The Practitioner's Path in Speech-Language Pathology: The Art of School-Based Practice

Details: 402 pages, Illustrated (B/W), Softcover, 7 x 10" 1 lbs

ISBN13: 978-1-94488-345-4

Release Date: 01/11/2017

The Practitioner's Path in Speech-Language Pathology: The Art of School-Based Practice bridges the gap between theory and practice, evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence, and the science and artistry of speech-language pathology. This book takes a critical look at areas related to wellness, professional development, and growth that can impact the personal self along with the professional self. It examines each area through an overview of inter-disciplinary research in addition to personal narratives illustrating key principles and strategies and offers the reader a professionally balanced perspective.

The first section of the book helps us understand the importance of building a foundation for our clinical path through a discussion about scientific and evidence-based principles, different types of knowledge systems, and development of wisdom. The second section of the book helps us understand the importance of supporting our foundation through an introduction to reflection, counsel and care, balance and harmony, growth and detachment. The third section of the book includes chapters that serve as pillars of practice: organizational frameworks, materials and activities, measuring progress, best practices, and the importance of community. The fourth and final section of the book highlights shared vision, clinical expertise, emotional intelligence, leadership trends, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and research dissemination.

This book challenges us to consider our own perceptions about the explicit nature of professional practice, and facilitates the development of four attitudes that can have a profound impact on both clinical success and professional satisfaction: a scientific attitude, a therapeutic attitude, a professional attitude, and a leadership attitude. It contains a blend of clinical evidence and research, practitioner views, common sense, philosophical stances, and historical overviews. The Practitioner's Path in Speech-Language Pathology is designed for students and practitioners who are actively involved with the process of knowledge acquisition, and targets issues we encounter along our path to becoming reflective practitioners, as they relate to the excellence behind and scholarship within teaching and learning.

Reviews

• Robert Goldfarb, Ph.D., Fellow, ASHA Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Adelphi University (November 2017):
  "I am pleased to recommend this essential new book on practice-based evidence. This is a book that merits a place in the professional library of all speech-language pathologists, regardless of work setting. It opens our eyes to aspects of our professional world that we may have never considered."

• Jacqueline Toscano (December 2017):
  "It truly is a handbook for anyone in the field - from students through seasoned professionals to those who have become leaders as a result of traveling the path. The focus is stated for the need for a transformation of the field from disorder and task-centered to person-centered through an interprofessional journey, as well as a self-journey for each professional. The organization follows a natural progression with sections for: building, supporting/, following and becoming our path. Within each section, background information with huge amounts of references and resources support the development of the stated focus. Especially helpful are the many frameworks and theories. Based on the focus of the book and the interdisciplinary nature of speech-language pathology, well-integrated material is key. This book certainly illustrates how integration of various fields and philosophies is key to improving therapeutic outcomes in each chapter and in the framework of the book. References and especially the appendices are helpful for exploring further knowledge and for self-reflection. Truly a handbook! Contents go beyond anything I've read in the last 30 years in terms of depth, clarification of the interdisciplinary nature of the field and vision for the practice. Inclusion of "Autobiographical Reflective Tales" brought theories to life and helped with application of information. I have been highly recommending it to those speech-language pathologists with whom I have contact, which are school-based supervisors, staff developers and providers working with students from pre-school through age 21. It can be picked up and specific sections used as a reference for targeted areas of focus, as well as read in its entirety to gain perspective on developing an understanding about speech-language as a life path and where one is along the path. Well-done!"

• Jasleen Kaur Giannitelli, M.A., CCC-SLP (January 2018):
  "Wendy Papir-Bernstein's book, The Practioner's Path in Speech-Language Pathology: The Art of School-Based Practice, is an essential read for anyone searching for a connection between their chosen profession and their spirituality. The book is written with thought-provoking purpose, and challenges us to explore all facets of our professional framework, one element at a time. An ideal book for both students and professionals, it implores us to recognize the need to remain flexible, tolerant, and open to changes that are imperative to our personal and professional growth. Ms. Papir-Bernstein artfully combines data and evidence-based research with philosophical, historical, and spiritual viewpoints throughout the book. She tells of her own experiences as a clinician, professor, and supervisor, with humor, raw honesty, and self-reflection through compelling narratives. The book has inspired me to reconsider my own path, professional and spiritual, and I only wish a book like this had been around when I first began my career as a school-based clinician."

• Jack Pickering, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY (January 2018):
  "In her book, Wendy Papir-Bernstein reminds us that we are so much more than the techniques we apply to support our clients. In fact, the same things we hope for the people with whom we work (e.g., change, reflection, autonomy, balance, growth, wellness etc.) are the very things we should seek for ourselves as professionals. For those of us who provide clinical instruction, Ms. Papir-Bernstein also makes explicit what we hope to instill in our students, concepts that go beyond the activity of the mind and tap into the heart and soul. Ms. Papir-Bernstein's ideas draw on a variety of disciplinary perspectives, many of which have been around far longer than the profession of speech-language pathology."