Clinical Education in Speech Pathology

Clinical education refers to that part of the Bachelor of Speech Pathology Degree program that directly equips the student with the requisite skills and experience to work as speech pathologists at the level of competent beginning practitioners. Academic courses provide the essential theoretical background to the understanding of clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management, while the clinical education courses provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate the integration of the relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes required for working as a speech pathologist.

Clinical Program Objectives

The clinical program aims to provide sufficient quality and quantity of clinical education and experience for students to meet the clinical requirements for eligibility for membership of the professional association for speech pathologists, Speech Pathology Australia. Specific objectives of the clinical program are as follows:

• Students will gain a range of experience with regard to:

- settings (eg. community, educational, medical).

- caseloads (eg. adult, adolescent, child)

- populations

(eg. disorders of language, speech, voice, fluency, swallowing).

- models of intervention (eg. direct individual or group therapy, carer training, consultancy).

• Students will develop problem-solving skills through the application of theoretical knowledge to actual cases, feedback and reflection.

• Students will develop self-evaluation skills through the establishment of individual learning goals and critical evaluation of personal clinical performance.

• Students will experience different models of clinical education (eg. one-to-one, group, peer).

• Students will develop professional socialisation, i.e. clinical management, ethical behaviour.

How to Offer a Speech Pathology Placement

Professional Experience SONIA System Access