Sample Sequence of Courses

This course introduces graduate students to professional issues and standards related to the discipline of Speech-Language Pathology, including scope of practice and ethics. General principles of clinical observation, assessment, establishment of treatment goals, report writing, documentation, and service delivery in various facilities, including educational and medical settings, are emphasized. This course also includes a workshop on respect for individualized care.

Students will learn to evaluate and diagnose speech and language disorders. Administration of formal and authentic tests and the interpretation of results will be discussed. The course will emphasize the diagnosis of children and adults with specific emphasis on test selection, related assessment procedures, psychometrics and analysis of results. Diagnostic report writing will be emphasized. Requirements for assessment and report writing for a variety of settings including medical and educational setting will be presented. Specific attention will be given to evaluations and reports for CPSE and CSE within the NYC DOE and other private and public-school settings, as well as the development of IEPs. Federal, state, and local guidelines, requirements, rulings, and legislation will be presented as they relate to school assessments, re-evaluations, and documentation.

This course is designed to expose students to theoretical knowledge and clinical skills with respect to speech sound disorders across the lifespan. Students will learn about typical speech sound development and characteristics of articulation and phonological disorders. The course will examine assessment procedures, differential diagnosis, and intervention for functional and organic speech sound disorders in children and adults. Topics will include motor speech disorders such as Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Apraxia and Dysarthria. The influence of hearing loss and craniofacial disorders on speech sound development will be addressed. The impact of phonology on development of literacy skills will be discussed. Clinical practice of speech language pathology in the public school setting (K-12) will be discussed with respect to special education, models of service delivery, and referral and evaluation for services.

This course explores the neurobiological bases of human communication. Topics focus on advanced neuroanatomy and neurophysiology involved in sensory, motor and cognitive functions underlying respiration, phonation, articulation, resonance, hearing, and language. Students will learn about structures and functions related to prenatal and acquired communication disorders.

Students will learn about neurocognitive profiles and how they relate to language development and various disorders. The characteristics and treatment strategies for these disorders and their effects on emergent language skills will be presented. Form, Content, and Use of language, in addition to memory skills, cognition, and the underlying skills necessary for successful language development and academics will be taught. Neural substrates of Dyslexia and reading programs will be covered, in addition to the role of the Speech-Language Pathologist in the school setting. Students will be guided in formulating diagnoses and evidence-based treatment plans after interpreting, synthesizing, and analyzing information from assessments, case histories, class discussions, language samples, assigned text readings, and videos. The course will examine special education laws related to students within the school system.   Measurable and effective goal planning will be discussed.  Client, patient, and family-centered care will be emphasized in assessment and intervention.  Course examinations and a language project will be given to assess student competency, knowledge, and application of the course material.

Corequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611

This course accompanies the students’ initial in-house clinical placement. Clinical procedures are introduced, including planning and providing developmentally appropriate therapy sessions, maintaining records, and completing reports. Knowledge regarding various disorders is applied to the treatment of individuals across the lifespan. Modification of instructional methods in response to behavioral issues are discussed. School-based, medical, home-based and other settings will be discussed, with emphasis on responsibilities of SLPs in these various settings. School-based techniques and curriculum-based content are discussed, including pull-out and push-in types of sessions, IEPs, RTI, collaboration with staff, and various pedagogical approaches. Supervision is provided by state-licensed, ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologists, with students’ direct treatment hours recorded and applied as per ASHA requirements.

Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of SPPN 610: Clinical Methods in Speech-Language Pathology

Systematic and controlled observations of measurable behaviors pertinent to clinical, experimental, and applied research in the areas of typical and atypical human communication are the skills taught in this course and referenced in terms of the choices of data to be collected, evaluated, and interpreted. Students design research projects consistent with the principles of ethical research, mentored by faculty. Projects are carried out through the Institutional Review Board of Touro University. This course has been designed to enable students to gain knowledge about the research development process in the field of speech language pathology, including systematic investigation of the research topics related to developmental norms for speech-language pathology, clinical issues for school-age children in the educational settings, and clinical challenges associated with the geriatric population in medical and non-medical settings.

