American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): Building country capacity for services addressing communication disorders

Improving access to comprehensive, quality speech-language pathology and audiology services in the Americas

PAHO and ASHA work together to strengthen knowledge and build capacity to address communication disorders

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is a professional, scientific, credentialing organization with 228,000 members and affiliates. Based in the United States of America, it represents audiologists, speech-language pathologists, scientists working on speech, language, and hearing; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants, and students.

ASHA has been the leader in these professions for nearly 100 years, initiating the development of national standards for the certification of audiologists and speech-language pathologists in 1952. Through partnership and collaboration, ASHA works to advance science, promote excellence in education and professional practice, establish standards, and advocate for accessible, quality care for everyone. 

Strengthening capacities and data/evidence gathering for speech-language pathology and audiology services in Latin America

In 2013, ASHA and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) began implementing joint activities on communication disorders in the areas of speech, language, swallowing, and hearing. The collaboration initially included El Salvador, Guyana, and Honduras, countries that requested support and technical assistance in speech-language pathology and audiology in order to strengthen their capacities in these areas. Capacity building in these three countries involved an initial needs assessment, curriculum development in universities, and training workshops for service providers.

Since then, ASHA members have worked on a volunteer basis in coordination with PAHO in Belize, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, and Paraguay to develop university curricula in speech-language pathology and audiology, recruit faculties, translate relevant technical materials into Spanish, facilitate books donations, offer training in different disciplines of speech-language pathology and audiology for service providers and parents of children with disabilities, and educate policymakers and the general public.

Since 2014, ASHA has worked with PAHO as a Non-State Actor in Official Relations to strengthen knowledge and help the professionals and institutions that address communication disorders to build capacities in speech, language, swallowing, and hearing. In this capacity, ASHA has supported PAHO Member States in developing joint activities on communication disorders and raising awareness of the gaps between needs and availability of audiology and speech-language pathology services in the Region.

ASHA also strongly supported PAHO by promoting the PAHO Plan of Action on Disabilities and Rehabilitation (2014-2019) and by participating in meetings of the WHO Rehabilitation Initiative 2030: A Call to Action, which aims to improve the integration of rehabilitation in health systems worldwide. ASHA members have also participated in WHO technical working groups on rehabilitation.

The PAHO/ASHA partnership has been key to building skills and capacities to address communication disorders in the areas of speech, language, swallowing, and hearing in the Americas. The partnership has also focused on comparing service delivery models in different world regions, advocating for speech-language professions and raising their profile, developing and disseminating ASHA, PAHO, and WHO tools and resources, and learning methodologies from other countries to treat communication disorders in multilingual and multicultural populations.

ASHA's network of speech-language professionals, as well as its leadership and specialized expertise, make it a strategic partner for PAHO in improving speech, language, and hearing outcomes in the countries of the Region. ASHA's capacity for advocacy and coordination with other partners has helped to establish strategic partnerships with government and non-government institutions at the country level, including academic institutions, to improve access to comprehensive, quality speech-language pathology and audiology services in Latin American countries.

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