Strategic Objective Highlights

November 2024 (updates posted biannually)

As a part of ASHA's Strategic Pathway, the ASHA Board of Directors established nine Strategic Objectives designed to dramatically change:

  • the way we practice and how we are paid for our services
  • the way others perceive and value the services we provide
  • the science underlying service delivery
  • what our membership looks like
  • our partners for addressing communication and related disorders here and around the world

For each of the Strategic Objectives included in ASHA's Strategic Pathway to Excellence, an owner was assigned, an objective outcome was developed, and work is underway toward those outcomes. Following are highlights of each Strategic Objective and contact information for the Objective Owner.

Strategic Objective #1: Expand data available for quality improvement and demonstration of value

Objective Owner
Rob Mullen, Director, National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders (rmullen@asha.org)
Outcome
ASHA has advanced large-scale databases and outcomes measurement efforts to enable practice improvements, demonstrate value to external parties, and inform client choice.
Highlights
  • Data collection is ongoing for the new Audiology NOMS Registry and the new version of the SLP NOMS Registry.
    • Convention sessions featuring data from each Registry will be presented this year in Seattle.
  • A new deliverable, the NOMS Data Center, has been launched on the ASHA website. Visitors can use an interactive dashboard to look at NOMS data as well as view infographics developed from the data.
  • The number of Demonstration of Value Fact Sheets now stands at 16, including seven published since the last update:
    • Diabetes and Hearing Loss
    • Parkinson’s Disease – Long-Term Impact of SLP Treatment
    • Prophylactic SLP Treatment for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
    • School-Based SLP Services: Adolescents
    • School-Based SLP Services: Elementary School Ages
    • School-Based SLP Services: Preschoolers
    • School-Based SLP Services: Prevention and Response-to-Intervention

Strategic Objective #2: Advance Interprofessional Education and Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPE/IPP)

Objective Owner
Loretta Nunez, MA, AuD, CCC-A/SLP, FNAP, Director, Academic Affairs & Research Education (lnunez@asha.org)
Outcome
Academic programs employ IPE approaches to personnel preparation and both students and ASHA members engage in interprofessional collaborative practice.
Highlights
  • Developed an expansive IPE/IPP web-based "hub" that feature practical how to resources, case studies, the benefits of IPE/IPP, and IPE/IPP evidence and research resources. A Quick Links page is available to access downloadable resources such as rubrics, checklists, videos, etc. for easy incorporation into education and professional development activities and clinical practice.
  • A series of IPE/IPP videos that include CSD professions are available on ASHA Stream featuring best practices and exemplars.
  • ASHA offers a stipend program to support ASHA members who attend the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Faculty Development Institutes.
  • ASHA offers a travel stipend program for eligible non-CSD professionals who present at the annual ASHA Convention as part of IPE or IPP teams with an audiologist and/or speech-language pathologist.
  • "Golden nuggets" of lessons learned from ASHA Faculty Development Institute (AFDI) cohorts (2021, 2019) projects and a new webinar, Interprofessional Education: Moving From More IPE to Better IPE, provide guidance to support and inspire others' IPE/IPP efforts in CSD.
  • Links to seminal IPE/IPP evidence and research resources (e.g., systematic reviews, research agendas, implementation science models, and funding opportunities) that support research in IPE/IPP conducted by members of the CSD discipline are updated regularly.
  • Information and resources about IPE/IPP, the IPEC Core Competencies, and the value of IPE/IPP to clinical outcomes are shared via meetings, presentations, exhibits, ASHA publications, ASHA Convention, and related ASHA conferences.
  • Collaborations are ongoing with related professional organizations and state associations to advance IPE/IPP.
  • IPE/IPP competencies are incorporated into ASHA's Scope of Practice for Audiology, Scope of Practice for SLP, ASHA's Code of Ethics, CAA Accreditation standards, CFCC certification standards, and Academic Affairs Board recommendations for undergraduate education in CSD.

