Congratulations to TalkTools® Instructor Jennifer Jones, who became this weekend one of only 2 SLPs in the world with the credentials: PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, C/NDT!

What does this all mean?

A PhD (the abbreviation for the Latin “Philosophiæ Doctor”, literally, Doctor of Philosophy) is the holder of a doctor’s degree, which is the highest university degree. This degree rewards substantial contributions to a discipline by published work. It was originally granted to middle age individuals who had demonstrated a productive career in Philosophy. Holders of a PhD have lead an original research documented by substantial dissertation. This degree is often required to be hired as a university lecturer or a researcher in some sciences, although this varies from place to place.

A CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist who is “certified”: who has earned an ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) Certificate of Clinical Competence in the field of Speech-Language Pathology. It is a professional credential that is nationally recognized and that represents a level of excellence. As ASHA puts it, “those who have achieved the CCC ASHA certification have voluntarily met rigorous academic and professional standards, typically going beyond the minimum requirements for state licensure. They have the knowledge, skills, and expertise to provide high quality clinical services, and they actively engage in ongoing professional development to keep their certification current.”

A BCS-S is a Board Certified Specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders, also called Dysphagia. A BCS-S maintains high-level skills and clinical experience in the evaluation and treatment of swallowing disorders. Thanks to continuing training, a BCS-S knows the latest clinical approaches and can most effectively and efficiently evaluate and treat individuals with swallowing disorders.  As the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders puts it, “the BCS-S specialist provides appropriate, evidence-based treatment techniques to address the swallowing problem(s) of each individual, based upon the comprehensive swallowing assessment.”

A C/NDT is a Certified Neuro-Developmental Therapist, who has been certified by the NDTA™ (Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association). As the NDTA™ puts it, “NDT is a holistic and interdisciplinary clinical practice model informed by current and evolving research that emphasizes individualized therapeutic handling based on movement analysis for habilitation and rehabilitation of individuals with neurological pathophysiology.” This certification is one of the most prestigious in this field as it requires a continuous process of updating knowledge with current NDT theory and practice.

Jennifer is looking forward to her upcoming classes in Puerto Rico on Dec. 4-5 and is glad so many people registered! (In fact, it is sold out ;).) The subjects are “Pediatric Dysphagia: Interpreting the MBSS and Planning Treatment” and “Adult Dysphagia: Interpreting the MBSS and Planning Treatment.” Stay tuned for more TalkTools news!

Read articles by Jennifer:

“Why Every SLP Needs to Understand Dysphagia” Jones, J., (2015). TalkTools Blog

“Targeted Treatment: Cranial Nerve Based Assessments” Banotai, A., Jones, J., (2012). http://www.advanceweb.com/