American Speech-Hearing-Language Association

Client Need:

ASHA is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 150,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists throughout the U.S. PerformTech worked closely with ASHA to convert an existing handbook into an interactive computer-based training application. The CD-ROM features numerous videos and narrated language samples.

In 1993, the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) developed a handbook for Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) in Baltimore Public Schools on the use of African American English (AAE). The handbook's purpose was to acquaint SLPs with the nature of this dialect and to help them acquire the skills needed to describe, assess, and, if necessary, remedy the speech and language skills of children who speak this dialect. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) sought PerformTech to redesign and convert the handbook to a highly interactive CD-ROM.

PerformTech Solution:

PerformTech developed a highly interactive CD-ROM by enhancing content taken from the handbook and integrating interactive exercises with real-time feedback and recorded language samples. The CD-ROM that was designed and developed uses video exercises and recorded language samples throughout the lessons to enhance and capture the learning objectives. The primary audience for the CD-ROM is SLPs working in schools, although it is also likely to be used by others such as Speech-Language Pathology students. Some who use the CD-ROM will be seeking Continuing Education Units for completing the program. Therefore, the CD-ROM is able to launch the user's Internet browser and link to the ASHA web site where a test can be administered and scores recorded. PerformTech used Macromedia Director to develop the CD-ROM.