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Special Pediatric Populations in Speech Language Pathology

SHS 557

Summer, 2026

Number of Credit Hours 2cr.

Prerequisites: Graduate student in SHS

Course Details

Day and Time: Monday and Wednesdays 10:30 am to 12:45 pm

Meeting Location: HSB 125E

 

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor Name:  Amy Meredith, PhD, CCC-SLP

Instructor Contact Information: HSB 125 F   

office phone: 509-368-6780

email: mereditha@wsu.edu 

Instructor Office Hours: to be arranged

 

Course Description

This course will cover specialized assessment and intervention strategies for children with diverse needs, such as those with syndromes, craniofacial anomalies, pediatric motor speech disorders, autism spectrum disorder, pediatric brain injury (TBI), social-emotional learning challenges, and other conditions impacting communication. This course will teach SLPs to support a holistic approach to intervention. 

 

Course Materials 

Books: 

Recommended Textbooks

  • Fish, M. & Skinder-Meredith, A. (2023). Here's How to Treat Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Third Edition (Here's How Series) 3rd Edition, Plural Publishing ($91.92 on Amazon)
  • Kummer, A. (2020). Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Conditions: A Comprehensive Guide to Clinical Management, fourth edition, Jones & Bartlett Learning  (84.89 on Amazon)

Journal Articles: available on Canvas

Cleft (parents’ experiences, associated anomalies, impact of dental)

MSD Assessment

Pediatric MSD Treatment

Cleft Treatment & Management

  • Kotlarek, K & Krueger, B. (2023). Treatment of speech sound errors in cleft palate: A tutorial for SLPAs. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 54, (1) 171-188. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_LSHSS-22-00071 Links to an external site.
  • Golding-Kushner, K., (2001). Therapy Techniques for Cleft Palate and Speech & Related Disorders. Singular Thomson Learning, Canada
  • Ovadia, S., Smartz, T., & Thaller, S. R. (2024). Management of VPI associated with cleft palate: sphincter pharyngoplasty and pharyngeal flap, The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 00, 00.

Psychosocial Impact

 Online Resources

  

Other Materials: Play-Doh® Can Assortment, 4 Oz, Pack Of 4 Cans for cleft palate and repair lab (approximately $6)

Fees: N/A

Course Learning Outcomes

(students will be able to:)

 Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes Assessment of the Learning Outcomes

Explain at what point in embryological and fetal development craniofacial anomalies and morphological brain differences occur.

 lecture, case study discussion case study and exam

List syndromes commonly associated with cleft lip and palate, motor speech disorders, language and literacy disorders, ADHD, and ASD.

 lecture, case study discussion case studies, resource notebook

Explain the role of each profession likely to be on the team of a child with a complex communication disorder.

 

lecture and panel presentation

 discussion post

Identify the key elements of assessing a child with communication disorders associated with cleft lip and/or palate and other congenital disorders impacting speech, language, cognition, and feeding.

lecture and case studies

 case studies, and exam

Explain several treatment strategies to be used in speech-language therapy to assist children with complex communication disorders.

lecture and case studies

 case study & materials assignment

Identify when behavioral therapy is no longer working and medical options must be considered (e.g., surgery, Botox, obturator, medication)

lecture and case studies

 case studies and discussion posts

 

 

Expectations for Student Effort 

This is a 2-credit graduate level course. Per the NWCCU Accreditation Standards and Federal Policy (which WSU has incorporated into Academic Regulation 27), for each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside class. This course has just under 5 hours of lecture time per week. Therefore, students should expect to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week engaged in the following types of activities: reading, listening to/viewing media, discussion, or completing assignments and reviewing instructor feedback, studying for and completing assessments.

Assessment of Student Learning

Short Exams: (50 pts.) 25 pts. each

Discussion Posts, Journal Club, & Case Studies: (60 points) There will be several graded discussion posts and case studies based on the seminar and the readings, and one journal club.

Class Participation (10 points): Come to class prepared. This means please have read the assigned chapters and articles before coming to class so that you are prepared with comments, questions, and answers. Lastly, please come on time and notify me if you will not make it to class, or need to be late or leave early.

Clinical Materials for CAS Case Studies- (Grading rubric for each assignment will be posted on Canvas) (50 points)

  • Board game: (15 points) Using folders and stickers, make a game to reinforce the targeted words/phrases.
  • PowerPoint social story with functional phrases (15 points) Using PowerPoint (save as .ppt), create a social story that incorporates functional phrases for the case study or a child you worked with a motor speech disorder.
  • Case study answers that provide the rationale for your materials. (20 points)

 

Resource book (30 pts.): Instead of a final exam, you will put together a medical speech pathology reference book for a pediatric population. I suggest you collect materials for your reference book as we go through the semester. More specific instructions will be placed on CANVAS.  

