Unit rationale, description and aim
Speech refers to the perception, processing, planning and production of sounds. Working with children with speech sound disorders such as phonological disorders, articulation disorders, motor speech disorders and structural disorders is a key aspect of speech pathology practice. Consequently, speech is a practice area in which speech pathology students are expected to demonstrate competency in order to meet professional Entry Level requirements. Furthermore, understanding the hearing process, principles of audiological assessment and management is important for working with individuals who have communication difficulties (including speech sound disorders) resulting from hearing loss.
This unit will provide students with the theoretical knowledge, technical skills, and clinical reasoning skills to enable them to provide evidence-based management (assessment, analysis, diagnosis, intervention, discharge) of speech sound disorders originating in childhood, that for some, continue across the lifespan. Students will also learn about the management of hearing loss and the role of speech pathologists in aural rehabilitation. This unit will emphasise the client as an individual and the effect that speech sound disorders or hearing disorders can have on an individual's participation in their world. Additionally, this unit contains a learning outcome from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (HCF, 2014) specifically addressing the HCF cultural capability - Strengths based knowledge and communication.
The aim of this unit is to provide a theoretical base and opportunities for applying knowledge in practical activities to ensure successful preparation for future professional practice in the area of speech sound disorders or hearing disorders.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Demonstrate knowledge of developmental speech soun...
Learning Outcome 01
Assess speech, analyse and interpret assessment in...
Learning Outcome 02
Formulate and justify management plans for childre...
Learning Outcome 03
HCF 7.1* Describe the concept of strength-based kn...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
Background to developmental speech sound disorders:
- Typical speech development
- Theoretical underpinning of speech development and developmental speech sound disorders
- Epidemiology of developmental speech sound disorders
- Classification systems of speech disorders
- Speech disorders of unknown origin versus organic origin
Assessment and analysis of developmental speech sound disorders:
- Evidence based practice as applied to the assessment of speech sound disorders and guided by the ICF framework
- Working with monolingual and multilingual people
- Working with First Nations people
- Oromotor assessment
- Screening and assessment tools
- Assessing single words versus connected speech
- Assessing stimulability, intelligibility, and variability/ inconsistency
- Assessing syllable structures and stress patterns
- Independent and relational analysis
- Differential diagnosis
Management and intervention of developmental speech sound disorders
- Evidence based practice as applied to the management of speech sound disorders and guided by the ICF framework
- Working with monolingual and multilingual people
- Working with First Nations people
- Selection of intervention targets (clinical decision making)
- Selection and application of evidence based intervention approaches
- Outcome measures in developmental speech sound disorders
Hearing development and disorders
- The hearing process and common hearing disorders over the lifespan
- Assessment and management of hearing loss across the lifespan using the ICF, EBP, person-centred practice, and culturally responsive practice
- The role of speech pathologists in aural rehabilitation
- Working with monolingual and multilingual people
- Working with First Nations people
Assessment strategy and rationale
This unit takes an authentic assessment approach, allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in clinically relevant scenarios. The unit requires students to demonstrate their knowledge, technical skills, communication skills, and clinical reasoning in the area of developmental speech sound disorders and hearing disorders, and assists them to prepare for professional practice experiences in other units of study.
The clinical skills assessment (ungraded hurdle) is a transcription task marked as satisfactory/unsatisfactory. The assessment requires students to use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to transcribe a sample of disordered speech. Students were introduced to the IPA in SPHY103 and used it to transcribe typical speech. This hurdle task will require them to extend their transcription skills in an authentic task that represents a common professional practice activity. Students will be required to pass the hurdle in order to pass the unit, but with unlimited opportunities provided to pass the task until the last week of semester.
The first graded assessment task is a test, which requires students to demonstrate their acquisition of knowledge relating to hearing disorders and developmental speech sound disorders, including assessment, analysis, and diagnosis before they need to apply their knowledge to a case study in the next assessment task.
The second graded assessment task is a case-study task, which requires students to demonstrate their clinical reasoning skills in identifying and justifying appropriate assessment tools, analysing and interpreting assessment case data of speech sound disorders and identifying recommendations for intervention.
The final graded assessment is an intervention task, which requires students to demonstrate their clinical reasoning skills in identifying appropriate intervention targets and approaches for children with different types of speech sound disorders.
In order to successfully complete this unit, students need to complete and submit all assessments and obtain an aggregate mark of 50% or greater.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1: Test Students demonstrate factual ...
Assessment 1: Test
Students demonstrate factual knowledge of speech sound disorders and hearing disorders and apply knowledge to case-based scenarios.
20%
Assessment 2: Case study Students demonstrate th...
Assessment 2: Case study
Students demonstrate the capacity to analyse and interpret assessment information for a child with speech sound disorder and identify recommendations for intervention.
50%
Assessment 3: Intervention Task Students demonst...
Assessment 3: Intervention Task
Students demonstrate the capacity to explain and plan intervention for developmental speech sound disorders.
30%
Hurdle: Clinical Skills Assessment Students use ...
Hurdle: Clinical Skills Assessment
Students use the International Phonetic Alphabet to transcribe a sample of disordered speech.
Ungraded Hurdle (satisfactory/ unsatisfactory)
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
In this unit, students will explore the essential knowledge underpinning the assessment and management of developmental speech sound disorders and hearing disorders via a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops.
Lectures are primarily utilised to deliver core-teaching material. Delivering material in a lecture format allows for the rapid coverage of key factual information that students require in order to commence their understanding of developmental speech sound disorders and hearing disorders
Tutorials and workshops will include small group, collaborative learning with students engaging in active discussion and application of the theoretical unit content of developmental speech sound disorders and hearing disorders. This will allow students to learn and practice technical and clinical reasoning skills required for clinical practice within a supported and safe teaching space. Inquiry-based learning and case-based learning will be utilised to allow students to better understand and explore the diagnostic and management processes required when working with individuals with speech disorders of a developmental nature. Learning activities within tutorials and workshops will be constructively aligned with the assessment tasks, in that students will have the opportunity to practice the technical skills, clinical reasoning skills, and communication skills required for the assessment tasks using parallel cases in tutorials and workshops. Tutorials and workshops will be interactive as ACU speech pathology graduates will be communication experts and likely to work in teams, so it is important that students have the opportunity to interact in tutorials and workshops and develop negotiation, teamwork, and oral communication skills.