ASHA Statement on School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas
May 25, 2022
ASHA extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of gun violence that took the lives of 19 children and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. ASHA has contacted our colleagues at the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is committed to working with them, to help those who have and continue to suffer from the shooting.
It is an unconscionable societal failure that innocent children, and the staff we entrust with helping them learn and grow, continue to find themselves in harm’s way instead of a safe environment.
With half its membership based in schools and everyone being vulnerable to gun violence, ASHA is steadfast in ensuring safe and secure learning and working environments for all students, educators, and CSD professionals. Consistent with the 2018 Position Statement on Gun Violence and School Safety, ASHA supports a collaborative and allied stakeholder-driven process to identify initiatives designed to manage access to guns and promote public safety. ASHA also champions appropriately resourcing schools, so every student has access to the social, emotional, and communicative supports they need to succeed.
Going forward, ASHA will continue to advocate for safe and appropriate work settings, as a contribution to help end terrible events like what occurred in Uvalde this week.
How to Help the Victims
NPR has provided a list of organizations and ways to help.
ASHA provides the following resources to its members:
ASHA Resources
- Speech Community Rallies Around a Sandy Hook SLP
- ASHA Voices: In the Schools, an SLP Responds to Trauma
- Connecting Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists With Mental Health Resources
- Helping Students Cope With Loss and Grief
- Working Through Grief: Two SLPs Share Their Stories
- Insights Into Connecting With Students Experiencing Trauma
- Strategies for Working With Students Who've Experienced Trauma
External Resources
- Responding to a crisis (ucla.edu)
- Comprehensive School Safety (nasponline.org)
- Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide - PTSD: National Center for PTSD (va.gov)
- BIPOC Mental Health | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
- Take Care of Your Emotional Health (for your clients and the public) (counseling.org)
