What is the Nebraska Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSLHA)?
NSLHA members represent speech-language pathologists, audiologists and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems, including swallowing disorders.
Speech disorders occur when a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with their voice. Language disorders occur when a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language) or sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings completely (expressive language). Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems. Hearing loss is determined by three categories: type of hearing loss; degree of hearing loss; configuration of hearing loss. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders, as well as providing audiologic treatment.
What We Do
The Nebraska Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSLHA) is a state trade association and leading organization in Nebraska for audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and students. NSLHA’s focus includes:
- Promoting services for speech, language hearing, swallowing, and related disorders in Nebraska. This is accomplished through activities including a Better Hearing and Speech Month proclamation ceremony at the state capitol, disseminating press releases, and the use of social media to educate caregivers and family members.
- Encouraging education, service, and research activities within the speech, language, and hearing professions leading to further understanding of the processes of speech, language, and hearing and to the development of improved preventive and remedial services and procedures. This is accomplished through activities including an annual convention in the fall with numerous continuing education sessions on topics for audiologists, speech-language pathologists and students, offering webinars, and promoting participation in research studies conducted by students and faculty that advance speech-language-hearing processes and practices.Promoting the effective exchange of information among members, other persons, and organizations, through association meetings, email updates, the association website and/or other methods approved by the organization membership, and to disseminate such information. NSLHA sends advocacy alerts and other updates to its members and facilitates information exchange via NSLHA Connects (Facebook group) and NSLHA’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
- Serving as an effective liaison between the association and other disciplines.
- Advocating for the rights and interests of persons with communication disorders and promoting the individual and collective professional interests of the members of the association. This is done primarily through state and federal lobbying and advocacy efforts by NSLHA’s lobbying firm and members.
- Promoting the investigation of disorders of human communication.
- Promoting appropriate academic and clinical preparation of individuals entering the discipline of human communication sciences and disorders and promoting the maintenance of current knowledge and skills of those within the discipline.