ASHA Strategic Plan

Issue D

Fourth Quarter Progress Report (October - December)

Issue D: Facilitating Team Leaders, Vicki Deal-Williams and Vic Gladstone

Issue D: Rapid increase in the knowledge and skill sets needed to provide quality professional services in a culturally competent manner across various practice settings will lead to specialization areas of clinical practice related to communication sciences and disorders.

Outcome 1: Increased awareness and knowledge by ASHA members of how linguistic and cultural differences (e.g., religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, second language learners) impact on research, service delivery, administration, and professional education in the United States.

Strategies

1. By July 15, 2006, the School Services unit will have included the following at the schools conference: a concurrent session on school-based services for culturally and linguistically diverse students, infusion of cultural issues throughout concurrent sessions, and a session or event highlighting cultural diversity. [Completed]
2. By December 31, 2006, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the ASHA Professional Development unit will have ensured that information related to how linguistic and cultural differences impact on research, service delivery, administration, and professional education is included as part of professional education conferences and workshops planned for 2006 and 2007. [Completed]
3. By December 31, 2006, all staff developing ASHA guideline documents will consider how to address diversity, as appropriate, as related to the specific area covered by the guideline. [Completed]
4. By December 31, 2006, the Academic Affairs unit and the Office of Multicultural Affairs will have developed and disseminated curriculum resource packets for use in academic programs related to how linguistic and cultural differences impact on research, service delivery, administration, and professional education. [Completed]

Outcome 2: Increased number of knowledge and skill sets in the major component areas of communication sciences and disorders.

Strategies

1. By June 30, 2006, the Surveys and Information Team will have reviewed extant data and information (e.g., SPENSE data) to determine areas in which respondents indicated they were and were not competent in the practice of speech-language pathology and audiology and will have prepared a report. [Completed]*
2. By December 31, 2006, the Professional Practices Clusters [Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Audiology (AUD), and Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA] will have identified current ASHA knowledge and skill sets available and will have recommended new areas of practice where knowledge and skill sets are needed. [Completed]
3. By December 31, 2006, the Professional Practices Clusters [Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Audiology (AUD), and Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA] will continue to promote in ASHA communication vehicles as well as existing knowledge and skill sets available for use by members and personnel preparation programs. [Completed]
4. By December 31, 2006, the Surveys and Information Team in collaboration with the Professional Practices Clusters [Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Audiology (AUD), and Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA] will have conducted a survey regarding member competencies in various areas of practice. [Carry Over to 2007]

Outcome 3: Identification of the specialization areas in communication sciences and disorders.

Strategies

1. By December 31, 2006, the Academic Affairs unit will have identified through the Higher Education Data System academic programs that offer tracks for specialization (e.g., bilingualism, pervasive developmental disabilities, literacy, pediatric, adults, among others). [Partially Completed]
2. By December 31, 2006 the Academic Affairs unit in collaboration with Professional Practices Clusters [Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Audiology (AUD), and Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA] will have identified new areas for specialization (e.g., NICU, autism, among others as appropriate). [Partially Completed]

Outcome 4: Increased number of opportunities for clinical specialization in communication sciences and disorders.

Strategy

By December 31, 2006, the Council for Clinical Specialty Recognition (CCSR) will have considered the need to change the Clinical Specialty Recognition program from being a grassroots driven program to one where specialty areas are determined by ASHA/special interest divisions. [Completed]

Outcome 5: Increased awareness of the knowledge and skill sets related to communication sciences and disorders used in other countries to determine how their identified and verified practice patterns and skill sets can be used to enhance the ASHA knowledge base and skill sets to improve services to members and consumers.

Strategy

By December 31, 2006, the Special Interest Division International Liaison unit will have contacted international speech-language-hearing associations to obtain information on their knowledge and skills sets for specific areas of practice. [Completed]

There are 12 strategies in the work plan for Issue D. Following is the status for the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th quarters.

*One of the strategies planned for elimination in the 3rd quarter was completed in the 4th quarter and one will be carried over to 2007 and included as part of 2007-2008 surveys.