By: Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP, Vice President for Professional Services

The Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) forums continue to serve as vital platforms for information-sharing, collaboration, and advocacy across practice settings. Recent forums and committee-led activities reflected the diverse needs of Texas professionals and reinforced the importance of timely, accurate guidance as policies, service delivery models, and workforce demands continue to evolve.

As speech-language pathologists and audiologists, it is paramount that we stay up to date in advancing our knowledge and skills for the sake of those we serve. As the Vice President for Professional Services, I have the good fortune to work with a variety of committees, including the Business Management, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity, Joint TSHA-TCASE Public Advisory Task Force, Medical, Public School, SLP Assistants/SLP Assistants’ Supervisors, and Teletherapy committees.

These committees are made up of hardworking TSHA members who volunteer their time and expertise to organize events, disseminate information, design and share resources, write articles for the Communicologist and other TSHA publications, and ensure that all members have the information they need to successfully treat those with communication disorders within our great state. I marvel at their grit, determination, and drive to serve our TSHA community. If you would like to join in this great work, you will never be sorry that you decided to be an active participant in the professional growth for the professions we have chosen.

As TSHA looks at a myriad of ways to keep our members actively engaged and involved throughout the year rather than just at our yearly Convention, forums are shaping up as a great way to bring members with similar interests together for information-sharing purposes. We learn so much from each other, and this allows us to have continued interaction and learning potential throughout the year. We want to look at some amazing forums already held in 2026 and discuss more forums coming your way, so stay tuned for those amazing opportunities that will be coming later in 2026. We are so excited to bring these forums to our membership! Tell your colleagues about these opportunities in case they may not know.

School‑Based Lead SLP
In our School-Based Lead Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Forum, questions were solicited in advance from professionals working in urban, suburban, rural, and charter school settings to ensure meaningful and relevant discussions. This proactive approach allowed the forum to directly address real-world challenges faced by school-based leaders across the state.

Key discussion topics included:

• Navigating employment transitions when contract SLPs seek direct district hire
• Implementing and sustaining push‑in services within general education classrooms
• Collaborating with teachers and securing administrative support for inclusive service delivery
• Advocating for appropriate staffing allotments
• Accessing and leveraging School Health and Related Services (SHARS) data to support staffing, caseload caps, and advocacy efforts with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
• Hiring considerations when determining the appropriate use of SLPs versus SLP Assistants

Participants valued the practical nature of the discussion and the opportunity to share strategies that are adaptable to varying district contexts.

Public School with TCASE Updates
The Public School Forum provided critical updates from the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE) that directly impact compliance, funding, and service delivery for school-based professionals. Updates included:

• Recent changes to TDLR licensure rules and regulations, including the new continuing education (CE) audit process
• Legislative updates from the Texas legislative session, with a focus on new special education funding under HB 2
• Discussion of the potential impact of new school voucher legislation on public schools
• SHARS updates, including the referral and prescription process and optional retirement program (ORP) enrollment
• Texas Education Agency (TEA) updates to State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicators 6 and 7
• Review of TSHA dysphagia guidelines for school-based SLPs

Forum participants emphasized the importance of having a centralized, reliable source for these updates, particularly as changes continue to influence daily practice and long-term planning.

CLD Committee
The Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CLD) Committee’s “Culturally Responsive and Holistic Assessment: Effective Practices for Bilingual Clients” forum focused on bridging theory and practice for both emerging and experienced clinicians. The committee shared practical, evidence-based methods appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students entering the fields as well as seasoned SLPs seeking to enhance culturally responsive assessment practices.

Highlights included:

• A comprehensive handout featuring practical evaluation tools
• Guidance on effective use of clinical decision‑making tools
• Identification of common assessment pitfalls
• Reminders of ethical and legal considerations in bilingual assessment

Attendees particularly valued the case examples, noting their relevance, clarity, and applicability to clinical practice.

Medical Committee
The Medical Committee Forum tackled the ever-growing concern regarding burnout in the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology, providing a panel of experienced speakers to address burnout and some central contributing factors in medical practice and to provide some practical strategies for them to implement. Participants were able to discuss issues they are currently facing as well as get assistance with some advocacy ideas to add to their toolbags when having discussions with superiors in their current work settings.

The Medical Committee also held a forum for graduate students in the fall during which they shared the many different medical work settings available for new graduates as well as how students should best position themselves for specific job markets. Great strategies were provided to students regarding choosing clinical placements, resume writing, and attending specific training sessions outside their university programs to build those resumes for specific jobs for which they may want to apply.

University Committee
The University Committee Forum centered on strengthening collaboration among Texas university programs and supporting students’ transition into professional practice. Key initiatives included:

• Updating the Texas University Directory to include essential information that supports ongoing interdepartmental collaboration
• Development of a shared resource repository (faculty may request access by emailing ruth.crutchfield@utrgv.edu)
• Review of the University Committee article published in The Communicologist (October 2025, Vol. 52, Issue 5)
• Collaboration with TSHA student representatives on an upcoming resource, Early Professionals Guide: First‑Time Licensure and Your Clinical Fellowship Year by Crutchfield and Richardson
• Recap of two quarterly committee meetings and distribution of a Qualtrics survey to university faculty

Survey results will guide future committee work, with planned topics including interprofessional education (IPE), use of simulations in coursework, generational factors influencing student expectations, and pathways to licensure for non‑resident students.

Additional Forum Coming in 2026
The TSHA SLP Assistants/SLP Assistants’ Supervisors Committee is working on a forum currently that will occur in August 2026, and we cannot wait to see what exciting information they have in store for enhancing collaboration between SLP assistants and their SLP supervisors. So far this year, this committee has worked on adding resources to the website, surveying assistants and supervisors regarding their current needs and areas of desired development, and ways to recognize our many amazing assistants and their supervisors working throughout the state of Texas. This committee has also begun a Q&A section to be included in each Communicologist edition, so please be sure to check that out and share with your colleagues who may not be TSHA members, showing the importance of information provided by TSHA to our membership. We would love to have more SLP assistants and their supervisors become members!

As more forums are scheduled, TSHA will be sending out information via social media and email, so be sure to follow TSHA on social platforms and provide current email addresses in your TSHA profile so you are not missing out.

The Value of TSHA
Across all forums and committee activities, a common theme has emerged: TSHA plays a critical role in connecting members to accurate information, amplifying professional voices, and fostering collaboration across settings. By addressing both immediate concerns and long-term professional issues, TSHA provides a plethora of activities that support informed decision-making, effective advocacy, and continued excellence in service delivery. Our members matter to us. What you need to be an effective practitioner matters to us. As an organization, we are dedicated to assisting you with everything needed to practice at the top of your license as a speech-language pathologist and/or audiologist in Texas.

TSHA remains committed to providing these opportunities for engagement throughout the year and encourages members to participate in future TSHA forums and activities. You are encouraged to share topics that matter most in your professional communities. Please feel free to email me at mountmg@sbcglobal.net for updates, information, or ways you can get involved with the many activities being planned for you through the work of these committees and their incredible volunteers! We look forward to hearing from each of you and seeing you throughout the year as we learn together!