iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Reposting with fixed link. utppublishing.com/journals/qrc...

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

Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I'm excited to be guest editing an upcoming special issue for Qualitative Research in Communication Differences and Disorders. 📝Seeking #qualitative research exploring novel communication intervention such as arts-based or mind-body approaches. Details➡️ utppublishing.com/journals/qrc... #slpeeps

utppublishing.com

Special Issue Call for Papers

Qualitative Research in Communication Differences and Disorders is seeking new insights on special topics to publish in an upcoming issue. See if this CFP is the right fit for your research.

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

“Participants … thought that a definition of communicative participation should include interaction for joy, where closeness rather than meaning is shared, and reference to play and education as key communicative participation situations.” #participation #SLPeeps #OpenAccess 🔓

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

ASHA Journals @ashajournals.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

This study in Perspectives suggests that visual schedules are a practical, low-effort tool that can enhance patient–provider communication. Authors found that untrained volunteers were able to use these tools and found them helpful pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2026_PERS… #AuDPeeps

pubs.asha.org

Training Volunteers to Implement Visual Schedules With Athletes at Special Olympics Healthy Hearing Screening

Purpose: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) often experience communication challenges that hinder effective heal...

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Lamar University is hiring a department chair for Speech & Hearing Sciences. Applications now open. Come work with me! #SLPeeps #AudPeeps #AcademicSky #EduSky #SoTLsky #HigherEd #EduSky ➖More about the dept: www.lamar.edu/nursing-heal... ➖Link to job posting: members.capcsd.org/jobboard/Det...

members.capcsd.org

Department Chair

Job Title: Professor Department: College of Nursing and Health Professions Job Category: Faculty FLSA Status: Exempt Pos Class (Job Code) FA910 Pay Grade: FA Emp Class Desc: Professional ...

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Our latest 🔓open access article - We analyzed #instagram posts tagged w/ #autisticcommunication & #actuallyautistic to explore how #autistic adults: ▶️describe communication experiences ▶️discuss communication preferences ▶️define effective communication #qualitative #SLPeeps doi.org/10.1016/j.ri...

Results
Themes related to autism communication experiences reflected trauma from neurotypical expectations, the reframing of communication differences as identity, and agency through confronting ableism, empowerment, and connection. Themes related to communication processes and preferences reflected the impact of cognition on communication, the value of all forms of communication, and unique features of autistic communication.

Conclusion
Autistic adults described notable dissonance between their authentic communication styles and neurotypical social norms. Instagram gave autistic adults a public space to share their perspectives, teach others, and exchange strategies and support. This visibility shifts the focus from professionals to autistic people, redefining what “effective communication” means.

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

ASHA Journals @ashajournals.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Study explores role of interdisciplinary collaboration between audiologists & psychologists in managing hearing loss & cognitive decline as interconnected conditions. This multidisciplinary approach ensures comprehensive patient-centered care. on.asha.org/4u40JCn #AUDpeeps

on.asha.org

Psychology and Audiology: A Proposed Guide for Collaborative Care for Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline

Purpose: This clinical focus article explores the role of interdisciplinary collaboration between audiologists and psychologists in managing hear...

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

ASHA Journals @ashajournals.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Caring for a loved one with aphasia can result in psychosocial challenges which are often understudied. Learn how to the support of friends can help weaken the link between caregiver burden and depressive symptoms pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2025_AJSL… #SLPeeps

pubs.asha.org

Caregiving Burden and Depressive Symptoms in Aphasia Caregivers: The Moderating Role of Friendship Support

Purpose: Caring for a loved one with aphasia often results in a myriad understudied psychosocial challenges for caregivers. To advance family-cen...

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

“The findings indicate that applicants from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups & those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly less likely to receive an admission offer, even after accounting for undergraduate GPA.” #edusky #academicsky #slpeeps #gradadmissions

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

I’m dying to know where all you applied.

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Congratulations! Good luck with your decisions.

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

Inside Higher Ed @insidehighered.com · 11/02/2026

UNC Administrators Can Now Secretly Record Faculty The new policy prohibits students from recording class without permission but explicitly allows administrators to surveil professors for any “lawful purpose.” bit.ly/3MyingR #EDUSky #AcademicSky #HigherEd

Aerial over the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the spring.

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

We don’t have nearly enough of them in the US. They are dedicated to engaging people in recreation-based activity to promote life engagement and quality of life during healing and rehabilitation processes. It’s explained better here: www.atra-online.com

atra-online.com

ATRA | Elevate Your Career with ATRA

Elevate your career in recreational therapy with ATRA. Join now for exclusive benefits & advocacy efforts!

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

This article highlights the value of #SLPeeps & #RecreationalTherapy collaborations to embed authentic social interaction & participation into meaningful activities.

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

Erin Westgate @erinwestgate.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Did Trump’s 2024 re-election make it okay to be openly prejudiced? New work from @chriscrandall.bsky.social suggests it did. The more negatively Trump spoke about a group, the more okay it became to express prejudice (and the more prejudiced people were) towards that group after the election.

Changing Norms Following the 2024
U.S. Presidential Election: The Trump Effect on Prejudice Redux

Samuel E. Arnold, Jenniffer Wong Chavez, Kelly S. Swanson, and Christian S. Crandall

Abstract

Following the 2016 U.S. Presidential election of Donald Trump, prejudice toward groups targeted during his campaign (e.g., Asian Americans, Mexicans) become more acceptable. By contrast, both Trump and Clinton voters reported less prejudice of their own. We conducted a 2024 conceptual replication, measuring perceived norms of prejudice and own-prejudice toward 128 groups,
both before (N = 362) and after (N = 261) the U.S.
election. We separately measured the negativity of Trump's campaign rhetoric toward these groups (N = 188). Levels of prejudice and perceived norms of prejudice acceptability were mostly stable pre-/post-election, but Trump's negative rhetoric predicted an increase in perceived acceptability of prejudice among targeted groups (replicating the 2016 results), and a rise in selt-reported prejudice in the same groups post-election (reversing the 2016 results). Despite changes in the sociopolitical context between elections, the election of a leading politician who campaigned on prejudice was again associated with increases in the acceptability of prejudice.

