Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

@kwsaar.bsky.social

1853 Followers 1749 Following

Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology | qualitative research | social participation | communication access | scholarship of teaching and learning #SoTL | communication in #dementia care | #cog-comm | #inclusion | #boardgames, books, & brewing

Special Issue Title: Creativity, the Arts, and Holistic Approaches: Highlighting Innovation in Clinical Practice

Many disciplines that work with individuals with communication disabilities continue to emphasize traditional models of care, focusing on speech, language, and hearing deficits while giving comparatively little attention to the individual's broader experiences, goals, and well-being. This special issue aims to push the limits of how we define clinical practice by acknowledging that the scope of human communication is vast and cannot be complete without integration of those aspects of humanity that make us whole.

In this issue, we seek submissions that highlight creative interventions across populations and settings, emphasizing how authentic forms of human expression, including multiple modalities, can enhance engagement, support expression and meaning making, and provide meaningful opportunities for individuals to communicate and connect. Any submission that explores an intervention or program demonstrating creativity, novelty, or innovation will be considered. Interventions or programs can include unique clinical techniques, such as infusing the arts into intervention, promoting expression and engagement within the real world in innovative ways, mind-body approaches, among others.

We seek contributions covering a broad range of activities, contexts, and perspectives that address the opportunities for inclusion and social participation afforded by such approaches and that highlight the voices of various involved individuals such as participants, families, clinicians, and interprofessional collaborators among others. Submissions should utilize qualitative methodologies to provide insight into perspectives or experiences related to these types of interventions or programs. Studies that evoke the spark and humanity that creative engagement brings to human interaction are encouraged.

Submissions due: January 15th, 2027

The upper left corner has pictures of women on a zoom call with the text “Thank you, Yakima school district for hosting a professional development workshop on creativity and speech and language intervention.
Below that is a colorful slide with the workshop title, “collaboration and creativity: using inclusion theater to promote language skills”

The right side says, “Lamar and Moravian University students created a website for Yakima SLPs illustrating the evidence based for creative language intervention.” Below the text is a screen shot of a webpage (link to this webpage: https://sites.google.com/moravian.edu/sparc-research-collaborative/)

In the foreground a table is set with the board game Roll Player. There are stacks of cards, containers with coins and game pieces, player mats and dice are set out and there is a bag full of more dice. The background has blurry book shelves and a Christmas tree.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reversed its previous interpretation and will now recognize clinical fellows (CFs) with provisional licenses as qualified Medicare providers—as long as they meet their state’s licensure requirements.

This major change follows strong advocacy from ASHA, nearly 20,000 advocates, 36 state associations, and other partners. CMS now affirms that states determine who is licensed to practice, including CFs with temporary or provisional licenses.

This decision is a critical step in preserving access to care for Medicare beneficiaries and ensuring that provisionally licensed professionals can continue serving patients.

A sidewalk with a park in background. People are holding peace signs and other protest signs. In foreground there is a handpainted “resist” sign with peace signs on it and an American flag.

Recent federal executive orders have resulted in legal scrutiny surrounding terminology related to cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Even when terminology is lawfully applied and considered essential for clinical practice, some of the terminology within the 2020 certification standards could put ASHA’s certification programs at risk from government, state, and private actors. ASHA’s Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC) is taking steps that are necessary to (a) ensure the longevity and integrity of ASHA’s certification programs and (b) protect clients/patients/students’ access to safe and effective care. The values of ASHA’s certification programs are not changing.

The CFCC is proposing modifications to the 2020 Audiology Certification Standards and the 2020 Speech-Language Pathology Certification Standards; these proposed changes are outlined below. The decision to propose these modifications was not made lightly, yet it is necessary to ensure that ASHA certification continues to be available to current and future certificants. Most importantly, this decision upholds the trust that clients, patients, and students place in ASHA-certified professionals—who have delivered essential services and high-quality care under ASHA certification standards since 1952.

A silver laptop open on a white table. A with coffee cup is in the distance to the left. Two hands are typing on the key pad of the laptop.

This is a research recruitment flyer in shades of yellow with blue text. The text reads:

CALL FOR RESPONDENTS!
For a research survey on ‘label preference‘ in autistic adolescents.

