AU'S SPEECH AND HEARING CLINIC BENEFITING COMMUNITY

A part of the College of Liberal Arts Department of Communication Disorders, Auburn University’s Speech and Hearing Clinic provides assessment and treatment services for a full range of patients who experience problems with speaking, understanding or hearing. This year the clinic celebrates 60 years of helping the residents of East Alabama.

One of those patients is Bob Ivey, who has been receiving speech therapy at the clinic since 2005. He and his wife, Lillie said they are amazed by his progress since losing much of his ability to speak after suffering a debilitating stroke nearly three years ago.

“They’ve taught him to say things I would never have thought he’d be able to say after the stroke,” said Lillie Ivey. “We are just so thankful for everyone at the clinic.”

Each patient’s therapy is customized based on individual needs and clients are often paired with undergraduate or graduate students in the communication disorders program. The students are mentored by certified faculty members specializing in either audiology or speech-language pathology, who provide assessments and therapy.

“The clients and the students both benefit from this arrangement as there is a therapeutic component for each,” said Carol Carruth, assistant clinical professor of communication disorders at AU. “The families have close relationships with the students that run their therapy sessions and the students learn so much from working with the patients.”

Helen Marie Pursley, a third-year master’s student in communication disorders, said the experience she’s received working with patients like Bob Ivey in the clinic has been invaluable.

“The experience is the best part of my job. You learn how to handle different kinds of people, and you bond with the clients,” she said.

The clinic, which will mark 60 years of service this year, uses a sliding fee scale to assess patients for services. They also accept Medicaid.

For more information or to make an appointment, call (334) 844-9600 or visit http://media.cla.auburn.edu/commdis/clinic/index.cfm.