Strategic Objective #3: Enhance the generation, publication, knowledge translation, and implementation of clinical research

Objective Owner
Margaret Rogers, PhD, Chief Staff Officer for Science and Research (mrogers@asha.org)
Outcome
ASHA has enhanced the generation, publication, knowledge translation, and implementation of clinical research.
Highlights

Generation

  • All 11 Academic and Research Mentoring (ARM) Network programs, which span three academic–research career stages, are on track to be delivered in 2024.
    • Considering an Academic-Research Career
      • Progeny, Students Preparing for Academic Research Careers (SPARC), Research Mentoring-Pair Travel Award (RMPTA), Audiology Research Travel Award (ARTA)
    • Launching an Academic-Research Career
      • Mentoring Academic Research Careers (MARC), Pathways, Lessons for Success (LfS)
    • Advancing an Academic–Research Career
      • Advancing Academic Research Careers (AARC), Grant Review & Reviewer Training (GRRT), Clinical Practice Research Institute (CPRI), and Dissemination and Implementation Science Travel Award (DISTAnce)
  • Participant Outcomes at 3-years and 6-years post-participation are available at ARM Network Program Participant Outcomes Data. Highlights include:
    • 96–100% of the participants across these seven programs aimed at launching and advancing careers remained in the academic–research pipeline at 6 years post-participation.
    • For Pathways, LfS, and MARC, three years after the program, 70% of participants who applied were successful in obtaining research funding, and after 6 years, 81% had obtained research funding.
    • For AARC, GRRT, CPRI, & DISTAnce, three years after the program, 82% of participants who applied were successful in obtaining research funding, and after 6 years, 88% had obtained research funding.

Publication and Knowledge Translation of Clinical Practice Research

  • The new Article Peer-Reviewer Training Program (APT) launched. This is a new mentoring program in the ARM Network, which was designed to provide guidance for early career researchers learning how to provide article peer-review. This new program will launch in 2024.
  • A forum in JSLHR on Artificial Intelligence in CSD, stemming from the NIDCD-funded 2023 Research Symposium in CSD, was recently published. The audio-synced slides from the Symposia are available online.
  • Development of a Teaching, Learning, and Research Hub (TLR Hub) is progressing. The TLR Hub consolidates access to curated resources and modules developed for faculty, researchers, and learners.
    • Several extant resources will be migrated into the TLR Hub (e.g., ASHA's Clinical Research Education [CREd] Library, the Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Collection, Teaching Symposium on Teaching Foundational Sciences in CSD).
    • New resources are being created for in the TLR Hub such as a series of modules on teaching Evidence-Based Assessment and Mitigating Bias in Clinical Assessment. The Clinical Research, Implementation Science, and Evidence-Based Practice (CRISP) Committee created these modules. The CRISP Committee also presented on this topic at the 2023 ASHA Convention – Bias in Evidence-Based Assessment and What Do We Do About It? (Session #1598: 2023 ASHA Convention). They will present again at the 2024 Convention.

    Implementation of Clinical Research and Implementation Science

    Strategic Objective #4: Enhance service delivery across the continuum of care to increase value and access to services

    Objective Owner
    Monica Sampson, PhD, CCC-SLP, Chief Staff Officer for Speech-Language Pathology (msampson@asha.org)
    Outcome
    Enhanced service delivery across the continuum of care to increase value and access to services
    Highlights
    • Service Delivery webpage includes access to resources on varied clinical practice, e.g., telepractice, functional goals using the ICF framework, and supervision tools/resources for practice and mentoring assistants.
    • Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
      • Launched web resource incorporating user experience survey research describing social determinants of health, the role of the clinician, tools and supports, and additional resources.
      • Developed “Get the Big Picture” visuals for website, QR cards, print resources, and ads and launched a marketing plan to educate professionals on the impact of SDOH on clinical outcomes.
      • Developing experiential learning opportunities regarding the impact of SDOH on clinical outcomes
      • Shared resources at related professional organizations for physician, nursing, and public health audiences.
      • Ongoing engagement with payers and decision makers to highlight the impact of SDOH on clinical outcomes.
    • The Supervision Hub was created to be a central resource for all information related to supervision and mentorship of graduate clinicians, clinical fellows, and assistants. Ten free webinars/conversations on supervisions have been curated within the hub to provide additional information to members.
    • ASHA’s developmental milestones have been updated. Feeding and swallowing milestones are included for children from birth to age three (feeding milestones have been translated into Spanish), and communication milestones for children from birth to age five for children learning to speak English in the U.S.
    • GAPP continues to monitor state legislation and regulations related to assistants to support licensing/credentialing in alignment with ASHA's C-SLPA and changes to telepractice post-pandemic.

