speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) in schools, clinics, rehab centres and hospitals, whose work is normally to help adults and children with learning difficulties, were being re-assigned to test for COVID, or to care for the elderly in long-term-care facilities, or were just unable to see their clients safely. This led to significant reductions in clinical opportunities for the speech-language pathology students.

Amidst these challenging times, a collaboration between Kahnàwa:ke Education Center’s Kateri Elementary School and the SCSD was established, to support children who could benefit from additional intervention in reading, while at the same time opening up some clinical opportunities for SCSD students.”

Read the full article.

* This article from the McGill Reporter features SAC members Alexandra Lauzon, S-LP(C) and Claudia Hogan S-LP(C), as well as SAC student associate Bianca Mercadante.
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