The purpose of this course is to provide the requisite knowledge for understanding, assessing, and treating language impairments associated with focal lesions to the left and right hemispheres. Students will learn about the neural substrates for language, language assessment principles and procedures, and the nature and treatment of aphasia, alexia, agraphia, cognitive and right hemisphere disorders.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 615

This course is designed to provide current knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder in children, adolescents, and adults. Current definitions, theories of etiology, principles of assessment, diagnosis, and intervention will be presented. Evidence-based approaches to promote communication and socialization in general education and special education settings, home and community will be explored. Clinical and ethical dilemmas raised in the context of evidence-based practice will be discussed. A variety of neurocognitive profiles within the diagnosis of ASD will be addressed in both theoretical and practical application. Challenges encountered by individuals with ASD diagnosis, including entering higher education, employment, and resources available for support across the lifespan will be covered. The importance of recognizing client and family-centered care is highlighted throughout the course. 

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 630

This course provides speech-language pathology students with an understanding of the complex multidimensional nature of fluency disorders and their diagnosis and management. By the end of this course, students will have acquired knowledge about the nature of stuttering and other fluency disorders, including etiology, characteristics of the disorder, the neurophysiological basis of fluency disorders and developmental features of fluency disorders across the lifespan.   Topics will also include psychological correlates of fluency disorders, linguistic factors relating to fluency disorders, and social considerations in the management of fluency disorders.   The differential diagnostic characteristics of fluency disorders will be presented.  Individual and family-centered counseling for adults and caregivers of children and adolescents will be addressed.  Special attention is given to the management of academic, communication and social issues related to stuttering within the school setting. 

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611

This course will focus on the relationship between language and learning disabilities, and the impact of language and learning disabilities in academic, social and work settings. It will examine the contributions of neuropsychology, learning theory, executive function and cognitive-perceptual development to the study of language-based learning disabilities. Interventions for language, learning, reading, math and writing disabilities will be covered. The speech and language pathologist’s role in assessing and supporting the underlying skills necessary for learning, in discipline- specific academic areas, will be studied. The responsibilities of the speech-language pathologist as a member of an interdisciplinary team in a school setting are emphasized from kindergarten through high school and post-secondary education including instruction, adaptations and modifications, IEP compliance and differentiated instruction.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 615, SPPN 630

This course provides an understanding of the neuroanatomy and physiology of speech production and the relationship to motor speech disorders, including apraxia of speech and dysarthria in adults and children. Students will be able to describe etiologies and basic characteristics of motor speech disorders and acquire the knowledge and skills in standardized, instrumental, and informal assessments for motor speech disorders. Students will learn how to provide an accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and rationale for evidence-based treatments based on clinical assessment results. Special attention will be given to identifying and differentiating types of dysarthria using audio and video samples. The selection and implementation of appropriate intervention strategies for clients with apraxia and different classifications of dysarthria will also be discussed. Childhood Apraxia of Speech and dysarthria in children will be included, emphasizing the impact of motor speech disorders on the educational process in school-age children and how to address academic, communication, and social issues for this population. Educational service options and delivery systems will be identified.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 615

This elective course includes the nature, etiology, embryology, assessment, and interprofessional medical and educational management of potential communication, resonance, and swallowing disorders experienced by individuals presenting with cleft lip, cleft palate, craniofacial anomalies, and velopharyngeal dysfunction across the lifespan. Specific genetic disorders and their medical, educational, social, and psychological implications for infants, preschoolers, school-age children, adolescents, and adults are discussed. Specific instrumentation related to assessing and treating speech and resonance disorders will be introduced.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 615

This course will introduce school-based speech-language pathology practices as a learning experience. Critical issues related to the practice of speech-language pathology in the public school setting (K-12), including legislative issues, special education, models of service delivery, Response to Intervention (RTI), referral and evaluation for services, development of the Individual Education Plan (IEP), New York State Common Core Standards, lesson planning, and caseload management are focal targets of the course. Students will learn to interface effectively with teachers and other personnel in the schools. Students will explore the curriculum and the impact of speech-language difficulties on academic performance. Students will understand the needs of students with speech, language, and communication disorders and learn differentiating and individualizing instruction for children classified with IEPs across settings, including general education. Current ASHA roles and responsibilities of the school-based clinician will also be reviewed.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 630, SPPN 640

This seminar accompanies the student’s initial assessment experience. Procedures for diagnostic evaluations are reviewed and students can select and administer appropriate evaluation procedures through the application, analysis and synthesis of psychometric principles with an understanding of the individual to be evaluated, presenting problem(s) to be addressed and best practices. Students interpret and integrate information to develop different diagnoses, make recommendations, and complete written reports. Diagnostic evaluations assigned to students during the internship will be reviewed and discussed in class. Students learn to conduct and complete diagnostic evaluations with full consideration of their use, including determining referrals and recommendations and use by third party payers including Medicaid and Medicare. Attention is given to the function of diagnostic assessment within school systems, including their role in IEP development, student placement and provision of services, and relevant education law at state and local levels as it relates to assessment and diagnosis.

