OUR VOICE
The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Newsletter
Spring 2014, Volume 1, No. 2
About Us … We are a thriving community of students, faculty and clinical staff dedicated to improving the lives of people with communication disorders. Our department and clinic are committed to providing students qualitative academic and clinical experiences to prepare them for advanced study and a career in the science of human communication and its disorders.
the speech department celebrates the holidays! Our department held its annual holiday party on Wednesday, December 4, 2013, in the Scott Skodnek Business Development Center. Faculty members, clinic supervisors, and more than 75 of our students attended this event to celebrate the holiday season. Lunch and appetizers were served, provided by the department, and NSSLHA provided refreshments and chips to munch on. Guests mingled while holiday music filled the air. As always, the event was coordinated effortlessly by department secretaries Marisa Higgins and Joyce Fuentes. Speech faculty pose with 2013 Sigma Pi inductees. From left: Deanna Lino, Jaclyn Castoro, Dr. Milstein, Kasey Fahy, Dr. Scott, Stephanie Kitsos, Dr. Altenberg, Jessica Matrone, Dr. Roberts, Stephanie Malone, Dr. Davidow, and Dr. Ferrand.
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Holiday Party.................................. 1-2 Calendar of Events........................ 2 “Open Class Days”........................ 3 Undergraduate Orientation........... 3 Current Issues in Health Sciences.............................. 3-4 Clinic Corner................................... 4-5 Faculty Focus.................................. 5-6 Student Spotlight........................... 6-7
The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Newsletter
The Guinea Pig............................... 7-8 Cochlear Implants.......................... 9 NSSLHA News................................ 10 SAA Scoop and Events................. 11-13 Alumni Connections...................... 13 Department News......................... 14 Acknowledgments............. .............................................Back Cover
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the speech department celebrates the holidays!
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Calendar of Events AAA Conference
The 2013 Sigma Pi Inductees.
The holiday party also included our annual Sigma Pi Department Honor Society induction ceremony. The inducted students received certificates of excellence and posed with our faculty for pictures. There were nine students who were honored this year. They are: Jaclyn Castoro, Kasey Fahy, Jennifer Goldberg, Stephanie Kitsos, Deanna Lino, Stephanie Malone, Annabel Martinez, Jessica Matrone and Brianna Rogers. It is always a pleasure for the Speech Department to host this event for our students. We know how hard each of you worked during the semester, and it is important to acknowledge that. We hope all of you enjoyed the party and the holidays.
Thursday-Saturday, March 27-29 Orlando, Florida
Spring Research Workshop Tuesday, April 8 6:30-8 p.m. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, Axinn Library, South Campus
AuD Reception Thursday, May 1 6-8 p.m. Hofstra University Club, Mack Hall North Campus
Graduate Student Reception Thursday, May 8 5-8 p.m. 109 CV Starr Hall, South Campus
Speech students Jaclyn Castoro, Gloria Yiu, Nicole Grimaldi, Rebecca Ahdoot, and Rebecca Hipp are all smiles at the party.
Important Dates to Remember 4/15 – SPCH 160 Field Experience Applications Due 4/25 – COMP Exam 5/18 – Commencement
Delicious cake was served as well.
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“Open Class Days” The department’s “Open Class Days” event took place the week of October 28, 2013. Our undergraduate and graduate students were invited to bring a guest, such as a high school student or college student who is undecided or looking to change majors, to learn more about our programs. Six guests, five interested in the undergraduate program, one in the graduate program, participated in the event. The guests received program information, met with faculty members, took a tour of the speech clinic, and sat in on our classes. They were also treated to a small gift and refreshments at the Speech Office. The “Open Class Days” event was a successful initiative and will be held again this semester. For more information about this event, please contact Marisa Higgins at 516-463-5509 or marisa.m.higgins@hofstra.edu.
Undergraduate Orientation The department’s Undergraduate Orientation was held on Wednesday, October 9, 2013, in the Mack Student Center. All undergraduate students were expected to attend the one-hour seminar in which our department faculty explained the responsibilities and expectations of being a speech-language-hearing sciences (SLHS) major.
Dr. Carole Ferrand, department chair, began with introductions of the faculty, and spoke about new department and University initiatives, such as the dual-degree program, Hofstra’s new honors policy, and our newsletter. She was followed by Dr. Kathleen Scott, graduate program director, who discussed the master’s degree in speech-language pathology program. Other speakers included Dr. Evelyn Altenberg, professor, who spoke about recommendation letter procedures; Wendy Silverman, director of the Speech-LanguageHearing Clinic, who discussed internship opportunities; and Melissa Fitzgerald, clinic coordinator, who introduced NSSLHA president Emily Robbin. Emily spoke about the benefits of becoming a NSSLHA member and how to go about joining. There were a few guest speakers on hand this year. Audiology students Lianne Aponte and Brittany Renne treated the students to a PowerPoint presentation about SAA, also talking about the benefits of joining. Alumna Katherine Sequino, CCC-SLP, spoke about her experience at Hofstra and working in the field of augmentative and alternative communication. Finally, Christina Andretta, a senior majoring in SLHS, talked about why she chose to pursue a career in speech-language and hearing sciences. The undergraduate orientation is held annually during the fall semester.
