Quality is not a four letter word...

There are causes for both celebration and reflection when viewing the results of the 1989 Omnibus Survey. In ASHA member and consumer satisfaction and quality of service, survey results are positive. Most ASHA members think that the Association is doing a good job and members are asking for client's opinions on the quality of services received. Most clients are also receiving all services deemed necessary by speech-language-hearing professionals. ASHA members also appear to be adapting to technological advances, suggested by the substantial increase reported in computer use at work. With the clinical service populations changing to include greater numbers of infants/toddlers and multilingual/multicultural individuals, speech-language pathologists and audiologists need the skills to serve these groups. That only 10% of our professionals can provide services bilingually and that half of our professionals report no professional education in some areas of practice with multilingual/multicultural groups highlights an area needing our attention. Nearly half our professionals report that they do not feel qualified to serve preschoolers and their families in one or more ways. So, we see that there are challenges ahead; we can rise to meet them; and simultaneously, we can be proud of the quality we maintain.