I C P L A

[ the international clinical phonetics and linguistics association ]

ICPLA was established in 1991 and is an international organisation which aims to stimulate the application of linguistics and phonetics to the study of disordered speech and language. The insights of this application can be used to enhance linguistic and phonetic theory or to develop approaches to the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders.



ICPLA today

Ex-officio
Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics Editors:


ICPLA Founding Articles


The International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association Founding Articles, created 1991 and updated 2016, can be found here (pdf).

ICPLA Awards


ICPLA Honors

  • David Crystal (2012)
Professor David Crystal with ICPLA executive in 2012

ICPLA Life Members

  • William J. Hardcastle (2016)
  • Martin J. Ball (2016)
  • Nicole Müller (2016)
  • Sara Howard (2016)
  • Michael R. Perkins (2016)
  • Thomas W. Powell (2016)

Life members Professors Martin Ball, Nicole Müller and Bill Hardcastle with ICPLA executive in 2016

History of ICPLA


ICPLA was formed in March 1991 at the Symposium on Advances in Clinical Phonetics held at the Cardiff Institute of Higher Education, Wales.
The first ICPLA meeting in 1991

ICPLA Presidents

  • William J. Hardcastle (1991-2000)
  • Martin J. Ball (2000-2006)
  • Sara Howard (2006-2014)
  • Hanne Gram Simonsen (2014-2018)
  • Vesna Mildner (2018-present)

ICPLA Vice Presidents

  • Eric Keller (1991-1993)
  • Jack Ryalls (1994- )
  • Michael R. Perkins ( -2006)
  • Sharynne McLeod (2006-2018)
  • Vesna Stojanovik (2018-present)

Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics Journal Editors

  • Martin J. Ball
  • Raymond D. Kent
  • Nicole Müller
  • Thomas W. Powell

ICPLA Secretaries

  • Wolfram Zeigler
  • Ben Maassen
  • Megan McAuliffe
  • Marie Klopfenstein
  • Joanne Cleland

ICPLA Treasurers

  • Martin Duckworth
  • Nicole Müller
  • Thomas W. Powell
  • Marie Klopfenstein

ICPLA Web Curators

  • Thomas W. Powell
  • Martin J. Ball
  • Ben Maassen
  • Ben Rutter
  • Marie Klopfenstein
  • Joanne Cleland

A PowerPoint presentation containing historical photographs can be downloaded here (Note. 33MB file)