Prerequisites: SPPN 611

This seminar accompanies and supports the initial externship placement, in which direct contact hours for ASHA clock requirements are supervised by licensed, ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologists. This seminar provides students the opportunity to discuss the various aspects of their experience in their school placements, ethical issues that arise in educational settings, share case studies, exchange protocols, and identify and solve problems that arise in the effective treatment of clients both in educational and rehabilitation settings. This class places an emphasis on issues specific to the school system including educational and pedagogical techniques, interprofessional collaboration with teachers and administration, and working within the educational mandate and scope of practice.

Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of SPPN 621A

This seminar provides mentoring for students during the intermediate and final stages of their research requirement. This course is a continuation of the research work initiated in the Foundations of Research course. Students execute research projects designed in the previous semester, consistent with the principles of ethical research. Projects are carried out through the Institutional Review Board of Touro University. This course has been designed to enable the students to gain knowledge about the various aspects of the research development process in the field of speech and language pathology, including data collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and preparation of the final manuscript.

Prerequisites: SPPN 627

This course will provide students with an in-depth understanding of normal and abnormal swallowing in children and adults. Included will be a review of pertinent anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, etiological correlates, evaluation and treatment techniques for a wide range of swallowing disorders. Current research on swallowing disorders involving complex pulmonary, airway, systemic, or neurogenic disorders will also be presented. Training for an in-depth standardized scoring of fluoroscopic swallow studies, the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment  Profile (MBSImP), will be an integral part of the course and will be considered the laboratory component of the course. This course assumes a prior knowledge of basic head and neck anatomy, physiology, and basic neuroanatomy.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, 611, SPPN 615

This course addresses the nature, etiology, diagnosis and intervention procedures for various types of voice disorders. Voice disorders in children, adolescents, and adults will be studied in detail. Included in the discussions will be training techniques for teacher reduction of vocal abuse in the classroom as well as care of the professional voice. The aspects of respiration, phonation, and resonance in normal and abnormal voice production will be examined. Specific instrumentation related to voice assessment will be introduced. Professional issues and standards related to the discipline of Speech-Language Pathology, including the scope of practice, and ethics, are addressed. General principles of clinical observation, assessment, the establishment of treatment goals, report writing, documentation, and service delivery in various facilities, including educational and medical settings, are emphasized.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 615

This seminar, taken concurrently with SPPN 640 Advanced Audiology, offers hands-on experience in the administration and interpretation of audiological procedures that align with the scope of practice of speech-language pathologists. Students learn to measure classroom acoustics, screen for hearing loss, and screen for auditory processing disorders. Troubleshooting hearing aids and cochlear implants is also a key component of this seminar. Individualized Education Program (IEP) recommendations to provide the Deaf/ Hard of Hearing (D/HH) student with hearing assistive technologies, acoustic accommodations, and hearing support services in the classroom are considered.

Corequisite: SPPN 640

This seminar accompanies 2^nd externship placement. This seminar provides students with the opportunity to discuss evidence-based practices for effective interventions, ethical dilemmas, and scope of practice issues related to a variety of settings.   In-patient rehabilitation, adult healthcare, acute care, and skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, educational and private practice settings are included.  Interprofessional Practice (IPP), documentation, insurance and coding for reimbursement are addressed.  Issues related to placements in medical setting, including individual and family-centered care are emphasized.

This course reviews the psychoacoustics of sound, the anatomy, and physiology of the ear, the principles of audiological assessment, audiometric interpretation, and the behavioral and physiological test batteries that measure hearing across the lifespan. . Special emphasis is placed on the educational significance of hearing loss and the roles and responsibilities of the speech-language pathologist in delivering speech services to children who are deaf/hard of hearing in the school system. Topics include auditory processing disorders, classroom accommodations, hearing aids, cochlear implants, and hearing assistive technology.

