Registration is open

Programme

Accepted authors are required to register for the congress; otherwise, their presentation cannot be included in the program or published materials.

Congress language: English (with simultaneous translation to Latvian)

Programme


10.04.

9.00-10.00
Registration
10.00-10.20
Opening ceremony
10.20-11.20
Coming Together is a Beginning, Staying Together is Progress, and Working Together is Success Jois Stansfield

Emeritus Professor of Speech Pathology at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

11.20-11.40
Preparing Speech and Language Therapists for Contemporary Practice in Europe Sahra Mengal

Chair of the ESLA, Chair of the Danish Association of Speech and Language Therapists, MA in Speech, Language, Reading and Hearing Sciences, Denmark

11.40-12.00
Strengths and Limitations of National Ethical Codes for Speech and Language Therapists in the Baltic States Signe Mezinska

Dr.sc.soc, MSc Bioethics, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Latvia; Senior Researcher, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine, Latvia

12.00-13.00
Lunch
13.00-14.00
The Surprising World of Perceptual-Motor Learning in Speech and Voice Training Katherine Verdolini Abbott

Ph.D., Professor of Communication Disorders and Linguistics of Cognitive Science at the University of Delaware, USA

14.00-14.30
Navigating Diagnostic Challenges in Apraxia of Speech Marja Liisa Mailend

Ph.D., Director of Speech and Language Recovery Laboratory in Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University and Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education and Speech-Language Therapy at the University of Tartu, USA

14.30-15.00
Global Tales protocol and personal narratives in Iceland Johanna Thelma Einarsdottir

Ph.D., Professor at the University of Iceland, Iceland

15.00-15.30
Coffe Break

Parallel Session 1

15.30-15.45
Developing Digital Tools for SLTs in Small Language Communities: ALDA in Iceland (Free Paper, FP) Bryndís Bergþórsdóttir, Gunnar Thor Örnólfsson, Hinrik Hafsteinsson, Iris Edda Nowenstein

University of Iceland, Institute of Linguistics, Reykjavík, Iceland

15.45-16.00
Screening for Speech Sound Disorders: Validating the ICS in the Icelandic Context (FP) Iðunn Kristínardóttir, Thora Másdóttir, Kathryn Crowe, Sarah Masso

Iðunn Kristínardóttir: University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Reykjavík, Iceland

Thora Másdóttir: University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Reykjavík, Iceland

Kathryn Crowe: University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Reykjavík, Iceland; Charles Sturt University, School of Education, Bathurst Australia.

Sarah Masso: University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia

16.00-16.15
Profile of Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Lithuanian Speech and Language Therapists’ Perspective on Diagnostic Features (FP) Daiva Kairiene, Simona Daniute, Marju Lahtein-Kursa

Daiva Kairiene, Simona Daniute: Vytautas Magnus University Education Academy, Educational Research Institute, Lithuania

Marju Lahtein-Kursa: University of Tartu, Estonia

16.15-16.30
Oral Diadochokinetic Rates Among Healthy Estonian-Speaking Children (FP) Teele Kanarbik, Lagle Lehes

Teele Kanarbik: University of Tartu, Department of Special Education and Speech Therapy, Tartu, Estonia

Lagle Lehes: Tartu University Hospital, Head of Speech and Swallowing Center, Tartu, Estonia

16.30-17.00
Re-Thinking Working With Parents: New Strategies for Our Times Maria Vlassopoulos

Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Language and Communication Pathology in the University of Athens School of Medicine, Greece

Parallel Session 2

15.30-15.45
Voice ergonomic studies in Latvia Baiba Trinite

PhD, Professor of Speech and Language Therapy Riga Technical University, Liepaja Academy, Latvia

15.45-16.00
Decoding Bilingual Voices (FP) Una Roze

California State University Northridge, Department of Communication Disorders & Sciences, USA

16.00-16.15
Estonian Swimming Coaches’ Voice Quality and Factors Affecting It (FP) Kaisa Pollisinski, Linda Sõber, Lagle Lehes

Kaisa Pollisinski: University of Tartu, Department of Special Education and Speech Therapy, Tartu, Estonia

Linda Sõber: University of Tartu, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Tartu, Estonia

Lagle Lehes: Tartu University Hospital, ENT Clinic, Tartu, Estonia, 

Tartu University Hospital, Head of Speech and Swallowing Center, Tartu, Estonia

16.15-17.00
Introduction to Lessac Madson Voice Therapy for Speech Language Therapy Katherine Verdolini Abbott

Ph.D., Professor of Communication Disorders and Linguistics of Cognitive Science at the University of Delaware, USA

19.00-21.00
Gala dinner Gutenbergs Restaurant, Doma laukums 1, Riga Participation in the Gala Dinner is available by prior registration only.


