In This Issue...

1. President's Message
2. Student Fellow Spotlight: Emily Goldberg
3. VHA Pittsburgh Achieves ANCDS BRE Accreditation Status
4. Committee Updates
5. 2025 ASHA Awards Recipients
6. ASHA Announcements
7. Aphasia Access Announcements
8. National Aphasia Association
9. Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar Award
10. Upcoming Meetings and Conferences
11. Member Accomplishments

ANCDS Board/Officers 

Melissa Duff, Ph.D.
President

Catherine Off, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
President-Elect

Lauren Bislick, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CBIS
Secretary

Neila Donovan, Ph.D., CCC‐SLP
Treasurer

Heather Clark, Ph.D., BC-ANCDS
Immediate Past President

Stephanie Grasso, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Executive Board Member

Jamila Minga, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Executive Board Member

Adele Raade, Ph.D., BC-ANCDS
Executive Board Member

Ramani Voleti, M.S., CCC-SLP, BC-ANCDS
Executive Board Member

Mary H. Purdy, Ph.D., BC-ANCDS
ANCDS Archivist 

Audra Yetter, M.S., CCC-SLP, BC-ANCDS
Chair, Board of Clinical Certification

Janet Patterson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Chair, Board of Residency Education

Sheryle Hazard, CAE
Executive Director

ANCDS Board Certification

Why become Board Certified?

- Recognizes your advanced clinical knowledge and skills

- Enhances your confidence in your clinical knowledge and skills

- Enhances consumer and referral source confidence in the care you can provide

- Encourages professional growth through the continuing education required for the maintenance of board certification

- Provides a respected credential to support professional advancement

Click here to learn more about the application and certification process.

Welcome New Members!

Full Members 

Oren Abramowitz, Ph.D.
Erin Bestreich, M.S., CCC-SLP
Katya Bowen, M.S., CCC-SLP, CBIS
Tami Brancamp, Ph.D., M.S.
Erin Kennedy, M.S., CCC-SLP
Malathy Venkatesh, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Clinical Fellow and Student Members

Cassandra Alves
Jessyca Anson
Elise Bossenbroek
Kimberly Dahl
Fatima Eldes
Jessica Gebert, M.S., CF-SLP
Emily Goldberg, M.S., CCC-SLP
Amarah Hindi
Sarah Kazden, B.S.
Delaney Mohesky, MT-BC
Christine Neumayer, M.A., CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Alexandra Otto, B.S.
Allison Shane
Alicia Smalls, MPH, M.A., CCC-SLP, CBIST, CDP, LSVT-C
Olivia Thompson
Milena Trojan
Kyra Turner
Candace van der Stelt, M.S., CCC-SLP
Lanie Winkler, B.S.

Congratulations to the New Board Certified Clinicians!

Busisiwe Tshabalala, BC-ANCDS

On-Demand CE Offerings (Expiring 12/31/25)

A Case Study: Determining Organic Versus Functional Motor Speech Disorder

2024 Annual Scientific Meeting Lecture Recordings

REDI Self-Study Course: Freedom of Discomfort

ANCDS members have access to view past webinar recordings (no longer available for ASHA CEU credits) at your convenience.

ANCDS Podcast

Ep. 23: A Conversation with Julie Liss and Visar Berisha on How AI is Shaping Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology

ANCDS Merch

Show your ANCDS pride at your office, home, and everywhere you go with new ANCDS logo items! From coffee mugs to t-shirts, ANCDS merch makes for great gifts for colleagues, employees, friends, family, and yourself!

Start Shopping!

Contact Us

ANCDS
2345 Rice Street, Suite 220
St. Paul, MN 55113
Online: www.ancds.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-925-5528
Fax: 651-317-8048

Have feedback or suggestions for the newsletter? Contact us here!