Current Issues in Health Sciences By Dr. Carole Ferrand, Professor and Chair Evidence-Based Practice in the Professions of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Speech-language pathology and audiology are sciencebased human services professions that depend on ongoing research and scholarship to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic methods as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of established and new clinical management approaches. Like other human service professions, speech-language pathology and audiology benefit from an approach known as evidencebased practice (EBP). EBP is a three-pronged approach to clinical management that involves providing clients with the best possible services based on combining evidence from the research literature with clinical expertise and the individual’s specific needs, wishes, and cultural values. The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Newsletter
The model above illustrates the equal emphasis of all three components in the provision of speech, language, and hearing services to children and adults with communication disorders. By combining research evidence and practitioner expertise within a clientoriented framework, EBP has the potential to improve the quality of clinical services to individuals with communication disorders. continued
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current issues in health Services continued from page 3 The evidence-based process involves four steps. The first is to pose a specific clinical question, for example, is individual treatment superior to group treatment for a second grade child with a phonological disorder? The second step involves searching the available research literature for systematic reviews or individual studies pertaining to the clinical question. The third step is to assess the evidence using specific criteria to judge the quality of the research. The table below provides an example of a grading scale that quantifies levels of evidence in terms of quality and credibility of the study data. Level Ia is highest, and level IV is the lowest.
Level Description Ia Well-designed meta-analysis of >1 randomized controlled trial Ib Well-designed randomized controlled study IIa Well-designed controlled study without randomization IIb Well-designed quasi-experimental study III Well-designed nonexperimental studies, i.e., correlational and case studies IV Expert committee report, consensus conference, clinical experience of respected authorities _______________________________________________________ Information from ASHA (2004). Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders: An Introduction. Technical Report by the Research and Scientific Affairs Committee.
The final step in the EBP process is to make a decision that answers the clinical question, based on a thorough review of the evidence as it pertains specifically to the client and taking the practitioner’s expertise and experience into consideration. Recognizing the importance of EBP, the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association (ASHA, 2005) published a Position Statement of Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders (available from www.asha.org/ docs/html/PS2005-00221.html). This document emphasizes the obligation of all speech, language, and hearing professionals to incorporate the principles of EBP into their clinical practice. The Position Statement notes that in making clinical practice evidence-based audiologists and speech-language pathologists must: •
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Recognize the needs, abilities, values, preferences and interests of individuals and families to whom they provide clinical services, and integrate those factors along with best current research and their clinical expertise in making clinical decisions. The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Newsletter
• • • • •
Acquire and maintain the knowledge and skills that are necessary to provide high-quality professional services, including knowledge and skills related to evidencebased practice. Evaluate prevention, screening, and diagnostic procedures, protocols, and measures to identify maximally informative and cost-effective diagnostic and screening tools, using recognized appraisal criteria described in the evidence-based literature. Evaluate the efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency of clinical protocols for prevention, treatment, and enhancement using criteria recognized in the evidence-based practice literature. Evaluate the quality of evidence appearing in any source or format, including journal articles, textbooks, continuing education offerings, newsletters, advertising, and Web-based products, prior to incorporating such evidence into clinical decision making Monitor and incorporate new and high-quality research evidence having implications for clinical practice.
In order to facilitate the use of EBP, ASHA has established a National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders. The center maintains a list of clinical practice guidelines, publishes systematic reviews of relevant literature, and carries out its own systematic literature reviews of various topics. In addition there are many resources devoted to EBP available on the Web.
