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(ROCKVILLE, MD-June 11, 2003) The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is sponsoring June 11 and 12 as national Call-In Days to the Senate prior to the mark-up of their version of legislation to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The focus of this advocacy initiative is to tell Senators that a provision in current IDEA law helps ensure that children with disabilities have access to qualified special education and related services personnel--including school-based speech-language pathologists and audiologists--and must be kept intact.
"The House's recently passed version of the IDEA legislation (H.R. 1350) eliminated this provision, so it's imperative that the Senate know this is unacceptable if we are truly to promote academic success for children with disabilities and 'leave no child behind'," said ASHA President Glenda Ochsner, PhD, CCC-SLP.
ASHA has sent out more than 50,000 e-mails to members encouraging them and their colleagues, friends, or parents of students to call in and let their Senators know that the "highest qualified provider" language must be maintained in the legislation.
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 110,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders.
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