By Marisa Witte
Northern Michigan University is home to a state-of-the-art Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic. Located in room 1504 of the Science Building, it is part of the School of Clinical Sciences’ speech, language, and hearing sciences (SLHS) program. Students get rare hands-on experience working with real-world clients in speech-language pathology, audiology and related fields.
The clinic features multiple observation and testing rooms and various diagnostic devices, allowing for a wide range of patients of all ages to be evaluated. With telehealth technology, students are able to service clients not only from the upper Midwest but internationally as well. What makes this clinic unique is that undergraduate students are able to gain observational and hands-on clinic experience before attending graduate school, providing valuable educational experiences that few universities offer.
“Northern really does a nice job with our undergraduate program in that we allow our seniors to provide therapy. A lot of schools don’t do that anymore, or never did,” Clinic Director and SLHS Professor Diane Jandron explained.
“We want to provide diverse experiences, so that when the students are out there, they’ll have a better grasp of the different populations as well as the different disorders.”
In addition, all services are free of charge, allowing clients to have access to life-changing resources regardless of their financial status.
“We’re here to help and to support the community; they’ve been our greatest source of referral. Children love coming here. The adults do as well. And we’re providing them services that they might not otherwise be able to receive,”
Jandron added. “I want people to know that we’re here, we want to help, and we love providing therapy.”
Beginning next summer, NMU will offer a master of science in speech language pathology, a rigorous, full-time, six-semester program.
Thanks to generous donors, the clinic now has new swallow diagnostic equipment and testing materials—enhancing the clinic’s ability to provide advanced care and change lives through improved diagnostics and therapy.