Clinic Corner What’s New at the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic
New AuD Lab The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center is PROUD TO ANNOUNCE that its brand-new AUD computer lab is now open for students to utilize! The lab was remodeled with updated, state-of-the-art technology and furnished with movable, seminar-style tables and chairs. Come check it out! continued
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Clinic Corner continued from page 4
Get to Know … Denise Ruscio, Clinical Supervisor Denise Ruscio, MS, CCC-SLP, has been an administrator/clinical supervisor in the Saltzman Center Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic since 2005. She is also an adjunct instructor within the department, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Denise received a bachelor’s degree from Queens College – CUNY, and a master’s degree from Adelphi University. She holds the American Speech Hearing Association’s Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in speech-language pathology, as well as New York State licensure as a speech-language pathologist. She is certified as a teacher of speech and hearing handicapped through the NYS Department of Education, and is also an approved provider of services through the Nassau County Department of Health Early Intervention Program. Denise has been a practicing speech-language pathologist for more than 25 years, in a number of settings. She has worked for the NYC Department of Education in special
education programs, and she has also worked in a private practice, conducting evaluations and therapy, on an outpatient basis. Denise has also provided home-based early intervention services in Nassau County, with children identified as having communication impairments. Prior to coming to Hofstra University in 2005, Denise was a clinical supervisor and adjunct instructor with the Speech-Language-Audiology Department at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. As a full-time clinical supervisor in the Hofstra University Saltzman Center Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, Denise’s primary responsibility is the clinical supervision and instruction of first-year graduate students in the program. Throughout the year, Denise supervises graduate students as they conduct speech-language evaluations and speech-language therapy, with clients across the lifespan. Denise’s particular area of interest within the field of speech-language pathology is focused on working with young children, and their families, within the early intervention framework.
Faculty Focus: Dr. Doron Milstein Dr. Doron Milstein, associate professor, is one of our accomplished full-time faculty members. He teaches audiology courses to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students. After earning a BA in speechlanguage-hearing sciences and an MA in audiology from Hofstra University, Dr. Milstein completed his audiology clinical fellowship year at Long Island Jewish Hospital. Then, he earned a PhD in speech and hearing science/audiology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Dr. Milstein also worked at the Department of Otolaryngology at Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, as a senior audiologist. The central theme of Dr. Milstein’s research is geriatric audiology. His clinical experience ranges from the
pediatric to geriatric populations. His scholarly publications appeared in several American peer-reviewed journals, as well as a Canadian medical journal. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), has a Certificate of Clinical Competence in audiology (CCC-A) from the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), and is a member of the New York State Speech Language and Hearing Association (NYSSLHA). Dr. Milstein has received Hofstra’s distinguished Teacher of the Year Award and the Award of Merit from the Department of Otolaryngology at Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The combined medical and psychological components within communication disorders attracted Dr. Milstein to our field. The psychological component is imperative. “Counseling is a vital component of what we do in our profession,” he says. Being part of the academic world as continued
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Faculty focus continued from page 5 a professor, Dr. Milstein hopes that his wide clinical and research expertise “will give students the tools to be better clinicians.”Dr. Milstein is extremely committed to seeing that his students learn the most they can in order to become better speech pathologists and audiologists in the future: •
In the college experience: “Make the most of your experience as a student. It is not just about getting your requirements over with, but really growing intellectually and becoming as well-rounded as possible.”
• In research: “It is important for students to understand the value of research. It will give them tools and knowledge to be better professional clinicians.” • Embarking on your career in a multicultural world: Being trilingual, Dr. Milstein was able to work with patients who spoke different languages.
He encourages his students to pursue proficiency in a second language. This will give them the opportunity to better communicate with their patients in the future.
• In working with patients: “I want to convey to them the value of bedside manners. They need to listen to their patients and treat them with dignity and respect.” • Never stop learning: “Once you become a clinician, keep challenging yourself to grow professionally.” Dr. Milstein leaves his students with this advice: “The power to being a great clinician is in your hands once licensed. It is then up to you to use it to make an impact. It is not just about doing what we have to do, but what we should and can do.”
Student Spotlight: Kimberly Doxey My career at Hofstra began in 2008 as an undergraduate student, when I initially entered the University as an education major looking to break into early intervention. In my personal life, I had been engulfed in the EI world since the age of 5, when my younger brother was diagnosed with PDDNOS (later becoming a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder). I was inspired by the team of specialists and teachers who walked into our home to help bring my brother out of the shadows of autism and into the light of our social world. However, as I sat in my introductory elementary classes I quickly realized that I wanted to give back to future families by working with their children on a more individual, rather than classroom, level. In the spring semester of my freshman year, I enrolled myself into two speech-language classes: Introduction to Phonetics and Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism (In retrospect, I have no idea what possessed me to choose these challenging classes as my first taste of the major.). As I perused the syllabi for the classes, the first of many speech-related panic attacks began … “I have to learn a whole new alphabet? I’m
