Videos Raise Awareness About Communication Disorders For May, Better Hearing and Speech
Month (BHSM)
(Rockville, MD - May 13, 2009) The winners of the first annual "Make Your Own BHSM Video" contest were announced by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) today. May is Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) is a month dedicated to raising awareness about communication disorders and the professionals who provide treatment.
Mel Paticoff, Julie Rosenthal, and Dani Paticoff won first place for their submission entitled "That's Just the Way We Hear". Ms. Paticoff is the secretary of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) chapter at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri. Runners-up were Susanna Dussling of Houston, TX for "Better Hearing and Speech Month May 2009" and Mikayla LaRosa of Marysville, WA for "Connected." Andrea Davis, Cheryl Suppes, and Torrie Souther, NSSLHA members from Georgia State University's Communication Disorders Program in Atlanta, GA, won honorable mention for "The Ghost of Hearing Past."
The wining videos can be viewed at the BHSM web page (www.asha.org/bhsm/or on the BHSM YouTube group (www.youtube.com/group/BHSM). More than 40 submissions were submitted by individuals from around the country and loaded on to YouTube. The videos covered a variety of topics that focused on raising awareness about communication disorders and promoting treatment that can improve the quality of life for those who experience problems with speaking, understanding, or hearing. The contest encouraged individuals to submit videos which were judged on originality, creativity, and aesthetic appeal.
"In this inaugural year of the contest, we are so pleased with the caliber of submissions which demonstrate incredible creative power and the desire to help those suffering with a communicative disorder," ASHA President Sue T. Hale says. "Today, as we honor the winners of this challenge, we are also making a commitment to using this type of technology to raise awareness about communication disorders," Hale adds.
The video contest was the newest addition to ASHA's annual BHSM campaign activities. To learn more about the contest or ASHA's May is Better Hearing and Speech Month campaign, visit the ASHA Web site.
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 135,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders. www.asha.org/
About Better Hearing and Speech Month
Since 1927, ASHA has used May to raise awareness about communication disorders and the professionals who provide treatment. For more information log on to www.asha.org/bhsm/
