Revised Fall 2013

Schwarz, I., Horner, J., Jackson, R., Johnstone, P., Mulligan, M.  (2007). Defining essential functions for a diverse student population.  Minneapolis, MN: Council on Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

In order to acquire the knowledge and skills requisite to the practice of speech-language pathology to function in a broad variety of clinical situations, and to render a wide spectrum of patient care across the lifespan, individuals must have skills and attributes in five areas: communication, motor, intellectual-cognitive, sensory-observational, and behavioral-social. These skills enable a student to meet graduate and professional requirements as measured by state licensure and national certification. Many of these skills can be learned and developed during the course of the graduate program through coursework and clinical experience. The starred items (*), however, are skills that are more inherent and should be present when a student begins the program. 

Communication

A student must possess adequate communication skills to:

• Proficiently read, write, comprehend, and speak the English language.*
• Model target communication skills, unless a clinician’s dialect prevents the effective modeling of a feature. In this case, other strategies to provide a model should be used.*
• Possess reading and writing skills sufficient to meet curricular and clinical demands in Standard American English.*
• Perceive and demonstrate appropriate non-verbal communication for culture and context.*
• Modify communication style to meet the communication needs of clients, caregivers, and other persons served.*
• Communicate professionally and intelligibly with patients, colleagues, other healthcare professionals, and community or professional groups.
• Communicate professionally, effectively, and legibly on patient documentation, reports, and scholarly papers required as a part of coursework and professional practice.
• Convey information accurately with relevance and cultural sensitivity.

Motor

A student must possess adequate motor skills to:

• Sustain necessary physical activity level in required classroom and clinical activities, including but not limited to the ability to bend, reach, and stoop in order to move, lift, carry, push, and pull objects such as in the retrieval, using, and storing of materials and equipment used in evaluations and therapy.*
• Assist with patient care activities such as lifting, wheelchair guidance, and mobility.*
• Respond quickly to provide a safe environment for clients in emergency situations including fire, choking, respiratory arrest, etc.*
• Access transportation to clinical and academic placements as well as transport self throughout the setting as required.*
• Participate in classroom and clinical activities for the defined workday.*
• Efficiently manipulate testing and treatment environment and materials without violation of testing protocol and with best therapeutic practice.
• Manipulate patient-utilized equipment (e.g. durable medical equipment to include AAC devices, hearing aids, etc) in a safe manner.
• Access technology for clinical management (i.e. billing, charting, therapy programs, etc.).

Intellectual/Cognitive

• A student must possess adequate intellectual and cognitive skills to:
• Comprehend, retain, integrate, synthesize, infer, evaluate and apply written and verbal information sufficient to meet curricular and clinical demands.*
• Complete timed, online, and/or other types of examinations or projects in a setting that is acceptable to the program.
• Identify significant findings from history, evaluation, and data to formulate a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.
• Solve problems, reason, and make sound clinical judgments in patient assessment, diagnostic and therapeutic plan and implementation.
• Self-evaluate, identify, and communicate limits of one’s own knowledge and skill to appropriate professional level and be able to identify and utilize resources in order to increase knowledge.
• Utilize detailed written and verbal instruction in order to make unique and independent decisions.

Sensory/Observational

A student must possess adequate sensory skills of vision, hearing, tactile, and smell to:

• Visually and auditorily identify normal versus disordered areas (including, but not limited to fluency, articulation, voice, resonance, respiration characteristics, oral and written language in the areas of semantics, pragmatics, syntax, morphology and phonology, hearing and balance disorders, swallowing, cognition, and social interaction related to communication).
• Identify the need for alternative modalities of communication.
• Visualize and identify anatomic structures.
• Visualize and discriminate imaging findings.
• Identify and discriminate findings on imaging studies.
• Discriminate text, numbers, tables, and graphs associated with diagnostic instruments and tests.
• Acutely hear differences in speech impairments and modify therapy as required.
• Recognize when a client’s family does or does not understand the clinician’s written and or verbal communication.

Behavioral/Social

A student must possess adequate behavioral and social attributes to:

• Display mature empathetic and effective professional relationships by exhibiting compassion, integrity, and concern for others.*
• Recognize and show respect for individuals with disabilities and for individuals of different ages, genders, race, religions, sexual orientation, and cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.*
• Conduct oneself in an ethical and legal manner, upholding the ASHA Code of Ethics and university and federal privacy policies.*
• Maintain general good physical and mental health and self-care in order not to jeopardize the health and safety of self and others in the academic and clinical setting.*
• Adapt to changing and demanding environments (which includes maintaining both professional demeanor and emotional health).
• Manage the use of time effectively to complete professional and technical tasks within realistic time constraints.
• Accept appropriate suggestions and constructive criticism and respond by modification of behaviors.
• Dress appropriately and professionally.