expected to memorize the origin and insertion for ALL these muscles? No way!” I was instantly ready to throw away my textbooks and return to the comfortable and familiar School of Education. However, the one thing that growing up with autism has taught me is to never back down from the challenges you are dealt. So I picked up my textbooks, fully immersed myself into the major, and never looked back. Four successful years later, I was faced with another terrifying situation that’s a rite of passage for every SLP to be: applying to graduate programs. I chose three programs to apply to and, of course, my home school of Hofstra was one of the top choices on that list. I tried to have an objective mind when researching other programs, but it became clear that none could measure up to Hofstra’s caliber. Through my years as an involved undergraduate student with the department, I was fortunate enough to know that we had professors whose doors were always open, clinical supervisors who were endless sources of knowledge, and a program that believed immediately throwing you into clinical work was the best way for you to learn (which was hands-down the absolute best way to prepare us for continued
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Student Spotlight continued from page 6 our externships). In fall 2012 I began my graduate career by working on a diagnostic team along with five other graduate clinicians, who are some of the most intelligent women I know. Through our semester, we used our diverse undergraduate backgrounds to collaborate on several different clinical cases to differentially diagnose various speech and language disorders. Within the same semester, I was granted the opportunity to work with another team of graduate clinicians in a Response-toIntervention program. Twice a week, we visited the local elementary school to work with kindergarten classes on phonological awareness and narrative skills to help identify children who may be at risk for later languagerelated difficulties. I not only gained new clinical and behavioral management skills through my work with these students, but I also learned an immense amount from the two other graduate clinicians in my classroom, who remain two of my best friends today. I spent spring 2013 further developing my therapeutic skills through conducting weekly, individual speech and language sessions with a preschool child with receptive language delays and an adult client with aphasia and apraxia. Up until this point of my SLP career, I was convinced my future was with children. However, I was blessed to be a part of a moment with my adult client, who expressed during the semester that after three years of attending therapy, he finally felt “he made it.� It was a moving moment for all, and I was honored to have contributed to his success, along with the fantastic graduate clinicians who worked with him before me. Once again, I felt inspired and decided I wanted to
further develop my passion for this population; in fall 2013 I was able to do so by interning at Stony Brook University Hospital. After a semester of working in the fast-paced and diverse realm of medical speech pathology, I am now completely torn between where and who I would like to work with when I graduate this May. But for once I am grateful for this type of speech-related panic attack because it means that wherever I am lucky enough to end up, as long as I have my hands in the speech and language field, I will be fulfilled by my career. As I enter my last semester of my six-year-long career at Hofstra, my advice to all the incoming and fresh-faced SLPs to be is to take time to develop friendships and embrace your fear of the unknown. The women and men who sit next to you in your classes or who co-treat with you in the clinic come from many different backgrounds and possess knowledge you may not be able to gain elsewhere. Learn from these individuals and keep in touch with them because they will be your lifeline as you trudge through this program and will also become your colleagues in just a few short months. Graduate school is also the time to experiment and take risks, so I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone both with the clients you choose to work with and the techniques you use in your sessions. I can guarantee that some of the best lessons you will learn and carry with you into your future clinical careers may come from simple mistakes and happy accidents. Best of luck to you all, and I hope to work alongside you in the field one day.
The Guinea Pig By Amanda Hocevar Hello fellow speechies! My name is Amanda Hocevar and I am a senior. I wanted to take advantage of the department newsletter to inform my fellow classmates of the new opportunity our department is offering and what it means to you. Some of you may have heard rumors or talk about a new program Hofstra implemented in August 2013 called the Speech-LanguageHearing Sciences (BA) and Speech-Language Pathology (MA)
Dual Degree Program. This program is brand new, and I am the first and only student currently enrolled. Hofstra offers one of the best graduate programs on Long Island for speech pathology. Trust me, I did my research before deciding this was the program for me. This program allows students who meet a certain criteria and have ample room in their schedule senior year to finish a BA while simultaneously starting an MA! If you want more information on this program you should talk to your advisor and visit http://bulletin.hofstra. edu/preview_program.php?catoid=65&poid=7126. continued
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The Guinea Pig continued from page 7 Since this program is new I wanted to share my experience with those of you who are interested in attending Hofstra for graduate school. I could have written for pages about my experience but that’s boring and no one would want to read it so I condensed it to three questions that sum up my experience and what you need to know.
What is graduate school like? First things first, graduate school is a lot harder than the undergraduate program so be ready to give up some if not all of those weekends going out and partying for some quality time with your textbooks. Being the only undergraduate student in a class of graduate students can be intimidating. You are sort of the odd ball in the class because you are not part of a cohort, you don’t have clients and you will not understand what the first years are stressing about when they’re talking about writing SOAP notes or meeting with their supervisors because I am not in the clinic yet and so lucky to have another semester before that starts! But don’t be scared because we are in a major where people are friendly and love to talk. I fall into this weird gap because I am not technically a first year even though I am in two classes with first years but I have a unique opportunity to be in classes with both this year’s first years and next years.
