Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2014Background: In the field of speech-language pathology, there is an increasing focus on participation-focused interventions. This term refers to evaluating clients and establishing therapy programs that emphasize helping clients achieve optimal participation in their life activities such as work, household management, social relationships, and community activities. Purpose: To investigate whether and how speech language pathologists (SLPs) in the United States are addressing participation in their current therapy programs, as well as their attitudes toward this type of intervention, including barriers and facilitators to carrying it out. Methods: An online questionnaire for SLPs who work with adults and have worked in an outpatient setting. Results: SLPs address a wide range of goals in therapy, and a majority of SLPs address participation in their rationales for choosing therapy goals. However, there is frequently a mismatch between SLPs' stated goals and the activities and outcomes measures they use to make and measure progress toward those goals. While many SLPs believe participation-focused intervention is important, they identify a number of barriers to carrying it out, including time and productivity constraints, the limits of clinical settings, and the challenges of documentation. Clinical implications: Results suggest that there is a need to bridge the gap between clinicians stated intents in therapy and actual therapy practices through the development of clinical tools and resources related to participation
