The Fall Institute at Ole Miss

Meet the Presenters for the 2026 Fall Institute

Jennie Bjorem

Jennie Bjorem, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist, international speaker, and expert in Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) with over 25 years of experience. She is the founder and CEO of Bjorem Speech® Publications and President of the Bjorem & Bolles Apraxia Education Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing CAS education for speech-language pathologists through practical, evidence-based training. Jennie is passionate about creating inclusive therapy materials and empowering clinicians and families worldwide.

Course Title

When Words Don't Come: Navigating CAS from Diagnosis to Treatment

Learner Outcomes

Goal 1: Foundational Knowledge By the end of this course, participants will define childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) using clear, family friendly language and differentiate CAS from dysarthria, phonological disorders, and articulation disorders by identifying the hallmark motor planning and programming characteristics that set it apart.

Goal 2: Assessment and Diagnosis By the end of this course, participants will apply diagnostic criteria for CAS by conducting and interpreting an informal dynamic motor speech assessment, demonstrating the ability to observe, document, and clinically reason through the key markers necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

Goal 3: Evidence Based Intervention By the end of this course, participants will design effective therapy for children with CAS by explaining the cueing hierarchy in Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), selecting therapy targets using the VITAL model, writing at least one motor based speech goal using the ABCD framework, and applying at least two principles of motor learning to support generalization (Case, Caspari, Aggarwal, and Stoeckel, 2024).

Financial Disclosure:

Jennie Bjorem is the founder and CEO of Bjorem Speech® Publications and President of the Bjorem & Bolles Apraxia Education Initiative and is receiving a speaker honorarium for this talk.

Genevieve Garrett

Genevieve Garrett, LCSW, MPH, CHES, is a social worker at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  She is trained and experienced in a wide variety of health conditions and clinical disorders, specifically selective mutism and Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE).  As one of only a few Certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy  (PCIT) Therapist in the state of Mississippi, Genevieve is uniquely qualified to work with families and children using this highly effective treatment modality to treat children, toddlers, and specific diagnoses.

Course Title:

After Zero: Counting the Words to Find a Story in the Silence

Learning Outcomes
Goal 1: Participants will learn to recognize signs and symptoms of selective mutism and understand the impact anxiety has on communication across settings. 

Goal 2: Clinicians will learn about the etiology of selective mutism and challenges that the diagnosis presents, along with the treatment of Selective Mutism using Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Selective Mutism (PCI-SM).

Goal 3: Participants will learn and practice specific techniques utilized in Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) and Verbal-Directed Interaction (VDI)—strategies that foster connection, confidence, and communication success.

Financial Disclosure: Genevieve Garrett is a full-time salaried employee with the University of Mississippi Medical Center and is receiving no compensation for this talk.