CSD students are not “future” advocates” — you are advocates right now.
During National NSSLHA’s CSD Student Advocacy 101: Your Voice, Your Profession, Your Future, leaders from ASHA and student advocates shared practical advice on how students can influence policy, shape their profession, and make their voices heard — even with busy clinic and class schedules.
Missed the event? You can watch the recording below:
Here are the top takeaways every CSD student should know:
1. Advocacy Fundamentals
Advocacy doesn’t have to be complicated. At its core, it means giving voice to a cause, raising awareness, and influencing decisions.
You don’t need to be a policy expert to be an advocate. Lawmakers expect to hear from constituents — and as a student, you bring something incredibly valuable: real-time insight into how policies affect education, clinical placements, and future practice.
Panelists emphasized that policies being written today will shape your future career — impacting licensure, reimbursement, scope of practice, and workforce mobility.
Understanding who makes decisions also makes advocacy feel more manageable. Depending on the issue, that may include state legislators, licensure boards, Medicaid and private insurers, school administrators, or even parents and caregivers.
One important reminder: ASHA certification is not the same as state licensure. Your state licensure board determines whether you can practice in that state. You can explore state policy updates through ASHA’s state advocacy resources.
If legislation stalls, it doesn’t always mean it has failed — it may simply be in another phase of the process. Advocacy is ongoing work, and partnering with your state association can make a significant difference.
2. Advocacy Skills & Real-World Application
A consistent message throughout the panel: start with your “why.”
What issue matters to you? Why does it affect your future career? Who has the power to change it?
You do not need to be a policy expert to speak up. What lawmakers need most is context — how policies affect real people. You can explain what you’re seeing in your placements, how reimbursement impacts access to care, or why workforce mobility matters to students entering the profession.
One example discussed was the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact. Students sharing that they might leave a state without compact privileges helped legislators better understand workforce retention concerns.
If you need data to support your message, ASHA can help — but your lived experience is what makes your advocacy powerful.
Advocacy also doesn’t have to take hours. Small actions matter. Share ASHA Action Alerts in your class group chat. Talk about policy changes between classes. Invite a legislator to a chapter meeting. Submit a public comment during a rulemaking period.
ASHA makes it easy to send pre-drafted messages to lawmakers through the Take Action website.
Sometimes advocacy starts with something as simple as forwarding an email and starting a conversation.
3. Resources, Staying Connected, and Next Steps
If you’re ready to get involved, start here:
- ASHA Advocacy homepage
- ASHA Take Action website
- State advocacy resources
- Interstate Compact information
Panelists also encouraged students to attend town halls, schedule meetings with local legislators, engage during public comment periods, and stay connected with their state associations.
For students who feel “not qualified yet,” the panel had a clear message: you are qualified. No one knows your story better than you. You understand what it’s like to be in clinic, in class, and preparing to enter the workforce. That perspective is exactly what policymakers need to hear.
Advocacy skills grow with practice. Give yourself grace, start small, and keep going.
Your voice shapes your profession’s future — and that future starts now.