About Special Interest Group 1, Language Learning and Education

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Special Interest Group on Language Learning and Education to support children and adults with developmental language disorders and their families by:

providing clinicians and researchers with resources and education related to language development and disorders;
promoting excellence in evidence-based clinical practice with children and adults with developmental language disorders and their families;
promoting the development and dissemination of basic and applied research in language development and disorders;
advocating for professionals specializing in child language clinical practice and research.

Topics

Focus Area 1: Issues that Relate to Children and Adults Across the Age Ranges

Assessment and intervention for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, Down syndrome, attention deficit, Fragile X syndrome, specific language impairment, early communication delays, developmental disabilities, English language learners, and phonological disorders
Research related to children and adults with language and phonological disorders
Cultural and linguistic diversity in language learning and effects on literacy learning
Policy and service delivery issues related to language learning and education
Collaboration and inter-professional education

Focus Area 2: Birth-to-Five Years Old

Early language learning and phonological development
Methods for identifying children at risk for language disorders
Early communicative development and emergent literacy
Eligibility and dismissal criteria for preschool children across service settings
Policy and service delivery issues for young children with developmental delays or atypical language learning

Focus Area 3: School-Age Children, Adolescents, and Adults

Literacy, learning strategies, and school success
Roles and responsibilities of SLPs in language and literacy learning
Support for transitioning into adult roles

Affiliate Benefits and SIG Programs

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups is the online peer-reviewed scholarly review journal of the SIGs. SIG 1 offers new self-study CE activities through Perspectives each year.

Continuing Education

Earn ASHA continuing education units (CEUs) through

Self-study of Perspectives and pay the lowest processing fee to take the learning assessments
SIG sponsored Master Classes and one-hour sessions at the annual ASHA Convention

Networking

SIG 1 Affiliates have access to exclusive discussion forums/groups, which provide the opporunity to interact with other SIG Affiliates who share interest in language learning and education. Use ASHA's Member Directory to search for individuals by SIG affiliation. In addition, SIG 1 Affiliates can meet in person and online at an ASHA and SIG 1 sponsored events; typically each SIG hosts an Affiliates meeting at Convention and sponsors a virtual open house.

Representation Within ASHA

The SIG 1 Coordinator represents the Language Learning and Education Special Interest Group within the ASHA Board of Special Interest Group Coordinators.
The Coordinating Committee responds to ASHA requests for input regarding policy, guidelines, committees, and other issues.
Affiliates have the opportunity to provide input to the SIG leadership and ASHA.

Additional Resources

Specialty Certification in Child Language

For information on specialty recognition in child language, visit our Clinical Specialty Certification webpage.

Coordinating Committee Members

2024–2026 Coordinator: Adele S Raade, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
2024–2025 Associate Coordinator: Lauren R Hastings, Hear to Speak, LLC
2022–2024 Editor: Stacey L. Pavelko, Binghamton University
2024–2026 Professional Development Manager: Karolyn L Mirasola, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
2024–2026 Member-at-Large: Elizabeth Ann Buck, National Therapy Center
2024–2026 Member-at-Large: Caroline A Larson, University of Connecticut
Ex Officio: Stacey Ellison Glasgow, Associate Director, School Services in Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA