Teaching students to work with children with speech sound disorders

This semester I am teaching year 2 speech pathology students at Charles Sturt University the subject SPH201: Speech Impairment in Children and Dr Michelle Brown is running the tutorials. Most weeks I am in Bathurst and teach the class via video conference while they are 5.5 hours away in Albury. Today, I spent 5 hours with the class face-to-face in Albury. We covered phonological and motor speech interventions. We drew on chapters 13 and 14 of Children's Speech (McLeod & Baker, 2017) as well as the chapters and videos from Interventions for Speech Sound Disorders in Children (Williams, McLeod & McCauley, 2010). I was so impressed at the interest and committment of the class.

Teaching year 2 students about working with children with speech sound disorders

I have been invited to teach SPH201: Speech Impairment in Children to the year 2 students at Charles Sturt University in Albury due to the illness of their allocated lecturer. They were using the textbook that Elise Baker and I had written titled "Children's Speech", so it seemed sensible that I teach them when the vacancy arose. I met some of the class while I was in Albury last week (they are great!) and will teach them via distance from Bathurst. I look forward to working with them to unpack the evidence underpinning clinical practice for working with children with speech sound disorders.

Teaching the SPH201 students in Albury about children with speech sound disorders

Today I begged Dr Sarah Verdon to let me teach her SPH201: Speech sound disorders class at Charles Sturt University in Albury. The class is using our Children's Speech textbook, so this was the first time I was able to actually use the material from the textbook with an undergraduate class. The students were enthusiastic and I am looking forward to hearing from Sarah about their learning throughout the semester and their application of the material to children with speech sound disorders in their professional practice. The students also promised to send feedback on the book* (something that Elise and I are very happy to receive from anyone!).

Some of the Charles Sturt University SPH201 students
with Dr Sarah Verdon and Professor Sharynne McLeod
(Photo credit: Allan)

*We did find one error in the Powerpoint slides that accompany the book (a risk/protective factor is "having an older sibling" not "being an older sibiling"