Editorial

Abstract

The SBFa, for its scientific character, has in its primary annual agenda the organization of the Brazilian Congress. Without a doubt, this is the great annual congregation event of Brazilian Speech--Language Pathology and Audiology, expressing very well the meaning of the verb "to congregate": to get together, to join in congregation.With the aim to promote a broad scientific exchange between students, professionals, researchers, faculty and managers in the area, the event reunites, every year, around 2,000 people, among students, professionals, researchers, faculty and managers. It has a character of general scope and an important role in professional training and updating.In its twentieth edition, the theme of the Brazilian Congress of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology was Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology: Science and Profession. The option for this theme evidences the importance of scientific reasoning to professional practice, providing that professionals discuss the repercussions of scientific production to their practice. The union of two themes considers that scientific reasoning produced by the profession must be incorporated to speech-language pathologists' (SLP) practice in different regions of the country.Ultimately, when these two slopes are not equitable, the users are deprived of the benefits of the knowledge obtained from what is scientifically produced.Similarly, the congress provided moments to evaluate specific needs of knowledge generation in the areas of Hearing, Dysphagia, Language, Orofacial Motricity, Public Health, Voice, and its interfaces, besides the training needs of Brazilian speech-language pathologists and audiologists (SLP-A). Its aims were to discuss the scientific reasoning of the SLP-A's work integrated to the national health system, to the scientific practice, and to the applicability of such knowledge in the labor market; to promote reflections regarding the role of public health policies that tangent Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; to sensitize politicians and managers about the importance of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology to the health of the Brazilian population; and to promote the visibility of Brazilian Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in the political scenery of the country.With these purposes, the organizing committee opened public consultation to all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Brazil, and had the feedback from over 30 institutions with undergraduate and graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, who sent their suggestions of themes and names to compose the scientific program of the congress. This form of construction of the event allowed the program to be in consonance with the needs of professionals/managers, students, faculty, and researchers from all over the country.In the 20th Congress, the purpose was to discuss the SLP-A's work, integrating scientific improvements aiming its applicability in different sceneries of professional action, especially emphasizing the role of the profession in the cu...