The 55th Clinical Aphasiology Conference

Tuesday May 26th – Friday May 29th, 2026
Sheraton Hotel at Station Square, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

The annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference (CAC) provides a forum for clinicians and researchers engaged in the study and clinical management of people with acquired neurologic language disorders to present their recent research and engage in extensive discussions with colleagues. To develop an informal atmosphere conducive to the free exchange of ideas, in-person attendance is limited to approximately 180 people.

We invite you to submit a summary of an original paper, poster, or round table discussion no later than Monday January 26, 2026, at 11:59pm PST.

Click here to review the call for papers.

Click here to access the submission portal

Scope of Content

Aphasia
Apraxia of Speech
Apragmatism & Other Right Hemisphere Communication Disorders
Cognitive-Communication Disorders from Acquired Neurogenic and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Cognitive or Linguistic Abilities of Older Adults

Topics of particular interest to the CAC 2026 Program include:

• Person-centered rehabilitation
• Precision rehabilitation
• Integration of technology in rehabilitation
• Psychosocial factors and wellbeing
• Implementation and translation
• Community partnerships
• Global perspectives
• Bi/multilingualism

Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI) Designation*^
Abstract submissions that address justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion will be given the designation JEDI and will be highlighted throughout the conference. Presentations in this category may address assessment, treatment, research participation, or communication healthcare barriers and disparities affecting persons with acquired neurologic speech-language and cognitive disorders.

*Special instructions will be provided in the submission portal.
^Papers with the JEDI designation will meet the criteria to count toward ASHA’s DEI continuing education requirement.

Attendance

Please note: CAC 2026 will be an in-person only conference.

Two authors from each accepted proposal are invited to attend the conference. As space permits, in addition to inviting authors of presentations that were submitted but not accepted, we will also open attendance to a limited number of other members of the community. These additional attendees will be invited to attend on a first-come, first-served basis.

The CAC community is made strong by student participation. A number of competitive student fellowships are available to students who have earned authorship on a paper submitted to CAC. Click here for more information.

Invited Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Skidmore, PhD, FAOTA, FACRM
Dr. Elizabeth Skidmore is an occupational therapist and rehabilitation scientist with expertise in neurological rehabilitation. Dr. Skidmore’s research studies examine rehabilitation intervention elements that stimulate cognitive function, reduce depressive symptoms and apathy, reduce disability and promote healthy levels of activity and participation after acquired brain injury and stroke. These studies have refined the implementation of meta-cognitive strategy training and behavioral activation approaches in inpatient, outpatient, and community rehabilitation settings. Dr. Skidmore consults with practitioners, health systems, and scientists representing a breadth of disciplines and serving various clinical populations. She provides guidance on intervention program design, specification, and fidelity. Dr. Skidmore is a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.

RSCA Keynote Speaker: Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.S., M.B.A., M.L.S.
Dr. Ovbiagele is a Nigerian American vascular neurologist, biomedical researcher, health systems executive, academic leader, organization founder, and scientific journal editor. He serves as Professor of Neurology and Associate Dean at the University of California, San Francisco, Chief of Staff at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Heart Association and Founding President of the Society for Equity Neuroscience. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the World Stroke Organization and Northern California Institute of Research and Education. 

Program Committee

Sarah E. Wallace (chair), Jamie Azios, Margaret Blake, Warren Brown, Anna Caute, Gayle DeDe, Sigfus Kristinsson, Jacquie Kurland, Alyssa Lanzi, Megan Schliep, Jee Eun Sung

Please send queries to Sarah E. Wallace, 2026 CAC Program Chair, Sarah.Wallace@pitt.edu