By: Lisa Carver, MS, CCC-SLP, Publications Board Member

The Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) Convention in San Antonio always feels festive, and many of my favorite TSHA Convention memories are from occasions when TSHA convenes in San Antonio. This year’s Convention during the first weekend in May aligned perfectly with Fiesta, and the parades, street festivals, and pop-up markets around every corner made it feel particularly festive in the city! It was so fun to see people wearing their flower crowns at Convention and embracing the fact that there really was a celebration going on just outside the convention halls.

The joy of attending Convention is choosing which sessions to attend, and the programming at this year’s Convention showcased incredible variety in the educational topics, appeared geared toward innovation, and—dare I say it—was entertaining!

There was the lively dancing to “Celebrate the Present, Shaping the Future” with the Keynote speaker, Dr. Kia Noelle Johnson, and, in direct contrast, there was quietly putting on an eye mask to meditate in an auditorium of people while accepting the experience of a healing, restorative sound bath provided by speech-language pathologist Jenna Annas and her presentation on the somatic benefits of meditation, resonance, and healing frequencies. That session offered an incredible way to slow down and reset. I was inspired by the sessions that pushed the boundaries of speech, language, and hearing sciences further toward the future with new technology and tools, particularly by the work that Lauryn Castropresented in the “Future of Communication: AI and Cultural Relevance in Modern AAC Design,” in which she described her work investigating how artificial intelligence can assist clinicians with building cultural competence into augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices by teaching the device about a client’s culture, personality, and relevant details of their lives to improve the AAC choices and display.

Thank you to all the TSHA volunteers who donated their time to an excellent Convention.

I look forward to seeing what TSHA plans for next year in Fort Worth!