What classes are you taking? Fall semester I took a total of 12 credits; 6 undergraduate level credits and 6 graduate level credits . For undergraduate, I took SPCH 132 and PSYCH 153. For graduate school, I took SPCH 207 Research Seminar: Speech and Hearing and SPCH 209 Developmental Psycholinguistics. Now that schedule doesn’t sound bad especially because graduate classes only meet once a week but just because I didn’t have class doesn’t mean I wasn’t doing work for these classes all week to prepare for the next class. I’m not going
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The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Newsletter
to lie to those of you who are reading this and trying to decide if this program sounds like it would be a good fit for you. I am a good student, I make very detailed study guides and I study hard and it pays off but I did my best studying cramming for exams the day before … that DOES NOT work in graduate school! I have never in my life had projects done a week in advance or started studying for a midterm a month in advance. You cannot cram this information … you need to learn it and remember it because it’s information you need to know forever. The amount of time and the amount of material you learn in your graduate classes more than quadruples. I would compare the material I learned in SPCH 207 to all the material covered in SPCH 101A, 102, 132 and more.
Do you feel like you were ready for your classes? I learned that I had actually learned more in my undergraduate classes than I even realized! I was able to participate in class discussion and apply prior information to the new information I was learning. On exams and projects I scored competitively with my peers. This program is an amazing opportunity if you are eligible to start doing what you want to do for the rest of your life a little earlier. I transferred to Hofstra after a semester at Marist and I spent a semester abroad in Rome. If you plan early and know this is something you want to do, it is possible. I am graduating in May 2014 with a BA in S-L-H-S and a few days later I will be a full-time graduate student in the clinic with clients who will graduate December 2015 with an MA in SLP! If you have any questions about the program feel free to ask me any time. I am the NSSLHA secretary so I am at every meeting, or you can email me at ahocev1@pride.hofstra.edu.
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Cochlear Implants By Stephanie Malone Cochlear implants are one of the many reasons why I am pursuing my dream career of becoming an audiologist. Of course there are a number of other important reasons, but I have always found interest in the technological aspect of the field of audiology, especially with cochlear implants. Cochlear implant technology has advanced in so many ways over the past few years, with plenty of ongoing research working to improve the quality of people’s lives. After reading a variety of literature and learning about cochlear implants in Dr. Milstein’s audiology classes, I knew that I wanted to continue to learn more. However, as a senior, I have finished the major which left me to go out and learn on my own. I continued to read research articles about cochlear implants, but just reading about them wasn’t enough to satisfy my eagerness to learn. So I decided to email and call hospitals and audiology clinics throughout Long Island to see if I was allowed to go observe. One day after observing pediatric patients at Stony Brook University Medical Center, I was provided with the opportunity to observe a cochlear implant activation in an 18-month-old child. We have all seen the viral YouTube videos of babies “hearing mom’s voice for the first time” or “girl hears after 21 years,” and yes, they seemed miraculous. However, nothing can compare to the emotions I was feeling while observing the activation in person. The activation took place a little over a month after the surgery. The patient’s parents were both very nice and talked to me before the session. I found out that the patient was born with a profound sensorineural hearing loss bilaterally. After wearing power BTE hearing aids for a period of six months with no benefit and plenty of evaluations, the audiologist and parents decided that the patient would receive a cochlear implant.
The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Newsletter
After discussing how the process of mapping and activating the implant goes, the audiologist turned on the first frequency of sounds. The audiologist explained that the patient would just hear some noise and was looking for a reaction at certain pitches and volume. After playing around with different frequencies and intensities, you could see that the infant detected a sound. After this moment, the audiologist told the parents to say the child’s name, but explained that he would most likely not understand what they are saying, just hear a sound or feel a vibration that was not present before. The parents called the patient and immediately he turned his head to them. The smiles on their faces and the immediate tears of happiness will be plastered in my mind forever. This was a very heart-warming and sentimental experience that I was lucky enough to share with the family that day. It was in that moment that I knew I was making the right choice by pursuing a degree in audiology. Although my knowledge of cochlear implants is still very basic and I did not fully understand everything the audiologist was doing that day, I am very eager to learn more over the next four years in graduate school, and even further for the rest of my life. This experience has helped to motivate me to continue to put my best effort into my schoolwork, studying for the dreaded GREs, and spending countless hours filling out applications for different doctoral programs. My advice to anyone interested in the field is to be proactive and go out on your own to find internships and observations and to grab any opportunity that presents itself. The options are endless and all truly fascinating to see.
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NSSLHA News NSSLHA goes to Chicago for the ASHA Convention By Emily Robbin 2013-2014 NSSLHA President
Back in November, eight members of NSSLHA, including myself, received funding from The Student Government Association to attend the annual ASHA convention in Chicago, Illinois. This was the first time that anyone from the Hofstra NSSLHA chapter was able to go to the ASHA convention. At the convention, we attended many short courses where we learned about autism, audiology, research at other schools and many new therapy techniques. One of our favorite parts of the convention was the exhibits, which allowed us to learn about all of the new speech therapy tools, including iPad apps and chew tools. Also, we sampled many different swallowing thicknesses and were able to see the new and improved videos of swallowing tests. There was also a large book section, where we recognized many of the books we have used throughout our speech career, including Dr. Ferrand’s new edition of her book Speech Science: An Integrated Approach to Theory and Clinical Practice. There was also a graduate college fair at the ASHA convention, which many of us found very beneficial. We met with professors who are in charge of the program and graduate students who currently are in the program.