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

This study highlights the importance of speech-language pathology intervention for individuals with #dementia & their care partners. Identifying strengths, compensating for needs, & training others can improve functional communication, safety, & social connection - at ALL stages #SLPeeps

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

This is the web tool our fabulous students (voluntarily) created for the event to synthesize & share current evidence on potential communication benefits of #arts programming. #SLPeeps 2/2

sites.google.com

SPARC Research Collaborative

Collaboration & Creativity: Using arts as an avenue to promote language skills

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Had a blast leading a professional development session with @monicakan.bsky.social on #inclusion #theatre for Yakima school #SLPeeps! Our amazing students created this website for the SLPs/SAs about evidence-based arts integration into speech therapy. I have the best job & best students! 1/2

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/)

Six women in zoom call tiles. Below them it states, “Inter-university Social Participation and Arts Research Collaborative Members: Karen Whisenhunt Saar, Monica Kaniamattam, Kayla Smith, Meghan Inglis, Emily Tucker, and Rylee Stephens (from Lamar University and Moravian University)”

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

What a fulfilling day! Congrats on the qualification!

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Detecting Pseudoscience 🛑This study developed & validated the Susceptibility TO Pseudoscience (STOP) scale - finding it promising for assessing students' & clinicians' ability to detect warning signs of pseudoscience. #EBP #pseudoscience #InformationLiteracy #InfoLit #AcademicSky #EduSky #MedEd

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

Jess Hagman @hagman.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

#qualitative

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Put the leash on the ground and step on it. Your weight will hold them in place while you do the rest.

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Happy World Linguistics Day from Texas, United States.

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

ASHA Journals @ashajournals.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Interested in publishing implementation research that serves ASHA's SLPs? Check out our call for papers online! Guest Editor Amy K. Peterson is putting together a forum in LSHSS. Read more information below and submit your letter of intent by January 15! on.asha.org/4oJw8qJ

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

I certainly have plenty obsolete cables.

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Game night! Learning a new #boardgame - Role Player. Open to strategy tips. 😊 🎲

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.

Three piles of board game boxes on a table.
Front role contains: Port Royal, Splendor Duel, and Sea Salt & Paper on the left. Roll Player on the right.
Back row contains: Ex Libris, Candamir, and Galaxy Trucker

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

NPR @npr.org · 17/11/2025

Some senior living communities are caring for people with dementia alongside other residents, not segregated behind locked doors. n.pr/4r59PgR

n.pr

Dementia housing without locked wards? It's a small but growing movement

Some senior living communities are caring for people with dementia alongside other residents, not segregated behind locked doors.

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Authors synthesize research on informal learning in health profession education. They ID a range of informal learning opportunities, situate these theoretically, & identify enablers & threats faculty can be intentional about addressing. Great read for CSD faculty #SLPeeps #SoTLsky #MedEd #HigherEd

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders is now Qualitative Research in Communication Differences and Disorders (QRCDD). QRCDD aims to expand both #qualitative methodologies utilized & definitions of communication disorder & difference beyond traditional diagnostic labels. 1/2

utppublishing.com

Qualitative Research in Communication Differences and Disorders Home | University of Toronto Press

Welcome to Qualitative Research in Communication Differences and Disorders, published by University of Toronto Press. Access peer-reviewed articles online and find essential information about this hig...

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

ASHA Journals @ashajournals.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Understanding how people with aphasia use information and communication technology (e.g., smartphones, social media platforms) to stay connected is critical to developing components of clinical interventions focused on social relationships. on.asha.org/3JfJAmm #SLPeeps

on.asha.org

Using Digital Technology to Stay Connected With Friends After Aphasia

Purpose: Digital domains are becoming increasingly important in creating and sustaining relationships. The purpose of this study was to understan...

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Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 01/11/2025

We have progressed from data collection to data analysis.

My 11-year-old sitting with her pile of Halloween candy, sorting it into a bar graph

970344664087

Reposted by Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)

JAMA @jama.com · 26/09/2025

#Alzheimer disease is more common in women than men. Often attributed to the fact that women tend to live longer, research shows the sex gap likely stems from a complex mix of biological and sociocultural factors. ja.ma/4nMfLc1

ja.ma

Why Is Alzheimer Disease More Common in Women?

This Medical News article discusses the biological and sociocultural factors that may contribute to sex-based differences in Alzheimer disease prevalence and progression.

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

“The report’s main point is surprisingly simple: people living with #dementia can still set goals, learn strategies, and adapt their lives with the right support … #rehabilitation is about focusing on what a person can still do and helping them do it for as long as possible.” #slpeeps #cog-comm

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

ReImagining Dementia's 'Taking it to the Streets' campaign starts soon! Sept 21 - Oct 21 @reimaginedementia.bsky.social Learn more, join the coalition, & get involved here: www.reimaginingdementia.com/takingstreets #dementia #joy #shatteringthesilence #reimaginingdementia #RDCtakingittothestreets

reimaginingdementia.com

Taking It to the Streets — Reimagining Dementia

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Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her) @kwsaar.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

I agree. Covid isolation during development is such a relevant concern facing our broader population. I wonder, too, about loneliness in populations that live with disabilities or illness that reduce social engagement. This work certainly needs to be continued.

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