The Inaugural Ultra-SLP Conference

5:00-6:00 PM 

Presenter: Elaine R. Hitchcock, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, 

Ultrasound imaging has transformed from an experimental research tool into a practical, evidence-informed option for treating speech sound disorders across the lifespan. This keynote will trace the historical arc of ultrasound for speech, beginning with early work visualizing tongue shape and movement, to its integration into clinical protocols for children with residual /ɹ/ errors, velar fronting, lingual fricative distortions, and childhood apraxia of speech. Early studies established feasibility and demonstrated that real-time tongue visualization could augment traditional articulatory cues, particularly for children and adults whose errors persisted despite high-quality therapy. Over time, systematic reviews and single-case experimental studies have clarified when and for whom ultrasound visual biofeedback is most effective, while also highlighting challenges in generalization and access. Drawing on decades of research and clinical implementation, this presentation will review and synthesize key milestones, outcome data, and practical lessons, and address how contemporary biofeedback protocols can be realistically adapted for busy clinical settings, including considerations for equipment, training, and candidacy. 

8:00-9:00 AM

Presenter: Suzanne Boyce, PhD CCC-SLP, CAGS

The typical phonetics education provided to speech-language pathologists covers definitions of phonetic categories (place, manner, stop, labial, etc.), International Phonetic Association (IPA) symbols, and skill at transcription. Speech sounds are described in an isolated form.  This educational base is essential for clinicians to perform competently with the standard repertoire of treatments for speech sound disorders in children and adults, but it also reflects the limitations of the technology available in the workplace. The advent of visualization technologies, such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, has made it possible to develop new forms of treatment, but it has also highlighted the need for a broader understanding of articulatory movement in speech. In this talk, I will touch on the history of phonetic knowledge about articulation in our field, with a focus on how visualization technologies have expanded our knowledge of the most problematic and least well understood speech sound, American English /r/. 

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM 

Presenters: Sarah Dugan PhD, CCC-SLP and Megan C. Leece, MA, CCC-SLP 

Experienced ultrasound clinicians Megan Leece and Sarah Dugan will lead a hands-on training workshop for SLPs who want to learn to use ultrasound to treat Speech Sound Disorders, including Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Information about using and interpreting the ultrasound, formulating goals and therapy plans, typical progression of sessions, speech sounds that can be treated with ultrasound, and client characteristics will be shared. Ultrasound machines will be on hand to practice. 

1:00-2:00 PM

Presenter: Elaine Hitchcock, PhD, CCC-SLP

Ultrasound visual biofeedback reveals that there is no single “correct” tongue shape for /ɹ/; instead, speakers use a range of individual, but acoustically valid, configurations. For clinicians, this diversity underscores the importance of listening first, using perceptual judgments to determine when a production truly matches the target sound, while using ultrasound as a flexible visual guide rather than a rigid template. In this presentation, we will demonstrate how real-time tongue imaging can help clinicians analyze a client’s habitual error pattern, identify viable alternative tongue shapes, and then shape a distorted or inaccurate production toward a perceptually accurate /ɹ/. Case examples will show how perceptual accuracy and ultrasound-guided tongue shaping work together: the clinician listens for acceptable resonance and clarity while using ultrasound to cue adjustments in constriction location, tongue root retraction, and bracing. Clinical strategies for fading visual support and promoting generalization beyond the ultrasound context will also be discussed.

2:00-3:00 PM

Presenter: Dr. Jonathan, CCC-SLP

Childhood apraxia is a subtype of speech sound disorder that involves impaired planning and programming of speech movements. This presentation will describe principles of treatment related to this population, including strategies to enhance the acquisition of movements as well as generalization. Special considerations CAS will be reviewed, including target selection and the role of prosody. Video examples from clinical research studies will be shown to demonstrate the implementation of ultrasound in speech therapy for school-aged children with apraxia of speech.

3:00-3:30 PM

Presenters: Jianwen Crump, Ed.D., CCC-SLP; Kori Clements SLP.D., CCC-SLP; and Mary Huston, PhD CCC-SLP

As ultrasound visual biofeedback becomes an increasingly valuable tool in speech-language pathology, sustainable funding models are essential. This panel will address how programs and practices can strategically invest in ultrasound technology through grants, institutional support, vendor partnerships, sustainability planning and inter-professional collaborations. Discussion will emphasize workforce preparation, clinical simulation, and outcome-driven justification for technology adoption. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to position ultrasound funding as a long-term investment in innovation, education, and patient care.

3:30-4:30 PM

Presenter: Kelly Farquharson, PhD, CCC-SLP, F-ASHA

In this recorded session, Dr. Farquharson will discuss ways in which she has used implementation science methodologies to bridge clinical practice and research through partnering with speech-language pathologists in school-based settings. This will include reviews of survey-based studies, the experience sampling method, the process of scaling up to a larger exploratory study, and thoughts on what might come next. The primary focus will be on SLPs who work with elementary-aged children (K-3) who have speech, language, or literacy deficits. 

4:30-5:30 AM

Presenter: Suzanne Boyce, PhD CCC-SLP, CAGS

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Moore EdD, CCC-SLP; Dr. Aravind Namasivayam PhD., S-LP(C), Reg. CASLPO

Ultrasound visual biofeedback is beneficial for the assessment and treatment of speech sound disorders, yet many clinicians lack practical training in motor-focused practice and feedback. This clinical workshop teaches hands-on skills to implement ultrasound efficiently in therapy for targeting common speech sound errors. Participants will learn to (1) deliver feedback that combines knowledge of performance and results within motor learning informed practice schedules, and (2) embed engaging and motivating on-screen activities. Video-based case demonstrations and guided practice will show how to choose facilitative contexts, mark visual targets, and fade cues to promote self-monitoring and generalization. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge for integrating ultrasound into SSD sessions.

