Thomas Helfer Ph.D.
Early in 2004 the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Vice-president (VP) for Research and Technology and the VP for Professional Practices in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) formed the Joint Coordinating Committee on Evidence-based Practice (EBP). Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists selected and invited to serve on the committee represented clinicians, researchers, and teaching faculty in a variety of work settings. All committee members exhibited a career-history addressing an aspect of evidence-based practice. The committee was charged with assessing the issue of EBP in relation to examining the needs and planning development opportunities for ASHA’s 100,000 members. The committee communicated via telephone conference calls and email during early spring to early summer. The committee met face to face and deliberated at the ASHA national office for three days in July. From these meetings and follow-on the committee produced ASHA’s official position statement on EBP. They also wrote a reported that recommended a long term roadmap for guiding ASHA's efforts to support EBP for Audiologists and SLP'S. This presentation summarizes the position statement and the committee's report with respect to the impact on the practice of Military.