American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Speak Up for Communication Rights (#SpeakUp4CommRights)
This year we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This important document includes 30 articles describing a variety of rights that apply to all people across the world. One key section—article 19—especially applies to audiology and speech-language pathology : Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Article 19 is frequently cited to promote freedom of speech, such as in the media, but the right...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 27, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Shelley D. Hutchins Tags: Advocacy Audiology Events Slider Speech-Language Pathology Source Type: blogs

New Brewery Founded By Craft Brewers Who are Deaf
Thanks to three Gallaudet University graduates, Hyattsville, Maryland, is now the first East Coast location of a brewery fully owned and operated by people who are deaf. Streetcar 82 Brewing Co., founded by Jon Cetrano, Mark Burke and Sam Costner, is currently in a “soft launch” phase, with operating hours announced via its Facebook and Instagram accounts. According the brewery’s website,  the company derives its name from the 82 Streetcar line, which ran from 1888 to 1958 from downtown Washington, D.C., along Rhode Island Avenue, where the brewery is located. Plus, all founders felt a personal conn...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 24, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Jillian Kornak Tags: Audiology News Slider American Sign Langauge ASL deaf culture hard of hearing hearing loss Source Type: blogs

What My Son ’s Autism Diagnosis Taught Me as an SLP
Communication sciences and disorders professionals are often planners and fixers. We like to prepare for everything, and we want to “fix” everyone’s communication disorders. We got into this field because we wanted to help people, after all! Late last year, I found myself in a personal situation for which I hadn’t prepared and I couldn’t “fix.” My son was diagnosed with autism at age 4. People often ask me how I handled his diagnosis. Overall, I think I handled it well. I mean, I knew. I had seen the signs, and I knew what to expect—eventually. The official diagnosis didn’t shock or blindside ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 22, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Deidra Darst Tags: Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder Source Type: blogs

Word APP! Use Apps to Build Vocabulary Interactively
Students with language disorders may struggle to learn, retain, describe and connect vocabulary words, causing them problems with functional and academic communication. Apps to the rescue! Clinicians can tap a number of app- and web-based tools to help students connect vocabulary to material in and beyond the classroom. Picture power Photos, semantic maps and other visual supports can be key to bolstering word learning. Quickly create photo arrays to define words using the app Pic Collage (free for iOS/Android). You can do this via the app’s precise, relevant web search (using a restricted, kid-friendly version of Micros...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 20, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Sean Sweeney Tags: Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Early Intervention Language Disorders Source Type: blogs

Hearing Care Organizations Submit Guidance to FDA on OTC Hearing Aids
ASHA and three other professional hearing care organizations are advocating to include appropriate labeling and adequate consumer-protection provisions in regulations for a new over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid category. These and other recommendations are included in “Regulatory Recommendations for OTC Hearing Aids: Safety and Effectiveness,” a consensus paper developed by representatives from ASHA, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and the International Hearing Society (IHS). Under the OTC Hearing Aid Act of 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must�...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 17, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Jillian Kornak Tags: Advocacy Audiology Health Care News Private Practice Schools Slider Uncategorized Aging and Hearing Loss audiologist Hearing Aids Source Type: blogs

The (Potential) Problem With Your 403(b) Retirement Plan
Saving for retirement is important. This is a simple and obvious statement. The challenge involves figuring out how best to save for retirement. And the answer isn’t always simple or obvious. For example, a 403(b)—the most common retirement plan offered to speech-language pathologists and other communication sciences and disorders professionals by their employers—can be complicated and, in some instances, problematic. The issue starts with the fact that there are two different types: ERISA and non-ERISA. The Department of Labor requires ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) plans to meet pretty str...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 15, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Jacob Parish Tags: Audiology Slider Speech-Language Pathology Source Type: blogs

Making Today ’s Media Environment Work for the Professions—and You
Most ASHA members would like to see communication sciences and disorders (CSD) professions featured in the news. Some have taken this desire a step further and have reached out to the media (print or on-air) in their communities to discuss topics they care deeply about. Others want to do so, but don’t know where to start or what resonates with reporters. So what are reporters interested in hearing about? “Old school” still works: government statistics on communication disorders, new research findings, an awareness month or week—to name a few examples. In past columns, I provided advice on how to take these popular ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 13, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Francine Pierson Tags: Advocacy Audiology Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology Professional Development Source Type: blogs

ASHA Discourages Use of Facilitated Communication and the Rapid Prompting Method
At their August in-person meeting, ASHA’s Board of Directors approved two new position statements regarding use of Facilitated Communication (FC) and the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM). The ASHA Ad Hoc Committee on FC and RPM developed these statements during a year-long process involving extensive study and discussion. The board established the committee in response to member requests urging ASHA to update its 1995 FC position statement and provide guidance on RPM, a similar technique. ASHA’s position is that FC should not be used. Multiple systematic reviews conducted around the world and across decades reveal that th...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 9, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: ASHA Staff Tags: Academia & Research Health Care News Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Augmentative Alternative Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder Source Type: blogs

