Quick Facts

About ASHA

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 234,000 members, certificate holders, and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students.

Members: 234,000

President: Tena L. McNamara

Chief Executive Officer: Vicki R. Deal-Williams

Headquarters: Rockville, Maryland

Founded: 1925

Designations: Honors, Fellow

Publications:

Annual Convention: ASHA Convention

Speech & Language Disorders

Speech disorders occur when a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with their voice. Language disorders occur when a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language) or sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings completely (expressive language).

Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems.

Quick Facts:

  • Nearly 1 in 12 U.S. children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech, language, or swallowing (source)
  • Nearly half of U.S. children ages 3-17 with a voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorder have not received intervention services in the past year. (source)
  • 3 million+ Americans stutter. (source)
  • Approximately 9.4 million adults report having a problem using their voice that lasted one week or longer. (source)
  • Approximately 2 million Americans suffer from aphasia. (source)

Hearing Loss & Disorders

Hearing loss is determined by three categories:

Audiologists are healthcare professionals who provide patient-centered care in the prevention, identification, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment of hearing, balance, and other auditory disorders for people of all ages.

Quick Facts:

  • Approximately 37.5 million Americans report having some trouble hearing. (source)
  • More than half (51%) of all adults report having hearing problems, but only 11% have sought treatment. (source)
  • An estimated 12.5 of children in the U.S. ages 6 to 19 show evidence of noise-induced hearing loss. (source)
  • Approximately 26 million Americans, ages 20–69, have a hearing loss. (source)
  • The risk of dementia may be up to five times greater and the risk of falling three times greater among people with untreated hearing loss. (source)

ASHA Corporate Partners