UD’s Advocacy Day – January 16, 2026

UD’s Advocacy Day – January 16, 2026

Become a Member today!

With the New Year, don’t forget to renew your DSHA membership for 2026. Or hit that New Year’s Resolution of joining a new group and sign up today!

Remote Research Opportunity for SLPs at the University of Delaware

FREE CEU Opportunity – Register Here

Drexel University Presents: Understanding the Knowledge and Skills and Professional Requires for Practice in Delaware

Register here: SLPA – Understanding the Knowledge and Skills and Professional Requirements for Practice in Delaware

Flyer – Understanding the Knowledge and Skills and Professional Requirements for Practice in Delaware

ASHA – Committee of Ambassadors Opportunity

Join ASHA’s Committee of Ambassadors (CoA) – Be a Voice for Speech and Hearing Advocacy!

Are you passionate about advocating for the speech-language pathology, audiology, and communication sciences professions? Do you want to make a meaningful impact at the local, state, and national levels? The Committee of Ambassadors (CoA) at ASHA currently has a vacancy for Delaware Ambassadors and is seeking an engaged and motivated individual to join their team.

As a member of the CoA, you’ll play a critical role in advocating for and communicating the priorities of ASHA to key stakeholders, including officials, peers, and the general public. You’ll have the opportunity to build your leadership skills, connect with other professionals, and help shape the future of the profession.

What You’ll Do:

• Advocacy & Communication: The CoA is responsible for advocating on behalf of ASHA’s priorities and communicating them effectively to various stakeholders. As a member, you’ll be expected to participate in a minimum of four activities per year, including at least one advocacy activity and one communication activity.
  • Advocacy Activities: Examples include writing letters to your state or congressional representatives, sharing ASHA advocacy updates with your state association, facilitating a student advocacy day, or participating in Hill Day (an annual event where members meet with congressional representatives to advocate for ASHA’s Public Policy Agenda).

  • Communication Activities: Engage in activities like writing letters to the editor, posting about ASHA initiatives on social media, participating in media interviews, or having conversations with colleagues about ASHA resources and membership.

• Meetings & Collaboration: CoA members meet quarterly via virtual meetings and once in-person during Hill Day. These meetings offer opportunities to network, share ideas, and collaborate on initiatives.

Time Commitment:

• Beyond the quarterly meetings and expected participation in Hill Day, the time commitment for CoA activities can vary depending on your involvement. On average, 65% of CoA members report spending 1-5 hours per month on advocacy and communication activities.

Who Should Apply?

• Early-career professionals or anyone looking to gain volunteer experience with ASHA.
• Individuals eager to contribute to the advancement of the field and connect with like-minded professionals.
• Those with strong communication and organizational skills, as well as a passion for advocacy.

How to Apply: To apply, please reach out to Kate Stephens at kstephens@asha.org with:

• A brief statement of interest explaining why you are a great fit for this role.
• Relevant biographical information highlighting your experience and skills.

Deadline: Applications are open now and will be accepted until the position is filled.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to get involved in advocacy and communication efforts that make a real difference in the future of speech-language pathology, audiology, and communication sciences. Apply today!

Senate Bill 141- Regulation 286

Dear DSHA members, 

At the next professional licensure board meeting for the State of Delaware on November 19th,  there will be ability for public comment/discussion regarding Senate Bill 141- Regulation 286. The proposed regulation reflects one change we wanted to make our members aware of: 

“2.0 Licensure Requirements for Speech-Language Speech/Language Pathologists and Audiologists 2.1 Education 

2.1.1 2.1 Permanent Licensure. To be eligible for a license as a Speech/Language Pathologist, the applicant must submit verification by an official transcript of completion of at least a master’s degree or its equivalent, from an accredited college or university with major emphasis in speech-language pathology, communication disorders or speech-language and hearing science that the applicant has current certification of clinical competence issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (“ASHA”) or its successors.” 