 

Grading 

Assignment Breakdown
Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) Points Percent of Overall Grade
Exams 50 25%
Discussion Posts, Case Studies, & Journal Club 60 50%
class participation 10 5%
Clinical Materials w/ Case Study 50 25%
Resource Book 30 15%
Total 200 100%

 

Grading Schema
Grade Percent Grade Percent
A

94

 C 74
A-  90 C 70
B+ 87 D+ 67
B 84 D 64
B- 80 F <64
C+ 77  

Grades will be rounded up if on the brink between two grades. (e.g., an %89.5 will be rounded up to %90 for an A- from a B+)

Attendance and Make-Up Policy 

Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time, if allowed. 

You are expected to attend and participate in class. Attendance is necessary for you to obtain the information necessary to complete assignments or complete in-class activities. If you have a planned absence, please notify me before your absence. No opportunity will be provided to make up points for in-class activities from an unexcused absence.

 

Academic Integrity Statement

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of higher education. As such, all members of the university community share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship. Academic integrity will be strongly enforced in this course. Students who violate WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy (identified in Washington Administrative Code WAC 504-26-010 (4) will receive [insert academic sanction (e.g., fail the course, fail the assignment, etc.)], will not have the option to withdraw from the course pending an appeal, and will be reported to the Center for Community Standards.  

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism and unauthorized collaboration as defined in the Standards of Conduct for Students, WAC 504-26-010 (3). You need to read and understand all the definitions of cheating.  If you have any questions about what is and is not allowed in this course, you should ask course instructors before proceeding.

If you wish to appeal a faculty member's decision relating to academic integrity, please use this form. Make sure you submit your appeal before 21 calendar days of the faculty member's decision.

You are responsible for reading WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy Links to an external site., which is based on Washington State law Links to an external site.. If you cheat in your work in this class, you will: 

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.

If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form Links to an external site. at the Center for Community Standards Links to an external site. website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.

 

Class Schedule (subject to change)

Week

Topic

Assignment/Readings

Assessment

    Week 1

5/11-5/13

Intro to complex communication disorders-

An SLP parent perspective

 

Review anatomy and neuroanatomy

 

Fish & Skinder-Meredith, Ch. 1

Kummer, Ch. 1

 

 

Take-home exam

Week 2

5/18-5/20

Genetics and embryological development as they relate to complex communication disorders

 

Nature of pediatric motor speech disorders and co-occurring conditions

 

 Kummer, Ch. 2 & 3

 

Team Management Panel Presentation- 5:30-7:00

 

 

Take home exam due 5/18

 

Discussion post

Week 3

5/27

Assessment of complex pediatric communication disorders

 

Fish & Skinder-Meredith, Ch. 2

 Iuzzini-Seigel, J, Allison, K. M., & Stoeckel, R. (2022) https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_LSHSS-21-00164 Links to an external site.

Kummer, Ch. 11

Case study

Week 4

6/1-6/3

Treatment of complex pediatric communication disorders

Strand, E. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-19-0005 Links to an external site.

 Levy et al., (2021). https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_JSLHR-20-00301 Links to an external site.

Preston, J. L., Leece, M. C., & Storto, J. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_LSHSS-18-0081 Links to an external site.

View ReST tutorial videos https://rest.sydney.edu.au/ Links to an external site.

 

Exam #2 on assessment

 

 

Case study

 

Week 5

6/8-6/10

Finish Treatment

 

 

 

 

Psychosocial Implications

 

 

 

Kotlarek, K & Krueger, B. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_LSHSS-22-00071 Links to an external site.

Golding-Kushner, K., (2001).

 Ovadia, S., Smartz, T., & Thaller, S. R. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1097/scs.0000000000010098 Links to an external site.

Selvaraj, A., Benington. P., Murphy, L., & Ayoub, A. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surge.2018.11.001 Links to an external site.

Links to an external site.Kelly, S. & Shearer, J. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1177/1055665620926083 Links to an external site.

Riklin, E., Calandrillo, D., Blitz, A., Zuckerberg, D., & Annunziato, R. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1177/1055665619870621 Links to an external site.

Keller, S. & Maas, E. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00163 Links to an external site.

Materials & case study due on 6/8

 

 

 

 

 

 Journal club on Psychosocial implications (readings will be assigned)

 

Resource Notebook due on 6/14/2026

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due