Effective Communication

In the broadest sense, human communication is the act of sharing and exchanging information between people through a variety of ways such as talking, writing, and gesturing. Communication is a marvelous ability; being able to share thoughts and feelings with other people is a wonderful part of human life. Communication allows people to share their lives with one another. Without communication, business and industry would crawl to a halt and society as we know it would not exist. Our ability to communicate through speech and language in the highest evolved function we have –a gift allowing us to cooperate, solve problems, and build and maintain relationships. In many ways, communication is the core of our existence. We are “talking animals.” From our birth cry to our last words, we are born into a world of communication and spend a large part of our lives engaging in it. It occurs on playgrounds, classrooms, dining halls, coffee shops, courtrooms, libraries, and churches. Communication takes place on many levels. For example, we greet people by asking “How’s it going?” and often not expecting an answer. This is a simple act of communication.

Founded in 1925, the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association or ASHA is a nonprofit organization and the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 145,000 members and affiliates who are speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech and hearing scientists. According to the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association website, the organization’s mission 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.” The organization follows a standard code of ethics, publishes original research in its journals, and provides continuing education programs to its members. For more than 80 years, ASHA has encouraged the...