Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)
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kwsaar.bsky.social
Karen Whisenhunt Saar (she/her)
@kwsaar.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.7K following 230 posts
Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology | qualitative research | social participation | communication access | scholarship of teaching and learning #SoTL | communication in #dementia care | #cog-comm | #inclusion | #boardgames, books, & brewing
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kwsaar.bsky.social
Game night! Learning a new #boardgame - Role Player. Open to strategy tips. 😊 🎲
In the foreground a table is set with the board game Roll Player. There are stacks of cards, containers with coins and game pieces, player mats and dice are set out and there is a bag full of more dice. The background has blurry book shelves and a Christmas tree. Three piles of board game boxes on a table. Front role contains: Port Royal, Splendor Duel, and Sea Salt & Paper on the left. Roll Player on the right. Back row contains: Ex Libris, Candamir, and Galaxy Trucker
November 24, 2025 at 1:27 AM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Excellent news for our CFs.
Thanks to everyone who advocated for this!

#BskySpeechies
🎉
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reversed its previous interpretation and will now recognize clinical fellows (CFs) with provisional licenses as qualified Medicare providers—as long as they meet their state’s licensure requirements. This major change follows strong advocacy from ASHA, nearly 20,000 advocates, 36 state associations, and other partners. CMS now affirms that states determine who is licensed to practice, including CFs with temporary or provisional licenses. This decision is a critical step in preserving access to care for Medicare beneficiaries and ensuring that provisionally licensed professionals can continue serving patients.
July 29, 2025 at 4:22 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Beaumont, Texas is small but showed up at least 500 strong. #NoKings
A sidewalk with a park in background. People are holding peace signs and other protest signs. In foreground there is a handpainted “resist” sign with peace signs on it and an American flag. Three women smiling. Holding a “no kings” sign. Three women and one man holding signs saying “no kings, WE the people, and no ICE.
June 14, 2025 at 9:34 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
USA-based #slpeeps

ASHA/CAA propose removing language about DEI/culture from accreditation standards.

Please SPEAK UP about the damage this will do and the progress it will erase toward providing equitable care & educating future professionals.

Provide feedback via the survey in chain below.
Recent federal executive orders have resulted in legal scrutiny surrounding terminology related to cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Even when terminology is lawfully applied and considered essential for clinical practice, some of the terminology within the 2020 certification standards could put ASHA’s certification programs at risk from government, state, and private actors. ASHA’s Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC) is taking steps that are necessary to (a) ensure the longevity and integrity of ASHA’s certification programs and (b) protect clients/patients/students’ access to safe and effective care. The values of ASHA’s certification programs are not changing. The CFCC is proposing modifications to the 2020 Audiology Certification Standards and the 2020 Speech-Language Pathology Certification Standards; these proposed changes are outlined below. The decision to propose these modifications was not made lightly, yet it is necessary to ensure that ASHA certification continues to be available to current and future certificants. Most importantly, this decision upholds the trust that clients, patients, and students place in ASHA-certified professionals—who have delivered essential services and high-quality care under ASHA certification standards since 1952. Standard V-F Supervised practicum must include experience with individuals across the lifespan and from (add:) various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. (Strike through: culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds.) Practicum must include experience with individuals with various types and severities of communication and/or related disorders, differences, and disabilities. Standard VIII: Maintenance of Certification Certificate holders must demonstrate continued professional development for maintenance of the CCC-SLP. Implementation: Clinicians who hold the CCC-SLP must accumulate and report 30 professional development hours (PDHs) [formerly certification maintenance hours (CMHs)], which is equivalent to 3.0 ASHA continuing education units (CEUs). The PDHs must include a minimum of 1.0 PDH (or 0.1 ASHA CEU) in ethics and 2.0 PDHs (or 0.2 ASHA CEU) in (add) person-centered care and/or professional interactions* (strike through cultural competency, cultural humility, culturally responsive practice, or DEI) during every 3-year certification maintenance interval. The ethics requirement began with the 2020–2022 maintenance interval, and the (add )person-centered care and/or professional interactions* requirement (strike through: cultural competency, cultural humility, culturally responsive practice, or DEI)requirement began with the 2023–2025 certification maintenance interval. Speech-Language Pathology Certification Standards Standard IV-B The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge of basic human communication and swallowing processes—including the appropriate biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural bases. The applicant must have demonstrated the ability to integrate information pertaining to (strike through typical and atypical) replace with: normal and abnormal human development across the lifespan. Standard IV-G The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge of contemporary professional issues. Implementation: The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge of professional issues that affect speech-language pathology. Issues may include but are not limited to trends in professional practice; academic program accreditation standards; ASHA practice policies and guidelines; add: person-centered care; (strike through cultural competency and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)); educational legal requirements or policies; and reimbursement procedures.
June 13, 2025 at 5:04 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Bellon-Harn & Morris explored impact of a #SocialJustice program on students.

