"I liked DELV as a potential test to use with my AAVE-speaking students. This course reinforced the way that I explain to my AAVE-speaking students that it is important to learn to code-switch with SAE to be able to produce written English. Ability to code-switch as a predictor of academic success because it is an indicator of linguistic ability and flexibility." A.G. (Nov. 2023)

"The specific examples of AAVE were beneficial." J.B. (Nov. 2023)

"The review of diagnostic concerns and assessment was helpful. I liked the practical applications for working with elementary, middle, and high school students." T.O. (Aug. 2023)

"I think knowing the features of AAVE is particularly important and also knowing how to perform a dialect sensitive assessment. Speaker is very engaging. I liked how she does NOT read to the viewer, rather she does an excellent job explaining/expounding. Slides were easy to follow." L.K. (Jun. 2023)

"Dynamic presenter that sustains attention. Specific examples of how to discuss these topics with different age groups." A.E. (Jan. 2023)

"The presenter provided background knowledge regarding AAVE, as well as treatment planning for AAVE." M.H. (Jan. 2023)

"Becoming aware of the language variations used by my students - acknowledging it with them and modeling correctly for written and oral language narratives in the classroom. I liked the examples provided so it was understood the variety of dialects and features of AAVE." M.E. (Jan. 2023)

"The content was interesting." D.L. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked that this was a course about AAVE." V.K. (July 2022)

"I underestimated how little I knew about this subject, so learning that I need a lot of help in this area was beneficial. I have been making big mistakes in my approach beginning with my assumptions on the topic and how I approach assessment and therapy. Moving forward I will do a better job of determining specifics about dialects." L.L. (Feb. 2022)

"I liked the suggestions for assessment (do a language sample to determine specific information about the dialect, use narratives, create a criterion referenced assessment) and ensuring a more language rich environment." L.L. (Feb. 2022)

"I liked the discussion about teaching speakers of AAVE the power of code switching and letting them know that they do not have to give up their dialect for SAE." S.F. (Dec. 2021)

"I liked the YouTube links that provided further information and examples of what the speaker was presenting and discussing." S.F. (Dec. 2021)

"The activities for different age levels was very helpful. Also assessment tools to help differentially diagnose between difference versus disorder. I liked the connection to "do you speak American". I think it was a very engaging activity and something I would like to do with coworkers as I live in the South and dialects are often a topic of discussion." C.L. (Dec. 2021)

"I liked the interactive activities provided and the suggestions made when providing therapy for children with AAVE, i.e. storybooks." R.F. (Oct. 2021)

"Good information, activities and references provided." S.F. (Sept. 2021)

"The presenter was extremely knowledgeable. The amount of information that was provided was excellent. It was helpful to learn more about the different methods that are proven to help our students excel when using language, and also how to encourage them to continue using their home language or dialect given certain contexts." J.S. (Aug. 2021)

"The presenter moved at a good pace and had an appropriate amount of information on each slide." J.E. (Jun. 2021)

"Differentiation of dialect vs error. The instructor provided a well-paced, comprehensive presentation." M.K. (Jun. 2021)

"I found the characteristics of AAVE to be very beneficial in my daily practice. I liked how AAVE was described and shown to be a difference, and not a disorder, and how to present it to teachers." M.K. (May 2021)

"I really wanted to take this course to become a better and more sensitive diagnostician when evaluating language skills for my students at the elementary level who speak using AAVE. In the past, I think our special ed. team has placed children for services who really just exhibited a linguistic difference rather than a disorder. I really liked the examples provided and the links to some good reference materials and videos." A.W. (May 2021)

"I enjoyed the discussion on how we can support elementary school aged students through the use of narratives. I liked the organization and flow of information from research to assessment and classroom strategies." J.D. (Apr. 2021)

"The argument about code-switching being the best way for people to learn standard English since it is also culturally sensitive. This leaves the student an effective way to communicate both with their community and the larger business/education community. It is also non-judgmental so students can accept the changes more easily." C.B. (Feb. 2021)

"It addressed a topic that I had questions about for a long time and cited many studies and articles that I would like to read to continue to expand my knowledge in this area." C.C. (Jan. 2021)

1. Distinguish the linguistic features of AAVE.
2. Identify important dialectal features/markers.
3. Integrate contrastive analysis and code-switching as effective pedagogical tools.

This program is offered for 0.15 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level; Professional Area).

ASHA CEUs: NSS online courses are registered with ASHA and are offered for ASHA CEUs. The number of ASHA CEUs is noted above. Note that 0.1 ASHA CEU = 1 contact hour = equals 1 CEE.

ASHA CEUs: Attendees must meet at least one of the following conditions in order to be eligible to earn ASHA CEUs:

• Current ASHA Member
• ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) Holder
• Licensed by a state or provincial regulatory agency to practice speech-language pathology (SLP) or audiology
• Credentialed by a state regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology
• Credentialed by a national regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology
• Engaged in a Clinical Fellowship under the supervision of an individual with their ASHA CCC
• Currently enrolled in a masters or doctoral program in SLP or audiology

If an attendee is not an ASHA member or CCC holder but meets any of the above criteria, they may inform the ASHA CE Registry of their eligibility by visiting this site.

