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12/17/10

ASHA's 2010 Convention Speaker's Foundation Gives Millions To Abortion Providers

The Susan G. Komen Foundation, the foundation headed by Nancy G. Brinker, ASHA's guest speaker at its convention a few weeks ago, helps to fund Planned Parenthood, the world's largest performer of abortions. That's right: some of your "Race For The Cure" money could be going to an abortion provider. The Susan G. Komen Foundation sends a reported $500,000 a year to abortion providers. This raises the question of how much ASHA paid Brinker (with your membership dues and fees) to speak at its convention and how much of that money went to an organization that provides abortions. You can read all about it by going here.



For many years the Susan G. Komen Foundation has been collecting money to help breast cancer victims. It has also been giving almost $500,000 a year to Planned Parenthood. (Physicians for Life)
The controversy about the Komen foundation's funding of Planned Parenthood has been shadowing the Komen foundation for years. In fact, the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis explicitly condemned The Race for the Cure in 2010, stating:
... the archdiocese does not encourage participation in the race. The archdiocese has directed its parishes and institutions not to organize any group participation in the race, because such participation, although aimed at fighting breast cancer, would lend Church support to all that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure promotes or funds. The most serious problem is that, according to the last data available, some Komen affiliates provide financial support to Planned Parenthood. Link
 The Archdiocese further stated:
...Our hope is that the Komen Foundation will focus all funds on research to find causes and cures for breast cancer and refuse to give financial or other support to any abortion provider or organization that promotes the destruction of human life.
Race for abortion the Cure was condemned by the Catholic Church but it's founder was honored by ASHA at its 2010 convention
Does anyone think that ASHA would hire a convention guest speaker whose foundation sent money to causes and organizations that offended the LGBT community, Hispanics, or African-Americans? Of course not! ASHA kisses their butts does triple backward somersaults through flaming hoops for those groups. When it comes to Christian concerns and sensibilities, however, ASHA suddenly develops a convenient case of Alzheimer's disease, seemingly losing all recall for the meaning of such words and phrases as "diversity," "cultural sensitivity," and "unbiased and non-partisan."
Nice going, ASHA! We already suspected that you despised Christians and other people of faith.
Either that or you spent less time vetting Nancy G. Brinker than you would in choosing a manicurist.

(For more info about Nancy G. Brinker, go here. )

12/6/10

Who Gets ASHA-PAC Money? Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, That's Who

Where your ASHA-PAC contribution goes



The just filed November 30, 2010 ASHA-PAC (ASHA's political action committee) report with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is now available in a PDF download. You can access it by going here, scrolling down to "POST-GENERAL" and clicking on "pdf." The report will download automatically.

Nancy: Now that we've got financial support from ASHA-PAC, Harry and I can get back to work destroying this country.

As usual, Democrats got most of ASHA-PAC's money (64% vs. 36% for Republicans). Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid - two of the most despised politicians in the country (their national approval ratings are 11% and 8%) - both got money from ASHA-PAC. (Here's a complete list of contributions)
If you are considering sending ASHA-PAC a contribution, keep in mind that your contribution will only help to keep socialist progressive reptiles like Pelosi and Reid in power. So - DON'T - DO - IT!

Luckily, people seem to have caught on to ASHA-PAC: donations are significantly down for the second year in a row. Good. Until ASHA-PAC decides to stop sending money to such leftists as Pelosi and Reid, ASHA-PAC should receive as little support from SLPs as possible. Zero support would be ideal.

ASHA-PAC's declining funds



(Thanks to the Center for Responsive Politics for the PAC information and chart)

11/24/10

ASHA's Thanksgiving Gift To Members: A Cranberry Dish Recipe

A speech therapist's place is in the kitchen - cooking up tasty and nutritious goodies for her family!
In an apparent attempt to trivialize our profession even more than it already has, ASHA sent out an email on 11/16/2010 that included a recipe for a Thanksgiving side dish. What's next? Perhaps ASHA's boss has a secret method for removing shower soap scum that she will share with all 140,000 ASHA members via an email blast.
Stay tuned for more housekeeping tips from ASHA!

