Going to ASHA Convention for the first (or second or third) time can be overwhelming. There’s so much to do, see, and learn during those three days that you might feel like you won’t get the chance to see it all.

I’ll let you in on a secret … you probably won’t. But that’s okay! The best you can do is start planning your schedule now. That way, you can pack in all the sessions, posters, activities, and events that are most important to you.

All of us on National NSSLHA’s Executive and Regional Councils have been thinking long and hard about our schedules and the sessions we’re most excited to catch. Maybe they’ll interest you too and help you start creating your own schedule!

Professional Development Sessions

Get the CF You Want: Writing Successful Resumes & Cover Letters (Poster, 6319)

“As my grad school journey comes to an end, all I can think about is my CFY. Where will I be? What kind of clients will I work with? Dreaming is one thing; taking action is another. I’m looking forward to learning insider tips and tricks to help me land my dream job!” – Sarah Sleeter, VP for Programming (SLP)

Your Secret Superpower: Identifying Your Strengths to Enhance Your Therapy (Seminar, 1913)

“One of the best (and most challenging) aspects of our field is working with individuals who have their own unique needs. Learning to recognize and apply your own strengths, and how to acquire new ones will help me serve my future clients in the best way possible! – Aya Khalil, VP for SSOs (SLP)

When Global Becomes Local: Serving Recent Immigrant & Refugees with Disabilities (Seminar, 1015)

“I’m interested in the impact our political climate has on service delivery. We’ll be working every day with individuals who have their own stories. Being able to shift my own perspective and learn how to serve immigrants and refugees with disabilities through culturally appropriate services is one of the most important things I can learn.” – Leilani Melendrez, Western Regional Councilor

Refocusing the Lens of Learning: Incorporating IPE & Standardized Patients into Graduate Student Education (Poster, 6690)

“I’m excited to hear how Inter-Professional Education and Simulated Patient training affected students involved in this study, as well as possible implications for future practice.” – Michelle D’Mello, VP for GRPP

Audiology Sessions

Modality of Communication in Parents & Their Deaf Children Using Both ASL & Spoken English (Poster, 6082)

“My passion for pediatric audiology and ensuring access to perceptually available communication for deaf or hard of hearing children drew me to this topic. I look forward to learning about language acquisition in multiple modalities.” – Delphanie Wu, Southern Regional Councilor

Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorders (ANSD) in Children: Diagnosis & Management (Seminar, 1019)

“It’s important that I provide the best, evidence-based care I can for all children with hearing loss or other auditory disorders, like ANSD, which requires an audiologist to move past conventional practices for traditional hearing loss. I’m excited to better understand best management practices and use this info to evaluate how I’m currently caring for children with ANSD, as well as determine improvements.” – JJ Whicker, VP for SSOs (AuD)

Examining How Cochlear Health Relates to Performance with a Cochlear Implant (Virtual Lab, 1436)

“I haven’t had much exposure to research yet, so I’m excited to step into a virtual lab where researchers are examining cochlear health and cochlear implant outcomes, as well as learn how certain measures of cochlear health can impact speech recognition.” – Teffany Ventura, President-Elect

Professional Perspectives of Aural Rehabilitation for Adults with Cochlear Implants (Technical Research, 4675)

“Providing access to communication through a cochlear implant is beyond amazing to me. I’m eager to gain insight into how audiologists can collaborate with speech-language pathologists during therapy to help patients achieve the best hearing outcomes with a cochlear implant.” – Brandon Roppel, VP for Programming (AuD)

Communication Between Audiologist, Patient & Their Family Members During Initial Audiology Consultation Sessions (Seminar, 1894)

“As a future audiologist, I’m interested in better understanding my patients’ (and their families’) goals. This seminar will help me learn how to build a strong rapport during initial consultations that will hopefully last a patient’s lifetime.” – Kevin Kock, VP for Finance

Speech-Language Pathology Sessions

Writing After Traumatic Brain Injury: Impact of Injury & Recommendations for Assessment and Treatment (Seminar, 2027)

“Writing is a crucial part of everyone’s life. I’m interested to see how various forms of TBI impact the brain and an individual’s ability to write, and excited to learn the proper tactics to assist my future clients improve their writing skills.” – Jennifer Blake, Northeastern Regional Councilor

Documenting Language Therapy Progress in School Settings (Seminar, 1443)

“Have you ever been tasked with collecting a language sample, but wasn’t sure where to start? I’ve been there! I’m looking forward to learning how to use both hand-tallied and computerized approaches, like SALT software, to help document language therapy.” – Teigan Beck, President

We Speak AAC: Interprofessional Practice for Effective AAC Treatment (Seminar, 1111)

“AAC is only effective if a team of professionals and caregivers work together to ensure a client receives the best instruction on the intricacies of his or her device and ensures opportunities to practice. I’m excited for this seminar to shed more light into a collaborative AAC intervention approach.” – Mariah Benz, Central Regional Councilor

The Extenders: Innovative Service-Delivery Options to Improve Outcomes of Individuals with Autism Across the Lifespan (Seminar, 1007)

“Our clients deserve lifelong success in whatever goals they have. Individuals of all ability can succeed if they’re provided with the right tools. I’m attending this session to increase the tools in my toolbox, so I can better serve my clients.” – Charlotte Miller, VP for Planning

Evolutionary Practice: Dynamic Assessment & Treatment of Pediatric Feeding & Swallowing Disorders (Seminar, 2021)

“I’m highly interested in working with pediatric patients who have feeding and swallowing disorders. My grad program hasn’t covered this topic yet, and I’m dying to learn more, so I can prepare for my pediatric clinical rotation.” – Chelsea Woodard, VP for Academic Affairs

These are only a few of the thousands of sessions Convention 2018 has to offer! To find the ones you’ll be most interested in, check out ASHA’s Program Planner where you can search by session topics, author, or format. What sessions are you most excited to attend this year??