Speech Language Pathologist Course

Lesson 1 • Neurological Bases of Communication

Examines brain regions and neural pathways governing speech and language. Prepares students to link neurological damage to specific communication disorders.

Lesson 2 • Anatomy of the Speech Mechanism

Covers respiratory, phonatory, resonatory, and articulatory structures. Provides the anatomical foundation required for understanding all subsequent disorder content.

Lesson 3 • The SLP Profession and Scope of Practice

Defines the SLP role across settings and populations served. Grounds students in professional identity before clinical skill development begins.

Lesson 4 • Evidence-Based Practice in SLP

Introduces the three-component model of evidence-based practice for clinical decisions. Students learn to locate, evaluate, and integrate research evidence.

Lesson 1 • Lexical and Semantic Development

Examines vocabulary growth, word-learning strategies, and semantic organisation. Students connect lexical milestones to later language disorder identification.

Lesson 2 • Morphosyntactic and Pragmatic Growth

Covers grammatical morpheme acquisition, sentence complexity, and social language use. Builds the framework for assessing language form and use disorders.

Lesson 3 • Phonological Development Across Ages

Details the sequence of sound acquisition and phonological process suppression. Provides norms used to distinguish typical variation from disorder.

Lesson 4 • Literacy and Academic Language Development

Links oral language foundations to reading, writing, and academic vocabulary. Prepares students to address school-age language and literacy disorders.

Lesson 1 • Assessment Planning and Case History

Guides students through referral review, case history collection, and assessment design. Systematic planning ensures no domain is overlooked before testing begins.

Lesson 2 • Standardised Testing Principles

Explains psychometric concepts including reliability, validity, and normative comparison. Students interpret standard scores, percentiles, and confidence intervals correctly.

Lesson 3 • Oral Mechanism and Motor Speech Examination

Teaches structured examination of oral structures, function, and motor speech patterns. Findings directly inform differential diagnosis of motor speech disorders.

Lesson 4 • Diagnostic Report Writing

Structures the process of synthesising assessment data into a professional report. Students produce clear diagnoses, functional impact statements, and recommendations.

Lesson 1 • Phonological and Complexity Approaches

Presents minimal pairs, cycles, and complexity-based approaches for phonological disorders. Students match approach to error pattern and severity level.

Lesson 2 • Phonological Assessment Tools and Analysis

Applies standardised tests and independent and relational analyses to speech samples. Students identify error patterns and prioritise treatment targets.

Lesson 3 • Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Identifies diagnostic features of childhood apraxia of speech and evidence-based treatments. Students distinguish CAS from phonological disorder and plan motor-based therapy.

Lesson 4 • Classification of Speech Sound Disorders

Distinguishes articulation disorders, phonological disorders, and motor speech subtypes. Accurate classification drives appropriate treatment selection.

Lesson 1 • Developmental Language Disorder in Children

Examines DLD characteristics, prevalence, and evidence-based identification methods. Students distinguish DLD from language difference and co-occurring conditions.

Lesson 2 • Acquired Language Disorders in Adults

Covers aphasia types, right hemisphere disorder, and traumatic brain injury language profiles. Students conduct differential diagnosis and select appropriate adult language treatments.

Lesson 3 • Language Intervention for Children

Presents naturalistic, structured, and hybrid intervention models for child language. Students select and implement approaches matched to child profile and goals.

Lesson 4 • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Communication

Addresses communication profiles in ASD and evidence-based social communication intervention. Students design goals targeting joint attention, pragmatics, and AAC needs.

Lesson 1 • Resonance Disorders and Velopharyngeal Function

Examines hypernasality, hyponasality, and velopharyngeal insufficiency assessment and management. Students interpret nasometry data and coordinate with surgical teams.

Lesson 2 • Voice Disorders: Assessment and Classification

Covers perceptual, acoustic, and aerodynamic voice evaluation methods and disorder taxonomy. Students use the CAPE-V and acoustic measures to classify voice disorders.

Lesson 3 • Fluency Intervention Across the Lifespan

Applies stuttering modification, fluency shaping, and integrated approaches across age groups. Students design treatment plans addressing speech, attitude, and participation.

Lesson 4 • Fluency Disorders: Stuttering Assessment

Teaches comprehensive stuttering evaluation including frequency, type, and impact measures. Students administer the SSI-4 and assess avoidance and emotional reactions.

Lesson 1 • Instrumental Swallowing Assessment

Covers videofluoroscopic swallowing study and fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation procedures. Students interpret imaging findings and apply standardised rating scales.

Lesson 2 • Clinical Swallowing Evaluation

Teaches bedside swallowing evaluation procedures, screening tools, and clinical signs of aspiration. Students integrate medical history and observation into a clinical impression.

Lesson 3 • Normal Swallowing Physiology

Details the oral, pharyngeal, and oesophageal phases of normal swallowing. Provides the physiological baseline required for identifying and treating dysphagia.

Lesson 4 • Paediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders

Addresses feeding difficulties in infants, toddlers, and children with medical complexity. Students assess oral-motor function and design family-centred feeding intervention.

Lesson 1 • AAC Foundations and System Types

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

Lesson 2 • AAC for Acquired and Progressive Conditions

Addresses AAC needs in ALS, Parkinson's disease, and acquired neurological conditions. Students plan proactive AAC introduction and message banking strategies.

Lesson 3 • AAC Assessment and Feature Matching

Guides students through participation-based assessment and feature-matching to select AAC systems. Students evaluate motor, sensory, cognitive, and linguistic factors.

Lesson 4 • AAC Intervention and Communication Partner Training

Applies aided language stimulation and partner training to build AAC competence. Students design intervention plans targeting operational, linguistic, and social skills.