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This event helped us build connections with graduate schools. After we spent the entire day at the convention, we went sightseeing around Chicago. We visited the top of the Willis Building known as the Sky Deck, and watched the sunset over the city. We also visited the famous Shedd Aquarium as suggested by Dr. Scott. All in all, the ASHA convention was a wonderful experience and NSSLHA hopes to be able to participate in it next year!
The NSSLHA girls having fun atop the Willis Tower in Chicago.
NSSLHA members Christiane LaSpina, Rebecca Ahdoot, Jessica Matrone, Amanda Hocevar, Emily Robbin, Maria DiMatteo, and Stephanie Malone.
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NSSLHA Community Service Initiatives By Amanda Hocevar This semester NSSLHA increased their presence at community service events. Every year NSSLHA makes Halloween goodie-bags for the Pediatric Unit at Winthrop Hospital. Since this event has grown over the past few years, the number of Halloween bags made has astronomically increased. There were more bags created than the demand at Winthrop so we decided to spread the wealth and donate bags to the Bethany House. Bethany House is a shelter for battered women that provides safe, supportive, emergency housing for women and their dependent children. Besides donating Halloween themed bags, NSSLHA also adopted the Bethany House for the holidays. Every year families have the opportunity to adopt a family at the Bethany House but there are so many families in need and usually not all are adopted. NSSLHA, with the help of the Speech Department, adopted all 19 children and filled shoeboxes with items such as: crayons, socks, cards, coloring books, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. NSSLHA also added a spaghetti and meatball night with Bingo at the Bethany House. The Bethany House is an amazing organization and NSSLHA is so excited about working with this organization and maintaining this new tradition. Spring 2014, Volume 1, No. 2
SAA Scoop By Lisa Mener Hi Everyone! My name is Lisa Mener, and I am currently the president of the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) Long Island AuD Consortium chapter, which is made up of Hofstra, Adelphi, and St. John’s Universities. The Student Academy of Audiology is a national student organization of the American Academy of Audiology. The SAA allows students to come together to participate in activities that promote the profession of audiology by providing services and education to the community. Serving as president for the 2013 term, I can tell you first-hand that being a member of the SAA is truly a wonderful and rewarding experience. This past year we had the opportunity to educate students at West Islip High School on how the ear hears, how audiologists conduct hearing tests, and how to protect their hearing. Being able to instill my knowledge in others I found not only to be rewarding, but also a great way to reinforce my own knowledge as an audiology student. The SAA frequently participates in providing free hearing screenings to the community as well. One of my favorite screening events this year was at the Special Olympics. It was amazing being able to share a special day with individuals with special needs, while ensuring that those who are hearing impaired are identified and are receiving the help and intervention that they need.
Speech-Language and Hearing Association holiday party at St. John’s University. One fundraising event that the SAA participates in each year is the annual Walk4Hearing. The Walk4Hearing is a great day for students and faculty to come together to walk for a cause that we are all passionate about. For me, spending the day walking with families with hearing impaired children reminds me of the impact we can have on the lives of others as audiologists. Seeing the smiling faces of hearing impaired children further inspires me to strive to be the one who puts a smile on their face by providing for them the best opportunity to hear and develop speech and language, and as a result, the best start at life. Above I have discussed just a few of the wonderful experiences I have had while serving as president of the SAA. Overall, becoming a member of the SAA is a great opportunity to get to know your peers, meet new people, build up your resume with volunteer work, and help raise money for charitable causes. For me it has been a wonderful experience and has allowed me to develop a strong bond with my peers and professors. Knowing that our events have a positive impact on the community and that our efforts have helped individuals in need, make me proud to be a member of the Student Academy of Audiology and I encourage all students to join and take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that the SAA provides. Below are some of the additional benefits you will receive by becoming an SAA member:
Benefits of Being an SAA Member
This past fall, the SAA also participated in Mill Neck’s Fall Harvest Festival and in the Health and Service Fair at Nassau University Medical Center, where we were able to interact and network with the Deaf community and inform others of the services we have at our university clinics. We hope that by informing the community about our program and our clinics that it will give us the chance to extend our services to more people and have a greater impact on the well-being of the community.
