Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama

02/16/2026

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made major changes to federal student loans, including eliminating Grad PLUS loans and setting new borrowing caps. Now, the U.S. Department of Education has proposed a new definition of “professional degree” that would exclude audiology and speech-language pathology programs starting in the 2026 academic year.

If this stands, CSD students could lose access to higher loan limits, creating serious barriers to entering our professions and threatening future workforce access.

🗣️ Take action NOW:
✅ Submit a public comment by March 2nd
👉 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/30/2026-01912/reimagining-and-improving-student-education

✉️ Contact your members of Congress through ASHA Take Action:
👉 https://ashaa.quorum.us/campaign/loanlimits119/

Access to education = access to care.
Let’s protect the future of audiology and speech-language pathology. 💬📚🧠

02/06/2026

02/06/2026

📢SHAA Student Advocacy Day📢

Check out our amazing students advocates! CSD undergraduate students, SLP graduate students, faculty from Faulkner & Samford University, and Montgomery Public Schools participated in the SHAA-sponsored Student Advocacy Day at the Alabama State House. Attendees observed a legislative session, toured the State House, and learned about current legislation impacting the profession. The group also met in the ABESPA boardroom, where SHAA lobbyist Jay Murrill provided an overview of the legislative process. Additionally, SHAA Vice President for Governmental Issues, Kandis Chatman, spoke with students about the importance of advocacy in their profession.

01/14/2026

WHO IS READY FOR QUEST FOR THE CUP!!!!!

01/13/2026

The countdown is ON!!! Comment below the session you’re most excited to attend 👇👇

01/09/2026

✨Speaker Shoutouts✨

Our next shoutout for convention 2026 is a group presentation from Kandis Chatman, Jamie Wade, Charlotte Witte, Amy Lamb-Eng, & Yvonne Saxton!!! Their bios are available on SHAA’s website.

Be sure to check out their presentation:

⚪️ Cultivating People, Policies, and Purpose

We can’t wait to see you at SHAA 2026!!

01/09/2026

✨Speaker Shoutouts✨

Our next shoutout for convention 2026 is a group presentation from Jamie Wade, Lane Brown, and Lorren Stacy!!!! Their bios are available on SHAA's website.

Be sure to check out their presentation:

⚪️ Documentation for Insurance Compliance

We can't wait to see you at SHAA 2026!!

01/09/2026

✨Speaker Shoutouts✨

Our next shoutout for convention 2026 is a group presentation from Sarah Sanders and Alyssa Scharf!!!

Sarah Sanders, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a certified speech language pathologist with a professional focus on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), working with individuals who have complex communication needs, AAC use with adults, and assistive technology. For the past 4 years, Sarah has worked at United Ability, a non-profit providing services to connect people of all ages with disabilities to their communities and empowering individuals to live full and meaningful lives. At United Ability, Sarah works at Dr. E's Place, an adult program that provides life enriching activities for individuals with disabilities that encourage community participation and skill level in activities of daily living. Sarah is committed to empowering individuals with diverse communication needs to achieve greater autonomy, social participation, and self advocacy.

Alyssa Scharf, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist with Children's Rehabilitation Service in Huntsville, Alabama. She participates in multi-disciplinary diagnostic clinics for AAC, pediatric feeding, NICU follow-up, and cleft palate. Alyssa began her career at United Ability, where she specialized in AAC for adults. She holds undergraduate degrees in Spanish/TESOL and a Master of Science in speech-language pathology.

Be sure to check out their presentation:

⚪️ Conversations with Life Long AAC Users: A Panel

We can’t wait to see you at SHAA 2026!!

01/08/2026

✨Speaker Shoutouts✨

Our next shoutout for convention 2026 is…. Stephanie Frucci-Bear!!!

Stephanie Frucci-Bear, Ed.S., CCC-SLP, is an education specialist with the Alabama State Department of Education in Special Education Services, focusing on preschool special education, speech-language impairment, English learners with special needs, private schools, and monitoring. She is the special education contact for Regions 4 and 10. Before joining the State Department in 2014, she served as a speech-language pathologist in Alabama and Georgia schools for fifteen years, with the last thirteen primarily in preschool. She has also worked PRN at Baptist East Hospital in Montgomery.

Be sure to check out both of her presentation:

⚪️ Alabama State Department of Education Updates

We can’t wait to see you at SHAA 2026!!

01/08/2026

✨Speaker Shoutouts✨

Our next shoutout for convention 2026 is…. Angelica Gunn-Phipps!!!

Dr. Angelica Gunn-Phipps, SLPD, CCC-SLP, is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the clinic director of the Clarkston campus Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at Georgia State University. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and a Georgia License in Speech-Language Pathology. She has been an invited speaker and poster presenter at the annual ASHA and NBASLH conferences. She has practiced in various settings including private practice, hospitals, home environments, post-acute care and community re-entry. She has experience assessing and treating adolescents, adults and geriatrics with a variety of communication disorders, including but not limited to aphasia, executive functioning, receptive and expressive language, dysarthria, cognitive-communication, dysphagia and traumatic brain Injury. She has held management positions where she provided continuing education courses on communication issues after neurological impairments and socio-emotional issues after neurological impairments.

Be sure to check out both of her presentation:

⚪️ Supporting Cognitive and Executive Function Recovery in Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury: From Evaluation to Discharge

⚪️ Beyond Planners and Lists: Clinical Strategies to Address Executive Function Deficits in Young Adults with ADD/ADHD and Acquired Neurological Disorders

We can’t wait to see you at SHAA 2026!!

01/07/2026

✨Speaker Shoutouts✨

Our next shoutout for convention 2026 is…. Melissa Wikoff!!!

Melissa Wikoff, Au.D., CCC-A, is a board-certified audiologist and founder of Peachtree Hearing in Marietta, Georgia. She earned her Doctor of Audiology degree from Washington University in St. Louis and her Bachelor’s in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Wikoff serves on the Board of Directors for the American Tinnitus Association and the advisory board for the City Springs Theatre Company. She holds the CH-TM certification in tinnitus management and is active in multiple professional audiology associations. Inspired by her grandfathers’ hearing loss after World War II, she is dedicated to providing compassionate, personalized hearing healthcare.

Be sure to check out her presentation:

⚪️ Understanding Tinnitus and Treatment Options

We can’t wait to see you at SHAA 2026!!

01/07/2026

✨Speaker Shoutouts✨

Our next shoutout for convention 2026 is…. Caitlin Sapp !!!

Caitlin Sapp, Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A, is the head of Pediatric Audiology at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, NC and the director of the Early Hearing Loss Lab. She completed her Au.D. training and her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. She has extensive experience in infant hearing assessment and case management and has collaborated with state EHDI departments on quality improvement efforts related to audiology services. Her research interests include examining the factors that improve language and social outcomes for children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, in particular malleable clinician factors like parent counseling.

Be sure to check out both of her presentations:

⚪️ Audibility-based referrals for early hearing technology

⚪️ Financial barriers to early hearing aid fittings

We can’t wait to see you at SHAA 2026!!