President's Message

Dear ANCDS Members,

As I write my final message as President of ANCDS, I find myself reflecting with a great deal of gratitude on this past year. Serving in this role has been one of the true honors of my career, and I’ve been continually inspired by the commitment, talent, and generosity of our community.

The day before our Scientific Meeting, the Executive Board gathered for a retreat built around the theme Building on Strength, Moving Forward with Purpose. It was energizing to step back from the day-to-day and really consider who we are as an organization, and who we want to become. Our conversations were honest, hopeful, and focused on three essential threads:

• Membership: Who are we today, and who do we aspire to be?
• Impact: How can we strengthen continuity and deepen the influence of our work?
• Resources: How do we align our financial decisions with our mission and values?

Out of that retreat came a shared commitment to create a three-year strategic plan that will help guide ANCDS through its next chapter. We agreed to focus on:

• Increasing visibility and accessibility
• Building shared initiatives across committees
• Planning for our 40th Anniversary in 2028, including in-person meetings in 2026 (Indianapolis), 2027 (New Orleans), and 2028 (Denver)

As we take these next steps, I want to extend a genuine invitation to all members: please join this conversation. Your perspectives and ideas matter deeply. The strength of ANCDS has always come from the people who show up, who care about advancing our science and practice, and ultimately, about enhancing the communicative lives of people affected by neurologic disorders. Moving forward with purpose is only possible if we do it together.

We will be forming an ad hoc committee to plan our 40th Anniversary. This milestone presents a unique opportunity to honor the history and individuals who have shaped ANCDS while also imagining the future we want to build together. If you are interested in being part of this effort, or if you have ideas for how we might best recognize our past and celebrate our bright future, please let me know. Your creativity and perspective would be invaluable.

On a personal note, I want to thank the Executive Board, Committee Chairs, and Board Chairs for their extraordinary work this year. I’ve learned so much from each of you, and I am incredibly grateful for your support and dedication.

I look forward to stepping into the role of Past President and to welcoming Cathy Off, our 2026 ANCDS President, into this position. Cathy brings tremendous vision and warmth to this role, and I’m excited to support her however I can.

Thank you for the privilege of serving this remarkable organization. It has meant more to me than I can say.

Warm regards,

Melissa Duff, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
ANCDS President 
[email protected]

Student Fellow Spotlight: Emily Goldberg

Name: Emily Goldberg, M.S., CCC-SLP
Program of Study/Year in Program: Doctoral Student
University: University of Pittsburgh
ANCDS Fellow Mentor: Mili Mathew, Ph.D.
Area(s) of research, teaching, and/or clinical interest: Impact of sleep-dependent consolidation and other memory and learning processes on post-stroke aphasia treatment response

ANCDS: What did you enjoy about the ANCDS student fellow program?

EG: Getting the chance to attend the annual scientific meeting was such a positive experience, which I would not have been able to have if not for the program! The presentations throughout the day were engaging, interesting, and fun. It was lovely to be in a room of other people with shared but unique interests, and to network with those people! I also really enjoyed having quality time with other doctoral trainees from various universities who were fellows as well. Getting to meet peers from different institutions helps widen my professional network, and offers the opportunity to make lasting friendships in the field. Now I get to have one year of ANCDS membership and I really look forward to taking advantage of these resources, such as seminars and service roles on committees!

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VHA Pittsburgh Achieves ANCDS BRE Accreditation Status

The ANCDS Board of Residency Education (BRE) is extremely pleased to announce that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Pittsburgh Post-Graduate Speech Pathology Residency Program has been awarded ANCDS Board of Residency Education accreditation, effective December 1, 2025. Congratulations to the staff and leadership of this exemplary clinical training program on achieving this honor. As part of accreditation the program will submit annual reports to the BRE and apply for reaccreditation in 2029.

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Committee Updates

Development Committee

We would like to acknowledge two sponsors from this year’s scientific meeting:

• Vanderbilt University Medical Center – Gold Sponsor
• SimuCase – Bronze Sponsor

Additionally, changes have been made to the ANCDS website to make the donation page more easily accessible. Support the ANCDS here.

