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We are writing to address our dismay at the unprofessional behavior that we observed at an otherwise excellent session at the Atlanta ASHA Convention. The session, presented by Strand, Forrest, and Hodge, focused on oral-motor therapies and empirical evidence concerning their efficacy. This topic is one of great interest and when the scheduled room was too small, we were able to shift to a larger venue. The presenters were gracious in handling the move after the start of their session, accommodating their talks for the loss of time. Thus, it was particularly appalling that with two minutes left in the session, a group of persons who vehemently disagreed with the speakers disrupted the session to present their views in an argumentative, confrontational, and unprofessional manner.
Meetings like the annual ASHA Convention are perfect places to present opposing viewpoints, but there is no excuse for rudeness and lack of civility. We would welcome an opportunity for those who do not agree with the perspectives presented by Strand et al. to address their concerns in a panel type session. That would seem to us to be an appropriate, collegial way to deal with different interpretations of data at a time when we are all concerned about evidence-based practices. Finally, as educators, we were most concerned about the students in the audience. We hope our students recognize that we should agree to disagree but that the manner in which we handle our disagreements is ultimately responsible for how we are viewed as professionals.
Amy L. Weiss
Iowa City, IA
Gregory L. Lof
Boston, MA
Kathy J. Jakielski
Rock Island, IL
Karen Pollock
Memphis, TN
Kathy L. Chapman
Salt Lake City, UT
Editor’s note: This letter is representative of other letters received in response to the same Convention session.
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