Teaching Competence in Counseling: A Focus on the Supervisory Process

This article discusses the role counseling plays in clinical education. Counseling is considered an essential skill for practicing speech-language pathologists (SLPs), yet few accredited programs have a course devoted to it. Counseling is included as a domain in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Scope of Practice and SLPs are the most qualified professionals to support individuals dealing with the social and emotional consequences of a speech, language, or swallowing problem. There is limited research regarding student and clinical supervisor training in using counseling skills. Many clinical supervisors have not had a course in counseling, much less training in how to teach counseling skills to students in clinical practica. Four models of infusing counseling strategies into clinical practica are presented. This article highlights the need for an established course in counseling for SLP students-in-training and for supervisors in the art of teaching counseling skills in clinical practica.

Using Think-Alouds to Uncover Expert-Novice Gaps in AAC Intervention Planning Skills

Because few studies have explored preservice speech-language pathologists’ (SLP’s) learning outcomes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) coursework and clinical practica, there is a need to investigate student learning in this area. This article represents a portion of a larger study that explored the expert-novice gap in planning for intervention with children who use AAC. The companion article reports clinical reasoning skills, whereas the present study revealed intervention planning skills. The methods are the consistent with those reported in the companion article. In summary, eight novice (i.e. preservice) SLPs and eight expert SLPs completed think-aloud tasks while they developed intervention plans. Verbal data were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively. Eight intervention planning skills emerged from the data: selecting treatment style, planning activities, selecting or developing materials, planning teaching strategies, selecting targets, goal setting, collecting data, and feature matching. Considerable overlap across expert and novice performance was observed in some areas, while minor differences were noted in other skills. Expert-novice gaps were identified in two areas, developing a treatment style and feature matching. Familiarity with expert-novice gaps in intervention planning has implications for preservice instruction in AAC.

Academic and Clinical Training in Cleft Palate for Speech-Language Pathologists

Objective: The purpose of this study was to obtain information about academic and clinical training of speech-language pathology students in cleft palate (CP). Methods: Representatives of 232 accredited graduate programs in speech-language pathology were invited via e-mail to complete a web-based 32-item questionnaire. Questions focused on the type and nature of courses offered related to CP, availability of clinical practica, and number of hours of clinical experience by students. An item-by-item analysis was conducted and descriptive statistics obtained. Results: A total of 127 (54.7%) of the programs responded. Sixty-seven percent offered coursework exclusively devoted to CP, and for 53% of these it was a required course. For the programs that did not offer an exclusive course on CP, 35% indicated that CP was covered in other courses such as articulation, voice, or anatomy and physiology. Fifty-four percent of the programs offered clinical practica in CP. For these, a median of five students of a median graduate speech-language pathology class of 43 were enrolled in practica involving CP (range = 0–21), and students spent a median of 2 hours in practica involving CP (range = 0–100). Conclusions: Cleft palate is a complex disorder to which many students have limited exposure and for which more graduate training is unlikely since the 1993 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification changes. As a result, there is a need to look towards alternative methods to enhance the educational and clinical experiences of students and practitioners in cleft palate.

Challenges and Opportunities of International Clinical Practica

International clinical practica are a strategy to integrate a global dimension in nursing curricula and achieve culturally sensitive nursing practice. In this paper, a review of the history and development of international practica for nursing students is presented, and research evaluating the effectiveness and impact of international experiences is analyzed. A description of experiences working with Canadian nursing students is used to highlight the challenges and opportunities inherent to international clinical practica. International student experiences involving clinical practica pose challenges that are additional to, and often more complex than, those faced in traditional international, course-based exchanges. The significant opportunities, however, continue to make international student practica a desirable and positive experience for Canadian nursing students.

Seton Hall University Doctor of Science Degree Program

This article provides an overview of the clinical doctoral program in audiology at Seton Hall University. It is a full-time, 4-year program that includes academic course work, clinical practica, and research experience. In concert with the university mission, the program is designed to enable students to develop the skills they need to be leaders in the field of audiology, providing assessment and intervention to individuals with hearing problems and enhancing the knowledge base of the profession. As part of the School of Graduate Medical Education, students in the program have access to a wealth of resources in related health professions. The close proximity to New York City provides many opportunities for outstanding clinical education with a diverse population.