The Call for papers is open!

The Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama invites you to submit a proposal to present at the 2026 SHAA Convention. This year, we are excited to introduce our theme—"Cultivate"—a call to grow, nurture, and strengthen the future of speech-language pathology and audiology. Share your expertise and help cultivate knowledge, innovation, and passion in our field!

2025 Call for Papers Schedule

• The Call for Papers for the 2026 SHAA Convention in Birmingham, Alabama opens on Monday April 7, 2025.

• The deadline to submit a proposal is Friday, July 11, 2025, 11:59 p.m.

• Applicants will be notified by Sept 1 if accepted or not. All accepted speakers must fill out Jotform by October 1, 2025.

• Speaker disclosure forms and bios are due by Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 5:00 p.m.

• SHAA Convention is February 18-20, 2026.

If you have any questions about the Call for Papers, please email us at admin@alabamashaa.com.

Submission Guidelines for Call for Papers

Please thoroughly read the submission guidelines and explanations below before you log in and begin the submission process.

We recommend that you draft, edit, and save your proposal in a Word/text document, and then copy and paste the text into the submission system to ensure accuracy in word count, spelling, and grammar. You will want to plan to complete the submission at one time because you will not have access to save the submission and return to it.

Submitter and Speakers

As the person initiating and entering the proposal into the submission system, you are automatically assigned the role of submitter. As the submitter, you will need to provide the following information on behalf of all of the authors.

• Name, Credentials, Email Address, and Bio

Title

Enter the title of your proposal, not to exceed 15 words, using title case. Do not use all caps or unnecessary punctuation, such as quotation marks around the title or a period at the end.

Instructional Level

Indicate whether the instructional level of your proposed presentation is introductory, intermediate, or advanced.

Introductory Level: Instruction at the Introductory Level is generally intended for professionals with novice experience in the content area. Material presented is based on fundamental principles or concepts that are well known and regularly applied. Often this level of training is intended to be a prerequisite to successive, more difficult topics offered at the Intermediate Level. At times, experienced professionals might be advised to take this training for review or in preparation for more advanced-level training. Introductory level can also be used to describe course content related to new or emerging areas of practice. Content at this level may be relevant to Assistants.

Intermediate Level: Instruction at the Intermediate Level assumes some familiarity with the basic literature as well as some experience in professional practice within the area covered and targets more experienced professionals. The pace of the training and difficulty of concepts presented require more advanced knowledge and skills than the Introductory Level. Examples used at this level are often based on recent research and case studies that are complex in nature.

Advanced Level: Instruction at the Advanced Level assumes the participant already has established experience, knowledge, and skill within the area covered. The focus of courses at this level is on comprehension of findings in the current literature, and the synthesis and application of information presented to advance current clinical and research practices. The pace and level of difficulty of material presented is commensurate with the needs of a professional with comprehensive knowledge, ability, and experience in the content area.

Learner Outcome Guidelines

Learning outcomes are an important part of the review process and are mandatory for all proposals. If the proposal is accepted for presentation, they are published in the program. Learning outcomes describe what participants will be able to do after attending the session and must be stated as observable behaviors.

Learning outcomes provide a foundation for developing the course's format, content, and assessment tool. They also inform the participant what they are expected to do as a result of the learning event and assist potential participants in determining if the course is appropriate for their level of knowledge and skills. Presenters should reference "Keys to writing and using learning outcomes" when developing their learner outcomes. Additionally, presenters should utilize the action verbs detailed in the Learner Outcome Guidelines when structuring and writing learner outcomes.

All Learner Outcomes should follow this format: "Participants will be able to ....."

Learning outcomes that indicate that an attendee will learn, understand, or know something are not measurable and are not eligible for ASHA CEUs and thus, cannot be accepted for presentation at the SHAA Convention.

Session Description

This brief summary of your proposal, in 120 words or fewer, will be published (if accepted) in the program. Session descriptions are not edited and are published as submitted, so make sure you proofread your work carefully.

Please reference the Presenter Resources and Guidelines prior to submitting.

References

References are required as part of your proposal submission (not to exceed 500 words). The Program Committee will review them as part of the evaluation process. While references will not be published in the program, they may be shared with attendees as part of your required advanced handout.

Time-Ordered Agenda

You are encouraged to include for reviewers a time-ordered agenda in support of your request of desired session format.

Example (for a 1-hour in-person session):

● 5 minutes—Introductions and Disclosures

● 15 minutes—Overview and Background

● 25 minutes—Case Study Small Group Discussion

● 10 minutes—Information Sharing from Small Group Discussions

● 5 minutes—Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Topic Areas

Click the link below to view some examples of topics we are suggesting for our 2026 convention. 

ASHA Practice Portal

Session Format Options

In-Person Options (may also be accepted for virtual offerings)

• 90 minute in person presentation

• 2 hour in person presentation

On-Demand/Virtual Options

• 60 minute presentation virtual only

• 90 minute presentation

• 2 hour presentation

Speaker Agreement and Disclosure Policy

Before submitting your proposal to the Call for Papers, it is extremely important that you read, understand, and agree to follow the principles, guidelines, and procedures outlined in the Presenter Resouces and Guidelines.

Accepted Call for papers speakers will not receive reimbursement for convention registration, travel, hotel, or a honorarium. Call for papers speakers will receive a gift from the Association and have access to our speaker hospitality suite during convention.

**IMPORTANT**: All speakers listed on the proposal are required to complete the disclosure form and submit a bio by Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 11:59 p.m. If ANY speaker does not complete their disclosure, the ENTIRE PROPOSAL will be administratively withdrawn.

By Submitting a Call for Papers proposal, you agree to adhere to the SHAA Code of Ethics in any professional or public capacity. Conduct that violates SHAA's Code of Ethics, or conduct determined to be disparaging or unbecoming to the organization will be subject to withdrawal from speaking at the Convention and termination of membership. This is subject to interpretation by the SHAA leadership team.