Social Determinants of Health
People with communication disorders have worse health and health outcomes than those of people without communication disorders—social determinants of health (SDOH) are primary contributors to these disparities. Audiologists, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and communication sciences and disorders (CSD) clinicians may screen for SDOH, make referrals and connect clients to resources, engage in interprofessional practice, and apply SDOH information to practice.
ASHA's SDOH resources contain (a) information about SDOH and the protective factors, risks, and unmet needs that result from them; (b) the clinician's role in addressing SDOH factors at an individual level; (c) tools and resources like screeners and ways to access community resources; and (d) ways to learn more including interactive scenarios that guide the user through identifying relevant SDOH and factors and responding in a way that enables them to explore their own local resources and networks.
Contact Brooke Hatfield at healthservices@asha.org.
This initiative was updated on Jan 14, 2026.