The Fall Institute at Ole Miss

Meet the Presenters for the 2026 Fall Institute

Jennie Bjorem  - Thursday, October 22

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 - Friday, October 23

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: Identify and describe the signs, symptoms, etiology, and functional impact of selective mutism, including how anxiety affects communication across school, clinic, home, and community settings.

Goal 2: Apply evidence-based strategies from Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM), including Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) and Verbal-Directed Interaction (VDI) techniques, to support communication and reduce anxiety.

Goal 3: Determine when referral to behavioral therapy is indicated and explain the role of interdisciplinary collaboration among speech-language pathologists, behavioral health providers, educators, and caregivers in the treatment of selective mutism.

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.