A Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) is an allied health professional that works to “identify, help prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat a wide range of disorders affecting speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing in children and adults”. According to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), SLPs “work with the full range of human communication and swallowing disorders in individuals of all ages from new-born to the elderly. Having Speech Language Pathologist in a developing country is of primary importance since whereas swallowing is vital to sustain an individual’s life, language is the mental and spiritual mean by which one can connect and communicate with others. Therefore, there is a need to develop professionals who have the skills and knowledge to tackle these disorders, and in addition carry out cultural and linguistically valid research to develop Saudi Arabian normative data as well as valid and reliable assessment and therapy protocols.
The master’s in clinical Speech Language Pathology is offered academically by the College of Medicine at Alfaisal University. The Speech Language Pathology Clinic at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre will carry out the clinical aspects of the degree. The courses are designed based on several educational pillars; in classroom taught courses and supervised clinical practice along with either a project or a thesis. Successful completion of these core elements leads to a graduate as a specialized speech therapy practitioner.
Exploration of the fundamentals of clinical methods, including evaluation process, goal setting, behavior management, pacing of therapy, shaping of behavior, tracking performance/learning, and professional and ethical behavior through observation of clinical interactions. Discussion of data collection and documentation methods. Introduction to the assessment process. Exploring counseling; development of appropriate intervention plans that meet patient needs in collaboration with patient and relevant others; communicating effectively and recognizing needs, values, preferred mode of communication, and cultural linguistic background of patient, family, caregivers, relevant others; providing counseling to patients, family, and caregivers regarding communication and swallowing disorders.
Overview of communication disorders secondary to brain damage in adults; The course will include the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of social aspects of communication as well as the management of acquired cognitive-communication disorders associated with traumatic brain injury, right hemisphere damage, and neurodegenerative diseases. The assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and recovery processes associated with aphasia, dysarthria and apraxia will also be covered. Emphasis on the integration of normative data, scientific knowledge, and clinical practice.
Basic physical, physiological principles in understanding typical voice production, professional, nonprofessional, impaired voice production; vocal anatomy, voice classification; control of loudness, pitch, register, quality; efficient, inefficient use of voice; instrumentation for voice analysis, synthesis. In addition to application of methods of intervention in development, training, rehabilitation of vocal behavior; motor learning, efficacy of treatment strategies, factors affecting compliance with recommended therapy.
