Prologue: Implementation Science in CSD and Starting Where You Are

School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists' Engagement With Evidence-Based Practice: An Update With Implications for Implementation Research

PURPOSE

We replicated a prior survey study (Hoffman et al., 2013) to document current evidence-based practice (EBP) patterns as reported by school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) during the 2021-2022 school year.

METHOD

Via an online survey, SLPs reported their training experiences and needs, workplace resources, and frequency of engagement in EBP activities.

RESULTS

A total of 889 SLPs in 50 states participated in the survey. Results revealed that 19% of seasoned SLPs (with more than 10 years since last degree) had no formal training in EBP, 22% of SLPs worked in school districts with official EBP procedural guidelines, and 36% had scheduled time in their work week to support EBP activities. Early career (EC) professionals were more likely than seasoned career (SC) professionals to pose and research one or more EBP questions per year and to read journal articles about assessment and treatment. The gap in article use by experience groups was larger than a decade ago. Like prior survey results, the majority of SLPs read zero to four American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) journal articles on assessment or intervention per year, with similar results for reading non-ASHA journal articles.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the past decade has fostered some positive increases in the use of EBP resources and engagement in EBP activities, there continues to be a need for additional training and support for school-based SLPs to fully implement EBP. Training and implementation support should account for differences in training preferences and workplace resources and address differentiation of reported practices by EC versus SC professionals. Further implications for implementation science in schools are provided.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23152817.

Minding the Gap: Using Implementation Science to Improve Clinical Practice in Schools

PURPOSE

This purpose of this prologue is to introduce readers to the Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools Forum: Minding the Gap: Using Implementation Science to Improve Clinical Practice in Schools. Ten articles comprise this forum presenting a variety of topics, such as the use of implementation science frameworks and methods, program adaptation, de-implementation, and interprofessional collaboration.

CONCLUSION

As showcased in this forum, implementation science offers many ways to bridge the gap between research and practice and improve school-based services for children with communication disorders.

Dissemination Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders: A Tutorial

PURPOSE

The purpose of this tutorial is threefold: (a) to bring attention to the role and value of dissemination research in communication sciences and disorders (CSD), (b) to introduce a model that can be used to guide dissemination research, and (c) to demonstrate strategic steps toward generating research questions and planning methods for dissemination research using an example from the authors' work.

METHOD

This tutorial begins with a discussion of the role of dissemination in clinical research, with emphasis on differentiating the unique value of dissemination within the broader context of dissemination and implementation (D&I) research. The tutorial next presents a model of dissemination from the extant literature and describes how this model can be applied in CSD using examples from the authors' respective programs of clinical research. This is followed by an example that illustrates how the model can be used to determine research questions and guide the development of methods. Finally, the tutorial ends by discussing the potential impact of dissemination research for advancing efforts in CSD for closing the research-to-practice gap.

CONCLUSIONS

Dissemination research is an often overlooked but critical component of D&I efforts. When approached systematically and rigorously, dissemination can make meaningful contributions to clinical research in CSD.