• A subscription to the Audiology Today magazine and the online Journal of the American Academy of Audiology • A subscription to SAAy Anything, the SAA’s quarterly e-newsletter • Free registration to AudiologyNOW!, the annual conference and largest gathering of audiologists • Opportunity to serve on national SAA committees • Access to HearCareers and the student Externship Registry • Access to many other publications and resources to help you make the best decisions about your future in audiology
In addition, the SAA continuously strives to raise money for charitable causes. In the past, we have donated $1,000 to the Susan Cheffo Scholarship Fund for deserving recipients, and have donated money to the undergraduate National Student
This upcoming semester, the current executive board of the SAA, Long Island AuD chapter, will work together with the newly elected board to transition into another successful year! continued
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SAA Scoop continued from page 11 Current Board Members of the Long Island AuD Consortium Chapter: Co-Presidents: Lisa Mener and Rebecca Langer Treasurer: Casey Polcari Secretary: Jessica Levenson
Incoming Executive Board: Co-Presidents: Lianne Haber and Brittany Renne Treasurer: Alexandra Zweig Secretary: Merhan Hassan
The future is bright for the SAA and many new ideas and activities are underway! Ideas for future events include holding a sign language and Spanish speaking workshop, audiology panel, participating in events at schools for the Deaf, holding a fundraising dinner and much more! We are also currently working toward spreading our services overseas by participating in missions abroad in order to have a positive impact on our local community as well as help those in need all over the world. Feel free to e-mail us at Liaudconsortium@gmail.com with any questions you may have, or if you would like to be put on our e-mail list for future events. For more information and to apply for SAA membership, visit: http://www.audiology.org/about/membership/join/ Pages/default.aspx
Recent SAA Events Speech and Audiology represented at Health Fair, 11/21/13
Starkey Hearing Expo, 1/15-1/19/14 By Brittany Renne The Starkey Hearing Expo 2014 was hosted at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. There was one first year, 10 second years, 10 third years, and one fourth year in attendance. On the first day of arrival, there was a welcoming reception where Starkey President Brandan Sawalich kicked off the event with an introduction and explanation of the week’s itinerary. The welcome reception served as a meet and greet in order to get to know some of the 3,400 hearing health care professionals in attendance at the expo.
SAA and NSSLHA members participated in the NUMC event. From left: Graduate student Sondra Snyder, NSSLHA advisor Melissa Fitzgerald, NSSLHA members Rebecca Ahdoot and Rebecca Hipp, and SAA members Brittany Renne and Lisa Mener.
At the Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) Health and Service Fair on Thursday, November 21, 2013, SAA and NSSLHA students participated in an all-day health fair to provide education and information to the community about hearing health and speech-language disorders.
On the first event day, Donald Trump gave an inspiring talk about leadership and how to integrate leadership qualities into the private practice. In addition, Guy Kawasaki, a business adviser for Apple, spoke of his book Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. Starkey executives also spoke on patient driven hearing aid fittings and their new advances in wireless technology, including the highly anticipated hearing aid made for the iPhone. On the second event day, industry leaders such as Randy Schoenborn, Carol Olsen, Tonya Reiman, and Dan Ariely focused on patient relationships and marketing to the new continued
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Starkey Hearing Expo continued from page 12 The last day of lectures focused on business growth and strategies to promote entrepreneurial success. Simon Sinek and Carly Fiorina spoke on inspiring change in others and seizing opportunities for success. CEO Bill Austin gave an overview of how he started from the basement of his mother’s house to how he achieved success in the hearing health care industry. The last speaker of the day, former President George W. Bush, discussed leadership, handling crisis situations, and the work he has done with the Starkey Cares Foundation in Africa.
SAA members land in Las Vegas for the event.
“tech-friendly” consumer. Former President Bill Clinton finished out day two with a speech on global cooperation and his experience working with the Starkey Cares Foundations and their goal to fit 1 million people with hearing aids within the next decade. That night a student reception was coordinated by the Starkey U representatives where all 150 doctoral students from across the country got to meet and discuss their school experiences in an informal environment.
On the last night for the expo, Starkey sponsored a private concert featuring country star Brad Paisley at The Chelsea, a new venue at the Cosmopolitan. Overall, my experience at the Starkey Expo was surreal. The speakers were intelligent, insightful, and instilled an overwhelming sense of pride to be entering the audiology field. I would encourage any doctoral student to attend the Starkey University programs because it is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to further your knowledge of what it takes to become a success audiologist.
Alumni Connections Congratulations to Kelly Glynn, MA, CCC-SLP, who graduated in 2012. She is featured in this month’s ASHA Leader. leader.pubs.asha.org/Articleaspx?articleid=1814872
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Department News Faculty Research Day, 9/18/13 Hofstra held its annual Faculty Research Day on September 18, 2013, in the Multipurpose Room of the Mack Student Center. This event highlights research- and performance-based work by the University’s esteemed faculty. It gives both students and faculty members a chance to familiarize themselves with the
• Completion of 10 hours of
clinical observation. • Acceptable GRE scores. • Recommendation of faculty advisor and approval of graduate program director. For those who are interested in applying for this program, please schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor. We encourage only the students who are interested in Hofstra as their first (and only) choice for graduate school to pursue this option. Please note that this program does not apply to the AUD Consortium.
