Introducing the New Fifth Issue of Seminars

As 2018 draws to a close, we are excited to offer a new format for the fifth issue of Seminars in Speech and Language. Beginning this year, the fifth issue will consist of original research, both child and adult focused, by investigators with work that relates to clinical practice and, we hope, is highly relevant to speech–language pathologists (SLPs) in clinical practice. These peer-reviewed articles are evaluated for quality and to identify research that is of strong interest to our readership, including SLPs and clinical researchers.

In this issue, McNaughton and colleagues explore the experiences of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in augmentative and alternative communication assessment and treatment, identifying best practices. In addition, Flynn and colleagues examine friendship and social participation among adults with traumatic brain injury.

Pediatric-focused topics include an article by Selin and colleagues, focusing on the perceptions of caregivers about their children's language disorders and how perceptions correspond to those of the SLPs working with the children. Chapin and colleagues provide a systematic review of peer interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders, examining the effectiveness of aspects of these interventions. Finally, Byrd and colleagues report on an intensive treatment “camp” targeting communication attitudes and perceptions of school-age children who stutter. In sum, this and future fifth issues will contain some breadth, including studies of clinical interest across a range of clinical populations. We hope you will enjoy this shift in our fifth issue format.

In closing, we are pleased to share the upcoming topics for 2019. Adult-focused topics will be in the areas of concussion and dysphagia, and the pediatric-focused topics will be in phonology and executive function. We develop issues based on feedback from our readers—please take the time to share your thoughts with us about past issues as well as topics to explore in future issues. We look forward to hearing from you!