Speech, Language and Communication Disorders Course

Lesson 1 • Language Acquisition Across the Lifespan

Traces phonological, lexical, and syntactic development from infancy through adulthood. Establishes norms used to identify delays and disorders.

Lesson 2 • Anatomy of the Speech Mechanism

Covers respiratory, phonatory, resonatory, and articulatory structures supporting speech. Provides the anatomical baseline needed for understanding disorders.

Lesson 3 • Multicultural and Linguistic Diversity

Examines dialectal variation, bilingualism, and cultural influences on communication norms. Prevents misidentification of difference as disorder.

Lesson 1 • Swallowing and Feeding Disorders

Defines dysphagia across pediatric and adult populations and its relationship to communication disorders. Establishes scope of practice boundaries for clinicians.

Lesson 2 • Language Disorders in Children

Covers developmental language disorder, specific language impairment, and late language emergence. Links symptom profiles to differential diagnosis criteria.

Lesson 3 • Acquired Communication Disorders

Introduces aphasia, traumatic brain injury communication deficits, and dementia-related disorders. Distinguishes developmental from acquired disorder profiles.

Lesson 4 • Speech Sound Disorders

Defines articulation disorders, phonological disorders, and motor speech disorders. Connects classification to etiology and treatment planning.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Diagnostic Assessment

Covers validity, reliability, standardization, and norm-referencing in diagnostic tools. Ensures clinicians select instruments appropriate to client age and background.

Lesson 2 • Interpreting and Reporting Results

Guides synthesis of assessment data into diagnostic reports and recommendations. Prepares students to communicate findings to clients, families, and professionals.

Lesson 3 • Instrumental Assessment Techniques

Introduces acoustic analysis, endoscopy, videofluoroscopy, and electropalatography. Connects instrumental data to clinical decision-making for complex cases.

Lesson 4 • Speech and Language Sampling

Instructs collection and analysis of spontaneous speech and language samples. Provides naturalistic data that standardized tests cannot capture.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Motor Learning in Therapy

Applies motor learning principles including practice variability, feedback schedules, and transfer. Optimizes skill acquisition for speech and swallowing interventions.

Lesson 2 • Goal Writing and Treatment Planning

Teaches measurable goal construction, target selection, and session planning. Aligns treatment objectives with assessment findings and client priorities.

Lesson 3 • Progress Monitoring and Data Collection

Establishes systems for ongoing data collection, graphing, and treatment modification. Ensures therapy remains responsive to client progress and evidence.

Lesson 4 • Behavioral and Cognitive Approaches

Covers operant conditioning, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and self-monitoring strategies. Addresses behavioral and psychological dimensions of communication disorders.

Lesson 1 • Measuring Intelligibility and Outcomes

Teaches perceptual and acoustic intelligibility measurement and functional outcome tracking. Connects treatment gains to real-world communication effectiveness.

Lesson 2 • Dysarthria Management Strategies

Covers Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, rate control, and augmentative strategies for dysarthria. Addresses intelligibility across neurological etiologies.

Lesson 3 • Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Applies dynamic temporal and tactile cueing, PROMPT, and Nuffield approaches. Addresses motor planning deficits through intensive, repetitive practice.

Lesson 4 • Phonological Intervention Approaches

Teaches minimal pairs, cycles approach, and metaphon therapy for phonological disorders. Targets underlying phonological representations rather than isolated sounds.

Lesson 1 • Aphasia Rehabilitation Approaches

Applies constraint-induced language therapy, semantic feature analysis, and script training. Targets functional communication restoration in adults with aphasia.

Lesson 2 • Cognitive-Communication Rehabilitation

Covers attention, memory, and executive function interventions for TBI and dementia populations. Integrates compensatory strategies with restorative approaches.

Lesson 3 • Early Language Intervention Strategies

Covers naturalistic, milieu, and parent-implemented approaches for toddlers and preschoolers. Embeds language facilitation into daily routines and play contexts.

Lesson 4 • Group and Intensive Therapy Models

Examines group therapy formats, intensive programs, and community reintegration models. Extends individual gains to social and functional communication contexts.

Lesson 1 • Psychosocial Aspects of Fluency and Voice

Addresses anxiety, avoidance, identity, and quality of life in fluency and voice disorders. Integrates counseling competencies into speech-focused treatment.

Lesson 2 • Stuttering Treatment Approaches

Covers fluency shaping, stuttering modification, and integrated approaches for all ages. Addresses both speech technique and psychosocial dimensions of stuttering.

Lesson 3 • Resonance Disorder Management

Covers hypernasality, hyponasality, and velopharyngeal dysfunction treatment and referral. Coordinates with surgical and prosthetic management teams.

Lesson 4 • Voice Therapy Techniques

Applies resonant voice therapy, vocal hygiene, and accent method for dysphonia. Addresses functional and organic voice disorders through direct and indirect methods.

Lesson 1 • Measuring AAC Outcomes and Participation

Evaluates communicative participation, social closeness, and quality of life with AAC. Connects outcome data to system refinement and advocacy.

Lesson 2 • Foundations of AAC Systems

Introduces unaided and aided AAC, symbol systems, and access methods. Establishes the conceptual framework for AAC assessment and intervention.

Lesson 3 • AAC Assessment and Feature Matching

Applies participation model, feature matching, and trial periods to AAC selection. Ensures device and system choices align with individual communication needs.

Lesson 4 • AAC Across Populations and Settings

Applies AAC to autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, ALS, and acquired disorders. Adapts systems to developmental, motor, and cognitive profiles.