Customer Support: Please phone 888.337.3866 or email info@northernspeech.com.

Course Completion Timeframe:

You have unlimited time to complete our online courses. You may log off and log on as often as you’d like to in order to complete all sections of a course.

However, completion dates are based on Eastern Standard Time. Therefore, if you need your CEUs by a certain date, be sure to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on that date. For example, if you need CEUs before January 1st, you will need to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on December 31st.

Content Access:

Access to course materials and content does not expire, even after completing the post test. You may continue to review course material by logging into your NSS account, clicking the My Online Courses tab, and then viewing your desired course.

Certificate of Completion:

On successful completion of the post test (80%), a certificate will be immediately available for download and/or printing. This certificate will include your name, date of completion (based on Eastern Time Zone, USA/Canada), and number of contact hours (CEUs / CEEs). Please note that CEUs are awarded on the date of successful test completion, not the date of course enrollment. Please ensure that you successfully complete the post test prior to any licensure renewal dates.

ASHA CE Registry Submission:

During the enrollment process, if you select to receive ASHA credit for this course and if you provide your ASHA number, NSS will automatically submit your CEU information to the ASHA CE Registry after successful course completion (80% on post test). This submission happens once per month, during the first week of the month. For example, if you complete your course on November 7th, NSS will submit all November online course CEUs to ASHA during the first week of December. When ASHA inputs the information into their database, they will mark the course as completed on the last day of the month in which it was completed, so November 30th using this example. The certificate of completion available for you to print immediately, however, will reflect the actual completion date, November 7th in this example. Due to ASHA processing procedures please allow 2-3 weeks, from the submission date, for the course to appear on your ASHA transcript.

Purchase Orders:

Purchase orders are currently not accepted for online orders, if you wish to submit a purchase order please do so at info@northernspeech.com or fax to 888-696-9655.

What is an Online Course?

Our Online Courses consist of video, audio, and/or text content and are offered for ASHA CEUs. Unlike a webinar, which requires participants to be logged on and at a computer at specific times, our Online Courses are available to you at any time, from any device, via your NorthernSpeech.com online account. You may work at your own pace and start and stop your course as you wish. Your course will conclude with a short post test. On successful completion of the post test (>80%), a printable certificate of completion is presented to you.

Receiving CEUs:

Northern Speech is an ASHA CE Provider and our online courses are registered with ASHA and offered for ASHA CEUs. Please note that successful completion of the online post test is required prior to the awarding of CEUs. Please contact your state licensing board for acceptance policies related to CEUs earned online. Please note that courses offered for university students are not applicable for CEUs.

Registering for an online course:

You may browse all online courses by clicking the Continuing Education tab above, then Online Courses. Once you find a course, click Enroll Now, and you will be asked to either log into your existing Northern Speech account or create a new online account. Once you’ve entered your account information and provided your credit card payment, your course will be immediately available to you.

Accessing your purchased course or returning to a purchased course:

You will be able to access your online course by logging into your Northern Speech account and then clicking the My Online Courses tab on your profile screen. Click the course you would like to start or to resume. From there, proceed through the course sections until you are ready to complete the post test. You do not have to complete your course all at once. You may log on and off as you wish.

Testing requirements:

Each online course concludes with a post test consisting of multiple choice or true & false questions. Scores of 80% or greater are required for successful course completion and awarding of CEUs. You may revisit course materials and retest as needed to achieve a passing score.

Number of CEUs offered:

We offer courses from 1 to 21 contact hours. Each course will note the number of CEUs offered. Please note that 0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour = 1 CEE.

State licensing boards and online CEUs:

NSS is an ASHA CE Provider and most state licensing boards DO accept ASHA CEUs earned online (usually classified as home-study credits). Some boards do, however, place a limit to the number of CEUs that can be earned via home study/online courses. For the most current information, we suggest that you contact your licensing board or agency to verify acceptance policies and/or any CEU limits related to home-study courses prior to enrolling in an online course.

Course formats:

Our course formats include: text, audio, video, and PowerPoint with author narration. Each course will note the format on the course description page. Most courses include closed captioning.

Course handouts:

Most of our online courses provide a link to download the accompanying handout as a PDF file. 

Group discounts:

Groups of 3 or more are eligible for a 20% discount on each registration on most of our online courses. To receive this discount, registrations need to be processed together via the "Group Rates" tab on the Online Course of your choice.

Computer requirements:

For our online courses to function best, we recommend that you update your computer to include the newest version of your Internet browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, etc.) and newest version of your computer's operating system. Also a high-speed Internet connection is recommended (cable or DSL). Speakers or headphones will be required for many of our courses as many contain audio components.

Course Cancellation Policy:

A purchased online course can be exchanged, refunded, or transferred to another individual if contact is made with NSS (via phone or email) within 30 days of purchase and the course materials have not been viewed or downloaded. 

Special Needs:

Please click here for any special needs requests, and we will do our best to accommodate them. 

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