Rapid transition to telepractice across the lifespan in speech-language pathology: Insight from a survey of clinicians in Canada.

PURPOSE: This study aims to describe the experiences and needs of Canadian speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who conducted communication assessments via telepractice across the lifespan during the first year (2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: The present study consisted of an online survey that aimed to capture both quantitative aspects of telepractice-based communication assessment and the qualitative experience of shifting to telepractice. One hundred sixty-eight practicing SLPs across Canada participated in the survey, between September 2020 and January 2021. Quantitative results were analysed using descriptive statistics while open-ended responses were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULT: SLPs identified challenges and opportunities relating to client and family engagement, access to and knowledge of technology, and the reliability of assessment tools. SLPs also identified a future need for online assessment materials and training, such as materials adapted for different communication needs (e.g. augmentative and alternative communication). CONCLUSION: The present study contributes to a growing understanding worldwide of potential benefits and challenges related to telepractice, fuelled by the necessary shift in practices in our field during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results provide direction for continuing to build a valid and inclusive approach to telepractice in the future.

Monolingual and bilingual children's production of complex syntactic structures.

Typically-developing bilingual children often score lower than monolingual peers of the same age on standardized measures; however, research has shown that when assessed in more natural discourse contexts, bilinguals can perform similar to age-matched monolinguals in some language subdomains. This study investigated complex syntax production in simultaneous French-English bilingual children and monolingual age-matched peers, using structured and spontaneous measures. Surprisingly, the bilinguals scored higher than the monolinguals on the structured task. There was no difference between groups on the spontaneous measure; however, predictors of complex syntax production differed by language groups and by tasks. Contrary to other language subdomains showing bilingual English development as protracted relative to monolingual peers, these results point to a relative strength of complex syntax acquisition among simultaneous bilingual children. Differences in exposure relative to monolingual children may be less pronounced in syntax, in part because bilinguals can benefit from syntactic knowledge in their other language.