Speech-language pathology involves the assessment and treatment of communication disorders.
Communication disorders may occur at any age level and may involve:
- articulation-speech sound production
- language and literacy-understanding/expressing ideas clearly and effectively through
listening, speaking, reading and writing
- voice-pitch, loudness, quality and vocal cord function
- fluency-flow and rhythm of speech and/or stuttering
- augmentative-alternative communication-use of technology for those who cannot speak
- dysphagia-difficulty with swallowing
- cognition-thinking, organizing and problem-solving
- hearing-the process and function of perceiving sound
My name is Sheila Rupke and I graduated with a Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2007. I am currently a speech-language pathologist for Tri-County Special Services based out of Larned school district USD 495. I am one of five speech-language pathologists that serve the children in this school district. I serve students from preschool through 12th grade. I am providing services for children with various communication disorders ranging from articulation to language to childhood apraxia of speech to severely multiple handicapped. The majority of my students are of elementary age. My job is challenging and rewarding all at the same time.
My undergraduate and graduate academic and clinical education that I received at FHSU provided me with the skills needed to be successful at my first job. Three aspects of the program that I loved are:
- hands on experience through clinical activities beginning with observation and ending with an eight-week externship working in the medical and educational setting
- learning through interactions in small classes with support for faculty
- opportunities to expand on personal interests within the field while completing a program of study that is broad-based and provides you with the knowledge and skills needed for the medical and educational settings
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My name is Jenna Hoffhines and I graduated from FHSU with a Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in May 2008. I am finishing my first year as a speech-language pathologist in the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kansas. I provide services at two schools in the district, which are Sunset Ridge Elementary School and Early Childhood Evaluations at Indian Valley Elementary School. I work with kindergarten through grade 5 students with language, social, and articulation needs. I work with several children on the autism spectrum. Our school has an “English as a Second Language” program, so several of those children are on my caseload as well. The second part of my job consists of participating in transdisciplinary play based assessments for children ages 3 to 5. My team consists of an Occupational Therapist/Early Childhood teacher, School Psychologist, and myself.
My academic and clinical education at FHSU taught me how to work with children of all ages with a variety of disorders. I enjoyed getting hands on clinical experiences very early on in the program at FHSU. My clinical supervisors and fellow classmates provided me with several ideas that I have continued to use with my current students
I have listed some of the advantages of attending FHSU from my perspective.
- Small class sizes allow for close relationships with fellow classmates and plenty of opportunities to participate in class discussions/activities.
- FHSU has professors that care about you as a student; they truly know you and don’t just see you as a number in their class, which could happen at larger schools. They are available after class hours to offer support as needed.
- The Herndon Clinic is an amazing part of our department and allows us to have real clients for hands on learning under the supervision of faculty.
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My name is Tricia Cline and I graduated from FHSU with my Bachelor's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 1999 and later I completed a Masters in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Communication Studies.
At this point in my career, I owe everything to my education at FHSU. As you have read above, I am not a practicing speech-language pathologist instead my career has taken me into higher education. I enjoyed my undergraduate degree and learned so much that has helped me advance my career in higher education…and I know, you’re thinking how does studying in the area of communication disorders help you to become the Director of Admissions at a university? My undergraduate academic work taught me how to effectively communicate with clients and other individuals, trained me to develop my critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and taught me a tremendous amount of self-confidence. All of these attributes cannot only be used in my job daily, but it can be utilized in almost any career path that a student chooses.
It is because of my experiences at FHSU and the skills I learned in the Communication Disorders Department that I was able to get my start in higher education at Fort Hays State University…and although I am not a practicing speech pathologist, I am one of the biggest advocates for this department at FHSU…it is truly an unforgettable experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.
There are so many things that stand out about why students should major in speech-language pathology. I had several different majors at FHSU before I settled into the communication disorders program. After taking my first introductory class in the department and meeting some of the faculty, I knew this was the major I would stay in for my undergraduate degree—it felt like a perfect fit for me.
- I would encourage any students who are interested in the health fields or any “helping” field to take a look at our speech-language pathology major. Many high school students do not realize what this major is and/or what it involves—but it is really a “hidden treasure” on our campus.
- All of the classes at FHSU have small class sizes, but the communication disorders faculty really make you feel like a family. The faculty and staff are such a close knit group that it makes it easy to ask questions or to find people to help you.
- The observation and hands-on experience here is extraordinary. I remember that right when I started the program, I had to start observing clinicians. That was a great starting point for me because it really gained my interest and knowledge of the field, but also got me excited to learn more so I could be the one working with the clients.
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My name is Stuart Campbell and I graduated from FHSU with a Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in May 2008. I am finishing my first year as a speech-language pathologist in the Cheyenne Regional Hospital in Cheyenne, Wyoming where I provide in-patient and out-patient services to Southern Wyoming, Western Nebraska, and North Eastern Colorado. I see individuals throughout the life span of development, from babies with feeding issues to geriatric populations dealing with aphasia, swallowing disorders, and degenerative neurological disorders . I also work in a pediatric clinic providing services to the community such as developmental follow up and speech and language screenings and evaluations.