Spotlight on SIG 17, Global Issues in Communication Science and Disorders
Are you a communication sciences and disorders (CSD) professional interested in collaborating with others on an international level? Read on to learn about SLP Joyce Huh’s experience in SIG 17. When did you join your SIG—and what made you want to join? I joined SIG 17 in 2014, and have been serving on its coordinating committee since 2016. I was interested in joining SIG 17 to be a part of a community of like-minded thinkers and leaders in the field, and to learn how to best conduct clinical work on a global level, with sustainability and cultural sensitivity at the forefront. How has your involvement with the SIG...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 8, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Joyce Huh Tags: Academia & Research Audiology Health Care Slider Speech-Language Pathology communication sciences and disorders global communication Source Type: blogs

Debunking 8 Telepractice Myths
As a tele-practitioner for the past six years, I’ve come across many misconceptions about telepractice. Here are eight common myths I’ve heard, along with what I believe to be the corresponding truths. Myth #1: Telepractice is easier than working onsite. ASHA states telepractice services must be equivalent to those provided onsite. Our professionalism and commitment should remain as strong as if we see clients in person. Telepractice is not a “shortcut.” In fact, I spend just as much time planning, doing paperwork and attending meetings as when I worked in schools. Myth #2: Telepractice can’t adequately engag...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 6, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tracy Sippl Tags: Audiology Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Telepractice Source Type: blogs

All Employees at New Starbucks Can Sign
This October, Starbucks plans to open its first store staffed completely by people who know American Sign Language (ASL). The store will focus on hiring people with hearing loss, according to an article in The Washington Post, but will also accept applications from people who can hear as long as they can fluently sign. In addition to hiring employees who are able to sign, the store will also use a visual display to confirm orders and indicate when they are ready. Starbucks already operates a location in Malaysia where employees know Malaysian Sign Language. The store will be located within walking distance of Gallaudet Uni...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 3, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Shelley D. Hutchins Tags: Audiology News Slider hearing loss Source Type: blogs

Co-Occurring Conditions in Children with Autism: Assessment to Intervention
In an online chat, SLP Donna Murray discusses how to address co-occurring conditions to create an effective learning environment for children with autism spectrum disorder. Participant: If a participant was to remember or put into practice only one idea from your session, what would that one key takeaway be? Donna Murray: I think the most important takeaway is to consider co-occurring conditions when making accommodations for successful intervention. For example, anxiety is very common in children with ASD and providing use of visual supports to predict upcoming activities as well as ending of activities can be very helpfu...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - August 1, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Donna Murray Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology anxiety autism Autism Spectrum Disorder social communication disorder Source Type: blogs

Rewire, Don ’ t Retire: Volunteer Professionally
Instead of retiring from our careers as speech-language pathologists, my friend Claire Gilgannon and I decided to look for volunteer positions incorporating our skills as SLPs. That’s how we met. And here’s how we went about volunteering. For both of us, our love of New York City combined with our interest in art led us to volunteer at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We took a chance and YES! We still could learn a new skill even after 30-odd years of being SLPs! Volunteer training at The Met is intense, but over about 18 months we successfully transitioned, almost without even being aware, into our new roles as to...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - July 30, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Heidi Katz Tags: Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder Language Disorders Professional Development Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs

Sign Up for the ASHA Schools Virtual Town Hall on August 7
Are you an educational audiologist or school-based speech-language pathologist? Then don’t forget to register for the ASHA Schools Virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 5-7 p.m.  Please note this time frame is Eastern Daylight Time. The Town Hall, broadcast to a live online audience, will feature a panel of school leaders, decision-makers and a union representative. The panelists will discuss—and address submitted questions regarding—longstanding issues faced by members in schools. This is your opportunity to ask questions about: high caseloads excessive paperwork/documentation limited service-delivery models...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - July 27, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Shelley D. Hutchins Tags: Advocacy Audiology Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Source Type: blogs

How to Find Child Care Programs as a Graduate Student
Are you considering going back to school to get your PhD? Or another degree in a different specialty? Many communication sciences and disorders professionals earn multiple degrees, but the logistics can create challenges. Many parents face one particular roadblock. How do you find an affordable child care option? Here are some steps to find child care as a student, and a list of colleges offering programs just for parents. Child care referral services Caregiver referral services include Child Care Aware, Care.com and Nanny Poppinz. These services vet caregivers and help match someone to your needs. Referring agencies do an...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - July 25, 2018 Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Steven Mehler Tags: Audiology Slider Speech-Language Pathology Professional Development Source Type: blogs