Prerequisites: SPPN 615

Assessment, remediation, and prevention of the potential and deleterious effect of hearing impairment on auditory/oral communication across the lifespan is the focus of this elective course. Students explore how amplification devices, hearing-assistive technology, and cochlear implant technology provides individuals, particularly children, with access to acoustic signals. . This course also examines the key role of the SLP in developing an IEP and delivering school-based aural rehabilitation services for students with hearing loss. A study of rehabilitative procedures, including total communication, auditory training, and communication strategies, are reviewed. Collaboration between educators, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and parents to determine the best educational placement and curriculum for a child with hearing loss is highlighted.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 640

This course provides speech-language pathology students with an understanding of the neuroanatomy and physiology of speech production and how they relate to motor speech disorders, including apraxia of speech and types of dysarthria. By the end of this course, students will be able to describe etiologies and basic characteristics of motor speech disorders, will be familiar with the standardized, instrumental, and informal assessment tools of motor speech disorders, will be able to analyze and integrate medical history, motor speech examination, and auditory-perceptual assessment, and to derive an accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and rationale for evidence-based treatments. Special attention will be provided to identifying and differentiating various types of dysarthria using audio and video samples. The selection and implementation of appropriate intervention strategies for clients with apraxia and different types of dysarthria will also be examined. Childhood apraxia and dysarthria in children will be included. The impact of motor speech disorders on the educational process in school-age children and how to address academic, communication, and social issues for this population will be covered. Educational service options and delivery systems will be identified with a focus on planning and managing learning environments when teaching students with motor speech disorders This course fulfills motor speech content requirements. Students completing this course are exempt from the Motor Speech Disorders/Dysarthria Learning Enrichment Experience.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 615

This elective course includes the nature, etiology, embryology, assessment, and interprofessional medical and educational management of potential communication, resonance, and swallowing disorders experienced by individuals presenting with cleft lip, cleft palate, craniofacial anomalies, and velopharyngeal dysfunction across the lifespan. Specific genetic disorders and their medical, educational, social, and psychological implications for infants, preschoolers, school-age children, adolescents, and adults are discussed. Collaboration of the SLP with general education teachers to minimize speech, language and hearing deficits experienced in the classroom will be addressed. Specific instrumentation related to assessment and treatment of speech and resonance disorders will be introduced.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 615

Etiologies and classifications of cerebral anomalies, with an emphasis on cerebral palsy, are reviewed. The evaluation and treatment of speech, language and hearing problems are the focus of this elective course. Concomitant neuromuscular deficits that may require classroom modifications and augmentative and alternative approaches to communication are referenced. This course will also cover developmental disabilities in children including Intellectual Disability, Fragile–X syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Neural Tube Defects, and Down’s Syndrome. The impact of these disorders on development, primarily on speech, language, feeding and communication, is emphasized. The effect of these communication disorders in educational settings is presented, including individualizing learning and education modifications, classroom settings including general education settings, and more individualized classroom and specialized school environments. Relevant Federal, state, and local statutes, laws, regulations and guidelines are included in course content. Issues of health care in the treatment of individuals with disability will be addressed. The understanding of IEPs, referrals, due process, appeals and the speech-language pathologist’s participation in each of these areas is also presented.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 615, SPPN 630

This course focuses on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to provide globally responsive services to second-language speakers of all ages. Major topics include understanding variability among multilingual individuals as it impacts communication, including language development and social pragmatic interactions. Areas to be studied include evidence-based methods available to provide unbiased and ethically responsive assessment practices. The use of portfolio assessment, narrative assessment, and dynamic assessment methods is demonstrated. Identifying difference versus disorder in second language speakers and speakers of language variations (ask Isabella what she means) is emphasized. Developing the ability to understand individual variability in clinical practice within the context of assessment and intervention will be discussed. Delivering ethically responsive services about linguistic variations that can affect characteristics of bilingual speakers and speakers of language variations in non-medical and medical settings through Interprofessional Practice (IPP) is addressed. 

