Being Human - Rockhurst University

an “r.” Speech-based problems also include voicetroubles, like a pitch that’s too high or low forthe gender, or a tone that is nasal or hoarse.Language-based problems are broader.A person recovering from a stroke and tryingto rebuild a vocabulary would visit a speechpathologist. Other language difficulties includedelays, the child who significantly trails peersin vocabulary, or the child unable to grasplanguage’s subtleties.Speech pathologists also treat people withhearing difficulties — those who have cochlearimplants or hearing aids.“What’s interesting about the field, andsomething that attracts students, is that it’s aflexible career choice. You can work with thevery young or the very old. You can work inschools, hospitals or nursing homes,”says Chabon.The fact that speech pathologists can helpsuch a broad range of people is one reason thefield is booming. In the ’90s, speech-languagepathology was consistently ranked among thehot career opportunities of the new millennium.In fact, a few years ago the Bureau of Labor Statisticsput speech-language pathology on a list of40 high-need occupations, projecting a 46 percentincrease in the number of positions bythe year 2005.And that’s one reason for launching the program.The graduate division, which is offered atnight and part time, is ideally suited for workingprofessionals interested in career advancement.In fact, before starting the graduate program,Chabon met with area professionals to assessthe need.Their advice? “Do it,” says Chabon. “Theywere very, very encouraging.” In its first year,the program enrolled 21 students.The undergraduate program — the onlyone of its kind in the Kansas City area — drawson the expertise of three newly hired full-timefaculty. Plans for this fall call for an expandedprogram with nine new courses. This will allowstudents, for the first time, to complete all theirundergraduate degree requirements at Rockhurst.In the past, students in the program havespent their first three years at Rockhurst andtheir final year at Saint Louis University.Students will still have the option to participatein the cooperative program with SLU. Thiscollaboration, says Chabon, exposes students toIn DemandWhy the increase? A number of reasons,says Chabon, from advances in technologyto the graying of America.For example, with the increasing number ofelderly comes a growing pool of people recoveringfrom strokes or suffering from hearing loss.At the same time, medical advances mean prematurebabies have a higher chance of surviving,though most of them are at risk for languageand hearing difficulties.“Because there’s such a need for speech-languagepathologists, it’s an exciting time for thefield,” says Chabon.First-year graduate student Heather Harris goes to the Children’sSpot, a therapeutic preschool for children with disabilities, twicea week for a clinical internship. “They are at an age where theyare making a lot of gains, so I can see quite a bit of progress,”Harris says. (From left: Nicholas Kurland, Harris, Joshua Keith)ROCKHURST20