Logoscientia: Connecting Scientific Research and Speech Therapy Practice

Online networking events prove to be a valuable addition to meeting at a venue or webinar broadcasts where experts share their insights.

The association for scientifically trained speech therapists, Logoscientia, organises well-attended meet-the-author meetings. During these short online sessions, scientists update members about new insights from their research.

In addition to the meet-the-author meetings, an online networking event took place in the second quarter of 2022 where members explored how to take speech therapy to the next level.

Brainy Bunch took care of session design, chairing and tech hosting of the two hour workshop.

The Challenge: Outdated therapies and inaccessible insights

The Logoscientia members consider it important that the connection between speech therapy practice and scientific research improves. After an individual assignment and discussions in small groups, the participants mentioned the following problems:

• Treatment of clients with outdated, ineffective therapies
• Guidelines without an implementation plan
• Restricted data/articles and competition between scientists
• Limited motivation to read articles in English while studying

This is not an exhaustive list, but it gives an idea of why members want the linkages to become stronger.

"The prevalence of ineffective therapies is harmful for clients."

Requirements for a connection between science and speech therapy practice

The Logoscientia members then talked in pairs and groups of four about concrete situations where they established a good connection between science and speech therapy practice. Time, cooperation, money and perseverance were important factors that made personal successes possible.

• Time

Time is important for making a thorough problem analysis and for preparing fact sheets, presentations and courses that in turn make research results accessible.

• Collaboration

The collaboration that led to the linking of scientific research and speech therapy practice took place at all levels: from clients and practice, via education to science. Collaboration between scientists can also be beneficial in bridging the gap between research and practice. This concerns, for example, knowledge sharing, accessible data and division of tasks.

• Money

Funding for research and access to literature enabled personal successes.

• Perseverance

Perseverance is necessary, for example, if you work in an institution that is not itself focused on scientific research.

Then, in the chat, the participants shared a wealth of rich ideas on how different parties can improve the connection between science and speech therapy practice.

The Logoscientia members developed five possible solutions

The members compared the rich ideas with the themes identified a few months previously during an NVLF - Dutch Association of Speech Therapy and Phoniatry workshop of the Science Council and Logoscientia. Then, they went out in small groups and developed five rough ideas into possible solutions that Logoscientia can promote.

Reflection: Online network events as a valuable addition to other meetings

During the closing, participants looked back on the session. The approach during the online networking event proved effective for knowledge sharing and connecting Logoscientia members.

The participants found the feeling of connection important, because it motivates them to enter into a dialogue with each other and to continue to strive for improvements.

"Connection is a precondition for trust."

Trust in each other beyond the boundaries of your own field of work and trust that you can take initiatives together to make a difference.

Clear questions and visual support strengthened the Logoscientia network

Important means for establishing the connection between the participants were short, clear questions that everyone can answer and visual support.

Both interventions are well known from speech therapy practice.