From ASHA's mailing of 11/16/2010:
"As we think about the holiday to come, here is a new recipe you might want to try.
Cranberry Cherry Relish
1 lb fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
½ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup cranberry juice
finely grated zest of 1 orange

1 cup dried cherries
Pick through the cranberries, rinse, then drain well. Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, cranberry juice, and orange zest in a pan. Place over medium heat; boil slowly until the berries pop open, about 10 minutes. Skim the foam off of the surface with a metal spoon, stir in the cherries, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate.
(Recipe from www.razzledazzlerecipes.com)
We have lots of Fresh Ideas to "relish" at ASHA.org too."

Mmm. Sounds yummy! And it's been tested in ASHA's kitchens, so you know it has to be delicious!

If any of you really believe that ASHA's board members are spending their holidays making cranberry relish from fresh cranberries, my local pharmacy sells an at-home drug testing kit I'd like to try out on you. This is just another example of the patronizing attitude that ASHA's leadership has for the average SLP.

11/18/10

ASHA Convention Lumbers Into Philly

Convention snapshot: SLPs break out into hysterics when ASHA's board tells them that ASHA's sole reason for existing is to promote their professional interests
The annual ASHA convention begins today. It's a good time to repost two convention articles:

1) Misleading ASHA Keynote Speaker Bio Leaves Out Important Details

2) ASHA Convention Giveaway Based On Race/Ethnicity

If you're attending and you see anything that you think would be of interest to this blog's visitors, please forward it to me (including photos). My email is ashawatchmail@gmail.com.
Yes, you can remain anonymous.

10/25/10

ASHA WIKIPEDIA Article Attacked Again!

The Wikipedia article on ASHA was once again censored  edited on October 22, 2010.

You can read the uncensored Wikipedia article entry here.

10/13/10

WIKIPEDIA Article on ASHA Heavily Edited: 95% Deleted

(NOTE: see update at the end of this post)
At 12:58 on September 27, 2010, someone edited the Wikipedia article on ASHA, eliminating 95% of what I had written. You can see how much was eliminated by going to this webpage.
Below is the Wiki article as it appeared before it was altered. Interestingly, the article - heavily edited - now reads exactly as it did before my contributions. In other words, anything in the article that made ASHA look bad was deleted.
I am presently trying to trace the IP address to find out who did this.

