Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC), formerly known as the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA), is a national organization supporting and representing speech-language pathologists, audiologists and communication health assistants. The association adopted its new name and logo on February 5, 2014. Speech-Language & Audiology Canada is a member-driven organization that supports, promotes and elevates the professions of its more than 6,000 members and associates. Through this support, SAC champions the needs of people with communication disorders.

Structure

SAC’s office is in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. The SAC Board of Directors has between 10-16 Directors who are elected by SAC’s membership. The Board includes a Chair, 1st Vice-Chair, 2nd Vice-Chair, Director-University, Director-Communication Health Assistant and Director-Student.

Publications

SAC publishes the ''

Canadian Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology The ''Canadian Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology'' (''CJSLPA'') / ''Revue canadienne d'orthophonie et d'audiologie'' (''RCOA'') is a peer-reviewed, online journal of clinical practice for audiologists, speech-language pathologist ...

'', an online,

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and d ...

on speech-language pathology and audiology, and ''SAC in Action'', an advocacy newsletter, both of which are accessible by the public. SAC also has a blog,
Communiqué
'' and three other publications (''Student Speak,'' ''This Week in the News'' and a ''PD Bulletin),'' which are available exclusively to the association’s members and associates.

Resources

SAC offers many resources to both its membership and the general public. Members and associates can log into th
Member and Associates area
of SAC’s website to access exclusive resources. Members of the general public can access the following without logging into the site:
SAC’s Find a Professional DirectoryInformation SheetsNews ReleasesPosition papers, annual reports and other official documents

Awareness Campaigns

Speech and Hearing Month

Each May, SAC run
Speech and Hearing Month
a nationwide public awareness campaign that raises awareness about communication disorders and the professionals who can help. In recent years, SAC’s Speech and Hearing Month has highlighted the importance of the early detection and intervention of communication disorders by creating resources and partnering with children’s hospitals across Canada.

Noisy Toys Campaign

SAC has worked hard to raise awareness of the dangerous effects o
noisy toys
It has encouraged the government to conduct further studies on noise related to toy safety and revise current legislation. SAC supports legislation that advocates the reduction of allowable noise decibel level in toys from the current 100 db to 75 db.

Auditory Processing Disorder

On December 13, 2012, the Canadian Interorganizational Steering Group for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CISG), a consortium of professional associations, provincial regulatory bodies and university programs released ''Canadian Guidelines on Auditory Processing Disorder in Children and Adults: Assessment and Intervention''. Th
guidelines
provide a framework for working with individuals with this disorder. As a member of CISG, SAC is confident that these guidelines will shed light on APD and help ensure that this disorder is managed in a consistent way across Canada.

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Campaign

On March 25, 2014, SAC held a press conference to draw attention to the lack of comprehensiv
early hearing detection and intervention
(EHDI) programs across the country. In collaboration with the Canadian Academy of Audiology, Elks and Royal Purple of Canada, the Canadian Paediatric Society and VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children, SAC released
report card
rating the state of EHDI programs throughout Canada. Out of all 13 provinces and territories, only five — British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick — received a passing score and British Columbia was the only province to earn an "excellent" rating.

Provincial Associations

*Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
ACSLPA
* British Columbia Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists
BCASLPA
*Saskatchewan Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
SASLPA
*Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
OSLA
*L'Association québécoise des orthophonistes et des audiologistes
AQOA
*New Brunswick Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
NBASLPA
*The Speech and Hearing Association of Nova Scotia
SHANS
*Prince Edward Island Speech and Hearing Association
PEISHA
*Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
NLASLPA
*Yukon Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Association
YSLPAA
*Association of Northwest Territorial Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (ANTSLPA)

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.sac-oac.ca
Speech and Hearing Month website
Medical and health organizations based in Ontario Speech and language pathology