Effective Fall 2013

Policy Statement 

All incoming graduate students will participate in a mandatory speech/language and hearing screening during their first semester enrolled in the CSD program for the purpose of identifying and remediating any communication deficits that may interfere with interactions with clients, families, supervisors, etc. Undergraduate students, unless previously identified by CSD faculty/staff member as having a suspect communication deficit, will be screened during the spring semester of their freshman year. Any transfer student entering after his/her freshman year will be screened in the semester that he/she enters the program.  It is mandatory that all students be screened prior to starting clinical practicum. The Clinic Director will determine the screening schedule and inform students of the day/time that screenings will occur. Failure to comply with this policy and the following procedures will delay the student’s enrollment in Clinical Practicum.

Procedure

1.  All students will receive a Pass/Fail rating for both speech/language and hearing. Documentation of the screening results will be kept in the student’s clinical file, which is maintained by the Clinic Director.

2.  For those students who fail the speech-language screening, a formal speech-language evaluation will be scheduled. It will be the student’s responsibility to contact the Clinic Director for an appointment within one week of the screening.

3. For those students who fail the hearing screening, a formal audiological evaluation will be scheduled. It will be the student’s responsibility to contact our Clinical Audiologist for an appointment within one week of the screening.

4. Following the evaluation, it is expected that the student will follow through with all recommendations for treatment and/or referral for further testing. Documentation of the same will be required and kept in the student’s clinical file.

5. For those students in which phonological features observed during the screening are different from Standard American English (SAE) dialect, then:

a. An interview with the student would be warranted to find out if the student self-identifies as a speaker with a dialect different from SAE.

b. If the student does not self-identify with a dialect different from SAE, then the student would fail the speech-language screening, and step #2 would be followed.

c. If the student does self-identify with a dialect different from SAE, then the features of the student’s speech would be reviewed to see if these features are documented as typical characteristics of the specified dialect. Dialects may differ by features other than phonology (such as syntax or semantics), but it is assumed that students with dialectal differences would be able to model non-phonological SAE features.

d. A determination would be made as to whether or not the characteristics would be a substantial impediment to effective communication with SAE speakers. If a student shows significant comprehension or expressive communication deficits in SAE that go beyond a dialectal difference, such as features common in ESL or hard-of-hearing individuals, then a full evaluation with possible therapy may be warranted. In most cases, dialectal differences would not affect functional/clinical communication in SAE and would not need further assessment.

e. A student who cannot produce a feature of SAE and is assigned a client who speaks SAE with difficulty producing that specific SAE feature, then the student clinician may use other strategies to produce a model, such as providing a recording of an SAE speaker producing the target feature.

The program provides academic coursework and clinical experiences that prepare students for entry-level clinical practice in the field of speech-language pathology. In order to complete the program students must meet the following requirements:

Requirements for Graduation

Degree Earned         

M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology

Students must meet all requirements stated in the current Marywood University catalogue. In addition, CSD Department Graduate Program in SLP requirements include:

1.  Complete a minimum of 60 credits in CSD graduate level work according to standards set forth by ASHA

2.  Accrue a minimum of 400 ASHA clinical clock hours, to include 25 directed observation hours under the supervision of ASHA-certified, state-licensed speech-language pathologists/audiologists, according to the current ASHA certification standards (Refer to CSD Formative Assessment Document and http://www.asha.org/certification/2020-slp-certification-standards/#2)

3.  Be admitted to Candidacy (Refer to the current Marywood University catalogue for requirements for "Candidacy Status")

4.  Pass the CSD Graduate Comprehensive Examination, which is given during the final semester of graduate study (e.g., Spring II semester) (Refer to the Marywood University Calendar for scheduled date of the exam)

5.  Register to take the Praxis Examination in SLP in your final semester of graduate study (i.e., Spring II) and have the Marywood University Speech-Language Pathology program listed as a score recipient; Proof of registration is required

6.  Complete a preliminary (as needed) and a final Exit Interview with the Director of the Master's Program in SLP

7.  Complete and return the Exit Interview Survey

8.  Participate in formative assessment and complete the CSD Formative Assessment Document throughout your graduate studies, which will provide evidence of your level of mastery of all required competencies (Student Learning Outcomes-SLOs) in knowledge and skill areas consistent with current ASHA certification standards

9.  Complete the CSD KASA form and any other necessary paperwork for ASHA certification, PA state licensure, and Teacher Certification (as applicable)

10.  Receive final clearance for graduation from the Director of the Master's Program in SLP

Graduate students are required to attend the mandatory Cohort meetings that are held each semester. These meetings are conducted to ensure that students receive pertinent information in a timely and efficient manner. The meetings conducted during the Fall II and Spring II semesters will further discuss the above-mentioned requirements for graduation in greater detail. 

Revised: Fall 2021