SHAV Conference 2017
On March 23rd-25th, I attended the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) Conference in Richmond, Virginia. This was my second time attending the conference and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I was able to see my classmates and we were able to discuss our clinical placements, as well as share information regarding different therapy techniques we have learned this semester. I also was able to network and meet fellow speech-language pathologists in Virginia. This year, I attended many lectures regarding the geriatric population. I attended lectures about dysphagia, both treatment and evaluation, and about cognitive impairments within skilled nursing facilities and acute hospitals. My favorite lecture was “True” Dysphagia vs. Cognitive Impairment: Exploring Mealtime Impairments in Dementia. At this lecture, I learned that there are many signs and symptoms related to dementia. The dining environment may be a confusing place for someone who has dementia, causing difficulty at meal time. The lecture provided different techniques to utilize during dining experiences in order to prevent aspiration and/or penetration. I learned extremely useful information at SHAV that I know I will use in my future career as a speech-language pathologist.
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