Heading into the fall always makes me think of the movie You’ve Got Mail. I love the quote where Tom Hanks says to Meg Ryan, “Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies… I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” Our committee chairs in Professional Services have their sharpened pencils and new notebooks ready and are working hard for you, our Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) members. They are in the places and spaces where you as speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists work and serve your patients and families.

Save the date for the TSHA 2025 Convention in San Antonio!

The Honors and Awards of the Association are intended to identify and recognize those members whose contributions to the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) have been significant, outstanding, and excellent.

In the spring of 2025, Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) members will elect a Vice President for Advocacy, Vice President for Educational and Scientific Affairs, and Vice President for Research and Development. Members are encouraged to recommend qualified persons or to self-nominate for these offices. TSHA's Call for Executive Board Nominations will be open October 2 through November 16. 

This four-part series will discuss the vulnerability of healthcare, insurance contracts, data collection, government contacts, and contract negotiation. Since the introduction of the Consumer Price Index in 1913, the highest inflation rate observed in the United States was 23.7% in June 1920 (Henderson, 2022). In 2024, we continue to live in a high-inflation environment. Our gas and groceries have gone up, mortgages and rent are up, the cost of goods and supplies increased, labor cost has increased, and you have less time with patients than you ever had.

Within public schools, the number of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students continues to rise, with more than 400 languages reported in U.S. schools (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). As of 2021, students speaking a language other than English comprised slightly more than 20% of students enrolled in Texas schools (Center for Educational Statistics, 2024). 

Many of you are a month or two into your first semester as a graduate student. Congratulations! Getting into graduate school is a major achievement, and you are entering a wonderful time of learning and growth. As any recent graduate will tell you, it goes by faster than you think it will. As you get settled, you might start to realize that you are surrounded by similarly amazing people who all will be completing rigorous[JL1]  coursework and similarly enriching clinical experiences.

In a rural town, a non-speaking student by the name of “Joy” was unable to communicate her wants and needs with peers or communicate while participating in instructional activities, often leading to moments of frustration for her. Joy and her parents had never been introduced to Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) prior to her speech-language pathologist (SLP) starting at Joy’s school as a teletherapist. 

The Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (TSHF) is currently accepting applications for the 2025 research, service, education, and scholarship awards. The application deadline is December 8. Awards will be presented at the 69th Annual Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) Convention, to be held May 1-3, 2025, in San Antonio.  

Cafe TSHA is an initiative of the TSHA Publications Board. Levity Lounge is a walk on the lighter side. Tips for Tx offers clever hacks to up your therapy game. Tech Bytes covers new and noteworthy technology finds. Student Swap provides student-focused ideas and inspiration. Wellness Corner emphasizes self-care for service providers. We encourage you to submit your ideas to publications@txsha.org for consideration for publication in future issues.