    • The ASHA certification program for assistants in audiology and speech-language pathology continues to grow.

      • As of October 2024, over 1,100 assistants have been awarded certification.
      • Mentoring program for assistants in audiology and speech-language pathology continues to grow.

    Strategic Objective #5: Increase influence and demonstrated value of audiology and speech-language pathology services

    Objective Owner
    Neela Swanson, Senior Director, Health Care & Education Policy (nswanson@asha.org)
    Outcome
    ASHA members play an active role in reimbursement processes, effectively demonstrating the value of their services, and empowering and educating patients and clients to understand access and reimbursement.
    Highlights
    • The Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Compact (ASLP-ICC) has been adopted in 34 states. The ASLP-ICC is not yet issuing compact privileges to practice. Throughout 2024, the Commission is working with developers to create the necessary data system to receive applications, provide interstate data communications, and issue privileges to practice. It is anticipated that the ASLP-ICC will begin issuing compact privileges to practice in late summer 2025.
    • ASHA is developing 8 coding and payment educational modules with content development ongoing. We anticipate that the full set will be released in 2025 on a rolling basis, as modules are completed.
    • ASHA held its 6th annual ASHA Payer Summit on September 25–27, 2024, in Washington, DC. The Summit brought together national payers, utilization management companies, and state Medicaid programs to discuss audiology and speech-language pathology coverage, coding, and policy issues. The Summit focused on identifying challenges for ASHA members and payers alike and workshopped strategies to address key issues impacting our members.
    • Capitol Hill Day 2024: 74 volunteer leaders from the Board of Directors, Committee of Ambassadors, and ASHA-PAC Board participated in more than 130 congressional meetings on May 8 to advocate for the professions. Since Hill Day, we have added 113 new cosponsors for ASHA’s federal legislative priorities. Members sought congressional support for the following legislation::
      • The Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act (H.R. 6445/S. 2377), which would expand Medicare coverage of services provided by audiologists.
      • The Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R. 3875/S. 2880), which would add audiologists and SLPs as permanent Medicare telehealth providers.
      • The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (H.R. 1477/S. 722), which would expand qualified expenses under 529 education savings plans to cover costs associated with workforce training and credentialing programs, such as professional certifications.
      • The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment Act (H.R. 1310), which would cut federal red tape so interstate compacts can grant practice privileges in a timely manner.

    Strategic Objective #6: Increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the Association and the discipline

    Objective Owner
    Megan-Brette Hamilton, PhD, CCC-SLP, Chief Staff Officer for Multicultural Affairs (mhamilton@asha.org)
    Outcome
    ASHA has implemented equitable practices and CSD is a more diverse and inclusive discipline.
    • ASHA’s standards and systems improve the quality of care for all populations and increase access to and inclusion in the discipline.
    • ASHA offers tools and resources for enhancing professional interactions across race/ethnicity.
    • ASHA’s membership is more diverse.
    Highlights
    • ASHA has developed a resource page, State Mandates Around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, that highlights the number of states that have passed legislation in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion. ASHA continues to track states across the U.S. that are introducing discriminatory legislation that may impact the ability of audiologists and speech-language pathologists to provide services.
    • The Accessibility and Inclusivity Guidelines: Creating Continuing Education for AUDs and SLPs. This new resource is designed to help ASHA CE course planners and instructors create inclusive and accessible courses for all learners.
    • The ASHA Journals has added a new accessibility feature to improve reading preferences for individuals with visual impairments or dyslexia. With this new feature, eReader users of the ASHA Journals can choose the font that suits their reading preferences when viewing publications in EPUB formats. This feature also supports a wide range of languages and characters.
    • CAA modified standard 3.4A/B in 2021 to more fully incorporate concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion—not just across the curriculum in terms of reflecting the diversity of society, but affording opportunities for program faculty and staff, as well as students, to assess their own cultural biases, as well as recognize the impact and interaction of cultural and linguistic variables along with social determinants of health. After undergoing extensive peer review, these standards' revisions went into effect January 1, 2023.
    • The ASHA Leader has curated a Leader DEI topic collection that includes coverage of DEI topics in communication sciences and disorders. Topics range from FAQs about multilingual assessment, to legislation for gender-affirming voice treatment, to inclusive language and implicit bias related to dialect.
    • The Hearing and Speech Career microsite continues to promote the professions to individuals from under-represented racial/ethnic populations, males, and bi/multilingual service providers and provides information about careers in CSD while focusing on diverse representation in the discipline.
    • ASHA launched a  multilingual student digital marketing outreach campaign using new videos and creative assets to drive traffic to the recruitment microsite. New outreach videos available on ASHA Stream, Recruit Future Auds & SLPs.
    • The microsite Have You Heard has officially launched. The microsite is an equity action and accountability platform where users can report efforts and share ideas for systemic changes that promote DEI in their organizations/facilities. Institutions and organizations may submit their efforts on the Have You Heard site.
    • ASHA continues to collaborate with AAA, APTA, and AOTA to champion the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act. The legislation would provide grants to increase opportunities for individuals who are from underrepresented backgrounds, including students who are from racial/ethnic minority groups, in the professions of audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, and speech-language pathology.