American Speech–Language–Hearing Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA) is a professional association for speech–language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists in the United States and internationally. The association has approximately 140,00 members. Male membership in ASHA has been steadily declining, dropping from 8.5% in 1996 to 5.9% in 2009.
The stated mission of the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association is to promote the interests of and provide the highest quality services for professionals in audiology, speech–language pathology, and speech and hearing science, and to advocate for people with communication disabilities. The association's national office is located at Gude Drive and Research Boulevard in Rockville, Maryland. Arlene Pietranton is currently serving as the association's executive director.
ASHA's 2008 tax returns listed total assets of $93,966,900. This included $26,372,809 from membership dues, $4,253,311 from its annual convention, and $2,420,369 from continuing education. ASHA Finances. According to ASHA's 2008 tax returns, the association, which employs 306 individuals, spent $738,239 on travel expenses in 2008. ASHA Travel Expenses
ASHA was founded in 1925 as the American Academy of Speech Correction. It originally consisted of a handful of researchers who had become interested in the subject of speech disorders Early History of ASHA. Growth was slow. By 1936, it had only 90 paid members. Until the early 1940's, there was division and tension in the Academy between those who wanted to keep the organization scholarly and focused on research, and those who wanted to train speech correctionists for the school system. When the arrogant and difficult G. Oscar Russell was replaced by the beloved Wendell Johnson as editor of the organization's journal in 1942, the organization took on a new, more attractive tone. The next three decades were a golden age for the organization as a group of young gifted men became attracted to the new field. Many of these early pioneers (Charles Van Riper, Wendell Johnson, etc.) had been afflicted with speech disorders themselves and were passionate about helping those with similar problems. By combining Russell's earlier emphasis on scholarly research with practical clinical skills they had taught themselves and each other, they were able to develop the first training programs for speech therapists. The vast majority of clinical skills that speech-language pathologists use today to treat articulation and fluency disorders are based on the methods created by these early pioneers. Indeed, there have been few dramatic breakthroughs in the treatment of articulation errors and stuttering since then; progress in treating these speech disorders has largely stalled despite the numerical and financial growth of the organization. One possible reason for the lack of progress in treating stuttering and articulation errors may be that the basic methods developed by these pioneers were effective and efficient to begin with, leaving little room for future advances. Recent attempts to compensate for the lack of significant progress in the field by widening the scope of practice of speech therapists have led to negative or mixed results. As the majority of speech therapists are employed in the school system, the study and treatment of swallowing disorders is irrelevant to most of their practices. Another attempt to extend the field's scope of practice by making speech correctionists/therapists into speech-language-pathologists led to confusion and misunderstanding both in and out of the field as reading and language arts teachers were already addressing problems very similar or identical to the ones that speech-language pathologists were suddenly promoting themselves as qualified to address. The paradoxical result of this was that many school-based speech-language pathologists soon found themselves overwhelmed by large and often unmanageable caseloads as schools assigned students with literacy problems to them, leaving less time for the correction of speech disorders - the reason why speech correctionist training programs were developed decades earlier. It remains to be seen whether future attempts to widen the field's scope of practice into areas traditionally not associated with speech therapists will be successful or merely end up further diluting the identity and distinctiveness of a field whose clear and unique mission in an earlier era led its success.
Controversies
ASHA has come under criticism for, among other things, the high salaries of its executive director and board members, its use of racial/ethnic preferences for a convention gift package giveaway, having a gay policy agenda that raises questions about ASHA's supposed political neutrality and its sensitivity to the moral, ethical, and religious sensibilities of some members, the high cost of membership and maintaining certification, and concerns that it might not be enforcing its own code of ethics ASHA Watch.
Salaries According to 2008 tax returns, ASHA, an organization consisting of only 306 employees, spent $23,832,092 on "salaries, other compensation, employee benefits." In 2008, ASHA's executive director received total compensation of $456,241. Other ASHA executives received total compensations ranging from $187,157 to $395,901.ASHA Salaries
Use Of Racial/Ethnic Preferences On March 30, 2010, an ASHA email announced a convention giveaway which would include a "complimentary ASHA 2010 convention registration," "up to five nights of lodging," and a "meal stipend." The announcement stated that, "All students are eligible to apply; however, preference will be given to students from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds that have historically been underrepresented in the Association." (Italics added) Racial/Ethnic Preferences
Gay Policy Agenda Under the advocacy issues that ASHA lists for monitoring ASHA Policy Agenda, ASHA includes "Support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) Legislation". ENDA is H.R. 2981, S.1584. It's purpose is “to provide a comprehensive Federal prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity." ASHA Gay Policy Agenda ASHA members who object to ENDA on religious, ethical, or cultural grounds may have little knowledge of ASHA's stand on this issue. In the spring and summer of 2010, after consulting with legal experts in the area of religious liberty, bloggers made two requests that ASHA provide an accommodation for ASHA members who have conscientious objections to ASHA's gay policy agenda. On both occasions, ASHA denied this request.
Ethics Controversy In 2010, such well-respected fluency figures as Barry Guitar, Peter Ramig, and Stuttering Foundation of America president Jane Fraser signed a petition on the StutterTalk website urging ASHA to enforce its own code of ethics Stuttertalk. The controversy centered on ASHA and advertisers of speech and language products. Among other things, the StutterTalk site urged ASHA to: "Put ethics and ethical considerations before financial considerations, to Initiate ethical investigations on its own and to fully accept its role in enforcing the Code of Ethics, to Carefully screen and take notice of the actions of donors and companies ASHA does business with, and Take its own Code of Ethics seriously." Leys Geddes, the chair of the British Stammering Association, released the following statement in response to the controversy: "'It is both brave and sad that two SLPs, and ASHA members, must ask for support from the outside world to fight against a refusal by their own professional body to uphold such a straightforward ethical issue." ASHA Ethics Controversy
Controversial Revision Not Mentioned On March 1, 2010, ASHA's latest revision of its code of ethics went into effect. Its revision included transsexuals and cross-dressers in its ethics code. Not a single word about this controversial revision was mentioned that month in ASHA's official periodical, The ASHA Leader Controversial Revision Not Mentioned. The absence of any mention of this revision in ASHA's official publication that month led to ASHA Watch bloggers questioning 1) ASHA's commitment to transparency, 2) Its accountability to its members, 3) The depth and breadth of ASHA's support (the revision was approved by ASHA's board) for a pro-gay agenda that some members find distracting/irrelevant to the association's mission and/or morally offensive ), 4) The degree to which the goals and priorities of ASHA's board accurately reflect the goals and priorities of the membership, and 5) How many association resources (salaried time, association office equipment, personnel, etc.) had been used to make this revision (possibly making members unknowing and involuntary contributors to a cause they may oppose and object to on conscientious grounds).
In March 2010, in an effort to make ASHA more accountable and transparent to its members, and concerned that ASHA's preoccupation with political correctness and divisive social and cultural issues was distracting it from its mission, an independent watchdog site was created: ASHA Watch.

