海角直播

Speech-language pathologists and audiologists work with people with communication聽challenges and differences. The two professions consistently face a shortage of service providers who identify as Spanish-English bilingual.聽Additionally, disparities in age of diagnosis and access to services in public schools, hospitals and other clinical settings are common among clients from Hispanic/Latinx/o/a backgrounds.

At the聽Metropolitan State University of Denver聽聽we聽prepare our聽students to聽be advocates聽and champions聽for聽marginalized聽communities. The department also聽provides access and connections to聽community聽resources, and faculty members聽serve as cultural ambassadors to colleagues and institutions across Colorado. As we celebrate Hispanic and Latinx/o/a聽Heritage Month, we invite our campus partners to learn more about our programs and offerings.

Longstanding undergraduate program

To foster an聽inclusive,聽safe,聽welcoming聽environment, and to聽imbue students with聽a聽sense聽of cultural聽humility and competence early in their careers,聽the department offers聽a聽diversity-infused聽undergraduate education.聽Students participate in聽undergraduate research and聽service-learning projects that address topics relevant to Hispanic/Latinx/o/a聽communities and聽develop resource materials that are culturally sensitive and linguistically relevant.

In 2020, students developed a resource for聽Spanish-English bilingual parents of children on the autism spectrum that addresses commonly asked questions regarding the use of two languages at home with an autistic child.聽This聽video repository, 鈥�搁别肠耻谤蝉辞蝉听别苍听别蝉辫补帽辞濒听辫补谤补听苍颈帽辞蝉听测听蹿补尘颈濒颈补蝉听补耻迟颈蝉迟补蝉听产颈濒颈苍驳眉别蝉,鈥澛爄s free and available to the public.

Students have also developed聽bilingual resources on promoting hearing health in children聽and addressing myths associated with telehealth services.聽Hispanic/Latinx/o/a SLHS聽students聽have a meaningful聽experience聽and a sense of personal relevance while engaging in these聽projects. Meanwhile,聽non-Hispanic/Latinx/o/a聽students also benefit from collaboration and early exposure to cultural responsiveness.

Upcoming graduate聽program

The new Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS SLP) program will launch next June.聽In addition to earning their MS SLP degree, students will have the聽option聽to complete聽didactic聽and clinical education聽coursework聽with聽a聽specialization in聽. This additional specialization supports 海角直播 Denver鈥檚 Hispanic/Latinx/o/a/ students by valuing their dual-language聽proficiency, their cultural heritage and the unique skills they bring to our graduate program and the聽profession.

The department will launch聽an聽on-campus, fully functioning Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic in spring 2023聽to provide services聽in English and Spanish聽to 海角直播 Denver students and alumni, their聽children and聽families, and community members with speech,聽language聽and/or聽hearing disorders聽and differences.聽Services will be offered on a generous sliding scale allowing even the most vulnerable individuals access to these important聽interventions.

As we聽embark on this new聽journey,聽we welcome input from the 海角直播 Denver community. Do you or does someone you know聽experience聽communication challenges?聽Would you or a loved one benefit from聽therapy for聽speech, language and/or hearing?聽If so, please聽email Ilana Oliff, director of Clinical Education, to get connected with the program and stay informed聽about upcoming聽services.