11.04.

9.00-10.00
Speech and Language Therapy in Estonian Hospitals – How Did We Get Here and Where to Next? Anna Liisa-Sutt Vowden

Ph.D., Speech and Language Therapist at The Royal London Hospital, UK/Estonia

10.00-10.15
Children’s Portrayal of Health and Health Services: Perspectives From Children With and Without Disabilities Kathryn Crowe

Ph.D.,Associate Professor in speech-language pathology at the University of Iceland, Iceland

10.15-10.30
Developing Speech and Language Assessments for Small Languages Thora Masdottir

Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Iceland

10.30-11.30
Generative Artificial Intelligence in Speech and Language Therapy: Opportunities, Limitations, and Regulatory Perspectives Rania Kassir

Ph.D., Speech and Language Pathologist, Neuropsychologist, Founder of Happy Brain Training and Co-Founder of TheraNova AI,Lebanon/France

11.30-12.30
Lunch
12.30-13.30
Working Together: Practical Approaches to Collaboration Between Teachers and Speech and Language Therapists Sahra Mengal, Victoria Joffe

Sahra Mengal - Chair of the ESLA, Chair of the Danish Association of Speech and Language Therapists, MA in Speech, Language, Reading and Hearing Sciences, Denmark

Victoria Joffe - Professor of Speech and Language Therapy, and Dean of Integrated Health and Care Partnerships at the University of Essex, UK

Parallel Session 3

13.30-14.00
Joint Attention – A Journey Towards Communication and Speech Anna Maria Ülviste

Junior Research Fellow in Speech Therapy at the University of Tartu, Estonia

14.00-14.30
Supporting Multilingual Children’s Language Development in Icelandic Preschools: A Journey in Using and Creating Evidence in New Contexts Kathryn Crowe

Ph.D.,Associate Professor in speech-language pathology at the University of Iceland, Iceland

Parallel Session 4

13.30-14.00
Global Standard for Texture Modification: Theoretical and Evidence-Based Foundations of IDDSI Liga Savicka

MSc in Rehabilitation, Deputy Chairman of the Board at the Latvian Association of Clinical Speech and Language therapists, Assistant at Riga Stradins university Department of Rehabilitation, Latvia

14.00-14.15
An Overview of SLP-Led FEES Service in Estonia: Clinical Experience From West Tallinn Central Hospital (FP) Aile Juur, Kirsi Lankinen, Veronika Raudsalu

Neurology and Psychiatric Clinic West Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia

14.15-14.30
Exercise Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO): Speech Therapist’s Role in Assessment and Management (FP) Meeri Kompus, Kristel Kalling

East-Tallinn Central Hospital ENT Center, Tallinn, Estonia

14.30-15.00
Coffee Break

Parallel Session 5

15.00-15.15
Fidelity of a Vocabulary Intervention for Multilingual Pre-School Children (FP) Halla Jónsdóttir, Björg Einarsdóttir, Susan B. Neuman, Kathryn Crowe

Halla Jónsdóttir: University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Reykjavík, Iceland.

Kathryn Crowe: University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Reykjavík, Iceland; Charles Sturt University, School of Education and Children’s Voice’s Centre, Bathurst, Australia.

Susan B. Neuman: New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. New York, USA.

Björg Einarsdóttir: Kjarkur Rehabilitation Centre, Reykjavík, Iceland.

