Local speech language pathologist receives ASHA Innovator recognition
Shirley Sigmund at the 2023 ASHA Convention in Boston. The theme was “Igniting Innovation”.
74 professionals around the country named as innovators
– Shirley Sigmund, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) based at Atascadero State Hospital, recently received recognition as an American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Innovator. Sigmund represents the West region and joins 73 other recipients as 2023 ASHA Innovators.
“The ASHA Innovator is a social media feature designed to recognize and spotlight the challenging and demanding work performed throughout the country by talented and innovative communications sciences and disorders (CSD) practitioners,” according to the ASHA website.
Through Sigmund’s work at the Atascadero State Hospital, she assists patients presenting with dysphagia, a condition where there is difficulty with swallowing. She is the only speech-language pathologist for the population of around 1,100 patients and has spent nine years in this position.
“Through reading the literature and being a keen observer, I realized that many of my patients’ new-onset dysphagia were side effects from high doses of antipsychotic medications. Some of the psychiatrists were open to hearing my thoughts and made changes in patients’ medications which resulted in a significant improvement or resolution of dysphagia. I have presented poster sessions on medication-induced dysphagia, and my handouts are currently used in new employee orientation, so every newly hired physician is made aware of the potential of medication-induced dysphagia,” Sigmund said.
Sigmund with 2020 ASHA President Theresa Rodgers and 2021 ASHA President Dr. Lynn Williams.
Sigmund is entering her 34th year in this career; she is licensed in California and is ASHA certified. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in communicative disorders and a master’s degree in communicative disorders from CSU Fullerton, she completed several career requirements. Her state license included a one year mentorship and work hours requirement, while the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)-SLP included a minimum of 350 hours of clinical experience and a 36 week clinical fellowship, passing a national exam, abiding by the ASHA Code of Ethics, and completing 30 hours of professional development every 3 years.
Sigmund has also worked in outpatient care, with acutely ill inpatients who were hospitalized, in a skilled nursing facility, public school, private practice, home health, and on accent modification.
In May 2023, she was named as the 2023 CSU Fullerton Alumni of the Year for Communication Sciences and Disorders.
“I learned about the ASHA Innovator nomination on the ASHA website…I submitted an application and then didn’t really think much about it. After all, there are approximately 225,000 ASHA members, so I didn’t think I would be selected for the recognition…I think what led me to receive this recognition is the fact that there are just a handful of SLPs working in forensic speech pathology [and] in the criminal justice system and our role in this setting is unique,” Sigmund said, whose former professor and 2021 ASHA president Dr. Lynn Williams informed her of the recognition after seeing it on LinkedIn.
Sigmund accepting her 2023 Alumni of the Year award at CSU Fullerton with her mother, Wendy Woo, and husband, Stephen Sigmund, M.D. FACP.
ASHA is a national organization that brings together speech language pathologists, scientists focused on speech, language, and hearing, audiologists, and more. It was founded in 1925 and began certification for speech language pathologists and audiologists in 1952. It also holds annual conventions around the country, such as the 2023 ASHA Convention located in Boston. The ASHA Innovators was an initiative by 2023 ASHA Board President Robert M. Augustine.
“I am fortunate to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of patients who are among the most vulnerable in our communities and in society. I feel very humbled to have been recognized. I have so many SLP friends who are as innovative and effective in their work with their students and patients,” Sigmund said.
For more information about ASHA and the Innovator recognition, visit their website here.
