Martha E. Lynch, MS

Martha E. Lynch, M.S., was in the profession of speech-language pathology and educational tutoring for 39 years. She earned her B.S. from Middle Tennessee State University and her M.S. from Vanderbilt University. She held Tennessee certification in elementary education and speech and hearing as well as her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) through ASHA and was licensed through the state of Tennessee in speech-language pathology.

She was an instructor at Vanderbilt University and Peabody College. She served as a speech-language pathologist and educational consultant for Metro Nashville Public Schools as coordinator of the language delay classes and as a speech-language therapist for the orthopedically handicapped children in Metro schools. In addition, she served as a consultant for Clover Bottom Hospital and School. All of these duties were performed as part of her responsibilities while on the staff of Bill Wilkerson Hearing & Speech Center in Nashville. During Ms. Lynch's 14 years at Bill Wilkerson, she served as a speech clinician, supervisor of the children's language program, research assistant, coordinator of speech pathology, clinical coordinator, and chief speech pathologist. For 24 years she was in private practice in Nashville with Martha E. Lynch and Associates. She specialized in helping children who were in academic distress as a result of auditory processing problems or language disorders. In addition to having provided therapy for these disorders, she tutored the children in their academics, especially with reading and written language. She worked extensively with dyslexic and dysgraphic children and adults in her practice.

Ms. Lynch published a number of research papers and articles dealing with auditory processing, articulation, and language. She presented numerous workshops and lectures in Tennessee and throughout the United States. She was co-leader in a workshop on articulation in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada, and was a guest lecturer for a week in the medical school in Medellin, Columbia, South America.

She co-authored the Sounds & Symbols Early Reading Program (formerly published as Goldman-Lynch Sounds and Symbols Development Kit and High Hat) and Listening to the World.

Ms. Lynch was involved in several national and state professional associations throughout her career. She was a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), the Tennessee Association of Audiologists and Speech/Language Pathologists (TAASLP), the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Communication Disorders for Exceptional Children, the Middle Tennessee Association for Learning Disabilities, the Tennessee Education Association, and the National Education Association. For TAASLP, she served as secretary and on several committees, chairing many of them. In addition, she served on the nominating committee for the Communication Disorders for Exceptional Children.

Ms. Lynch was the recipient of the Honors Award and the Distinguished Service Award given by TAASLP and was recognized for her significant contributions to ASHA. She was recognized for her outstanding clinical achievement by the ASHA Foundation. As a result of her contributions to the speech-language pathologists working in the public schools, a Guest Lecture Series was established in her honor by the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences. This lecture series has provided an excellent opportunity for additional training for speech-language pathologists working in the public schools.