Speech and Hearing Course

Lesson 1 • Communication Development Across the Lifespan

Traces normal speech, language, and hearing milestones from infancy through older adulthood. Provides a developmental baseline for identifying disorders.

Lesson 2 • Physiology of Hearing

Describes how mechanical vibration converts to neural signals via the cochlea and auditory nerve. Grounds students in the biological basis of hearing sensitivity.

Lesson 3 • Anatomy of the Auditory System

Examines outer, middle, and inner ear structures and their roles in sound transmission. Links structural knowledge to hearing function covered later.

Lesson 4 • Physiology of Speech Production

Explains how respiration, phonation, resonance, and articulation coordinate to produce intelligible speech. Prepares students for acoustic analysis in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Basic Principles of Sound

Introduces frequency, amplitude, wavelength, and phase as fundamental acoustic properties. Establishes the physical vocabulary needed for audiometric and speech analysis.

Lesson 2 • Instrumentation and Calibration

Introduces audiometers, sound level meters, and acoustic calibration standards. Ensures students can verify equipment accuracy before clinical use.

Lesson 3 • Acoustic Analysis of Speech

Examines spectral characteristics of vowels, consonants, and prosody using spectrographic tools. Connects acoustic patterns to articulatory gestures studied in Chapter 1.

Lesson 1 • Pure-Tone Audiometry

Teaches air and bone conduction threshold testing using standard and modified procedures. Forms the cornerstone of the audiological test battery.

Lesson 2 • Speech Audiometry

Covers speech recognition threshold and word recognition score testing. Validates pure-tone findings and assesses functional hearing ability.

Lesson 3 • Audiological Report Writing

Structures findings into professional reports with diagnosis, degree, and configuration of hearing loss. Prepares students for interdisciplinary communication.

Lesson 4 • Immittance Audiometry

Explains tympanometry and acoustic reflex testing to assess middle ear function. Differentiates conductive from sensorineural pathology.

Lesson 1 • Auditory Steady-State Response

Introduces ASSR for frequency-specific threshold estimation in difficult-to-test populations. Complements ABR findings for hearing aid fitting decisions.

Lesson 2 • Auditory Brainstem Response

Teaches ABR recording, waveform identification, and threshold estimation. Differentiates cochlear from retrocochlear pathology using latency analysis.

Lesson 3 • Central Auditory Processing Assessment

Evaluates auditory processing abilities beyond peripheral hearing sensitivity. Identifies processing deficits affecting speech understanding in noise.

Lesson 4 • Otoacoustic Emissions Testing

Covers transient and distortion-product OAE recording and interpretation. Assesses outer hair cell function independent of patient response.

Lesson 1 • Voice Disorders

Classifies organic, functional, and neurogenic voice disorders by aetiology and perceptual features. Introduces laryngoscopic and acoustic voice evaluation.

Lesson 2 • Articulation and Phonological Disorders

Distinguishes motor-based articulation errors from phonological pattern disorders. Provides classification frameworks used in clinical diagnosis.

Lesson 3 • Language Disorders in Children

Covers developmental language disorder, late language emergence, and specific language impairment. Links language deficits to academic and social outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Acquired Language Disorders

Covers aphasia, right hemisphere disorder, and traumatic brain injury communication deficits. Addresses neurological bases and standardised assessment tools.

Lesson 1 • Language Intervention Approaches

Covers milieu teaching, narrative intervention, and grammar-focused approaches for language disorders. Addresses both child-directed and naturalistic service delivery.

Lesson 2 • Aphasia and Acquired Disorder Rehabilitation

Applies constraint-induced language therapy, script training, and AAC to acquired communication disorders. Addresses functional communication in real-world contexts.

Lesson 3 • Fluency and Voice Therapy

Presents stuttering modification, fluency shaping, and voice hygiene programmes. Integrates behavioural and psychosocial components of treatment.

Lesson 4 • Articulation and Phonology Treatment

Applies traditional articulation therapy, minimal pairs, and cycles approaches to phonological disorders. Matches treatment selection to disorder type and severity.

Lesson 1 • Hearing Aid Technology and Selection

Covers hearing aid styles, signal processing features, and candidacy criteria. Prepares students to match device technology to individual hearing profiles.

Lesson 2 • Cochlear Implants and Bone-Anchored Devices

Introduces cochlear implant candidacy, surgical process, and post-implant mapping. Extends amplification knowledge to surgical hearing solutions.

Lesson 3 • Counselling in Audiological Practice

Applies informational and personal adjustment counselling to hearing loss acceptance and device use. Integrates family and caregiver involvement in rehabilitation.

Lesson 4 • Aural Rehabilitation Programmes

Designs structured programmes combining auditory training, speechreading, and communication strategies. Addresses adults and children with hearing loss.

Lesson 1 • Caseload and Workload Management

Applies caseload versus workload models to prioritise services and prevent burnout. Addresses scheduling, productivity standards, and service delivery models.

Lesson 2 • Clinical Documentation and Billing

Covers SOAP notes, progress reports, and procedural coding for clinical services. Ensures accurate records that support continuity of care and reimbursement.

Lesson 3 • Continuing Competence and Professional Growth

Establishes habits of reflective practice, continuing education, and professional portfolio development. Prepares graduates for lifelong learning in a changing field.

Lesson 4 • Interprofessional Collaboration

Builds skills for effective teamwork with physicians, educators, and allied health professionals. Addresses role clarity and shared decision-making in team settings.