FHSU provided me a sound foundation on which to grow as a professional in the field of Speech Language Pathology. I feel my education prepared me to work in a variety of settings, and work with a variety of individuals with speech and swallowing disorders.
I have listed some of the advantages of attending FHSU from my perspective.
- Staff and faculty are very supportive.
- Class sizes are small allowing direct access to professors and instructors that are truly vested in their students succeeding.
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My name is Jacque Jacobs and I received my Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2005. I am currently working as a Program Specialist in the Department of Communication Disorders at Fort Hays State University. My job entails teaching courses in the department and supervising undergraduate and graduate student clinicians who are providing speech and language services to children and adults. Working at the university level as a speech-language pathologist, I have the opportunity to share the knowledge and experience that I have about communication disorders with future speech-language pathologists.
My academic and clinical education at FHSU provided me with both the knowledge and skills necessary for practicing as a speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings and with people of all ages. Upon graduation I was prepared to work in schools, hospitals, early intervention, and long-term care.
I have listed some of the highlights of my academic and clinical education in the Department of Communication Disorders at FHSU:
- Supportive faculty who actually “know you” and call you by name
- Hands on clinical experience as an undergraduate and graduate with both children and adults
- Small class sizes made it possible to know all the students in the department and build long-lasting friendships with them
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My name is Jeridy Oetken and I graduated with my Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from FHSU in 1999. Currently, my work keeps me on my toes. My schedule is flexible which works best for my home life at this point in time. I am able to see people from the ages of 3 to over 100 years old. I provide services within hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and preschools. I have contracts with hospitals, long-term care facilities and school districts.
Because my coursework at FHSU did not focus on any single specialty, I have been able to seamlessly enter various settings with the understanding that I have the foundation necessary for success.
Some of the advantages of being a part of the Department of Communication Disorders at FHSU include:
- teachers know you by name
- hands on experience through the observation and participation course where you observe various speech-language assessment and intervention sessions and the ability to apply to start your clinical education as a senior
- multiple practicum placements throughout course preparation
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My name is Anne Bemis and I graduated with with Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2005. I am currently working at Fort Hays State University as an Instructor in the Communication Disorders Department. I work part-time and am on campus three days a week. I provide clinical supervision to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in speech-language pathology. Most of my supervision takes place at a local private school where our department provides the speech and language services. I also teach two classes on campus. One class is an introduction to the clinical part of the profession by getting the opportunity to begin observing client therapy sessions. The other class focuses on speech-language services in the public schools.
I feel like FHSU really prepared me for my future in the field of Speech-Language Pathology. I had excellent clinical experiences as a student, which gave me the knowledge and skills that I needed to make that transition from graduate student to practicing professional. I appreciated the fact that I did not have to decide when I entered graduate school if I would be working with children or adults in my future. At some schools you have to make that decision and I feel that is unfortunate, because at that stage in your career you may not know what the best choice is for you. The faculty in the Communication Disorders Department was always willing to help me with the many learning curves I experienced as I progressed through graduate school. I had a lot of challenging incidents, but with the help of the faculty members, I always made it through and learned so much in the process.
Here are a few advantages of completing your academic and clinical work within the Department of Communication Disorders at FHSU.
- excellent variety of clinical experiences
- small class size
- faculty’s willingness to help make you the best clinician you can be
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My name is Jenny McNeil and I graduated with with Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2008. I currently work in the Burlingame Elementary School and the Osage City Preschool. I work with children ages birth to high school. The majority of my caseload is preschool and school-age. I have many children who have articulation or phonologica disorders (everything from single-sound errors to unintelligible speech) and language (semantics and syntax especially). I also have one child who needs voice intervention due to vocal nodules. For some children who have limited verbal communication skills I use a variety of augmentative techniques, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to facilitate their communication abilities. The older population on my caseload are children with severe multiple disabilities (CP). I also provide resources and ideas to the teachers and staff on functional communication.
My academic and clinical preparation at FHSU provided me with the knowledge and skills I needed to get my career as a speech-language pathologist off to a great start!
Some of the reasons that I feel that FHSU is a great selection for your academic and clinical preparation in speech-language pathology are:
- well-rounded program; classes offered cover all areas of the field and don’t focus on just one or two areas; good combination of classes and clinical experience
- small class sizes allow you to get know classmates and professors which create a nice support system
- HUGE library of resources and materials for research and therapy
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My name is Marcy Beougher and I graduated from FHSU in 1993 with a Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I am currently not working since I just had our fourth child this summer and I am planning to stay at home for the next few years. However, I have been a clinical instructor at FHSU. As a part of my position, I taught the introductory course to clinical procedures and supervised undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in clinical practicum in treatment and evaluation, generally in the preschool setting.
Since I was employed by the university and department where I received my degree, nearly all of my graduate education directly connected to the work I do each day. Our program in the Department of Communication Disorders is extremely hands-on and provides a variety of educational and clinical opportunities that well-prepared me to have a broad base of knowledge in the field.
Some of the advantages of being a part of the Department of Communication Disorders at FHSU include:
- direct interaction with faculty, who knows you as an individual
- support and guidance – caring advice and counseling throughout program
- broad base of knowledge – well-prepared for career in field
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