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 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.
It was founded in 1925 as the American Academy of Speech Correction. The current name was adopted in 1978.
The association's national office is located in a section of North Bethesda, Maryland, with a Rockville, Maryland mailing address. The Washington Post announced on April 17, 2006, that the association would break ground that week on a new headquarters near Gude Drive and Research Boulevard in Rockville. Dr. Arlene Pietranton is currently serving as the association's executive director. After adoption of its current name, the association used the acronym ASLHA. The association claims it has the exclusive trademark on its new acronym, ASHA, although as of 2006 the acronym was in use by 12 other commercial and non-commercial entities, including the American Saddlebred Horse Association, the American Social Health Association, and the American Surgical Hospital Association.