Education and Standards Committee

The committee facilitated two webinars during Q4. They will be made available for on-demand viewing and continuing education credits in early 2026.

• Hearing the Patient's Voice: Cases with Speech Pathology and Palliative Care: Claudia Chao, Kiersten Pope, and Catherine Shonley (October 2025)
• Supporting Older Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Kimberly Schlege (November 2025)

A new podcast episode has been released:

• Ep 23: A Conversation with Julie Liss and Visar Berisha on How AI is Shaping Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology

Communications Committee

ANCDS is seeking member-driven content for social media (Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn)!

Please send ANCDS-member-led or made CEU courses, manuscripts, invited speaker talks or webinars, or shareable resources to [email protected].

2025 ASHA Awards Recipients

Please help us extend a huge congratulations to the ANCDS members who were recently recognized with these special ASHA Awards!

Honors of the Association

Barbara Shadden, Ph.D.
Lyn Turkstra, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Gloriajean Wallace, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BC-ANCDS

Fellowship of the Association

Nadine Martin, Ph.D.
Leanne Togher, Ph.D.
Rene Utianski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BC-ANCDS

Early Career Contributions in Research Award

Gabriela Meade, Ph.D.

 

ASHA Announcements

ASHA Health Care Summit 2026
Save the date! ASHA has partnered with Rady Children’s Health for this year’s event focused on pediatric aerodigestive disorders. Registration opens January 22, 2026 for the event on April 18 in San Diego.

IHPE Workshop Recordings Now Available
Missed the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education? All three sessions from the National Academies’ workshop series—focused on the growing shortage of clinical training sites—are now available to watch. Each session offers practical insights and forward-thinking strategies for health professions education.

New Evidence Maps: Sialorrhea/Drooling & Palliative Care
ASHA has released two new Evidence Maps—one on sialorrhea/drooling and one on palliative and end-of-life care. Each Map provides concise summaries of synthesized research on screening, assessment, and treatment across the lifespan. Explore these and other Evidence Maps to stay grounded in current evidence that supports high-quality clinical care.

NOMS Data Snapshots & Interactive Reports
Fresh NOMS data continues to highlight the value of SLP services. One example: additional cognitive-communication treatment sessions in skilled nursing facilities are associated with greater functional gains. Check out the latest Data Snapshots and dive deeper with Interactive Reports showcasing national outcomes for individuals with neurologic communication disorders. Interested in participating in NOMS? Email [email protected].

Demonstrating Your Value Fact Sheets
Research shows that SLP services have immediate and long-term benefits for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. Explore ASHA’s library of fact sheets to see how speech-language pathology and audiology services enhance care coordination, reduce costs, and improve client outcomes across various populations and settings. Want to suggest a new topic? Contact us at [email protected].

Communication Access Initiative: New Video
This new video from ASHA’s Communication Access initiative highlights effective communication as essential to quality health care and public health. Audiologists and SLPs can use this resource as a starting point to train colleagues, reduce barriers, and advance equitable, person-centered care.

Health Literacy Resource Updates
ASHA has refreshed health literacy resources with expanded guidance on effective communication access. These updates support clinicians and organizations in creating clearer, more inclusive communication practices that improve patient understanding and outcomes.

SIG Program Sunsetting: CE Opportunities Through Dec. 31
SIG 02 affiliates can now access $5 CE activities through December 31—there are 12 offerings ranging from .1 to .55 CEUs. Purchase before year-end and complete them at your convenience (just check the expiration date for each activity). Browse the full list here.

New Neurogenic Communication Disorders Member Community
Beginning in January, all current SIG 02 affiliates will automatically be added to ASHA’s new member community, Neurogenic Communication Disorders. This open community is designed for any ASHA member interested in cognitive-communication disorders, acquired language disorders, motor speech disorders, and clinical practice in neurologic settings. It’s a new space to connect, ask questions, and share insights.

