Community Resources:

Speech-Language Pathology Organizations
  • American Speech-Language Hearing Association: The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is committed to ensuring that all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders receive services to help them communicate effectively.
  • National Association for Hearing and Speech Action (NAHSA): There is the consumer affiliate of ASHA. The site features a national network of audiologists and speech-language pathologists dedicated to meeting the needs of individuals with communication disorders and includes a searchable database of qualified audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
  • New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association: The mission of the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NJSHA) is to serve audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language or hearing scientists by providing resources, information, programs, and services that meet members' needs; promoting public awareness; and advocating for professional standards, legislation, and regulation necessary to provide the highest quality of care for the individuals they serve.
  • Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association: The Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association (PSHA) is a professional organization of speech-language pathologists, audiologists and teachers of the hearing impaired, serving as a liaison between the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its Pennsylvania members and providing information about effective programs and services in communication disorders and other related fields.
Governmental Organizations (State and National)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Parent Information: The CDC has a variety of resources available for parents on infant and toddler (ages 0-3) development. Topics include child development, developmental guidelines, and growth charts. Parent information is also available for children (ages 4 to 11) and teens (ages 12-19).
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): The NICHD was founded to support the world's best minds in investigating human development throughout the entire life process, focusing on understanding developmental disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), and illuminating important events that occur during pregnancy.
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD): The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts and supports research in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.
  • Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH): ODHH is your first stop on the path to learn about anything and everything related to hearing loss, such as services, technology, sign language interpreters, or laws that require equal access for people who are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing.
  • Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation: PATF’s mission is to provide education and financing opportunities for older Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities, helping them to acquire the assistive technology devices and services that improve the quality of their lives.
  • Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN): An initiative of the Bureau of Special Education (BSE), Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), PaTTAN works in partnership with families and local education agencies, to support programs and services to improve student learning and achievement.
Information Clearinghouses
  • Alexander Graham Bell Association: Through advocacy, education, research and financial aid, AG Bell helps to ensure that every child and adult with hearing loss has the opportunity to listen, talk and thrive in mainstream society.
  • ALS Association: The mission of The ALS Association is to lead the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy, while also empowering people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.
  • Alzheimer’s Association: The Alzheimer’s Association works on a global, national and local level to enhance care and support for all those affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
  • Autism Speaks: Autismspeaks.org is a comprehensive site dedicated to raising public awareness about autism and finding a cure for autism through research. They have an autism response team whose members are trained to help connect families with resources, information, and opportunities.
  • Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA): The BIAA exists to advance brain injury prevention, research, treatment, and education and to improve the quality of life for all people affected by brain injury.
  • Caregiver Action Network (CAN): The Caregiver Action Network is the nation’s leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for the than 90 million Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age.
  • Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA): The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association’s mission is to strengthen the support systems in the lives of children with apraxia so that each child is afforded their best opportunity to develop speech and communication.
  • Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD): CHADD is a national organization providing education, advocacy and support for individuals with ADHD. In addition to our informative website, CHADD also publishes a variety of printed materials to keep members and professionals current on research advances, medications and treatments affecting individuals with ADHD.
  • Cochlear Implant Online: Cochlear Implant Online was founded in 2001 by Rachel Chaikof, a cochlear implant user who wanted to create a better awareness of cochlear implants and that deaf children today can learn the language through hearing and speaking.
  • Council for Exceptional Children: CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.
  • Council for Learning Disabilities: CLD is an international organization composed of professionals who represent diverse disciplines, is committed to enhancing the education and quality of life for individuals with learning disabilities across the life span, by promoting and disseminating evidence-based research and practices related to the education of individuals with learning disabilities.
  • Council on Brain Injury: CoBi works in public forums to help state and national agencies better understand brain injury, the needs of individuals with brain injury, and to better meet those needs.
  • Identify the Signs: Funded by the National Association for Hearing and Speech Action) the consumer affiliate of ASHA), Identify the Signs aims to educate the public about the warning signs of communication disorders. View their Communicating With Baby toolkit.
  • International Dyslexia Association: The International Dyslexia Association is an international organization that concerns itself with the complex issues of dyslexia, consisting of a variety of professionals in partnership with dyslexics and their families, promoting effective teaching approaches and related clinical educational intervention strategies for dyslexics.
  • International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC): ISAAC’s goals is to create worldwide awareness about how augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can help individuals without speech.
  • LD OnLine®: LD OnLine is the leading website on learning disabilities, learning disorders and differences, with guidance for parents, teachers and other professionals on attention deficit disorder, ADD / ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, reading difficulties, speech and related disorders.
  • National Aphasia Association: NAA’s mission is to promote public awareness and understanding of aphasia and to provide support to all persons with aphasia and their caregivers.
  • National Association for Down Syndrome (NADS): This is a comprehensive site with resources provided from pre-natal, to infants and toddlers, to children, to teens and adults, including parent support, resource referrals, public awareness, self-advocate program, More Than Down Syndrome Retreats, conferences & seminars, public speakers for schools, medical professionals, and community organizations.
  • National Center for Voice and Speech: The National Center for Voice and Speech conducts research, educates vocologists, disseminates information about voice and speech, and provides referral services in order to help people around the world enjoy healthy and effective vocal communications.
  • National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders (NFOSD): This organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people suffering from all types of swallowing disorders, with the mission to advance the prevention and treatment of swallowing disorders by focusing on direct patient support, education, research and raising public, professional and governmental awareness.
  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society: The Society's mission is to mobilize people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS.
  • National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association: The NSDA is a grassroots organization working to improve the lives of people with spasmodic dysphonia.
  • National Stuttering Association: The NSA provides support, friendship, and information to the stuttering community, instilling the sense of self-worth so often missing in the lives of those who battle this condition.
  • Parkinson’s Disease Foundation: The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) is a leading national presence in Parkinson’s disease research, education and public advocacy.
  • The Stuttering Foundation: Stuttering Foundation of America’s goal is to provide the best and most up-to-date information and help available for the prevention of stuttering in young children and the most effective treatment available for teenagers and adults.
  • National Stroke Association: National Stroke Association provides stroke education and programs to stroke survivors, caregivers, and the healthcare community.
  • Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC): SPOHNC has concentrated on providing current information for oral and head and neck cancer patients who are trying to gain a better understanding of their illness and their lives.
  • Voice Foundation: The Voice Foundation is the world’s oldest and leading organization dedicated to voice research, medicine, science, and education.
  • Understood.org©: A comprehensive website that includes sections devoted to learning and attention issues; school and learning; friends and feelings; you and your family; community events; and your parent toolkit.