A Clinical Speech-Language Pathologist’s Knowledge of Alzheimer’s Based on Education and Experience

Prior research suggests that an individual’s experience with Alzheimer’s Disease can impact their knowledge of the disease more than education alone. Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) provide care for the growing aging population. Therefore this study expands upon prior research by examining whether education or experience is more strongly correlated with SLPs’ knowledge of Alzheimer’s Disease. I hypothesize that SLPs who report having experience working with individuals with Alzheimer’s will score higher on the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale than those with no experience or solely education on the disease. Respondents include SLPs (N = 50) from Ohio. Data was collected through a survey developed by adapting demographic items from previous studies published by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association. In addition, participants responded to true or false questions on the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale and questions about their education and experience related to Alzheimer’s Disease. All analyses will control for demographics. To test the hypothesis, I will examine the associations between scores on the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale, education, and experience related to Alzheimer’s Disease to explore whether education or experience is associated with greater knowledge of the disease. Implications for education and practice of SLPs will be discussed. Word Count: 199