Aphasia Access Announcements

2025 has been a transformative year for Aphasia Access, a member organization committed to equipping professionals and advocates with information and tools to support people with aphasia to maximize life participation.

In May, Aphasia Access hosted its biennial Leadership Summit in Pittsburgh and welcomed its highest attendance to date. Prior to the conference, the Aphasia Access Board of Directors met to review and bolster the organization’s mission and vision and to develop strategic objectives for the coming three years. The updated mission language clarifies the purpose of Aphasia Access in supporting professionals and advocates to provide evidence-informed patient-centered services for people with aphasia at all levels of care and in all settings. Key areas of strategic focus include member engagement, education, and professional collaborations.

Aphasia Access continues to provide practical information and tools for therapeutic implementation of the life-participation approach to aphasia (LPAA) through podcasts, "brag and steal" webinars where members share successful programs and methodology, and actionable, CEU bearing competency training for LPAA.

In November, Aphasia Access again held a breakfast gathering to celebrate the year and acknowledge some of our annual award winners. Katie Strong and Brielle C. Stark were both recognized for their outstanding mentorship when they were named this year’s Sandra O. Glista Mentorship honorees. Katie and Brielle’s work is emblematic of the culture of Aphasia Access and the generous giving of knowledge and support by members to one another in the service of improving the lives of people with aphasia and their loved ones.

National Aphasia Association

The National Aphasia Association (NAA) might be different than the last time you checked it out. Since the addition of Maura Silverman as the NAA Executive Director in September 2023, the NAA has been energetically addressing its mission of aphasia awareness, providing support to people with aphasia and their families, and fostering/supporting research that is important to the lives of people with aphasia. Here are just a few ways the NAA can benefit you as a clinician or as a researcher. Use the NAA to:

Support your clients:

• Check out our NEW website with better navigation, more information, and accessible resources
• Send your clients and their families to the website, or use the content and resources on the website as material for your treatment or group activity
• Attend one of our “Ask the Expert”, targeting different topics that people with aphasia and their families want to know about; all Ask the Expert Webinars are available on a playlist on our YouTube Channel.
• Plan for the Speaking Out conference: A conference specifically for people with aphasia and their families
• In person AND online in October 2026

Raise awareness:

• You and your clients can become Aphasia Ambassadors—we have over 187 people who have applied from 37 states. The NAA provides orientation and support.
• Help the NAA Ambassadors get an Aphasia Awareness Month proclamation in all 50 states for June 2026
• Check out the NAA Marketplace to find great giveaways and gifts

Engage in aphasia-friendly research:

• Apply for one of our annual Research Grants, funding projects that support the NAA’s mission or apply for sponsorship of your upcoming course, event, or project.
• Access aphasia-friendly research article summaries
• Post a research project to recruit participants
• Keep up with the NAA’s Core Impact Set project, funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute

There’s all this and more at: www.aphasia.org!

Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar Award

The application process is now open for the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar Award. The award is open to early career aphasia researchers in the USA and Canada. A $1,000 stipend is awarded to up to four recipients per year. These Awards aim to increase research capacity and promote research that improves quality of life for people living with aphasia.

For more information about the application process, go to: https://aphasiatavistocktrust.org/distinguished-scholar/usa

For the application form, go to: https://aphasiatavistocktrust.org/distinguished-scholar/usa/applications

Upcoming Meetings and Conferences

Aphasia Rehabilitation – Delivering Person-centered Care
May 14–15, 2026
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, 355 East Erie Street, Chicago, IL, 60611
By the end of this course, SLPs will be better prepared to deliver personalized, evidence-based services that support meaningful communication and life engagement for individuals with aphasia.

