(Morgan Hill, CA-November 1, 2005) Dr. Gloria Toliver Weddington professor and chair of the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at San Jose State University will be one of five professionals awarded the Honors of the Association award during the 2005 Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), November 18-20 in San Diego, CA.
The Honors of the Association recognizes distinguished contribution to the field of speech, language, and hearing and is the highest honor the Association can give. Honored individuals have made outstanding contributions to the discipline of communication science and disorders, research, administration, or service to state or national organizations.
Dr. Weddington's passion for issues of equality and access began with her participation in the peace marches of the 60s when she was a student in Baton Rouge, LA. She went on to become the first speech-language pathologist to complete a doctoral dissertation at Ohio State University on the subject of African American English. Throughout her distinguished career Weddington has recruited and educated diverse SLPs in the United States and worldwide and was responsible for expanding speech-language pathology services to remote regions of the world. Since 1992 she has been awarded seven grants for which she was sole author and four co-authored grants that total over $6 million to educate students.
The annual ASHA convention is the most comprehensive development conference for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language and hearing scientists. It features more than 1,500 educational sessions that highlight the latest developments in research and clinical practices for professionals who provide services in schools, hospitals, health care centers, rehabilitation clinics, and other practice settings.
Nearly 300 exhibitors, including hearing aid manufacturers and other companies in the speech and hearing industries, will showcase innovative products and services in the San Diego Convention Center's exhibit hall. Technology presentations on products, such as computer software programs as well as alternative and augmentative communication and assistive listening devices were also featured.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 120,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders.
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