Qualifications:
If you or your child: (each of the following in the list is preceded by a checked box symbol)
-Is formally diagnosed with autism
-Is age 13 - 17
-Is able to answer complex questions regarding opinions
-Has 5 free minutes to fill out an online survey

THEN YOU OR YOUR CHILD ISQUALIFIED TO PARTICIPATE! You may click the QR code to begin the process to participate in the study! Once parent consent is given, the study will be sent to you via email!

(This is followed by a QR code labeled "scan me.")

There are two images from the Dr Who episode “Aliens of London.”
The top image is of a military officer opening his forehead to reveal a bright light.
Below this is an image of an alien (that was hiding in the man pictured above but this connection is not pictured here).

The image is a Facebook post from the account Lamar University - Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences.
Below the text-based message are two images.
The top image has a title slide for a presentation to the left and an image of a woman to the right. The title slide reads, "Living with Dementia: A Qualitative Exploration of the Caregiver's Communicative Experience -Arpitha Susan Sherry - Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University."

The second image is a tiled view of four women. Each is smiling.

The text above both images reads: "Congratulations, Arpitha Sherry! Ms. Sherry, an MS-SLP student, successfully defended her research project, 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢: 𝘈 𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴’ 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. (celebration emoji) 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐀𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐚! Many thanks also go to her committee members, Dr. Karen Whisenhunt Saar & Ms. Chelsea Lyles from Lamar University and Dr. Laura E. Arrington from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette UL Lafayette Communicative Disorders Department, for supporting her through this research process."

A picture of a Facebook post. The image shows a slide show to the right with a drawn figure holding a speaker and a sign with a heart on it. The title of the slide reads, "A Wish for More: Parents’ Perspectives on Inclusion Theater for Children with Disabilities Lamar University Spring 2025 Hannah Huff" To the right of the title slide is an image of four women. Above the images is the following text: "Congratulations to MS-SLP student, Hannah Huff, on the successful oral defense of her research project, A Wish for More: Parents’ Perspectives on Inclusion Theater for Children with Disabilities.
Wonderful work, Hannah!
Many thanks also go to his committee members, Dr. Karen Whisenhunt Saar & Ms. Carmyn Thompson from Lamar University and Dr. Monica Kaniamattam from Moravian University, for supporting her through this research process."

A black Labrador with graying face fur around nose/mouth. Dog is wagging tail and looking off to the side with an open mouth as if happy. Dog is wearing an orange harness and standing in front of shrubs.

A screen shot of a Facebook post from ASHA explain they are reviewing presidential executive orders and generating a response.

Two links are provided for further reading:

Link to presidential executive orders memo: https://www.asha.org/advocacy/presidential-executive-orders/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIBALVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYQwIhHfX7MQRJ4NXLfdB792aGCoyyTNrmaqkiFsBIQeZHnuIvWkKG1oaA_aem_ykSybXGTEOF0AkddySkEvA

Link to 2025 advocacy priorities memo: https://www.asha.org/advocacy/2025-advocacy-priorities-for-audiologists-and-speech-language-pathologists/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIBALpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUSe96Yps-6UhL6E98T2Tl9_p6kxxW5eKAfK88dhXruRx17gqbbuzhKHfg_aem_8I1re4E0F_6j67tB8-yiwQ

Snowperson with pink hat and brown scarf with blue flowers.
One Labrador stands behind the snowperson.
Another dog is standing up on the snowperson.
Both dogs are looking to the side.

Two books leaning against a surface.

Book to left: “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia E. Butler
(book cover: white with drawing of woman in red dress)

Book on right: “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin
(book cover: orange, black, and gray with photo of Baldwin looking off into distance)

Dog sitting on grey couch and looking slightly toward the left.

Woman wearing glasses and smiling while leaning inside of a fake tortoise shell.

Sunset behind the Public Market sign with a seagull flying above the sign.

Maroon bulb testing device.
Package reads “the complete took to fix incandescent light sets.”

Wreath on door with decorated tables beyond. “Happy ThankXmas” on screen in background.

brick, multistory building

labrador on leash walking on a path between trees