    Strategic Objective #7: Enhance international engagement

    Objective Owner
    Lily Waterston, MA, Director, International Programs (lwaterston@asha.org)
    Outcome
    ASHA is engaged internationally with service providers, educators, scientists and other groups to proliferate research, and improve professional preparation and service delivery.
    Highlights
    • Partnering with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen knowledge and build capacity of professionals and organizations that address communication disorders in selected countries. These are: Honduras, El Salvador, Guyana, Paraguay, Belize, and Ecuador. PAHO approved ASHA's application to renew its official status as Non-State Actor (NSA) of PAHO for another three years (2024–2026). The International Issues Board established the ASHA–PAHO Collaboration Advisory Subcommittee for one year. The Subcommittee has been extended for another year through December 31, 2024. It will provide a set of recommendations to the IIB.
    • Increasing the outreach and numbers of the International Affiliates (IAs): 575 IAs in 63 countries as of 12/31/23. Developing resources and regional strategies to better serve this audience, improve exchanges, and increase affiliation.
    • Collaborating with WHO for public awareness campaigns. In partnership with the Hearing Loss Association of America, ASHA conducted a digital campaign to promote World Hearing Day (March 3). A new ASHA collaboration with WHO, announced the results of polling video game players ages 18–35 about their listening habits and interest in hearing protection.
    • Partnering with international organizations for joint conferences in different regions of the world: in 2024, ASHA partnered with the Emirates Speech-Language Pathology Society (ESLPS) and brought ASHA speakers to its congress conducted on September 6–8, 2024 in Dubai, UAE. ASHA also included a well-visited ASHA booth.
    • Participating in WHO and PAHO high-level meetings: In 2024, ASHA participated in the PAHO Executive Committee meeting, PAHO Directing Council meeting, and WHO World Hearing Forum meeting.
    • Increasing publications from authors outside the U.S.: As of 12/31/23, there are 864 international authors in ASHA journals (including Perspectives). The ASHA Journals Academy includes information on translation services and resources for non-English speakers. Launched “Paperpal Preflight,” a service to provide authors automated editorial review of their manuscripts prior to submission. This is especially valuable for the success of international authors. In 2024, the Publications Cluster started an initiative targeting China.

