The University’s Speech-Language Pathology Class of 2024 students Jessica Concannon, Alyssa Dallmer, Sydni Delfiner, and Olivia Fogarty had the opportunity to present their capstone projects recently, one more step closer to graduation this spring.
Their capstone project served as an important means of advocacy for parents and caregivers of pediatric clients. The project addressed some misinformation on developmental milestones provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It also expressed the importance of parents/caregivers using Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) backed research when advocating for their loved ones, specifically utilizing the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as a resource.
“We decided to do this project because many parents will go to the CDC when looking at appropriate milestones or any other health information, and a lot of pediatricians rely on the CDC as opposed to other resources,” said Fogarty. “ASHA reports different milestones than the CDC, so we wanted to let an audience know that ASHA is a better resource than the CDC.”
To reach their audience, the group hosted a virtual meeting focused on advocating for children during pediatric well-visits. During the meeting, the group covered speech milestones, advocating for children, finding services, and the consequences of referring to the CDC versus ASHA.
One example of a consequence that was found was:
The CDC reported that at age two, a child should at least put two words together, such as “more milk.” Whereas ASHA reported a child should put two words together such as “more apple,” “no bed,” or “mommy book,” between one to two years old.
While the CDC does not refer until age two, ASHA presents the developmental milestones as a range. The CDC’s information can potentially lead to delayed identification of children with developmental delays and disorders. The group noted that there are likely children who may benefit from support who aren’t being identified by the CDC milestones.
Their capstone emphasized how any milestones should be clear, presented as a range, and backed by research to aid clinical decision-making.
Due to inaccurate milestones reported by the CDC, the group argues now is more important than ever for parents to have the correct information to be advocates for their children at pediatric well-visits. Providing accurate information and education about developmental milestones to parents/caregivers of children is important for early identification, early intervention, and their educational and social success.
The group is excited by the completion of their research, and moving closer to walking the stage at the Kimmel Center in May. “We started working on this project almost a year ago, so it is exciting to see all of our hard work culminating in our presentation, “ said Dallmer. “It feels like just yesterday we were here watching the previous SLP class’ capstone projects, it’s a very ‘full circle’ moment for us.”