Previously a certificate of clinical competency from ASHA “or equivalent” was accepted and this has now been revised to reflect that only a CCC from ASHA  to be acceptable for licensure in the state. We encourage members with questions/comments regarding these changes to attend the board meeting for public comment. 

https://publicmeetings.delaware.gov/#/meeting/77443 

Sincerely, 

DSHA Executive Council

November 6, 2024 Evening CE Opportunity Announced

Delaware Speech-Language-Hearing Association Presents A Virtual Evening Meeting

Wednesday, November 6, 2024
6:00 pm – 730 pm

Register here

Navigating Tracheostomy: Speech Pathology Interventions and Outcomes

By: Janet Sechrist M.A., CCC-SLP BCS-S, Board Certified Specialist- Swallowing & Swallowing Disorders and Elizabeth Jones, M.S., CCC-SLP

Janet Sechrist, M.A., CCC-SLP BCS-S, is a medical speech-language pathologist at ChristianaCare Health System and an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware, with over 25 years of experience in the field. She is board-certified in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. Janet has worked across various settings, specializing in the care of medically complex adults, particularly in restoring voice and swallowing function in patients with tracheostomy tubes and head/neck cancer. Her passion for this work has led her to play a pivotal role in developing both a Multidisciplinary Trach Team and a Multidisciplinary Vent Communication Team, aimed at improving outcomes for these patients.

Elizabeth Ashley Jones M.A. CCC-SLP is from Harrington, DE; She earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2008 and her Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology at Vanderbilt University in 2010. She has previously worked for the Nashville VA and has been working at Bayhealth since 2010. She has previous experience working in home health and outpatient therapy. She has been an acute care SLP since 2018 with interest in dysphagia management for various patient populations. Throughout her time at Bayhealth, Ashley assisted in the development of a FEES program in 2017 and spearheaded the Multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Team in 2020.

Course description This course provided an overview of the SLP’s role in tracheostomy management. It included best practices for optimizing communication and swallowing for this complex patient population, reviewed the SLP’s vital role as part of the multidisciplinary team, and introduced innovations in tracheostomy care.

Course instructional level: Intermediate

Instructional methods: Lecture

Learning objectives:  (1) Identify parts of a tracheostomy tube to include sizing and specifics of various models, (2) Explain the role of SLP in assessment and treatment of speech, voice, and dysphagia, (3) Describe parameters for decannulation and role of SLP in process, (4) Summarize the benefits of a multidisciplinary tracheostomy team, (5) Describe future directions in the care of the tracheostomized patient

Time ordered agenda:  6:00- 6:15 Basic Tracheostomy Knowledge

                       6:15- 6:45 Role of SLP in Tracheostomy Management

                       6:45-7:15 Multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Team

                                                            and new directions

                       7:15-7:30 Questions

1.5 PDHs will be offered for attendance and successful completion of post presentation testing

SAVE THE DATE: October 10, 2024 to Join DSHA For Social Time

SAVE THE DATE:  Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 6:00 pm

Join DSHA at Crooked Hammock – Middletown to connect with SLPs and Audiologists!  Enjoy great company!

DSHA Virtual Evening Meeting Announced for September 24, 2024

Delaware Speech-Language-Hearing Association presents
A Virtual Evening Meeting

Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Bridging Research and Clinical Practice

Brooke Crenshaw MS, CCC-SLP

Tuesday September 24th, 2024

6:00 p.m-7:30 p.m.

Course Description
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) can be challenging for SLPs. This course equips professionals with tools for informed evaluation of CAS, aiding differential diagnosis from other speech disorders using evidence-based assessment. It boosts confidence in diagnosis and recommendations, reviewing current research for practical application across pediatric settings.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

• Define Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) based on ASHA’s Technical Report and current research
• Identify at least 3 essential characteristics of CAS
• Differentially diagnose with other speech sound disorders 
• Identify evidence-based evaluation protocol for CAS

Schedule
6:00- 6:15 Introduction & Learning Objectives

6:15- 6:45 Definition & Characteristics of CAS

6:45-7:20 Evaluation and Differential Diagnosis for CAS

7:20-7:30 Questions

Location
Virtually via Zoom

Register
Register online by Wednesday September 18th, 2024: https://dsha.org/events
Members should login before attempting to register.

Cost: Members= Free , Non-Members=35$

A link will be sent to registered attendees only, the day before the event.
Partial credit will not be awarded, attendance will be monitored throughout the presentation.
A post-test will be sent to all attendees during the event and must be completed and returned to DSHA within 48 hours of the event in order to receive a certificate of attendance.

Additionally, in order to receive a certificate of attendance, an attendee must be a registered DSHA member or, pay the non-member registration fee in advance of the event. Failure to meet one of these conditions will result in the attendee not receiving their certificate of attendance and their attendance will not be reported to ASHA.

DSHA will not contact attendees to obtain fees or send reminders regarding completion of post-tests. If you are uncertain of your DSHA membership status please reach out to kelanderson05@yahoo.com.