The 55th Clinical Aphasiology Conference
May 26–29, 2026
Sheraton Hotel at Station Square, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Call for Papers

International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference (IARC)
July 1–3, 2026
Athens, Greece

Dr. Anna Volkmer and Dr. Maya Henry are excited to announce the first ever International Conference on PPA! The hybrid meeting will be held July 16–17, 2026—just after AAIC—in London, UK.  Please see (and help us to distribute) the Call for Papers. Abstract submissions are due 1/15/2026. We hope to see you in London!

Member Accomplishments

Member Publications:

Anderson, J. (2025). Management of Aphasia Secondary to a Brain Tumor Resection and Postoperative Stroke: A Case Report. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 10(5), 1379-1391.

Ginsberg-Jaeckle, M., Babbitt, E. M., Quique, Y. M., Larkin, E., Escárcega, S., & Cherney, L. R. (2025). Promoting collaboration between interpreters and speech-language pathologists: A pilot training to support interpreter agency during aphasia assessments. Translation and Interpreting Studies. The Journal of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association, 20 (1), 78-104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.23095.gin

Boxrud B, Siegle E, Shankman SA, Cherney LR, Ashaie S. (2025). Speech-Language Pathologists' Perspectives on Barriers to Recognizing Depression in People with Aphasia: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Aphasiology. DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2025.2585000.

Lee JB, Azios JH, Fergadiotis G, McMahon MF, & Cherney LR. (2025). Validity and Reliability of the Transactional EXchanges in Texting for Aphasia Rating Scale. J Speech Lang Hear Res. DOI: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00086.

Covington, N. V., Friedman, S., Becker, N., Klukas, C., Vruwink, O. & O’Brien, K. H. (in press). Open notes in brain injury rehabilitation part 1: Contrasting perspectives of patients and providers. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Online ahead of print.

Covington, N. V., Friedman, S., Klukas, C., Becker, N., Vruwink, O. & O’Brien, K. H. (in press). Open notes in brain injury rehabilitation part 2: Patient and provider preferences for artificial intelligence solutions. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Online ahead of print.

Wallace, T. D., Cotner, B., Klyce, D., Walter, A., Hodge, A. T., Gore, R. K., & O’Brien, K. H. (2025). Implementing goal attainment scaling as a person-centered measurement tool to direct care and evaluate outcomes in brain injury rehabilitation settings. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Online ahead of print.

Griffin-Musick, J., Off, C., Scharp, V., Fahey, D., Slovarp, L., & Quindry, J. (2025). Comparing Patient Outcomes in Aphasia Rehabilitation: Intensive Comprehensive, Modified Intensive Comprehensive, and Usual Care Models. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research: JSLHR, 68(8), 4006–4030. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00806

Park, H., Wallace, S. E., Burklow, E., & Ward, E. L. (2025). The feasibility of modified multimodal communication treatment with discourse via telepractice for people with aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_ajslp-24-00424

Sampat, Mahika & Sandberg, Chaleece W. (2025). Game-Based Group Therapy for People With Aphasia: A Feasibility Study. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_PERSP-24-00258

Strong, K. A., Douglas, N. F., Archer, B., Azios, J. H., Simmons-Mackie, N., & Worrall, L. (2025). “He’s in the band, he’s still one of us”: Reflexive thematic analysis of friends who have stuck around after aphasia. Topics in Language Disorders, 45(3), 257-272. https://doi.org/10.1097/TLD.0000000000000365

McMahon, M., Azios, J. H., Archer, B., Douglas, N. F., Strong, K. A., Simmons-Mackie, N., & Worrall, L. (2025). Using digital technology to stay connected with friends after aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_AJSLP-24-00395

Oddo, M., Archer, B. Azios, J., Strong, K., Douglas, N., Simmons-Mackie, N., & Worrall, L. (2025). Navigating new circles: Narrative analysis of three women’s friendship experiences before and after aphasia. Qualitative Research in Communication Differences and Disorders,16(1): 82-109. DOI: 10.3138/qrcdd-2025-0009.