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Community, UT Students Benefit From Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic |
| By
Kimyette Finley |
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Feb 19, 2002 |
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| Graduate student Sarah Repphun uses photo cards to play with Sierra Carter. The structured play technique helps build vocabulary. |
The fifth floor in Gillham Hall is bustling with activity. A tiny voice saying words and forming sentences can be heard. An adult stops in to be tested for hearing or speech problems. They’re in room 5008, The University of Toledo Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, which provides a full range of speech-language and audio-logical services for children and adults.
“If you have a communication problem, or a problem involving oral language or listening skills, or reading or writing to express yourself, we can conduct an evaluation to determine the specific problem. If you need help, we can provide some intervention or therapy,” explained Alicia Currie, the clinic’s director.
The clinic’s staff is composed of Currie; a full-time supervisor; seven to nine part-time supervisors who oversee students' therapy and evaluation activities; and a secretary. The clinic, which is part of the College of Health and Human Services, provides therapy services for about 75 to 80 clients per semester.
The youngest clients may be a 1-year-old at risk for having a problem due to birth trauma or genetic problems. "Even that young, we can see if their language is delayed,” Currie said. “If so, it would be appropriate to begin with them or to assist parents who want to make sure they're doing everything they can to stimulate speech and language development, especially if they have a hearing impairment or condition such as Down syndrome or autism spectrum disorder."
Debbie Carter drives twice a week from Bowling Green, Ohio, to bring her 3-year-old daughter, Sierra, to a 50-minute session at the clinic. Sierra has microcephaly, a condition that causes delayed speech development. Carter has brought Sierra to UT’s clinic since January 2001, and her vocabulary has increased from three words to about 300 words, including short sentences. “She’s making remarkable progress,” Carter said. This semester, Sarah Repphun, a graduate student, is working with Sierra by using a structured play technique.
The clinic works with school-age children through senior citizens. “We have school-age kids who are having trouble with speech and language. We also serve college students who have discovered they have a linguistic problem, learning disabilities, fluency disorders (such as stuttering) or voice problems. Adults also need help; for instance, if they have had a stroke or sustained traumatic brain injury or a swallowing disorder,” Currie said. Hearing tests and assistance with learning to cope with speech and language problems also are provided.
The UT program received national accreditation from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 1993. "The profession is constantly changing, and there are always new techniques that are being developed,” Currie said. “We try to stay abreast of that and incorporate new approaches into our therapeutic services. The new techniques are taught in the courses and practiced in the practicums."
The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic receives referrals from a variety of sources — teachers, schools, hospitals, pediatricians and psychologists. The client's communication problems are first evaluated to determine what types of services are needed, then a therapy or remediation program is planned; if necessary, the client is referred to another professional or agency. According to Currie, the fees are at "student rates," not professional fees, so services are more affordable versus the private sector.
The University offers services to meet the individual needs of clients, but the program also was developed to train students. "We try to have a broad range of clients to provide students a broad range of training experiences,” Currie said. The clinic provides a full range of services and training programs; the program provides a full curriculum and practicum for undergraduates. Currie said many colleges only provide that at the master's level. "We feel it's important for students at the undergraduate level to get the experience so they can know for sure this is what they want to do."
After students graduate, their first year of employment is a clinical fellowship year; they are employed full time, but still have a supervisor or mentor who meets with them periodically and documents that they are providing appropriate services. At the end of that year, they apply for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association certification of clinical competence and a state license to practice. In order to practice as a speech and language pathologist, a master's degree is required for national certification and state licensure.
This semester, about 30 undergraduates and 35 graduate students are enrolled in training programs at the clinic. Programs for part-time students at the graduate level, as well as a distance-learning component developed in cooperation with other universities in Ohio, also are available.
Julia Stiff, a first-year graduate student in the program, works with clients several times a week. If a method doesn’t work, Stiff said she’s encouraged to try something new. “It’s a matter of going back, trying new techniques and being creative. Each client has different needs,” she said.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, speech pathology is an in-demand field. Employment of speech-language pathologists and audiologists is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010. An aging population, improved medical technology for victims of trauma and stroke and other illnesses, and growth in school populations are cited as reasons for increased demands for professionals.
Currie said nursing homes, schools, rehab facilities, hospitals and Head Start programs all can use the services of a speech pathologist. "As technologies have become available, agencies have become more aware of the need for speech and language pathologists and how much progress people make with services has become more evident. All of our graduates are snapped up. They have no problems getting employment. I think that's also improved the services available in Toledo and northwest Ohio. We still have more people call than we have graduates every term."
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