[edit]
External links
    ▪    Association Web site
ASHA Watch - ASHA Watchdog Site

UPDATE: While I found the IP address of the person who edited the article, I was not able to identify them. I redid the Wiki entry and restored it to my original article.

9/15/10

Flashback To 2009 - ASHA Threw Obama Celebration in ASHA Capitol Hill Office

Our socialist, anti-constitution, Islam-loving, America-bashing, down-on-his-luck president should visit ASHA's office: they'll gladly provide him with free "adult beverages" to go with his smokes.
 Now that polls strongly suggest that Obama's party is set to get a well-deserved thrashing in November, it's a good time to remind SLPs that "non-partisan, unbiased, and apolitical" ASHA took it upon itself to use its Capitol Hill office to throw a "celebration" of Obama's inauguration back in 2009 (complete with "adult" beverages!).
Three guesses about where the money came from.
Let's see, the connection between Obama's inauguration and speech, language, and hearing is - give me a second, I'm thinking. Maybe ASHA threw Obama a party because Obama is apparently deaf to the concerns of voters? It's a long shot, but it's the best I can do.
It's nice to know that ASHA money is being put to such good use, isn't it?
BTW, I filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service over this.
ASHA is absolutely disgusting.

Below is the announcement sent out by ASHA in late 2008 (name of the contact person removed by me).


The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
is honored to invite you to a celebration of the inauguration of

Barack Obama
44th President of the United States of America

ASHA's Capitol Hill Office
(two blocks north of the U.S. Capitol)
444 North Capitol Street, NW - Suite 715
Washington, DC 20001
(click to view map)

January 20, 2009
8:00am-5:00pm

Feel free to bring family and friends, and stop by during the day for coffee, hot cider and chocolate, adult beverages, and snacks...or just to warm up.

Please RSVP to XXXX at XXX@asha.org or 202-624-5951 by Friday, January 16th.
 

9/9/10

9/11: A Warning About Mindless Liberal Multiculturalism


I couldn't let the anniversary of 9/11 go by without posting a few words. Since ASHA loves mindless multiculturalism, this is relevant to the blog.

While liberal self-hating Americans bend over backwards to kowtow to Islam in the name of multiculturalism and diversity; while progressives use the media to try to brainwash us with the lie that Islam is a religion of peace, those who have studied Islam know the truth about this barbaric ideology:

Islam is the greatest threat to Western Civilization since Nazism.

If Islamists have their way in the USA, it will lead to the stoning of adulterers, the physical assault and rape of women who refuse to wear the veil, the takeover of churches and synagogues, the banning of bibles, and the taxing of non-Muslims for the right to practice their faith. This is not paranoid thinking; this is what Islam has done throughout history in countries where it has been able to become the majority religion. It's called Sharia law and Islam teaches that it is the duty of every Muslim to spread it throughout the world.

9/11 taught us all we need to know about Islam: it's violent (anyone want to argue with the statement that Islam is the most violent religion in America? Any takers? I didn't think so), it's fanatical, it hates America (which means it hates you), and it has no use for the freedoms that Americans hold dear. Over 38,000 people have been murdered by Islamists since 9/11 and there is no end in sight. Everywhere that Islam goes, it leaves a murderous chaotic trail, the annihilation of freedom, and the crushing of Christians and Jews. Don't be intimidated by Muslims and their liberal lapdogs who want to silence all criticism of Islam by smearing them with the accusation of Islamophobia; it's not Islamophobia if Islamists are really out to kill people - it's a rational response to the reality of Islam.