Speaker Biography
Brooke Crenshaw, MS CCC-SLP has been a practicing speech-language pathologist since 2004 after earning her Masters of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her career has taken her across the scope of pediatric settings including outpatient clinics, early intervention, and school-based services in many states including Wisconsin, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, and Delaware. In November of 2015 she joined the staff at the University of Delaware where she provides pediatric speech, language, AAC, and feeding services, as well as mentorship to graduate students as a Clinical Educator in the University of Delaware Speech Language-Hearing Clinic. Brooke has served as the clinical support instructor in the Language Disorders in Children (0-5 years) course since Fall of 2016. She also lectures on a variety of topics for training including IDEA Part C and Childhood Apraxia of Speech, as well as using her Advanced Telehealth Coordinator training for telepractice mentorship.

DISCLOSURE:

The DSHA conference committee members have no financial or non-financial relationships to disclose.

• Compensation is not being received for this talk
• Brooke Crenshaw is a Member of the Delaware Speech Language Hearing Association Executive Committee; however, I do not receive compensation for this role

Continuing Education Units

.15 CEUs will be earned for attendance and successful completion of post presentation testing

DSHA Announces A Virtual Evening Meeting – Disability and Artificial Intelligence: Promises and Pitfalls

Delaware Speech-Language-Hearing Association presents
A Virtual Evening Meeting

Disability and Artificial Intelligence: Promises and Pitfalls

Andrew Jenks, PhD

Tuesday May 7th, 2024
6:00 p.m-7:30 p.m.

Course Description
This session addressed an important paradox in conversations around Disability
and Artificial Intelligence: disabled people are simultaneously expert users,
testers, and beneficiaries of technology which makes information more
accessible to the general public, yet are most likely to be left out of critical
decision-making processes about the adoption and use of these
technologies.

Learning Objectives
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

● Define and discuss a disability studies approach and its applicability to their practice

● Locate sites in their practice where they can make small, meaningful changes to
support and empower their clients

● Identify potential sites for the incorporation of AI into their practice, as well
as sites where AI has already become integrated.

Schedule
6:00 pm – 6:10 pm Introductions and Zoom chat storm
6:10 pm – 6:25 pm Disability Studies at a glance
6:25 pm – 6:40 pm Small group activity (Zoom rooms) – How can we incorporate a
Disability Studies perspective in our work
6:40 pm – 6:50 pm Whole group debrief
7:05 pm – 7:15 pm Disability and AI
7:15 pm – 7:30 pm Whole group discussion on AI and disability in the profession

Location
Virtually via Zoom

Register
Register online by Wednesday May 1st, 2024: Please click here to go to the program registration page
Members should login before attempting to register.
Cost: Members= Free , Non-Members=35$

A link will be sent to registered attendees only, the day before the event.
Partial credit will not be awarded, attendance will be monitored throughout the presentation.
A post-test will be sent to all attendees during the event and must be completed
and returned to DSHA within 48 hours of the event in order to receive a certificate
of attendance.
Additionally, in order to receive a certificate of attendance, an attendee must be
a registered DSHA member or, pay the non-member registration fee in advance
of the event. Failure to meet one of these conditions will result in the attendee
not receiving their certificate of attendance and their attendance will not be
reported to ASHA.

DSHA will not contact attendees to obtain fees or send reminders regarding
completion of post-tests. If you are uncertain of your DSHA membership
status please reach out to kelanderson05@yahoo.com.

Speaker Biographies
Andrew Jenks currently works as an Educational Assessment Specialist at the
University of Delaware’s Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning.
His scholarship and public speaking focus generally on disability and more
specifically on questions of equity and access in social, political, economic,
and educational context. He has published within the field of Disability
Studies and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in
internationally leading journals and collaborates regularly with
stakeholders in the US and internationally on projects related to
disability rights, inclusion, and access.

DISCLOSURE: The DSHA conference committee members have no financial or
non-financial relationships to disclose.

Financial:  Andrew Jenks is a salaried employee at University of Delaware’s Center
for Teaching Assessment and Learning. He is being provided an honorarium for
this Presentation.

Non-Financial: none

Continuing Education Units
.15 CEUs will be earned for attendance and successful completion of post presentation testing

An annual ASHA CE Registry fee is required to register for ASHA CEUs. Contact the
ASHA CE Division (1-800-498-2071 ext. 4219) for CE Registry fee subscription
information