How Inclusive Practice Increases the Educational Relevance of Individualized Education Programs.

PURPOSE: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guidelines for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) require that students with disabilities should, to the fullest extent appropriate, receive services that promote academic achievement that are delivered within the general educational environment. In this clinical focus article, we will demonstrate how the inclusive practice service delivery model can assist speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with the development of educationally relevant IEPs. METHOD: Twelve SLPs who saw at least 30% of their students in a general education context shared their perspectives on inclusive practice. Their responses were transcribed and coded using deductive qualitative analysis. Their insights were combined with relevant literature to demonstrate how inclusive practice promotes educationally relevant IEPs. RESULTS: We provided practical examples of using curriculum-based assessments and academic standards to gauge students' present levels of academic and functional performance. We next described how engaging with the school community and observing students in the educational environment assists with determining the effects of a student's disability on academic achievement and functional performance. We concluded by describing how an inclusive mindset helps to align services to meet students' needs. CONCLUSION: An inclusive framework can help create IEPs that promote students' access, engagement, and progress in age or grade-level curriculum, instruction, and environments by highlighting the impact of a disability on academic achievement and functional performance. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24354319.

Synthesis of findings from the literature and a qualitative research study on the impacts of gender, disability, and ethnicity in Neglected Tropical Diseases programs.

INTRODUCTION: Act to End NTDs | West, a USAID-funded program that supports national governments to eliminate or control five neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in West Africa including trachoma, lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, conducted a gender and social inclusion analysis to determine how NTDs differentially impact various populations and how gender and social norms impact NTD programs to inform future programming. METHODS: The study used a mixed methods approach including a literature review; primary qualitative data collection; and monitoring data in Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. RESULTS: Women and girls face additional health risks from many NTDs compared to men and boys. In addition to differential health burden, the social and economic impacts of NTD-related disability or infertility can be particularly dire for women and girls. Men were somewhat less likely to participate in mass drug administration (MDAs) due to: lack of information about campaigns, lack of access due to work, and higher levels of mistrust of the government and concerns about side effects of the medicines. Pregnant and breastfeeding women were sometimes excluded by community drug distributors (CDDs) from certain types of MDAs for which they are eligible. Training participation rates for CDDs and supervisors were nearly universally higher for men than women, even though feedback on the effectiveness of female CDDs was overwhelmingly positive, and female CDDs often have more access to other women in conservative households. The role of a CDD can lead to career and social opportunities for women. However, challenges faced by CDDs were seen as a greater barrier for women, including transportation, safety, household responsibilities, lower education levels, and low or lack of wages. DISCUSSION: Programs to address NTDs can promote equity and improve programming by increasing women's participation as CDDs and providing financial compensation. Additionally, programs should prioritize inclusive training for CDDs, and inclusive messaging about MDA for communities.

Malnutrition risk as a negative prognostic factor in COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: SARS CoV-2 infection is a disease, whose prevalence has drastically risen in the past year. The aim of this study is to examine a possible association between the risk of malnutrition, clinical outcomes following hospitalisation and morbidity at discharge. METHODS: This study has analysed the medical records of 652 patients hospitalised at Humanitas Research Hospital (Milan, Italy) between 01/03 and 30/04/2020. The risk of malnutrition was identified with the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). RESULTS: The cohort was composed of 515 patients. The MUST scale is significantly associated to malnutrition evaluating the morbidity at discharge (discharged 0.27 ± 0.68, discharged with problems 0.40 ± 0.93, deceased 0.64 ± 0.93, p < 0.001), and the clinical outcome following hospitalisation (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.04-1.51, p = 0.019) is maintained even after correction for age, treated hypertension, admission to an intensive care unit and oxygen therapy). A subgroup analysis addressing patients with a BMI ≥30 shows a significant association between comorbidities such as: arterial hypertension (HR 4.95, 95% CI 1.10-22.22, p = 0.037), diabetes (HR 3.37, 95% CI 1.04-10.89, p = 0.043) and renal failure (HR 3.94, 95% CI 1.36-11.36, p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the risk of malnutrition is a noteworthy indicator that impacts both the clinical outcomes and morbidity at discharge.

Identification of Gaps in Training, Research, and School-Based Practice: A Survey of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists.

Purpose Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) encounter many challenges in the school environment. We sought to identify school-based SLPs' needs in the areas of training and research to support school-based practice. Method We collected surveys from 145 school-based SLPs practicing in Wisconsin. Respondents were asked to describe aspects of preservice training that most and least prepared them for school-based practice. Respondents next described training needs for early-career SLPs and desired topics for general professional development. Respondents then described research topics that require further study to advance school-based practice. After completing this series of open-ended questions, the respondents completed a series of preferential-ranking questions about general needs for training and research. We employed mixed methods to analyze the data, using grounded theory for the qualitative analysis. Results During preservice training, respondents most valued the applied aspects of their training. Respondents noted that early-career SLPs require significant support, particularly with the professional responsibilities of school-based practice (e.g., individualized education programs, interprofessional practice, and scheduling). When describing general professional development and research needs, the respondents placed high value on practical topics that have clear implications for school-based practice. Conclusions Understanding the perceived needs of school-based SLPs can assist in designing training supports and ensuring that the developing evidence base is relevant to SLPs practicing in the schools. This exploration-stage study established a foundation for future testing of implementation initiatives to fill gaps in school-based practice.