ASHA Meets With Secretary McMahon on IDEA, Federal Protections, and Workforce Issues

February 12, 2026

At the request of the U.S. Department of Education, ASHA met with U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to provide input on the Department's efforts to "return greater authority to states" while ensuring continued enforcement of laws protecting students and individuals with disabilities.

During the meeting, ASHA emphasized the medical and clinical foundations of the audiology and speech-language pathology professions and the critical role audiologists and speech-language pathologists play across school and health care settings.

ASHA underscored the importance of maintaining strong federal safeguards under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Key priorities included:

• Preserving individualized decision-making within the Individualized Education Plan and 504 processes;
• Reducing unnecessary administrative burdens that limit direct services to students; and
• Ensuring federal guidance supports evidence-based practice and the full range of accessibility needs, including acoustic accessibility for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

We went on to emphasize that audiologists and speech-language pathologists are highly trained professionals who play a critical role in ensuring students can fully access and benefit from their education.

The discussion reinforced priorities outlined in ASHA's 2025 comment letter to the Department [PDF] regarding proposed priorities and continued enforcement of protections for students with disabilities.

We appreciate Secretary McMahon's engagement, and we look forward to continued collaboration.

Questions?

Contact Bill Knudsen, ASHA's director of education policy, at [email protected].