The ASHA Leader - September 21, 2010 - (Page 10)

Schools 2010: Learning and Lea by Kellie Rowden-Racette mid the lights and glitz of the Las Vegas strip where the July temperatures hit 110 degrees, more than 1,200 school-based speech-language pathologists and educational audiologists stayed cool at the Mirage Hotel as they attended ASHA’s Schools 2010 conference. Participants spent three action-packed days learning how to create innovative programs, encourage momentum within their school districts, and, best of all, find ways to harness what they learned and bring it back to their students. A education sessions, and took part in a wine tasting sponsored by the ASHA Political Action Committee (ASHA-PAC). As the bustle on the strip outside heated up, attendees learned why, this time, what happened in Vegas really shouldn’t stay in Vegas. Speakers and Sessions The conference showcased many talented and engaging presenters. The opening plenary featured Marcia Harding, director of the Special Education Division of the Arkansas Department of Education and president of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. Harding encouraged SLPs to recognize and seize emerging opportunities throughout their careers. Harding detailed her professional journey, emphasizing that her success was a result of not being afraid to take chances. “When I’m looking to hire someone, I look for energy and passion,” she said. “I want someone who is willing to take risks and accept consequences. Opening keynoter Marcia Harding encouraged listeners to embrace the changes that shape a professional path. Because if you’re working in your comfort zone, you’re probably not working to your potential.” Other popular sessions included an overview of neurotoxicants and their relation to learning disabilities presented by Laura Abulafia, director of education and outreach for the Environmental Health Initiative of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and national coordinator for the Learning and Developmental Disability Initiative. Abulafia described the growing relationship between the rising levels of chemicals in homes and schools and the increasing rates of developmental disabilities in the United States. According to information provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, children—with their smaller bodies and higher metabolic rates—are more vulnerable to the toxins in their environments. This risk, paired with the 2,000 to This year’s conference—the 11th—set a record for attendance. Held July 16–18, the three-day event included 26 sessions based on clinical and servicedelivery issues, 50 poster sessions, four regional discussions, 59 exhibitors, and two plenary sessions. During the opening session the Roles and Responsibilities Committee unveiled two new policy documents on the roles and responsibilities of SLPs in schools. The committee also facilitated a discussion at one of the regional discussion groups and held a poster session (to view the new documents, visit www.asha. org/docs/html/PI2010-00317.html for the professional issues statement and www.asha.org/docs/html/ PS2010-00318.html for the position statement). The schools conference was offered in conjunction with the Educational Audiology Association, which held its summer workshop on July 15 at the Mirage. Participants from both conferences also joined in six-minute networking meetings, attended exhibitor Survey: Recession Affects Salaries, caseload month before the 2010 Schools Conference, pre-registered participants received a web-based survey designed to determine how the current economy is affecting ASHA’s school-based members. A total of 347 members completed the survey and, based on the responses, the biggest impact of the economy was not at the personal level, but at the district level: • 62% of respondents reported that their districts were planning to reduce spending by “a lot,” up from 56% in 2009. A • 21% reported a reduction in salary or benefits with no change in hours, up from 11% in 2009. • 38% reported an increase in caseload size, up from 35% in 2009. • 18% reported an increase in number of sites visited, up from 13% in 2009. Arlene Pietranton, ASHA executive director, held a member forum to discuss the results with conference attendees. Many members agreed with the results and made suggestions on how ASHA could help school-based members. One member commented, “With the increased number of ‘protected times’ within the schools it is getting more difficult to do the traditional pull-out therapy,” and said that she is encouraging her staff to look for new or different approaches to intervention. All results from this survey are available at www.asha.org/ uploadedfiles/2010-schoolsConference-survey.pdf. 10 September 21, 2010 http://www.asha.org/docs/html/PI2010-00317.html http://www.asha.org/docs/html/PI2010-00317.html http://www.asha.org/docs/html/PS2010-00318.html http://www.asha.org/docs/html/PS2010-00318.html http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/2010-Schools-Conference-Survey.pdf http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/2010-Schools-Conference-Survey.pdf

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The ASHA Leader - September 21, 2010

The ASHA Leader - September 21, 2010
Contents
Teens at Risk: "We're on the Edge of an Epidemic"
Bottom Line
Audiology
New Fluency, Cognition Diagnosis Codes
Schools 2010: Learning and Leadership in Las Vegas
RTI Progress-Monitoring Tools
Classroom Acoustics: What Possibly Could Be New?
Schools Practice: New Research and Online Resources
From the President
Schools Survey Caseload Data
Internet
Identification and Treatment of Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
Buyers Guide
Classifieds
First Person on the Last Page

The ASHA Leader - September 21, 2010