Today, let us remember those Americans who were killed by this murderous and fanatical ideology; we must never forget what happened on that terrible day.


And let us be on our guard against a mindless liberalism that is helping those who want to destroy and murder us - all in the name of diversity and multiculturalism. If we need to establish limits on diversity, multiculturalism, and immigration in order to save our great nation, let's get on with it. I'd rather see that than to ever have to watch one more innocent American jump to his death in order to escape being burned alive by the insane mass murdering machine known as Islam.

On 9/11, 3,000 Americans died because of Islam.  Unless America - and liberals, especially - wake up, they may not be the last.

9/6/10

ASHA's "Multicultural" Issues Board Consists Of Twelve Women, One Man Listed On Website As LGBT Caucus Co-Chair

The words "diversity" and "multiculturalism" often mean whatever the people using them want them to mean. Take a look at who makes up ASHA's "multicultural issues board."
Scroll down to the middle of that page link (ironically titled: "ASHA's Diversity Champions"):
Rebecca, Arnell, Marcella, Alina, Ella, Emi, Alison, Janna, Barbara, Yasmeen, Greta, Elizabeth, and Tedd.
Twelve women and one man.
Oh, I almost forgot. The L'GASP website (L'GASP is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender caucus of ASHA) states that the man "is one of the two L'GASP co-chairs."
How's that for diversity? Twelve women and one man who serves as co-chair for ASHA's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender caucus. How's that for being representative of the general population? There's nothing like a diversity committee that lacks diversity.
ASHA brags that it has been celebrating diversity for forty years. Sure, if your bizarre concept of diversity means not counting anyone but women and L'GASP co-chairs. ASHA preaching to the rest of us about diversity and multiculturalism? ASHA as a shining example of diversity and multiculturalism? This is a joke, right? 

Does ASHA really believe its own baloney? Are the residents of ASHA's castle in Rockville this out-of-touch? They need to get out of their hermetically-sealed corporate fish tank and start talking to members before their present loose grip on reality careens into a total psychotic crack-up.
You can't make this stuff up.
Writing this blog is like shooting fish in a barrel - with a grenade launcher. Thank you, ASHA for making my job so easy.

8/30/10

The ASHA MisLeader: Good News And Bad News

(Note: see update below)
There's good news and bad news about The ASHA Misleader:

First, the good news: The last few issues of The Leader have been refreshingly free of its usual politically correct, left-leaning, biased, pro-progressive agenda, partisan drivel. That's right, there were no pro-Obamacare headlines/stories, no spin, no attempts to misuse The Leader as a propaganda tool to shove ASHA's biased agenda down our throats. The last few issues have contained nothing but articles about - you better sit down for this one in case you faint - speech, language, and hearing! 

There, there, ASHA,  I know how very difficult that was for you. Just put your widdle head on my shoulder and cry it all out.. Widdle baby ASHA likes to keep The Leader as its own little toy, doesn't it? But widdle baby ASHA has to learn that The Leader belongs to the membership, that they pay for it, and widdle baby ASHA has to share its toys with everyone. Sorry, baby ASHA, but we don't give a damn what you think about Obamacare, LGBT rights, etc. The only thing we want to see in The Leader are articles about speech, language, and hearing. Whoops! Looks like baby needs her nappy changed!


Now, the bad news:
The letters to the editor feature has vanished. I know from personal experience that the editors of The ASHA MisLeader censor edit letters they don't like. And I've always suspected that some (if not all) of the breathlessly pro-ASHA letters printed in The MisLeader were nothing but plants. But why has the letters to the editor feature been absent in the last few issues? Could it be that the gays vs. Christians battle in The Leader has made the editors reluctant to let members voice their opinions about anything? The gay vs. Christian battle shook ASHA headquarters up. If it leads to silencing all feedback in The Leader, that will say volumes about ASHA. Can't have those pesky members voicing their opinions, now can we? The only ones allowed a voice in ASHA are the elitists who run it, right?


UPDATE: I'm happy to report that the letters have returned to The ASHA Leader. Also, in what is an encouraging sign, one of the letters is a critical one from Jane Fraser, president of The Stuttering Foundation. Let's hope that this isn't just a fluke but a sign of more openness on the part of ASHA.

