COM 399: Speech & Language Pathology Assistant Practicum

Course Description

This course will focus on the application of supervised clinical practice procedures as required of a speech-language pathology assistant in an educational setting. This practicum course is designed to provide supervised learning experiences and application opportunities of foundation skills essential to working effectively as a speech and language pathology assistant. Students are expected to demonstrate Speech Language Pathology Assistant Competencies under the graduated guidance of the course instructor and site Speech Language Pathologist Supervisor. Students will examine theoretical concepts, and reflect on and analyze their practicum experiences in-class as they continue to examine their role as speech language services in the school setting. (3 credits)

Attendance Requirements

It is expected that students will interact within the course a minimum of 2 times per week, posting responses to discuss prompts and posting responses to classmates’ posts as well as completing readings and other assignments.

Incompletes

Incompletes will be worked out on an individual basis and only for very compelling reasons. Each Incomplete will be drawn up in a written contract with work and final deadline specified in writing on a form provided by the college.

Prerequisites

• COM 102: Language and Communication Development
• COM 103: Speech Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) Standards and Practices
• COM 206: Methods of Intervention for Speech Disorders
• COM 306: Methods of Intervention for Language Disorders
• COM 307: Language and Literacy Development
• COM 308: Language and Communication in Autism

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will have effectively demonstrated all competencies listed on the Speech Language Pathology Assistant Competencies Rating Scales. Students will be able to:

1. Recognize students' individual learning and / or cultural differences while focusing on providing varied opportunities for goal-oriented learning.
2. Follow the educational / intervention / specialized instruction plans as determined by the supervising speech language pathologist.
3. Use and manage time effectively to prepare and organize materials, deliver services, collect data and meet with supervising speech pathologist.
4. Maintain a positive relationship with supervisor, demonstrating professional and responsible behavior while delivering services.
5. Effectively and professionally communicate with supervising speech pathologist and other colleagues in the educational setting.
6. Collect data accurately to effectively; provide professional explanations of data to supervising speech pathologist.
7. Collaborate with supervising speech pathologist to effectively modify specially designed instruction plans, strategies, materials and or instrumentation to meet the needs of the student.
8. Advocate for our professional scope of practice in respectful, professional manner.
9. Recognizes own limitations within the ASHA-approved SLPA job responsibilities.

General Requirements

1. Practicum Work Reflective Journal Entries (minimum of 8) & Time Logs: Goal: Students are expected to summarize their experiences and indicate in a reflective journal what strategies they observed and learned (see protocol for observation and reflective journal rubric).
2. Student Learning Objectives - progress monitoring: Goal: Students will keep track of their own progress towards their professional learning goals through reflective entries into a KNOW, WHAT, LEARNED, DO (KWLD) chart weeks 1 (baseline), 3, 5, 9 and 14 (see directions and grading rubric).
3. SLPA Competencies Rating Scale / Employer Evaluation: Goal:
   1. Students will self-assess their baseline competencies by using this instrument as a pretest.
   2. Based on pretest results, as students share these results with their supervising speech pathologist, students will establish professional goals with site supervising speech pathologist.
   3. Approximately half-way through the practicum experience, students and site supervisor will revisit the pretest results and professional goals set for the purpose of determining current growth and projected growth.
   4. At the end of the practicum experience, the site speech language pathologist supervisor in conjunction with course instructor will then measure and assess the professional growth of the student by examining the post assessment and comparing it to the pretest. It is expected that by the end of the practicum experience, all professional goals initially set by the student and the site supervisor will be achieved, and the student will effectively demonstrate all competencies listed on the SLPA Competencies Rating Scale.
4. Threaded Discussion Questions: Goal: Students will participate in 17 threaded discussions and will post a minimum of one response to each of their classmates' contributions to threaded discussions.
5. Phone Conference with Practicum Course Instructor: Goal: Students will participate in a phone conference with the Practicum Course Instructor, demonstrating their own effective communication skills while discussing their work experience and how they applied the concepts and skills they have learned to professional practice.
6. Videos: Goal: Students will submit 2 video tapes (no longer than 10 minutes each) of different scenarios of SLPA working with students. 1) Working one to one with a student delivering intervention, 2) Engaging students in a small group delivery intervention for the purposes of demonstrating the SLPA’s understanding of developmentally appropriate practice in the field of speech language pathology.

Students are expected to complete a final 100-hour practicum experience. Students are expected to identify a school-based setting for the practicum and submit an application to SLPA Course Instructor and Advisor for approval prior to the start of the course. 

Course Activities and Grading

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak State College's online bookstore

• Ostergren, Jennifer A (2020). Speech-Language Pathology Assistants: A Resource Manual - with Access Code. 2nd ed. Plural Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-1-944883-26-3

Course Schedule

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.