The Graduate program in speech-language pathology requires enrolled students to possess certain skills and abilities, prior to and continuing throughout the master’s program, to successfully complete both the academic and clinical components of the curriculum. These skills and abilities are divided into five areas:
1) communication; 2) motor; 3) sensory-observational; 4) behavioral-social; 5) intellectual-cognitive. The technical standards detailed below describe these skills and abilities in greater detail.
Loyola University Maryland is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified students with disabilities. If after reviewing this document you become aware that you may need an accommodation to meet these technical standards, it is your responsibility to contact the office of Disability Support Services to initiate the process of requesting the required accommodation. Determining reasonable and appropriate accommodations is an interactive process between the student, Disability Support Services, and the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences. A reasonable accommodation should not fundamentally alter academic or clinical program requirements or lower academic or clinical standards.
Students are required to notify the department of any changes in their ability to meet these technical standards that occur throughout the course of the program.
Communication Skills
As a student in the speech-language pathology master’s program, you must possess adequate communication skills to:
- Communicate proficiently in both oral and written English.
- Read and write sufficiently to meet curricular and clinical demands.
- Communicate proficiently and legibly on patient documentation, reports, academic papers, and projects.
- Perceive and use non-verbal communication accurately and appropriately.
- Model appropriate voice, fluency, articulation, and language needed for effective evaluation and treatment.
Motor Skills
As a student in the speech-language pathology master’s program, you must possess adequate motor skills to:
- Sustain a necessary level of physical activity for a full academic day (e.g. three 2.5- hour classes) and clinical day (e.g., two to three 60-minute sessions for treatment across ages and abilities).
- Respond quickly to provide a safe environment for clients in emergency situations including fire, choking, and other environmental or medical emergencies.
- Secure transportation to and from clinical and academic placements.
- Manipulate efficiently testing and treatment materials and environments and patient-utilized equipment.
- Access and utilize technology for clinical and classroom management (e.g., billing, charting, therapy programs, and other online resources).
Sensory - Observational Skills (e.g., vision, hearing, and perceptual abilities)
As a student in the speech-language pathology master’s program, you must possess adequate sensory skills of vision, hearing, touch, and smell to:
- Visually and auditorily identify normal and disordered communication and swallowing (e.g. articulation, voice and resonance, oral and written language, swallowing, cognition, and social interaction).
- Visualize, identify, and discriminate anatomic structures and findings on imaging studies.
- Discriminate text, numbers, tables, and graphs in visually and auditorily presented materials for classroom and clinic use.
Professional Behavior - Social Skills
As a student in the speech-language pathology master’s program, you must possess adequate behavioral and social skills to:
- Display compassion, integrity, and empathy for others including faculty, clients, staff, and peers.
- Demonstrate flexibility and composure in a high-stress environment inherent in this full-time master’s program.
- Recognize and show respect for individuals with disabilities and for individuals of different ages, genders, race, religions, sexual orientation, and cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Manage your time effectively and prioritize actions to complete professional and technical tasks within expected time constraints.
- Accept appropriate suggestions and constructive criticism and, if necessary, respond by modifying behavior.
- Conduct oneself in an ethical and legal manner.
- Maintain good physical and emotional health in order not to jeopardize the health and safety of self and individuals with whom one interacts in academic and clinical settings.
Intellectual - Cognitive Skills
As a student in the speech-language pathology master’s program, you must possess adequate intellectual and cognitive skills to:
- Comprehend, retain, integrate, synthesize, and apply information to meet curricular and clinical demands.
- Identify and communicate the limits of your knowledge to others when appropriate.
- Identify and utilize resources in order to increase knowledge that is specific to the curriculum.
- Follow detailed written and verbal instruction
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