ASHA's Committee on Leadership Cultivation (CLC) will be hosting 2 sessions on developing leadership pathways during the upcoming convention in Boston. One of the sessions is a poster titled ASHA's Leadership Academy, Leadership Community, and Leadership Mentoring Programs. Members of the CLC will be on hand to address questions and network members to the leadership community.

The second opportunity is a one-hour seminar titled Leadership 101: Learn from Experience Leaders How to Overcome Barriers and Pursue Leadership Opportunities scheduled from 1:30 to 2:30 Thursday, November 15. During this seminar key ASHA leaders will discuss their leadership pathways and provide navigational strategies for persisting and overcoming barriers to achieving leadership goals. The presenters will include Davetrina Gadson, an early career ASHA leader, ASHA's current Past President, Gail Richard and three former ASHA Presidents, Paul Rao, Jaynee Handelsman, and Kate Gottfred.

Each week in September look for new perspectives from ASHA leaders who will share their insights on leadership. To launch the September discussion sessions, I have invited Past President Gail Richard to share her leadership expertise. Her guidance will be a terrific way to launch the September discussions that contribute to the leadership community.

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Robert Augustine
Washington, DC
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One aspect of leadership is seeing opportunities and persevering in an objective until the initiative has been realized. One example occurred at the university where I have been on faculty. As the increased incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), particularly high functioning ASD and Asperger, began matriculating into college, our university clinic was being overwhelmed with requests for services. Very intelligent students were failing and dropping out due to deficits in executive functions. I decided to organize a program for college students who had autism but needed some support services to effectively transition to independent living. Our state was in a financial crisis with no state budget for two years, so obviously there were not funds for new program initiatives. But many of the entities necessary already existed on campus. The challenge was to utilize their services in a more coordinated, focused way. We worked with Housing, Office of Student Disabilities, Advisement, and the Library to provide Students with Autism Transitional Education Program (STEP).  

Using the initials of ASD, the three prongs of the program were academic, social, and daily living. I asked for volunteer mentors from the Communication Disorders Department to pair with each student. The student mentors monitored daily Study Tables for the students to assist with academic progress and focus through the week, similar to what occurs  for student-athletes at most universities. Study tables were housed in the university library, so we utilized existing facilities. Mentors also met weekly for one-on-one social activities with their student, such as eating lunch, going to a concert, or finding a club on campus with shared interests. They also assisted with challenges of daily living away from home, e.g., how to do laundry on campus, where to refill medications, get their hair cut, replenish toiletries, etc. 

We charged a fee for the program that supported the stipend for an additional graduate assistant, who met with each student to monitor executive functioning skills for academic organization. An academic planner tracked each assignment, project, quiz on a weekly basis to keep on top of assignments. We held a support group meeting each week to address social skills and how to understand and advocate for themselves on campus. Topics included dating, alcohol awareness, managing time, study skills, understanding their disability, etc. The graduate assistant kept in touch with professors and parents to address any problems immediately and resolve them before they escalated. 

The result has been amazing. The program is listed among the top programs in the country. Three students have graduated and all have maintained strong academic eligibility at the university, with 13 of the 16 student with gpa above 3.0, including 2 with perfect 4.0. The program has allowed students who are intellectually gifted to navigate the challenges of transitioning to college living and reach their career goals. 

By assuming a leadership role in developing this new program with primarily existing resources, the university has seen the benefit and is now committed to expanding and supporting the program. Leadership is sometimes about quietly putting the pieces together to build something that will yield amazing results if you persevere in your commitment to accomplish fulfillment of the initiative. 

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Gail Richard
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL 61920
gjrichard@eiu.edu
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-01-2018 11:03 AM
From: Robert Augustine
Subject: Leadership Updates

ASHA's Committee on Leadership Cultivation (CLC) will be hosting 2 sessions on developing leadership pathways during the upcoming convention in Boston. One of the sessions is a poster titled ASHA's Leadership Academy, Leadership Community, and Leadership Mentoring Programs. Members of the CLC will be on hand to address questions and network members to the leadership community.

The second opportunity is a one-hour seminar titled Leadership 101: Learn from Experience Leaders How to Overcome Barriers and Pursue Leadership Opportunities scheduled from 1:30 to 2:30 Thursday, November 15. During this seminar key ASHA leaders will discuss their leadership pathways and provide navigational strategies for persisting and overcoming barriers to achieving leadership goals. The presenters will include Davetrina Gadson, an early career ASHA leader, ASHA's current Past President, Gail Richard and three former ASHA Presidents, Paul Rao, Jaynee Handelsman, and Kate Gottfred.

Each week in September look for new perspectives from ASHA leaders who will share their insights on leadership. To launch the September discussion sessions, I have invited Past President Gail Richard to share her leadership expertise. Her guidance will be a terrific way to launch the September discussions that contribute to the leadership community.

------------------------------
Robert Augustine
Washington, DC
------------------------------

Original Message------

One aspect of leadership is seeing opportunities and persevering in an objective until the initiative has been realized. One example occurred at the university where I have been on faculty. As the increased incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), particularly high functioning ASD and Asperger, began matriculating into college, our university clinic was being overwhelmed with requests for services. Very intelligent students were failing and dropping out due to deficits in executive functions. I decided to organize a program for college students who had autism but needed some support services to effectively transition to independent living. Our state was in a financial crisis with no state budget for two years, so obviously there were not funds for new program initiatives. But many of the entities necessary already existed on campus. The challenge was to utilize their services in a more coordinated, focused way. We worked with Housing, Office of Student Disabilities, Advisement, and the Library to provide Students with Autism Transitional Education Program (STEP).  

Using the initials of ASD, the three prongs of the program were academic, social, and daily living. I asked for volunteer mentors from the Communication Disorders Department to pair with each student. The student mentors monitored daily Study Tables for the students to assist with academic progress and focus through the week, similar to what occurs  for student-athletes at most universities. Study tables were housed in the university library, so we utilized existing facilities. Mentors also met weekly for one-on-one social activities with their student, such as eating lunch, going to a concert, or finding a club on campus with shared interests. They also assisted with challenges of daily living away from home, e.g., how to do laundry on campus, where to refill medications, get their hair cut, replenish toiletries, etc. 

We charged a fee for the program that supported the stipend for an additional graduate assistant, who met with each student to monitor executive functioning skills for academic organization. An academic planner tracked each assignment, project, quiz on a weekly basis to keep on top of assignments. We held a support group meeting each week to address social skills and how to understand and advocate for themselves on campus. Topics included dating, alcohol awareness, managing time, study skills, understanding their disability, etc. The graduate assistant kept in touch with professors and parents to address any problems immediately and resolve them before they escalated. 

The result has been amazing. The program is listed among the top programs in the country. Three students have graduated and all have maintained strong academic eligibility at the university, with 13 of the 16 student with gpa above 3.0, including 2 with perfect 4.0. The program has allowed students who are intellectually gifted to navigate the challenges of transitioning to college living and reach their career goals. 

By assuming a leadership role in developing this new program with primarily existing resources, the university has seen the benefit and is now committed to expanding and supporting the program. Leadership is sometimes about quietly putting the pieces together to build something that will yield amazing results if you persevere in your commitment to accomplish fulfillment of the initiative. 

------------------------------
Gail Richard
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL 61920
gjrichard@eiu.edu
------------------------------