15.15-15.30
From Theory to Practice: Developing a Sentence Comprehension Assessment Tool for Estonian Children With DLD (FP) Siiri Niine, Marika Padrik, Piret Soodla

University of Tartu, Institute of Education, Department of Special Education and Speech-Language Pathology, Estonia

15.30-16.00
Hanen Caregiver- and Teacherimplemented Intervention for Early Communication Development Liis Themas, Katre Kandimaa, Ly Laane
16.00-16.30
Orofacial Function as a Central Organizing Factor: an Integrative Clinical Perspective in Speech and Language Therapy Gabriella Baracsy

MEd, PhD candidate, speech-language therapist and special education professional, Hungary

Parallel Session 6

15.00-15.15
Voice, Communication, and Psychosocial Outcomes of a Singing-Based Intervention in Parkinson’s Disease (FP) Andres Köster

North Estonia Medical Centre, Department of Rehabilitation; University of Tartu PhD student Medical Departement, Estonia

15.15-15.30
Multiprofessional Functional Assessment Model for Non-Progressive CNS Disorders: Pilot Project Implementation (FP) Tatjana Anaņjeva, Inese Svikliņa, Dace Stirāne, Flera Martinova, Anastasija Jermolajeva

VSIA National Rehabilitation Center “Vaivari”, Jurmala, Latvia

Riga Stradins University, Latvia

15.30-16.30
Speech and Language Therapy Work With Tracheostomies – A Practical Workshop Anna-Liisa Sutt Vowden

Ph.D., Speech and Language Therapist at The Royal London Hospital, UK/Estonia

16.35-17.00
Closing ceremony

Call for Abstracts

THE ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED:

JANUARY 31, 2026

PRELIMINARY SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME.PDF

The Scientific Committee warmly invites submissions for the 10th Congress of Baltic States Speech and Language Therapists. We encourage contributions that reflect the diversity and advancement of speech-language therapy, and we welcome colleagues from clinical practice, research, and education.

All abstracts will undergo peer review by the Scientific Committee. Accepted abstracts will be published in the electronic “Book of Abstracts of the 10th Congress of Baltic States Speech and Language Therapists” on the congress website. By submitting an abstract, authors and co-authors agree that their name, affiliation, and e-mail address may be published in the Book of Abstracts.

Thematic Focus
The congress main themes reflect the key challenges currently faced in speech-language therapy:

– Cooperation and continuity of care
– From research to practice
– Artificial intelligence, digital tools, and emerging technologies
– Ethics and professional communication

At the same time, we warmly welcome submissions covering the full scope of speech-language therapy. Throughout the congress, discussions will span both developmental and acquired speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders, ensuring a comprehensive and future-oriented perspective on clinical practice.

Suggested Topics
We invite abstracts in the following areas (but not limited to):

– Fluency disorders and stuttering
– Written language disorders and dyslexia
– Speech and language disorders in children
– Acquired speech and language disorders
– Swallowing disorders
– Voice disorders
– Myofunctional disorders
– Interdisciplinary approaches in SLT

Types of Presentations

– Oral presentations
– E-poster presentations
– Workshops

Abstract Requirements

– Oral and e-poster presentations should be based on theoretical analysis, original research, or practical experience, and should be linked to the congress themes.
– Workshops should provide participants with practical skills and applied knowledge in a specific SLT field.
– Abstracts must be prepared in English.
– Structure: Title, authors (underline the presenting author), affiliations, objectives, methods, results, conclusions, 3 keywords, and 3 key references (please use the abstractsubmissionform.doc).

– Format: Word file, Times New Roman, 12 pt, single spacing, maximum 300 words (excluding title, names, affiliations, and references).
– Images, tables, and figures are not accepted.
– Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the submission. Abstracts will be published in the Book of Abstracts of 10th Congress of Baltic States SLTs as submitted and cannot be modified.

Submission Process

– Abstracts must be submitted online using the abstract submission form, sent by e-mail to: abstracts@sltbaltic.eu
THE ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED
– Deadline: January 31, 2026
– Notification of acceptance: February 10, 2026 
– E-poster submission: If accepted, a PDF (max. 10 slides, template provided – strongertogethertemplate.pptx) must be submitted by March 30, 2026 to abstracts@sltbaltic.eu

– Accepted authors are required to register for the congress; otherwise, their presentation cannot be included in the program or published materials.

The presenting author of an oral presentation and the main author of an e-poster presentation will receive a 20% discount on the registration fee.
Notification about the inclusion of presentations in the congress programme will be sent by February 10, 2026.

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