Annual Report School of Communicative Disorders

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1 Annual Report School of Communicative Disorders Mission for the Undergraduate Program in the School of Communicative Disorders The mission of the undergraduate program in the School of Communicative Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is to provide students a liberal education that prepares them to be global citizens. Under the direction of our faculty, students develop beginning knowledge and clinical skills in the area of communicative disorders. Upon completion of this pre-professional program, students are eligible to apply to a graduate program leading to a Master s of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and/or a Clinical Doctorate in Audiology. Mission for the Graduate Programs in the School of Communicative Disorders The mission of the graduate program in the School of Communicative Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is to provide a foundation of professional preparation in speech-language pathology. The program fosters analytical thinking through research opportunities and facilitates application to clinical practice. Learning opportunities are provided to students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to competently assess and treat individuals with speech, language, hearing, and/or swallowing disorders from diverse backgrounds in a variety of work settings. National Accreditation The School of Communicative Disorders has national accreditation from the Council of Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language Association (ASHA). In April, the School of Communicative Disorders participated in a reaccreditation visit and we should receive the results as well as our status in the next three months graduates of the Au.D. program The Wisconsin Clinical Doctorate in Audiology (Au.D.) Consortium Program between UWSP and UW-Madison has been granted candidacy status from the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American-Speech-Language Association (ASHA). The candidacy application has been submitted and both campuses are scheduled for the site visit this September. 1

2 Program Highlights During the academic year the School of Communicative Disorders had 43 applications to the joint Au.D. program. In addition, 12 new incoming students will enter the program next fall. (Three from UWSP and nine from UW-Madison.) This year we had 99 applications for our graduate speech-language pathology (SLP) program, one of the strongest incoming classes in its history. We attribute this high number of applications to the efforts of our faculty members to make personal contacts with their top-tier students. The School of Communicative Disorders was granted permission to hire a full-time Speech and Language Clinical Supervisor. Currently, we have a pool of 4 individuals who have applied for the Clinical Supervisor position and in the next few weeks we will begin the screening process. We were granted this position contingent on acceptance of 30 SLP graduate students. We are also very pleased to announce that the School of Communicative Disorders continued to offer the largest graduate program at UWSP during the academic year. Partnerships The School of Communicative Disorders provides inpatient and outpatient speech-language and swallowing services for St. Michael s Hospital. Over the past year, there has been a steady increase in the number of referrals and as a result we have increased the level of service at St. Michael s. Learning opportunity in the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Lab This spring, St. Clare s Hospital in Weston contacted our department to see if an arrangement could be made to provide temporary speech and language services for their facility. Details were worked out and Communicative Disorders faculty member Charlie Osborne provided inpatient and outpatient swallowing services for four months. Charlie was also able to take a student along on these visits, which provided a wonderful real-life learning experience. We are hopeful that St. Clare s Hospital may become one of our offcampus clinical practicum sites. In the past year the School of Communicative Disorders was pleased to provide the following services to the local community: Speech-language and hearing services for preschoolers and children from the Stevens Point Area Public Schools. Hearing diagnostics for the Early Intervention program. Speech-language services to Hospice of Portage County. Hearing screening for the Migrant Farm Workers Program. The Women s Club of Stevens Point partnered with the School of Communicative Disorders to make a $1000 donation in order to purchase a portable middle ear analyzer which will be used to screen the middle ear function of children of migrant workers in the Plainfield area. Communicative Disorders faculty member Julie King continues to partner with Dr. Janelle Cooper, a Neurologist in Oshkosh, in her research of Primary Progressive Aphasia. 2

3 Jan Elliott, Clinical Audiology Supervisor, was involved in the hearing program for the National Special Olympics Winter Games held in Boise, Idaho this winter. Focus on Teaching/Active Learning The School of Communicative Disorders continues to focus on the practice of active learning by working with the Continuing Education Office in the College of Professional Studies developing both traditional and on-line courses for practicing speech-language pathologists. Diversity/International Faculty member Pam Terrell traveled to the Integrated Center for the Treatment of Cleft Lip and Palate in Curitiba, Brazil. The purpose of her trip was to explore the possibility of the School of Communicative Disorders and the Center developing an international study trip for our graduate students in May Pam Terrell and Gary Cumley, Chair of the School of Communicative Disorders, have also been in contact with the Wisconsin Nicaragua Project and have begun talks to develop an international educational experience for graduate and undergraduate students to observe and assist speech-language pathologists from Nicaragua. Faculty member Pam Terrell performs an oral exam during her trip to Brazil Student-Centered Excellence Our graduate students continue to excel on the national PRAXIS exam they must take in order to become licensed professionals. Last year 100% of our speech-language pathology and audiology students passed the exam (the national pass rate is 75% and 70% respectively). The following undergraduate Communicative Disorders students were recipients of the 2009 Chancellor s Leadership Award: Vanessa Hawkins, Ciera Hiipakka, Alissa Hove, Callie Joosten, Stacey Monaghan, and Julie Seubert. In addition, senior Ciera Hiipakka received the Albertson Medallion Award. Natalie Winter, a 1 st year SLP graduate student, was awarded one of only three nationwide scholarships from the American Cleft-Palate-Craniofacial Association. This is a highly competitive national scholarship and this year there were 80 applicants. First year SLP graduate student Emily Solchenberger was awarded a scholarship from the Zonta Club International. This organization is for the advancement and status of women worldwide. Second year graduate student Heidi Austin won the Gladys McKinley Scholarship from the Wisconsin-Speech Hearing Association. 3