9:00 - 10:00 AM

Presenter: Kori Clements SLP.D., CCC-SLP, and Elizabeth Farmer MS CCC-SLP

We will be presenting on our experiences of using ultrasound in schools during speech therapy.  We plan to share our perspectives as some of the earliest adopters of using this technology to work on speech sound disorders in the schools.  Our experience has focused primarily on using ultrasound biofeedback technology to work on the /r/ sound. We will talk about our personal experiences using ultrasound in schools, including advocating for ultrasound, and discuss possible pros/cons/barriers to ultrasound implementation in schools. 

10:15-11:00 AM

Presenter: Karen Brackenbury, M.A. CCC-SLP, Dr. Jianwen Crump, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, Stacey Gerding, M. S. CCC-SLP, and Nadine Ocock Whiteman, MA, CCC-SLP

This presentation will discuss graduate student education of the knowledge and application of ultrasound biofeedback for the /r/ phoneme. Utilizing published research and clinical experience, the emphasis will be on guiding students to recognize and move away from ineffective, traditional instructional methods in favor of evidence-based approaches.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Presenter: Caroline Spencer, Ph.D

Approximately 75% of neurotypical children learn the /r/sound by age 4 years old, but others do not learn the sound until 6-7 years of age. Clinically, intervention for /r// errors may not start until age 7 or later. So, is there a way to differentiate the early learners from the late learners? In this presentation, I will characterize these two groups of /r/ learners according to common speech and language tests, as well as ultrasound data. I will also discuss how these results fit within guidelines for therapy related to speech motor learning and speech development in the preschool and early school-age years.

1:00 - 1:30 PM

Presenter: Brittany N Krekeler, PhD, CCC-SLP, and Anna Hopkins, M.S. CCC-SLP

Ultrasound is rapidly emerging as a transformative tool for assessing swallowing function, offering real-time visualization of structures and biomechanics that are otherwise difficult to capture at the bedside. This presentation will highlight recent innovations in ultrasound-based evaluation of swallowing, including static and dynamic imaging of key structures such as the geniohyoid, mylohyoid, tongue, and hyoid bone. Evidence will be presented on the use of ultrasound to quantify muscle morphology, identify pathophysiologic mechanisms of dysphagia, and measure displacement, timing, and coordination of biomechanical events during the swallow. Applications for biofeedback, screening, and monitoring therapeutic progress will also be discussed. The session will outline technical considerations, reliability challenges, and ongoing research aimed at standardizing protocols for clinical translation. Attendees will leave with an updated understanding of the potential for ultrasound to expand dysphagia assessment and enhance patient-centered care in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

1:30 - 2:00 PM

Presenter: Hedieh Hashemi Hosseinabad, PhD, CCC-SLP

This talk focuses on the clinical application of ultrasound tongue imaging in assessing speech sound disorders in children with cleft palate. It reviews current evidence supporting the use of ultrasound as an instrumental tool for visualizing tongue shape and movement patterns that are not easily captured through perceptual assessment alone. Emphasis is placed on how tongue imaging can enhance clinicians’ understanding of atypical articulatory strategies commonly observed in children with cleft palate, including persistent compensatory and maladaptive speech errors. The presentation also offers practical, clinically feasible approaches for integrating ultrasound biofeedback into speech motor therapy. Specific examples illustrate how real-time visual feedback can support motor learning by increasing articulatory awareness, facilitating accurate tongue placement, and promoting more efficient speech movement patterns. By bridging research findings with clinical practice, this talk highlights how ultrasound biofeedback can serve as a valuable adjunct to traditional interventions.

2:00 - 2:30 PM

Presenter: Ahmed Rivera Campos, PhD CCC-SLP

The trill /r/, similar to the English rhotic approximant, is considered a late-developing sound for children who speak Spanish. In order to accurately produce it, speakers of Spanish do not just “raise the tongue tip and push the air out”, a precise tongue configuration and intraoral pressure must occur. By using ultrasound imaging, clinicians can monitor the appropriate positioning of the various tongue sections (e.g., tongue root, tongue blade) in order to support /r/ acquisition in Spanish-speaking children with /r/ errors.

2:30 - 3:00 PM

Presenter: Jennifer Vannest, PhD, MA, CCC-SLP, and Peter Wagreich, MA, CCC-SLP

This talk will detail procedures for implementing ultrasound for speech sound treatment in a pediatric outpatient setting where care is coordinated across several SLPs in multiple locations.  We will review our referral process, episodic scheduling model, clinician training process, and outcomes. 

3:00-3:30 PM

Presenter: Suzanne Boyce, PhD CCC-SLP, CAGS

Ultrasound imaging is a portable and inexpensive way to view much of the tongue surface from root to tip, but ultrasound images have limitations and can be difficult to interpret. This talk will describe the basics of how ultrasound images are formed, why image artifacts occur, and guidelines for interpreting tongue shapes despite these limitations. Included topics include tongue tip reflection artifacts, shadowing, and double/ambiguous edges. Examples include results from a study that simulated ultrasound images; by simulating acoustic wave propagation in tissue shapes segmented from MRI, ultrasound images could be simulated from known tongue shapes, and allow for quantitative conclusions.