A Shifting Academic Landscape: Confronting Ableism in Graduate SLP Curriculum
Includes a Live Web Event on 12/09/2026 at 3:00 PM (EST)
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Register
- Non-member - $35
- Member - $25
- Affiliate - $35
- Partner - $35
Wednesday, December 9, 2026
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET
.1 ASHA CEUs
As the field of speech-language pathology continues to evolve, there is an increasing need for graduate programs to reflect identity- and neurodiversity-affirming approaches to Autism in their curricular programming. This session is designed for faculty members seeking to critically revise and update their autism-related coursework to better align with contemporary perspectives and the lived experiences of Autistic individuals. Participants will be introduced to key shifts in terminology and conceptual frameworks that move away from deficit-based models toward strengths-based, identity-affirming practices. The session will provide concrete recommendations for course readings that center Autistic voices and interdisciplinary scholarship, along with guidance on integrating these materials into existing curricula. Specific instructional content will include an overview of gestalt language processing as an alternative lens for understanding language development, approaches to writing strengths-based goals, and a critique of traditional social skills interventions. In place of compliance-based approaches to pragmatics, participants will explore more authentic alternatives that honor the Autistic perspective.
Learning Objectives
- Evaluate and revise Autism-related course content to align with identity- and neurodiversity-affirming frameworks, including the use of updated terminology and conceptual models.
- Integrate course readings and instructional content that center Autistic voices, including the application of gestalt language processing and strengths-based approaches to goal writing.
- Differentiate between traditional social skills interventions and identity-affirming alternatives to pragmatics instruction in order to apply these approaches to course design.
Time Ordered Agenda
3:00 - 3:02 PM ET Welcome & Learning Outcomes
3:02 - 3:15 PM ET Foundational Shifts in Frameworks & Terminology
3:15 - 3:20 PM ET Course Readings & Centering Autistic Voices
3:20 - 3:30 PM ET Gestalt Language Processing (GLP)
3:30 - 3:40 PM ET Strengths-Based Goal Writing
3:40 - 4:00 PM ET Rethinking Pragmatics Instruction
For questions about this webinar, please contact us at [email protected].
Once registered, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to log in.
If you can't attend the live webinar, register now and receive a recording of the webinar to view at your convenience. Please note that only registrants who attend the live webinar are eligible for ASHA CEUs.
Monica C. Kleekamp, PhD, CCC-SLP
Maryville University
Monica C. Kleekamp, PhD, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor of speech-language pathology at Maryville University in St. Louis, MO. Kleekamp’s research with dis/abled students who have complex communication needs reimagines pedagogical possibilities and methodological approaches by disrupting deficit orientations to these students’ literacies. Kleekamp juxtaposes theoretical framings from the fields of literacy research and disability studies to reframe students who have always been positioned as incompetent as active meaning makers within intricate interdependent classroom networks. Specifically, through a lens of neurological queerness, this work invites scholars, teachers, and other professionals to engage in anti-ableist endeavors that redefine what counts as literacy and who counts as literate. Kleekamp’s scholarship has been published in several academic journals including Journal of Literacy Research, Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice, The Reading Teacher, and Research in the Teaching of English.
Disclosures
Financial: I am a faculty member at Maryville University which will be mentioned and used as a case example in this presentation. I will receive a royalty payment for this presentation.
Non-Financial: None.
This course is designed with a participation requirement that ensures meaningful engagement and learning. Participants must be present for the entire 60-minute webinar to receive the assessment. The assessment is a key component in obtaining both their certificate of completion and ASHA CEUs. In addition to standard assessments of the speaker's effectiveness and the overall content quality, participants are challenged to demonstrate practical application of the knowledge gained. The required question prompts participants to articulate and list two specific action items they plan to implement. This promotes critical thinking about how to apply new information in their professional practice with a forward-thinking response.
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