Survey data → shift in perceptions of social environment.
#Qualitative findings → students:
◦identified practices needed to advance SJ &
◦discovered roles they can play

doi.org/10.1044/2024...
#SLPeeps #AcademicSky
A silver laptop open on a white table. A with coffee cup is in the distance to the left. Two hands are typing on the key pad of the laptop.
April 2, 2025 at 11:01 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Please share.
From a student in my MS SLP program investigating---"How do autistic teens feel about the #autism label?"
#StudentResearch #lables #SLPeeps #Neurodivergence #adolescents
This is a research recruitment flyer in shades of yellow with blue text. The text reads: CALL FOR RESPONDENTS! For a research survey on ‘label preference‘ in autistic adolescents. Qualifications: If you or your child: (each of the following in the list is preceded by a checked box symbol) -Is formally diagnosed with autism -Is age 13 - 17 -Is able to answer complex questions regarding opinions -Has 5 free minutes to fill out an online survey THEN YOU OR YOUR CHILD ISQUALIFIED TO PARTICIPATE! You may click the QR code to begin the process to participate in the study! Once parent consent is given, the study will be sent to you via email! (This is followed by a QR code labeled "scan me.")
April 2, 2025 at 8:26 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Excited to share! w/ @monicakan.bsky.social & Hannah Huff
PARENTS-
- saw benefits of social participation
- had ⬆️ confidence to seek mainstream options
#inclusion #theatre #DevLangDis #SLPeeps #ArtsandHealth

50 day FREE access @ link- authors.elsevier.com/a/1kpDr3Ahvf...

doi.org/10.1016/j.ri...
Pictured is the top of a journal article title page with the following information. Publisher: Elsevier (printed in orange font under the logo of a tree) Journal: Research in Developmental Disabilities (printed next to the logo) Article Title: Sharing the stage: Inclusion theater programming, social participation, and quality of life Authors (listed below the title): Karen Whisenhunt Saar, Monica Kaniamattam, Hannah Huff Affiliations listed below authors: Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA; School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Moravian University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
March 26, 2025 at 8:14 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Does anyone else wake up every day & wonder if they are living in a Slitheen episode of Dr. Who? It’s the most reasonable explanation at this point.
There are two images from the Dr Who episode “Aliens of London.” The top image is of a military officer opening his forehead to reveal a bright light. Below this is an image of an alien (that was hiding in the man pictured above but this connection is not pictured here).
March 26, 2025 at 3:39 AM
kwsaar.bsky.social
What a week!

I’m so proud of my student, Arpitha Sherry, who successfully defended her master's research project today!

#dementia #StudentResearch #SLPeeps #CogComm #CarePartners #Qualitative

Thanks, @learrington.bsky.social & @talkthreads.bsky.social for serving on the committee!
The image is a Facebook post from the account Lamar University - Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences. Below the text-based message are two images. The top image has a title slide for a presentation to the left and an image of a woman to the right. The title slide reads, "Living with Dementia: A Qualitative Exploration of the Caregiver's Communicative Experience -Arpitha Susan Sherry - Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University." The second image is a tiled view of four women. Each is smiling. The text above both images reads: "Congratulations, Arpitha Sherry! Ms. Sherry, an MS-SLP student, successfully defended her research project, 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢: 𝘈 𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴’ 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. (celebration emoji) 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐀𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐚! Many thanks also go to her committee members, Dr. Karen Whisenhunt Saar & Ms. Chelsea Lyles from Lamar University and Dr. Laura E. Arrington from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette UL Lafayette Communicative Disorders Department, for supporting her through this research process."
March 21, 2025 at 8:51 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Congratulations to my student, Hannah Huff, on the successful defense of her master's level research project today! What a great week for this research team. She successfully defended this work & the team had a related article accepted for publication! #inclusion #StudentResearch #SLPeeps #theatre
A picture of a Facebook post. The image shows a slide show to the right with a drawn figure holding a speaker and a sign with a heart on it. The title of the slide reads, "A Wish for More: Parents’ Perspectives on Inclusion Theater for Children with Disabilities Lamar University Spring 2025 Hannah Huff" To the right of the title slide is an image of four women. Above the images is the following text: "Congratulations to MS-SLP student, Hannah Huff, on the successful oral defense of her research project, A Wish for More: Parents’ Perspectives on Inclusion Theater for Children with Disabilities. Wonderful work, Hannah! Many thanks also go to his committee members, Dr. Karen Whisenhunt Saar & Ms. Carmyn Thompson from Lamar University and Dr. Monica Kaniamattam from Moravian University, for supporting her through this research process."
March 18, 2025 at 11:11 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Who could resist this face? 💜 🐕‍🦺
#DogsOfBluesky #Springtime
A black Labrador with graying face fur around nose/mouth. Dog is wagging tail and looking off to the side with an open mouth as if happy. Dog is wearing an orange harness and standing in front of shrubs.
March 13, 2025 at 12:16 AM
kwsaar.bsky.social
#BSKYSpeechies in the USA- ASHA update made today on FB is pasted below (for those not on that platform).