    Strategic Objective #8: Increase members' cultural competence

    Objective Owner
    Karen Beverly-Ducker, MA, CCC-A, CAE, Senior Director of Multicultural Practices (KBeverlyDucker@asha.org)
    Outcome
    ASHA members competently address cultural/linguistic influences on service delivery outcomes.
    Highlights
    • Through a culturally responsive lens, revisions continue to be made to several ASHA Practice Portal pages e.g. ‘Acquired Apraxia of Speech’, ‘Adult Aural Rehabilitation’, ‘Aerodigestive Disorders’, ‘ASD’, ‘Childhood Fluency’, ‘Cochlear Implants’, ‘Counseling’, ‘Multilingual Service Delivery’, ‘OMD’, ‘Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing’, and ‘Right Hemisphere Disorder’. Reviews have been completed on several pages e.g. ‘Hearing Aids for Adults’ and ‘Neonatal Intensive Care Services’. Work continues on the development of new pages e.g. ‘Gender-Affirming Services’.
    • Final Reports are due and will be posted in January 2025 for the 4 projects funded via the 2024 Grant Program for Projects on Multicultural Activities. The projects include: Birds of a Feather Flock Together: Implications of and Solutions for Homophily in Communication Sciences and Disorders- Erin Meier (Northeastern University) and Shannon Sheppard (University of Washington, Seattle); Measuring total vocabulary in Mandarin-English bilingual toddlers using parent checklists: Initial reference data and psychometric properties- Ling-Yu Guo (University at Buffalo, SUNY); Preschool Autism Communication Education (PACE): Pragmatic Language for Autistic Children in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Educational Settings- D’Jaris Coles-White (Western Michigan University); Undergraduate CSD recruitment: Identifying the most effective strategy to recruit minority students- Brooke Holt, Sena Crutchley, Joya Robertson and Emily Hamuka (UNC Greensboro).
    • In collaboration with SO6, the ASHA Faculty Summit “Bridging the Gap: Infusing Inclusivity into Coursework and Clinical Practice” was recorded and will be made available on the ASHAWire Special Collection Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning site.
    • In collaboration with the ASHA Ethics Team, suggested revisions to the Issues in Ethics Statement: Cultural and Linguistic Competence have been submitted to the ASHA Board of Ethics for consideration.
    • In collaboration with the ASHA Continuing Education (CE) Team, developed Accessibility Guidelines: Creating Accessible Continuing Education. These guidelines support CE providers when creating inclusive learning experiences that empower everyone to fully engage, regardless of their abilities.
    • The Multicultural Issues Board (MIB) developed the tutorial Professionalism in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Consideration of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access in the Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups.
    • The MIB, L’GASP, and ASHA State Affairs Team recorded a joint presentation for CSAP members on the legislative landscape surrounding gender-affirming care and advocacy for transgender and gender expansive clients, students and professionals. As a follow-up, they developed Upholding Inclusive Practices in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
    • Additional professional development opportunities now include several webinars and other resources such as:
    • The Men’s Constituency Caucus is the most recent group to join 10 other multicultural constituency groups (MCCGs; Asian Pacific Islander, Disability, Haitian, Hispanic, Jewish, L’GASP, Middle East and North Africa, NBASLH, Native American, and South Asian). MCCGs are allied/related professional organizations that are independent of ASHA. Each MCCG focuses on an identified population and addresses the client/patient/professional/student perspective of that population.

    Strategic Objective #9: Transform learning across the discipline

    Objective Owner
    Donna Fisher Smiley, PhD, CCC-A, Chief Staff Officer for Audiology (DSmiley@asha.org)
    Outcome
    ASHA has created and advanced a learning ecosystem that supports members’ ability to proactively navigate change and thrive professionally through life-long learning.
    Highlights
    • Current work on SO#9 is focused on Transformational Initiative #1: Develop and implement a competency framework for the professions
    • Work continues in the following areas:
      • Refinement of entry level competencies via the Curriculum and Practice Analysis (CAPA) for both professions
        • Audiology CAPA
          • Report was delivered to ASHA in October 2023
          • CAA & CFCC are reviewing for any needed updates to their standards
        • Speech-Language Pathology CAPA
          • Report was delivered to ASHA in March 2024
          • CAA & CFCC are reviewing for any needed updates to their standards
      • Education of and promotion to members and other stakeholder groups regarding a competency-based approach (presentations at conferences and to various committees, boards and councils)
      • Working with a consultant to develop two competency frameworks—one for each profession
        • Kick off meeting for the steering committee was held at the ASHA National Office in June 2024
        • In August and September 2024, ASHA recruited subject matter experts from both professions to draft domains and competencies as part of a competency-based framework for clinical practice.
        • November 7–10, 2024, the SME panels met at the ASHA National Office to develop the proposed competency-based framework for audiology and speech-language pathology.
        • In 2025, further refinement of the frameworks will take place and they will go out for select and widespread peer review.

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