The areas of speech-language pathology and audiology are concerned with basic communicative behavior. The Department also offers undergraduate coursework to fulfill the requirements for an elementary or secondary education component in the teacher education programs of the College of Education. The education of the hearing impaired graduate curriculum meets the requirements for training in EHI in the State of Idaho and through reciprocal agreement with most states.
Students work in supervised programs providing for a broad spectrum of speech and hearing disorders.
Upper division and graduate students gain experience in evaluation, treatment, staffing, and counseling related to communicative disorders. Opportunities for obtaining clinical experience in speech-language pathology and audiology are provided in the ISU Speech and Hearing Center, public schools, state institutions, hospitals, private practice, and other service facilities. Under supervision by clinical faculty, students can accumulate the necessary clinical hours required for state and ASHA certification. Clinical experience in diagnosis, habilitation, and rehabilitation is available in such areas as phonology, language, stuttering, voice, and speech-language problems associated with cerebral palsy, cleft palate, brain damage and mental retardation. Experience with people with hearing impairment is available in areas such as hearing loss identification, pure-tone testing, audiological assessment, hearing aid evaluation, auditory training, speech reading, and speech conservation and therapy for those with congenital or acquired hearing loss.