ASHA's Web Site: http://www.asha.org

by Judith Maginnis Kuster - Minnesota State University, Mankato (kuster@mnsu.edu).

In March 1996, the following was posted to several relevant discussion forums: "As you may have heard, ASHA is busy developing a homepage for the association. What do you think should be included on the ASHA home page?" That brief post generated many ideas, most now fully incorporated into what I consider one of the most helpful and impressive association web sites. This column samples what ASHA has put online. There is much more than space allows me to highlight, and the ASHA website (http://www.asha.org) continues to grow. If you haven't explored it in depth, I invite you to do that now. You will be impressed!

For Students

• Information about careers in audiology, speech-language pathology or speech, language, and hearing science is provided.
• An Online Guide to Graduate Programs includes information about each program's location, size, faculty, and admission requirements as well as links to department home pages.
• The Membership and Certification Handbooks for both Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology as well as forms are online

• The ASHA Membership Directory is available by entering your membership number in the Members-only section
• American Journal of Audiology is online free for a trial period starting with Volume 1, November 1991. To read full text articles free Adobe Acrobat software must be installed on your computer.
• Membership, Certification, and Licensure provides a link to the State Legislatures, state association contacts, licensure boards, and an overview of the licensure characteristics of each state.
• Table of Contents and abstracts for other ASHA scholarly journals are on the homepage.
• The ASHA magazine's Table of Contents and article exerpts, Ethics Roundtable and all of Kuster's Internet columns are online.
• The Technology 2000 task force tutorial addresses new uses of technology in clinical practice.
• Through ASHA's Gateway to Action members are able contact their congress persons simply by supplying a zip code. Committee hearings and status of key bills of interest to ASHA members are posted. Also available is sign up information for mailing lists designed to alert ASHA members about key legislative issues. "Capitol Hill Basics," describes how to get active in the legislative process.
• Jobs available at the ASHA national office as well as the ASHA Leader classified ads, which are updated twice/month are linked.
• Information on how to participate in the eight Members-only discussion forums and the Audiology Listserv, asha-aud-forum, is available in the Member's Only section.
• Next fall be sure to use the Convention Program Online for finding convention sessions and exhibitors, and to create a personal convention schedule. The ASHA web page also allows you to submit proposals when the Call for Papers becomes available and to register for the convention.
• Grant availability and information on how to join the ASHA Research mailing list can be found on the Science and Research page.
• Current professional issues such as treatment outcomes, slp assistants, specialty recognition, the AuD, managed care, prevention, marketing our services, special interest divisions, multicultural affairs, and Professional Service Board standards are online

• The texts of many informative ASHA brochures are available.
• Links for finding certified professionals and summer therapy camp programs lead consumers to appropriate services.
• Addresses, phone numbers and links to home pages for self-help organizations provide consumers we serve additional resources.

As on online bonus, and not appearing in the print article, the following "quiz" features additional information. There is much more on the ASHA home page than is surveyed above. The ASHA search engine may be able to help you find specific material, including answers to questions like these:

1. Who was the first woman to receive the Honors of the Association?
2. Does Louisiana Speech-Language Hearing Association have a state homepage?
3. How does one qualify for life membership in ASHA?
4. Who are my legislative counselors?
5. Whom do I contact about a suspected ethical violation?
6. Where can I find information about continuing education?
7. How can I find the web site for a commercial product?
8. Where can I get public service announcements about communication disorders for my local radio station or posters and brochures to help market my services?
9. What are the Medicare salary equivalency rates?
10. What is available from FAX-on-demand?

1. Sara Stinchfield Hawk, in 1953 http://www.asha.org/professionals/association/honors.htm.
2. yes - http://www.softdisk.com/comp/lsha/
3. Dues FAQ provides the answer
4. http://www.asha.org/professionals/association/ legislative_council.htm
5. ethics@asha.org - http://www.asha.org/directory_list.htm
6. http://www.asha.org/professionals/continuing_ed/ continuing_ed.htm
7. http://www.asha.org/professionals/buyers_guide/buyers_guide.htm
8. http://www.asha.org/professionals/marketing/bhs_psa.htm and http://www.asha.org/professionals/asha_store/consumer.htm
9. http://www.asha.org/professionals/governmental%5Faffairs/salary%5Fequiv.htm
10. http://www.asha.org/professionals/library/fax_on_demand.htm