More Than Just Bites: Supporting Connection, Development, and Joy in Feeding Therapy

Feeding is more than eating—it’s a developmental and relational experience rooted in connection, safety, and joy. For many children, especially those who are dysregulated, feeding is not the body’s top priority. This session explores a developmental, relationship-based model of pediatric feeding therapy that prioritizes regulation, engagement, and authentic connection before introducing food. Using a child-led, neurodiversity-affirming lens, we will examine how sensory strategies, caregiver collaboration, and joyful interaction support meaningful mealtime experiences. Attendees will leave with practical, relationship-centered strategies to build trust, promote participation, and support developmentally appropriate feeding for children and their families.

Medical mistrust is defined as a lack of trust in medical organizations, affecting healthcare, education, and care management across the U.S. (Jaiswal & Halkitis, 2019). In this dynamic and interactive session, participants will explore practical strategies to build trust with diverse populations through cultural humility, patient-centered care, and inclusive communication. Learn how shifting perspectives and engaging with patients' lived experiences can strengthen relationships and improve outcomes in healthcare settings.

Writing your first AAC evaluation report for device funding can be an overwhelming task. In this session, we will discuss how our clinic went from never completing AAC evaluations to completing 23 in one year. You will walk away from this session with a greater understanding of insurance requirements for receiving funding for AAC devices, as well as an easy-to-follow outline for completing this process from start to finish. Learn how to serve this population competently and confidently.

Each person’s cochlea is unique, that’s why MED-EL offers various electrode lengths for the best individual fit for each CI recipient. We have the unique tools to measure each cochlea so the right electrode can be chosen for that patient. In addition, we’ve taken the next step forward by using imaging to visualize where the electrode sits after implantation within a patient’s cochlea. For the first time, audiologists are now able to best match the frequency settings to the natural pitch information unique to each patient’s ear. What does this mean for you and your patients? More informed programming with one-click activation in the software and enhanced sound quality for your recipients!

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are driving significant change across healthcare, compelling professionals to adapt their practices. This session will focus primarily on the evolving role of AI in speech-language pathology, highlighting its impact on clinical workflows, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic interventions. Information will be provided on how to navigate ethical use of AI, to enhance clinician workloads through AI, and to improve patient care.

Within the realm of stuttering, there is insufficient research completed on adults who stutter. However, adults are able to better articulate factors that affect their severity, than children who stutter. In this presentation, research will be presented attempting to answer the question; “Does sleep affect severity of stuttering?”

Singing-Language Pathologist: Incorporating Singing into your Sessions

The intersections of singing and speech-language pathology are endless. Music can serve as a way to communicate, connect people, learn languages, increase breath support for speech, and so much more. This session will introduce ways to incorporate singing into individual and group sessions as a way to reach goals with creativity, efficiency, and fun. Information will be provided on the field of music therapy and evidenced-based health benefits of music and singing. Singing in speech therapy is a fantastic way to improve engagement, connect with patients, and grow clinical skills.

This presentation explores parents' perceptions of early intervention for minimally speaking autistic children. While early intervention is widely recognized as essential for supporting language development, little is known about how parents view these services. Findings highlight parents’ reports of both empowerment and emotional challenges, emphasizing the importance of strong collaboration between families and clinicians. Themes include perceived effectiveness, parental stress, and the need for continued support beyond therapy sessions. Results suggest that incorporating parent perspectives can improve family-centered care and enhance the long-term impact of early intervention.

Stuttering therapy today is moving away from fluency-based approaches and toward stutter-affirming therapy. This session is designed to help SLPs make the shift with practical therapy ideas that you can start using right away. Participants will learn to address the affective, behavioral, cognitive, and physical aspects of stuttering through a holistic lens. We’ll also discuss therapy goals that support ease of communication, participation and educational or career attainment.

DIRFloortime®, also known as DIR®, is an evidence-based approach to promoting development and communication for children with neurodevelopmental differences including autism and is one of the most utilized approaches by speech and language therapists. This session will provide a fun introduction to DIRFloortime with video examples and practical steps you can use tomorrow.

This session provides an overview of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), highlighting the speech-language pathologist’s role in diagnosis, assessment, and intervention. Participants will review current evidence-based practices for evaluating and managing PPA to support individuals and their care partners effectively.

This session explores how a remote SLP partnered with special educators in a multi-grade classroom serving students with severe communication needs to deliver AAC-based intervention using SmartBoard technology. Through push-in sessions, collaboration with the district AAC team, and IEP updates reflecting a 50-word core board, this approach led to increased student engagement, teacher confidence, and family buy-in. Attendees will learn how to align remote therapy with classroom routines using evidence-based, multimodal strategies that support carryover and inclusion—even in self-contained settings. Practical tips and frameworks will be shared to help SLPs implement this model in their own districts.

This session will provide speech-language pathologists with resources to provide evidence-based practice for the treatment of decreased verbal expression skills in relation to aphasia in fast-paced medical settings such as skilled nursing facilities, inpatient hospitals, and outpatient rehabilitation facilities. This session is open to all convention attendees, but it may be most beneficial for clinicians just starting out in an adult medical setting; however, more experienced clinicians may find the information presented to be a helpful refresher on EBP! The focus of this session is functional, and the goal is for attendees to leave the session with increased confidence in their ability to provide EBP to treat impaired verbal expression due to aphasia.

This session will discuss self-determination theory as an alternative to traditional behavioral theory. The presenter will explain how self-determination theory helps support neurodiversity-affirming care. The presenter will describe strategies based on this theory to create positive long-term outcomes for autistic students, including those with high support needs in communication. The session will provide practical examples of its application and encourage clinicians to brainstorm ways to apply these strategies to their caseload. It will also address both barriers and solutions for implementation in a school-based setting.

Hearing Loss has been identified as a risk factor for dementia and / or cognitive impairment. Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists have unique roles in the assessment and management of hearing loss when working with the older population at risk of cognitive decline. This course will review tests and measures used to identify candidates for aural rehabilitation as well as discuss treatment options for speech language pathologists.

Adults with hearing loss who live in rural communities in Alabama have limited access to hearing healthcare services. Improving access and affordability of hearing healthcare in rural areas will require the use of various delivery models. The Hear Here Alabama project at The University of Alabama has been conducting research to address hearing healthcare needs in underserved communities since 2016. To help address shortages in healthcare workers, partnerships have been established to help fill gaps in hearing healthcare. This presentation will describe the specific needs of those living in rural communities and what support options can be offered by clinical practices.