Deborah Ross Swain, EdD, CCC-SLP

Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy

Deborah (Deb) Ross Swain is the founder and clinical director of The Swain Center for Listening, Communicating and Learning located in Santa Rosa, California. Established in 1985, The Swain Center offers assessments and interventions for communication, swallowing, social-behavioral and learning related problems across a life-span though Early Intervention has been the focus of the clinical programs. The Swain Center is a family-centered setting that provides parent training, state-of-the-art programs, community integration and professional training for university interns and clinical fellows.

Prior to establishing her clinic, Dr. Swain was the Chief of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation where she held a clinical faculty appointment to the school of medicine. She was a member of the founding faculty for the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Program on the Santa Rosa Junior College campus through the San Joaquin Delta College.

Dr. Swain has been an active member and volunteer of her state association as well as ASHA. She served as President of the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association and chaired numerous standing committees and task force projects. She created and chaired The Early Intervention Committee, The International Committee and the Leadership Committee. She served as a California delegate to ASHA’s Legislative Council and served on the Speech-Language Pathology Advisory Council. Dr. Swain served as chair of the Government Affairs and Public Policy Board. She recently was the Editor of the SIG 17 Perspectives Journal. She has served on topic committees for numerous ASHA conventions. Dr. Swain has received Fellow and Honors for CSHA and Fellows for ASHA. She currently serves as co-chair for the advocacy subcommittee for Public Policy for the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Swain has published numerous standardized test batteries, books, articles, and texts.

In addition to work and volunteer services, Dr. Swain spends time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She is an avid competitive and endurance swimmer and has been inducted into her high school’s Hall of Fame.