4 Community Service The UWSP chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) continues to be involved with different service projects throughout the community including: Participating in two Holiday Basket Programs and serving dinner at the local Salvation Army. Donating $500 to the Birth-to-Three program in CESA 5 for needed materials for children with complex communication needs. Involvement with the Books from the Heart Program that provides books to young children in the area. Participating in the relay for life. In addition, undergraduate students in COMD 267 (Normal Development Lab) provided approximately 400 student volunteer hours each semester at the UWSP Campus Daycare Center. During the academic year, the School of Communicative Disorders and the Center for Communicative Disorders assisted 209 individuals with speech and language services and 209 individuals with audiology services. Our program received referrals from the North Central Multiple Dystrophy Association (MDA) from Green Bay for patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We assisted these patients with the following: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) diagnostic services, coordination of MediCare and Medical Assistance funding paperwork, and loaner equipment from the AAC Equipment Lending Library. The School of Communicative Disorders also participated in the 2009 UWSP Open House where we educated the public about our program and displayed some of the equipment we use. Lastly, four of our 1 st year graduate students volunteered at the 7 th Annual CESA 5 School Based Speech-Language Pathology Institute. Demonstrating a Speech Viewer at Open House Life and Look of the College The School of Communicative Disorders reception area and conference room in the Center for Communicative Disorders were redecorated this past year. The Center was also completely repainted and new furniture was purchased for each of the clinical rooms. Our program also received a UW Lab Modernization grant that we used to update the clinical video system in the Center. This new digital system makes it possible for supervisors to observe students during their clinical practicum assignments and will provide students a more efficient way of recording and analyzing their sessions. The increased quality of the recordings will also allow faculty and staff to provide greater learning opportunities for their students to see the specific communication disorders they are discussing in class. Faculty Accomplishments Cynthia Knoll Forster, M.S. CCC-SLP PI-34 Implementation Team UWSP Faculty Senate 4

5 Mary Day, M.S. CCC-SLP Women & Science Day College Days for Kids Serves on the following UWSP Committees: Faculty Senate, Faculty Affairs, Phi Kappa Phi Executive Board, Faculty Salary Committee Donna Christensen, M.S. CCC-SLP Currently serving on a University Search and Screen Committee UWSP member of the Disability Services A-Team: Access, Accommodation and Assistance Charlie Osborne, M.S. CCC-SLP 2007 Present, editor for Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Division 4 Fluency Disorders publication Presentation: Parent Attitudes & Feelings About Participation in Preschool Stuttering Treatment at the ASHA National Convention Tami Gumz, M.S. CCC-SLP and CCC-A Vice President of Education for the Wisconsin Speech-Language-Hearing Association UWSP member of the Disability Services A-Team: Access, Accommodation and Assistance Maggie Watson, Ph.D. CCC-SLP Serves on the UWSP Curriculum and Teacher Education Committees Presentations: (1) Phonological Mean Length of Utterance: A Longitudinal Investigation ; (2) An Investigation of the Relations Between Rhyming, Vocabulary & Letter Knowledge in Preschoolaged Children at the ASHA National Convention Julia King, Ph.D. CCC-SLP Associate Editor for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (2008) Program Committee for Augmentative and Alternative Communication for the ASHA Convention Serves on the UWSP Graduate Council ASHA 2009 Conference Committee for Augmentative and Alternative Communication 5

6 Presentations: (1) Student Learning: Connecting Global Events to Communicative Disorders Course Content ; (2) Atypical Dementia: AAC Intervention Beginning in the Early Stage at the ASHA National Convention Pam Terrell, Ph.D. CCC-SLP Women & Science Day College Days for Kids Presentations: (1) Phonological Mean Length of Utterance: A Longitudinal Investigation ; (2) Alphabetic & Phonemic Awareness in Toddlers at the ASHA National Convention Leslie Plonsker, Ph.D. CCC-SLP UWSP University Budget Review and Advisory Committee PI 34 Implementation Team Presentation: Student Learning: Connecting Global Events to Communicative Disorders Course Content at the ASHA National Convention Gary D. Cumley, Ph.D. CCC-SLP Consulting Editor for the Augmentative and Alternative Communication Journal- (Present) Topic Coordinator for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for the 2009 ASHA Convention Presentation: AT&T Synthesized Speech Intelligibility: A Comparison Across Aided & Unaided Elderly Listeners at the ASHA National Convention Becky Henning, Ph.D. CCC-A Member of the UWSP Institutional Research Board Presentations: (1) AT&T Synthesized Speech Intelligibility: A Comparison Across Aided & Unaided Elderly Listeners at the ASHA National Convention; (2) Bilateral vs. Unilateral Amplification for Adults at the American Academy of Audiology National Convention David Henry, Ph.D. CCC-A Chair of UWSP University Personnel Development Committee (UPDC) UWSP Executive Committee UWSP Faculty Senate Presentation: Severe Perceived Distortion Caused by Acoustic Piano at the American Academy of Audiology National Convention 6