ASHA Advocate: November 3, 2022

The Top Line

The 2022 midterm elections will be held next Tuesday, November 8. Election outcomes will have a significant impact on ASHA’s advocacy activities for the next two years. Be heard and make sure to vote!

Please visit ASHA Advocacy at Convention! We’ll be at booth #1013 ready to answer your questions, show what ASHA is doing for you, and how you can partner with us in making a meaningful impact.

Advocacy for SLPs on Interdisciplinary Teams Working with Autism

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are critical service providers for individuals with autism. To ensure that children receive all necessary and appropriate services SLPs must be included on interprofessional teams in early intervention and school-based settings. ASHA’s advocacy efforts educate the public about the critical role of SLPs on teams that serve children with language and social communication needs and inform policymakers and payers of the medically necessary services SLPs provide.

ASHA Joins TBI Registry Coalition

ASHA has joined leading nonprofit and corporate organizations as part of the National Traumatic Brain Injury Registry Coalition to build support for establishing a national TBI registry within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Having a national registry for individuals living with TBI will improve our understanding of the causes, prevention, and treatment of TBI, which can result in speech, language, thinking, and swallowing problems.

Stay tuned for more information about ways to support this initiative!

Source: National TBI Registry Coalition

Working for You

• ASHA is urging lawmakers to stop Medicare cuts by 1) cosponsoring the Supporting Medicare Providers Act (H.R. 8800), and 2) signing a dear colleague letter to Senate leaders asking for the cuts to be halted. You can help with this effort by contacting your members of Congress and asking for their support.
• ASHA signed a letter to congressional leaders circulated by the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities urging adoption of the highest proposed funding levels for the federal programs that support infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, their families, and the educators and other service providers who serve them, including for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Take action now to support IDEA funding.
• ASHA obtained details from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding implementation of the changes to the National Coverage Determination for Cochlear Implants.
• ASHA-PAC held an event honoring Theresa H. Rodgers, ASHA’s 2020 President and long-time advocate for the professions. Thanks to members like you, the PAC raised $8,231 from 46 contributors. Learn more about how ASHA-PAC serves as a voice for audiologists and SLPs on Capitol Hill.

Spotlight!

"Advocacy is about amplifying the voices of others to ensure we all have a seat at the table. As an SLP, it is my job to advocate to ensure our state and federal policies reflect the needs of my clients and my profession."

—Arynn Byrd, CCC-SLP, ECP Member Government Affairs and Public Policy Board