Implementation Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders : Closing the Research-to-Practice Gap

This contributed volume brings together leading voices the field to demystify implementation research, define best practice, describe a clear framework for implementation, and illuminate solutions to the common pitfalls of such research. It speaks to the unique contexts of the CSD field such as sample sizes with considerable variability, diverse service delivery contexts, and positions in both medical and educational organizations. Each chapter includes objectives, real-world examples, sidebars to spur reflection, and a case study. A downloadable Resources Guide will be available to help readers learn more about this topic.

Lesley B. Olswang, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is Professor Emerita in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she spent her 38-year academic career. She received her B.S. degree from Northwestern University, her M.S. degree from the University of Illinois, and her Ph.D. degree from the University of Washington, all in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) with an emphasis on speech-language pathology. Dr. Olswang holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in speech-language pathology. She was made a Fellow of ASHA in 1996 and received the Honors of the Association in 2016.
The overarching theme of Dr. Olswangâ (TM)s research has been to understand the nature of communication disorders in young children so that interventions can be devised to optimally facilitate change. She has extensive clinical and research experience with children from 7 months through school-age, but most of her work has addressed communication development and disorders of children younger than 3 years of age. Her research with this age group has focused on two specific populations: young nonverbal children with significant disabilities, and toddlers diagnosed with specific language impairment. She has been investigating the efficacy of treatments with these children and their families, particularly attempting to determine readiness factors that will inform intervention planning. These research programs have moved from feasibility studies to randomized control trials using mixed methodologies and have been supported by the University of Washington, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Institutes of Health. In service of these research interests, she was Chair for the Conference on Treatment Efficacy, sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHF) in 1989. In 2011, she attended the first Global Implementation Science Conference in Washington, D.C. This seminal experience shifted her thinking about clinical research, offering a paradigm for considering efficacy research from the broader perspective of merging research evidence and practice. As a trustee on the Board of ASHF between 2012 and 2018, she participated in the launching of the Summit on Implementation Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2014. She also served as Chair of ASHFâ (TM)s Program committee, which was responsible for creating the Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration Grant Award to support implementation research in CSD. Since 2014, she has continued her work with young nonverbal children with significant disabilities, including being funded by the University of Washington, Institute of Translational Health Sciences to address several implementation questions. Most recently, she has participated in dissemination research as part of her research program. She has given numerous presentations on implementation science in CSD and has authored nine implementation and dissemination research articles.

Julie L. Feuerstein, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Central Florida. She obtained her B.S. and M.S. degrees in communication disorders and speech-language pathology, respectively, at Boston University and her Ph.D. in speech and hearing sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. She completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, with an appointment to Kennedy Krieger Instituteâ (TM)s Center for Autism and Related Disorders. Dr. Feuersteinâ (TM)s teaching and research interests center around evaluating prelinguistic intervention for young children with complex communication needs (CCN) and examining effective strategies for integrating research evidence with clinical practice to better support these children and their families. Currently, she is the Director of the Early Communication and Play (ECAP) lab at the University of Central Florida.
Dr. Feuersteinâ (TM)s research has been funded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation, the Bailes Family Foundation, the Irma & Orville Parker Charitable Trust, and the Margaret & R. Parks Williams Charitable Foundation. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented her research at local, national, and international conferences. Dr. Feuersteinâ (TM)s work is dedicated to advancing clinical care and research that empowers young children with CCN and their families through meaningful access, participation, and engagement in all aspects of life. By collaborating with families, clinicians, and communities, Dr. Feuerstein aims to enhance communication outcomes, support inclusion, and improve the overall quality of life for these children, fostering environments where every child can thrive.

Natalie F. Douglas, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an associate professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she holds the Doris Hawthorne/Louisiana Education Quality Regents Support Fund Professorship IV. She earned her Ph.D. in neurocommunicative sciences with a focus on implementation research from the University of South Florida. Dr. Douglasâ (TM)s research centers on achieving meaningful, person-centered outcomes for individuals with aphasia, dementia, and other communication challenges. Her work focuses on partnering with clinicians to integrate evidence-based interventions into everyday clinical practice, particularly within long-term care settings.
Supported by grants from the National Institutes on Aging, the Learning Health Systems Rehabilitation Research Network, and the American Speech Language Hearing Foundation, Dr. Douglas leads projects that coach health care staff in foundational communication strategies, enhancing care for people with acquired communication disorders and communication differences. These initiatives are designed to ensure individuals can sustain essential aspects of wellbeing, including safety, health care access, and social connectedness. Through her use of implementation research, Dr. Douglas ensures that communication interventions are sustainably incorporated into clinical workflows, resulting in lasting improvements in care practices. Her commitment to integrating research and practice continues to drive innovation and positively impact the field of speech-language pathology.