Speech Pathologist and Therapist Alicia Kokemor Rossow Publishes Executive Functions Test Alt Title: Speech Pathologist Alicia Kokemor Rossow Publishes Examiner Test on Executive Functions Summary: Speech pathologist and owner of Advanced Pediatric Therapy recently published an examiner test to measure executive function. Alicia Kokemor Rossow hopes to continue making an impact in the lives of adults and children who have communication disabilities. Round Rock, Texas, August 19, 2014 – Alicia Kokemor Rossow, owner of Advanced Pediatric Therapy, has recently published an executive functions test designed to assess cognitive based skills in children. This publication is the most recent example of Alicia Kokemor Rossow’s long-standing commitment to childhood development. Executive functions tests measure mental skills coordinated in the frontal lobe of the brain, and have a direct connection to language and speech. Alicia Kokemor Rossow earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Texas Austin. She began her career as a speech pathologist and therapist in 1992 when she was awarded a license as a speech-language therapist. Since then, Alicia Kokemor Rossow has worked in both public school settings as well as private medical practices as a speech and communication therapist. While she has worked with adults in the past, her passion is assisting children in speech development and improvement. Now, Alicia Kokemor Rossow is the proud owner of Advanced Pediatric Therapy, a private practice facility that offers sliding scale fees for families with limited income in Round Rock, Texas. Owning her own practice gives Alicia Kokemor Rossow the freedom to impact approaches to speech therapy based on her years of education and training. As an expert in the field of speech pathology, Alicia Kokemor Rossow is interested in related areas of study including executive function processes. Research has shown that a strong connection exists between executive function and language development and execution. Executive function is a process that impacts meta-cognition and behavioral regulation. Alicia Kokemor Rossow notes that meta-cognition includes metalinguistics, which refers to the ability to switch attention from the meaning of what is being said to the sayings themselves. This is an important skill in language learning, and can be affected by both physically related speech pathologies and intellectual development disabilities. Because of this connection between executive function and language, Alicia Kokemor Rossow became interested in furthering her understanding of how executive function is measured and what this means for speech pathologists’ approaches to speech therapy. Alicia Kokemor Rossow published a test examiner in 2000, which measures articulation through the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation, assessing the articulation of consonant sounds in both children and adults. When approached to publish a second test examiner on the topic of executive function, Alicia Kokemor Rossow was ready to take up the task due to her previous interest in the relationship between executive function and speech pathology. Alicia Kokemor Rossow published her most recent test examiner to measure executive function earlier this year.
When asked about the publishing process for the test, Alicia Kokemor Rossow said, “I was excited about the opportunity to work on a publication again. As a speech pathologist, I work one-on-one with children on speech therapy, and as a business owner I have the opportunity to impact a wider set of children’s experiences with speech therapy, but with publishing I can shape how practitioners all over the country understand approaches to communication disabilities. So, I like that I can have such a large impact on the field through publishing.” Alicia Kokemor Rossow hopes to continue contributing to the field of speech pathology and communication therapy through her private practice and says she would consider publishing again in the future. About: Alicia Kokemor Rossow is the owner of Advanced Pediatric Therapy in Round Rock, Texas.