Background: The current Policies, Standards and Guidelines for Speech Pathology Education of the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines includes competencies that prepare speech pathology graduates for roles in social development such as being advocates and community-based therapists. These need to be further explored to guide practitioners in defining their roles from those of the clinicians, educators, or researchers. Objective: This preliminary study explored the perceptions of Filipino speech-language pathologists on their roles in social development. Methodology: This study used a qualitative design through focus group interviews. Seven participants were selected through purposive sampling and assigned to one of two group interviews. The participants were members of the Philippine Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, living in Metro Manila, and had been involved in community programs in varied capacities. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results and Discussion: Three roles of speech-language pathologists in social development were identified: (1) being an advocate for the profession and for people with disabilities, (2) health service educator which involves imparting knowledge and training people from the community, and (3) a community-based therapist. Conclusions The results provide insights into the areas of competence necessary in community service and development to further inform the 2017 CHED memorandum and help design specific courses that equip graduates to assume the role of a social advocate. Competencies related to these roles in social development can still be further clarified by future research and should be specifically targeted in the curricula.
Role ; Social Change

BACKGROUND: The Clinic for the Therapy Services (CTS) has considered reverting to face-to-face service delivery due to the downward trend in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. However, the clinic has yet to investigate the willingness of the clients to this mode as a basis for its effective implementation. OBJECTIVES: The study described the readiness of CTS clients in returning to face-to-face therapy amidst the pandemic. It also discussed the factors affecting readiness based on a survey. METHODOLOGY: Fifty-five screened survey responses on the readiness of clients in returning to face-to-face therapy were gathered from January 30 to February 28, 2021. These underwent retrospective data analysis. Eight prospective online key informant interviews were conducted for clarifications in May 2022. This study utilized a descriptive analysis of quantitative categorical variables and a thematic content analysis of qualitative data. RESULTS: The majority of the respondents (35) stated readiness to attend face-to-face therapy followed by those who answered “No” (11), “Maybe” (5), and others (4). Factors that may have affected readiness included travel, characteristics of face-to-face therapy, health conditions, vaccine, and COVID-19 concerns. Frequently preferred health and safety strategies were the provision of hygiene products, disinfection, limited people inside the clinic, separate therapy areas, and ventilation. CONCLUSION Most of the respondents expressed willingness to receive face-to-face therapy in April or May of 2021. Feasibility of travel and decreased number of COVID-19 cases may have encouraged willingness to attend. Those who were hesitant reported concerns with traveling, characteristics of face-to-face therapy, health conditions, the COVID-19 situation, and the vaccine.
rehabilitation ; COVID-19

Background: The emerging practice of tele-AAC (telepractice in augmentative and alternative communication) is gaining attention. Mapping existing research is necessary to help guide clinicians, characterize knowledge gaps, and identify future research directions. Objectives: This study aimed to describe tele-AAC studies' quantity, research characteristics (i.e., rationale, objectives, methodology), and investigated services (i.e., service type, provider, mode, etc.). Methodology: The scoping review involved four phases (search, selection, extraction, synthesis) and covered published and unpublished studies disseminated between 2002-2021. Information sources searched include 12 databases or repositories and six conference websites. For selection and extraction, two independent reviewers reviewed each document and the team resolved discrepancies by consensus. The extracted data were coded and synthesized quantitatively and narratively Results: Thirty unique studies were included. The majority were published (n = 24; 80%), conducted in developed countries (n = 29; 97%), investigated service efficacy (n = 21; 70%) and/or stakeholders experiences (n = 18; 60%), used experimental designs (n = 19; 63%), and involved 2-3 AAC users (n = 10; 33%). The studies focused on training and/or coaching services (n = 19; 63%), high-tech AAC (n = 20; 67%), developmental disabilities (n = 20; 67%), and services provided by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) (n = 15; 50%) or AAC researchers (n = 10; 33%). Most services were synchronous (n = 20; 67%) and home-based (n = 20; 67%). Conclusion Telepractice offers multiple, innovative ways to maximize AAC access and outcomes. Although preliminary data are available, the investigated populations, settings, and service delivery modes can be more diverse. Future researchers are recommended to use less bias-prone designs.