Dr. Milstein at Faculty Research Day.
Dr. Roberts discusses her research with students at the event.
latest academic achievements of the individuals featured. This year Dr. Doron Milstein presented a poster on utilizing questionnaires toward elderly rehabilitation. Also, Dr. Jenny Roberts presented a poster of her work on evaluating syntactic delays in young children with and without language delays.
New Dual Degree Program We are happy to announce that our department now has a SpeechLanguage-Hearing Sciences (BA) and Speech-Language Pathology (MA) Dual-Degree Program. Following is a list of eligibility requirements as outlined in the Hofstra Bulletin:
• Attain a minimum cumulative
GPA of 3.7. • Completion of 30 semester hours (s.h.) of major requirements (at least 24 must be in-residence), including SPCH 005A, 006, 009, 101A, 102A, 103, 131, 132, 137, and PSY 040.
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For detailed information on this program, please refer to the 2013-2014 Academic Year Bulletin on the Hofstra website: http://bulletin.hofstra.edu.
• When the application is approved,
students then register for SPCH 160 (Field Experience in Communication Disorders), a 1 s.h. course. • Students may accrue observation hours, but may not use experiences for clinical clock hours. • Grades are based on both academic and on-site work. An on-site evaluation of “poor” results in a maximum grade of C. • This course may not be used toward meeting a major or minor requirement. Interested students must submit the “Application for Field Experience in Communication Disorders,” available on Blackboard and in the Speech Office, by April 15.
For questions or additional information, please contact the Speech Department at 516-463-5509.
SPCH 160 Field Experience in Communication Disorders (SPCH 160) This course serves as a field experience in communication disorders for our undergraduate students provided under the guidance of an instructor and a speech-language pathologist or audiologist who will serve as the mentor in the field. Through this field experience, students will be exposed to the roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists and audiologists in either a health care or educational setting. Eligibility requirements:
• Must be a declared SPCH major
and must have completed SPCH 5A, 6, 9, 10, 102A, 131 and 137, with an overall GPA of 3.0, and a departmental GPA of 3.3. • Students must apply by November 15 for the following spring semester, or April 15 for the following fall semester. There are no summer internships.
The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Newsletter
AudiologyNOW! Conference
(The following content has been reprinted from the AudiologyNOW! Conference website, www.audiologynow.org/index.html) AudiologyNOW! is the world’s largest gathering of audiologists. This annual meeting provides participants the opportunity to attend four days of educational sessions, explore the latest in hearing technology, and network with colleagues from around the world. AudiologyNOW!, the American Academy of Audiology’s annual meeting, is scheduled for March 26-29, 2014, in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center West Building (OCCC). Join friends and colleagues for this unique and innovative educational experience; an event you won’t want to miss. For more information on this event, please visit the site www.audiologynow.org. Spring 2014, Volume 1, No. 2
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Acknowledgments Wishing all of our speech students the best of luck this spring semester! Many thanks to our student contributors: Kim Doxey, Amanda Hocevar, Stephanie Malone, Emily Robbin, Lisa Mener, and Britanny Renne. Special thanks to Dr. Ferrand, Denise Ruscio, and Dr. Milstein for their articles. All speech students are welcome and encouraged to make contributions to our newsletter. If you are interested, please contact Marisa Higgins at 516-463-5509 or marisa.m.higgins@hofstra.edu for further details. Our next issue will be published in fall 2014. The Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department is located in 106 Davison Hall on the South Campus. The office is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic is located in the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center on the South Campus. The clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For information about our undergraduate program, please contact Marisa Higgins at 516-463-5509. For information about our graduate program, please contact Joyce Fuentes at 516-463-5508. For information about our clinic services, please contact Allison Collins at 516-463-5656. Hofstra University is committed to extending equal opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status in employment and in the conduct and operation of Hofstra University’s educational programs and activities, including admissions, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. This statement of nondiscrimination is in compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, the Age Discrimination Act and other applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to nondiscrimination (“Equal Opportunity Laws”). The Equal Rights and Opportunity Officer is the University’s official responsible for coordinating its overall adherence to Equal Opportunity Laws. Questions or concerns regarding any of these laws or other aspects of Hofstra’s Equal Opportunity Statement should be directed to the Equal Rights and Opportunity Officer at EROO@hofstra.edu, 516-463-7310, C/O Office of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, 101 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549. For additional contacts and related resources, see hofstra.edu/EOE. 51461:2/14
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