Link to presidential executive orders memo: www.asha.org/advocacy/pre...

Link to 2025 advocacy priorities memo: www.asha.org/advocacy/202...

#SLP #SLPeeps #advocacy
A screen shot of a Facebook post from ASHA explain they are reviewing presidential executive orders and generating a response. Two links are provided for further reading: Link to presidential executive orders memo: https://www.asha.org/advocacy/presidential-executive-orders/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIBALVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYQwIhHfX7MQRJ4NXLfdB792aGCoyyTNrmaqkiFsBIQeZHnuIvWkKG1oaA_aem_ykSybXGTEOF0AkddySkEvA Link to 2025 advocacy priorities memo: https://www.asha.org/advocacy/2025-advocacy-priorities-for-audiologists-and-speech-language-pathologists/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIBALpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUSe96Yps-6UhL6E98T2Tl9_p6kxxW5eKAfK88dhXruRx17gqbbuzhKHfg_aem_8I1re4E0F_6j67tB8-yiwQ
January 24, 2025 at 11:33 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
I've noticed that emails sent to students with attention-seeking dog+snowman pictures get more student responses than those sent without. #dogsofbluesky #academicsky #SnowinTexas
Snowperson with pink hat and brown scarf with blue flowers. One Labrador stands behind the snowperson. Another dog is standing up on the snowperson. Both dogs are looking to the side.
January 22, 2025 at 9:10 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Merlin discovers snow. #dogsky
January 21, 2025 at 10:08 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Getting ready for February and March!

#BannedBookSkyClub #booksky
Two books leaning against a surface. Book to left: “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia E. Butler (book cover: white with drawing of woman in red dress) Book on right: “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin (book cover: orange, black, and gray with photo of Baldwin looking off into distance)
January 19, 2025 at 8:45 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
We’ve got the back-to-school blues.
Dog sitting on grey couch and looking slightly toward the left.
January 8, 2025 at 3:53 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
😮
Too bad they took it down.
I got crestfallen first and then tried again. 😆
January 1, 2025 at 5:57 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
What to do when the EoS faculty meeting is canceled and grades are already in? Go to the zoo!
Woman wearing glasses and smiling while leaning inside of a fake tortoise shell.
December 14, 2024 at 11:11 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Ready for #ASHA24 in beautiful Seattle. Looking forward to learning with and from some awesome #SLPeeps! #bskyspeechies
Sunset behind the Public Market sign with a seagull flying above the sign.
December 5, 2024 at 2:56 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
This tool saved so much time today- and probably my marriage.
Maroon bulb testing device. Package reads “the complete took to fix incandescent light sets.”
November 24, 2024 at 11:46 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
So grateful for our admin assistants, the unsung heroes of #higherED. Going above and beyond (and outside their job description) to surprise our dept with a festive luncheon. Didn’t know a classroom could look so amazing!! Thank you! #LUSPHS
Wreath on door with decorated tables beyond. “Happy ThankXmas” on screen in background. Holiday trees, candles, and garlands decorating luncheon tables. “Happy ThankXmas” on screen in background. Holiday trees, candles, and garlands decorating luncheon tables. “Happy ThankXmas” on screen in background.
November 22, 2024 at 6:08 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
Fun feature of our campus: Our library was the inspiration for animator, Kelly Asbury's, design of Lord Farquaad's castle in Shrek. #AcademicSky #highereducation #LamarUniversity
brick, multistory building close up of top of brick building corner angle of brick building
November 20, 2024 at 11:08 PM
kwsaar.bsky.social
She makes sure I get a daily reminder of what is important.
labrador on leash walking on a path between trees
November 19, 2024 at 4:46 AM
kwsaar.bsky.social
WFH advocates -
November 18, 2024 at 6:27 AM