8/23/10

$3000 Reward For ASHA Information


I am offering up to a $3000 reward, no questions asked, for information about ASHA. I am interested in emails, memos, documents, voicemails, etc., that pertain to any of the issues I've been addressing on this blog. Notice: I have no interest in anything that is obtained illegally, so don't even think about it. I am only interested in emails, memos, documents, voicemails, etc., that you have personally received and can pass on to me. There are at least two ways to safely do this: 1) copy the materials to a flashdrive, load them up on a non-work computer, and then forward it to me via a non-work computer and email address, or 2) Copy them to a flash drive and send me the flash drive by snail mail.
Your anonymity is guaranteed - no questions asked. If you wish, I can arrange for a third party to receive the information from you and to pass along your reward. You don't even have to give me your name - I can arrange payment without knowing your name (remember to delete your name from anything you send me).
The amount of the reward will be based on the value of the material. I will consider granting a higher reward for information that I deem more valuable. Not only will you be up to $3000 richer, but you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you helped to make ASHA more accountable to its members.

8/16/10

ASHA's Latest Power And Money Grab Announced

Is ASHA all about gaining control over your professional life and sucking as much money out of you as possible?

ASHA makes a lot of money. In 2008, ASHA had assets of more than $93 million dollars. (Don't let the "non-profit" label on ASHA fool you. There may not be any profits handed out to stockholders but the people who run ASHA receive salaries many times what school-based SLPs receive). With top ASHA employees getting six figure incomes and ASHA's boss getting paid more than the president of the United States, ASHA needs to keep its cash registers constantly ringing. But ASHA has a problem achieving that goal: its market is saturated. There are very few SLPs left who aren't already members of ASHA. ASHA knows it can't squeeze much more money out of its current members because they're fed up: one more ASHA dues hike and they'll walk. There are few areas left that ASHA can expand its greedy tentacles into. That's why I knew it was only a matter of time before ASHA went after SLP assistants. Well, it's time. In the August 3, 2010 issue of The ASHA LeaderASHA president Tommy Robinson announced that:
"..the time is right to welcome audiology assistants and speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) into ASHA.."
This is like Wal-Mart announcing that the time is right to plant one of their ugly big-box stores in your charming small town and then put all the mom and pop stores there out of business. Tommy Robinson paints ASHA's latest power grab in warm glowing terms, as if ASHA was performing a charitable public service deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize instead of simply cooking up another cash-grabbing scheme. Get a load of the following:
Anticipating change and responding to the needs of our members is at the core of the decision by the Board of Directors to create a new form of affiliation in ASHA for communication sciences and disorders (CSD) support personnel—ASHA associates. 
Yeah, right; this is all about responding to our needs - it has absolutely nothing to do with ASHA's vampire-like need to sink its bloodsucking fangs into the throat of one more fresh virgin.
 If we want to have an impact on the proper use of SLPAs and audiology support staff, we need to get involved on the inside. 
Translation:


If we want to get control over SLPAs and audiology support staff in the future, we'd better start doing that now before these rubes figure out they can get along perfectly well without us!
And here comes ASHA's method of gaining absolute control over SLPAs:
Associates must agree to abide by a professional practice statement that, among other things, requires that they work only under the supervision of an ASHA-certified audiologist or SLP. (Italics added)
It's my opinion that ASHA is laying the groundwork now to ensure that at some future date, no SLPA could find work unless they did so under a SLP who was forking out money for ASHA's quasi-degree (the CCCs). I believe that ASHA is beginning to spin its web now so that eventually everyone who wants to work in the field will have to fork cash over to ASHA for the mere right to work.
No ASHA affiliation? If ASHA has its way, good luck finding someone who will hire you. When your job search comes up empty,you'll cave in and decide its better to send ASHA protection money a check than let your family starve to death. What is amazing about this is the fact that ASHA did absolutely nothing to help you earn your degree and state license. But once you finally get those  - all alone and by the sweat of your brow - ASHA quickly rushes in like a wedding crasher at a reception buffet, grabbing everything it can get its hands on. It is my opinion that ASHA found a way to get a near stranglehold on your employability by propping up its worthless certificates with its marketing. This leads employers to believe that SLPs and SLPAs who haven't been certified by ASHA are somehow less competent and less knowledgeable than those who have. Personally, I've noticed that the more an individual SLP is breathlessly gung-ho about ASHA, the more of an idiot they usually are, and the less effective they are as therapists. 
The announcement continues:
 This affiliation category is focused on helping us maintain our high standards and improve patient care.
High standards? Who does ASHA think it's kidding? To get an idea of how abysmally low ASHA's standards actually are in practice, read a few of the past posts on this blog.
We will be mailing ASHA associate applications to candidates across the country later this year. Prior to that, we will send application information to all ASHA certificate-holders who are interested in knowing more about what's involved with joining ASHA at this level. You may want to recruit associates with whom you work and sign off on an associate's application. (Italics added)
Personally, I would sooner pimp for underage prostitutes than I would for ASHA. 
Watch for more detailed information about the associates' program in future issues of The ASHA Leader.
Don't worry, Tommy; I'll be watching very, very closely. 
We are excited about the potential of this new category of affiliation to help us better work with and manage the use of support personnel in speech-language pathology and audiology and to help ASHA members further grow as supervisors and CSD professionals.  (italics added) Substitute "control" for manage and you get the real purpose of this.
ASHA is not an organization that "sticks its head in the sand" while change is happening around us.
ASHA has had its head stuck in the sand about absolutely everything else happening around it; why should this time be any different? Oh, right! Because this time ASHA can make a hell of a lot of money if it pulls its head out of its ass the sand. 
ASHA is a leader, helping to meet the challenges facing our professions and working with us to build a strong and secure future for the discipline of communication sciences and disorders.
This isn't about leadership: it's about greed and exploitation. Even worse, it's exploitation of the lowest paid members of our profession: SLP assistants - many of whom are struggling single working moms. You want to see some real leadership? Talk to the people at StutterTalkThe British Stammering Association, The Stuttering Foundation of America, Barry Guitar, Peter Ramig, or even me: we've raised the issues that ASHA doesn't have the integrity or guts to address. We're practicing leadership, not ASHA. If ASHA's fat-cat elitist bosses really cared about the profession, they'd be addressing the real issues plaguing it instead of concocting one more way to take away the hard-earned money of therapists and assistants.

8/9/10

Men In ASHA: Going...Going...GONE!



Flash forward to the Year 2025: The last six remaining men in ASHA get together for a working lunch at ASHA's headquarters. Top of the agenda: a brainstorming session on how to attract men back into the profession.

While ASHA frets that a handful of deranged cross-dressers and transsexuals may not be getting enough Oprah-style love and affirmation from sane and normal ASHA members, it has a much, much bigger problem on its hands: men (non-cross-dressing, non-transsexual, non-castrated men that is) are bolting from the speech and hearing professions faster than a Hollywood starlet from a party that has run out of cocaine. Most men are understandably choosing to enter more masculine work environments where they won't have to pretend they aren't creeped out by cross-dressers and transsexuals.

Here are the yearly figures for the overall proportion of male ASHA members:
1996  8.5%
1997  8.3%
1998  8.0%
1999  7.7%
2000  7.5%
2001  7.2%
2003  6.7%
2005  6.3%
2007  6.1%
2008  5.9%
2009  5.9% (Figures were about the same as 2008, most likely due to the severe recession which prevented career mobility. Look for another 0.2 - 0.4% decrease when the economy picks up (i.e., when Obama and his socialist thugs finally leave the White House).

Did anyone's ears pop while their eyes were going down that list of declining numbers? I know mine did. Next time, I'll chew some gum.

Just try not to break out into laughter the next time you hear delusional ASHA blathering on about diversity. One of ASHA's slogans is:

Celebrating 40 years of diversity.

Based on ASHA's recent shenanigans, I think ASHA's slogan should be:

Celebrating 40 years of alienating men, caucasians, Christians, conservatives, Republicans, non-lesbian women, working moms, and absolutely anyone else who doesn't agree with our far-left progressive agenda! 

And what's ASHA's response to this crisis of vanishing men?





Cue the crickets.  -Chirp-





Like a weird rash/yeast infection picked up at a private LGBT party during ASHA convention week, this problem isn't going away anytime soon.
Go ahead, ASHA, keep pandering to the most extreme and bizarre fringe elements of society while you totally ignore half of the mainstream population (men). Pander, pander, pander. Grovel, grovel, grovel.