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 630

This course will expose students to contemporary issues in speech and language pathology. Critical issues and topics will be presented and explored with an emphasis on highlighting current knowledge and practical applications available. Topics will vary by semester as reflected in the most recent professional journals, ASHA position papers, and relevant newly enacted regulations and legislations. Topics recently presented included: telepractice, prematurity and its implications on health and development, adverse childhood experiences, concussion, emotional intelligence, neurocognitive profiles, communication disorders and the justice system, and principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in intervention for communication disorders. Emerging assessments and interventions for communication disorders, the latest technological advances and the growing use of artificial intelligence in the field of speech and language pathology will be among additional topics explored.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 615, SPPN 630.

This course is an introduction to psycholinguistics, an interdisciplinary field shaped by research in cognitive sciences, linguistics, artificial intelligence, and philosophy. This course is designed to address the current state of knowledge regarding the interaction of attention, perception, and memory. Current questions and debates in the field of psycholinguistics and cognitive science will be discussed.  The role of memory and various aspects of cognition in language acquisition and in communication disorders will be explored. This class places an emphasis on the cognitive structures essential for classroom learning, identification of school-age students at risk for language-based learning disorders and collaboration with teachers and therapists to support efficient learning and social-emotional development.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 615, SPPN 630

This course provides emerging trends in the assessment and treatment of language disorders across the lifespan as evidenced in current research and evidence-based practice. Models of disordered language are discussed, including clinician-directed and collaborative approaches to intervention. Topics will also include management of acquired language disorders in school-aged children and adolescents with respect to assessment, intervention, individualization of instruction, laws, regulations, and inclusion in school settings. Issues of healthcare in individuals with language disorders across the lifespan will be addressed.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 630

This course will introduce school-based speech-language pathology practices as a learning experience. Critical issues related to the practice of speech-language pathology in the school setting (K-12), including legislative issues, special education, models of service delivery, Response to Intervention (RTI), referral and evaluation for services, development of the Individual Education Plan (IEP), New York State Common Core Standards, lesson planning, and caseload management are focal points of the course. Students will learn to interface effectively with teachers and other school personnel. Students will explore the curriculum and the impact of speech-language difficulties on academic performance. Current ASHA roles and responsibilities of the school-based clinician will also be reviewed.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 630, SPPN 640

This course will cover the neuroanatomy and physiology of speech production and how they relate to individuals with cluttering, dysarthria, and other communication disorders in the geriatric population. The theoretical foundation will be supplemented with clinical practice for the evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of these, using audio and video samples. Special attention to the impact of cluttering on the educational process in school-age children and how to address academic, communication, and social issues for this population will be discussed.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 630.

This elective course will provide a working knowledge of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modes for individuals across the lifespan. Augmentative and alternative communication systems and training techniques to promote participation, inclusion, and socialization in a variety of educational and medical settings will be explored. This course will examine the vast array of low, mid, and high assistive technologies that improve the communication, language, and literacy skills of individuals that are unable to meet their communication needs via speech or writing. Students will understand and become comfortable with using and exploring augmentative and alternative communication technologies for individuals with varied skills and needs, including positioning and access considerations. Assessment and intervention of needs for AAC devices via evidence-based practice will be discussed.  Funding sources will be explored.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 630

The focus of this course is to acquire the knowledge and clinical skills necessary for the assessment, diagnosis and interventions for infants and toddlers from birth to three with communication and swallowing disorders. The scope of practice, ethics, clinical observation and service delivery, as it relates to the families and caregivers of children birth to three is presented. Principles of clinical observation, assessment, establishment of treatment goals, report writing, and documentation for the speech language pathologist in home-based, outpatient, and a variety of medical settings are emphasized. Students will understand federal, state, and local requirements, in addition to working within the Early Intervention system. The feeding and swallowing disorders in infants and toddlers with various disabilities will be highlighted in this course. Assessing breast, bottle, and spoon-feeding skills and addressing issues related to oral motor, sensory, neurological, medical, and behavioral feeding difficulties will be included.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 630

The typical effects of aging are compared with the manifestations of atypical aging on communication, cognition, and memory are topics presented in this elective course, along with strategies that the speech-language pathologist can employ to help the client compensate for, or ameliorate, negative manifestations.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 615, SPPN 630

This elective course presents an overview of the development of linguistic sub-skills, and the motor and visual-spatial processes involved in reading and writing, along with frequently-encountered anomalies in this process that challenge the individual’s ability to advance academically.

Prerequisites: SPPN 610, SPPN 611, SPPN 612, SPPN 615, SPPN 630