Clinical Speech and Language Studies

Overview

What is Clinical Speech and Language Studies?

The ability to speak and write, to listen and learn, to be understood — abilities that are fundamental to human communication and interaction — can be impaired by a wide range of conditions, from stroke to cerebral palsy, hearing impairment, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and autism. Speech and Language Therapists work with people of all ages and assess, diagnose and treat individuals with a variety of communication and swallowing disorders. Since communication and swallowing difficulties affect every aspect of a person’s life, the work of the speech and language therapist is multi-faceted, and therapists work in a variety of settings, from schools to hospitals and other clinical settings.

Do you enjoy…

• Working with a diverse range of children and adults who may face challenges in communication and swallowing?
• Exploring how people communicate?
• Being people-oriented, highly motivated and open to a collaborative problem–solving approach to learning?

Clinical Speech and Language Studies: The course for you?

This course will appeal to you if you have an interest in how speech, language, communication and swallowing work and how these areas may be affected in either children or adults. You will enjoy this course if you like a variety of teaching, learning and assessment approaches, such as lectures, problem-based and case-based learning and clinical practice.

Clinical Speech and Language Studies at Trinity

When you decide on a career as an allied healthcare professional, you need to ensure you have the best academic and clinical preparation to succeed. The Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies is the longest-established, accredited undergraduate programme in speech and language therapy in Ireland. Our undergraduate programme is CORU-accredited, which means that our graduates can practice as speech and language therapists in the Republic of Ireland. The team involved in the delivery of this course enjoy national and international recognition in teaching and research, and are experts in their respective fields. We have strong links to a wide range of clinical sites across Ireland.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

You might be surprised to learn that the knowledge and skills developed while studying Clinical Speech and Language Studies equips graduates to work in a wide range of interesting and challenging contexts.

Whilst graduates emerge with an in-depth knowledge of their discipline, they also have important transferable skills that provide a strong foundation to engage with society and the workplace. Graduates develop the ability to think independently, act responsibly, communicate effectively and develop continuously. Graduates are ethically minded, resourceful and are ready to embrace challenges and innovations in their chosen specialty. They become key stakeholders in the development of the speech and language therapy profession in national and international healthcare contexts and in advocating for the rights of people who have communication and swallowing impairments. Graduates from this course are highly sought after and valued by employers in healthcare and educational contexts.

Your degree and what you’ll study

The four-year Honours degree course comprises an integrated programme of theory and practice. The key strands within the curriculum are: Speech and Language Pathology and Swallowing Disorders; Clinical Practice; Linguistics; Psychology; Research and Basic Sciences (such as, Anatomy and Physiology).

First and second years

Much of first year is focused on foundation studies for understanding typical communication and swallowing behaviours. The emphasis in second year is on understanding and assessing the strengths and needs of the client population served by the profession, together with studying speech sciences, psychology and linguistics.

Third and fourth years

Third year places emphasis on the application of this knowledge to intervention in clinical contexts. You will also study neurology, psychiatry, discourse analysis and further develop your research skills. In fourth year, students are provided with the opportunity to integrate knowledge skills and competencies, acquired through the four years. Students prepare to become practitioners and researchers and complete a significant piece of research known as the Capstone project.

Clinical activities and placements provide an important learning context from the start of the course. The department has access to a wide range of service settings and clinics, in which to place students, such as hospitals, schools, clinics, rehabilitation centres. These clinical placements are organised by the department. During term time, an average of one day per week is reserved for clinical work. You will also be required to undertake clinical practice outside term time. Note: There may be additional costs for students related to travel and clinical materials during clinical placements.

The course employs a wide range of teaching, learning and assessment strategies. Both continuous assessment and end of semester exams are undertaken

Click here for further information on modules/subjects.

Study abroad

Whilst the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies has a strong international network, the nature of the professional course — in terms of the clinical practice requirements — precludes study abroad at undergraduate level. However, students get an opportunity to engage in international summer schools, during the summer vacation period.

Upon graduation, your qualification from Trinity is recognised as a licence to practise as a Speech and Language Therapist in Ireland. Those holding the degree are eligible to apply for statutory registration with CORU and membership of the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (IASLT): www.iaslt.ie. Graduates who wish to work in the UK should contact the UK Health Professionals Council: www.hcpc-uk.org

Graduates of the course, who wish to work in another European country, will have to apply for approval from the appropriate registration body in that country. If you are considering applying for professional recognition to work as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the US or Canada, you should contact the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at: www.asha.org or the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists at: sac-oac.ca. For more detailed information on your career prospects, visit the professional associations’ websites at: www.iaslt.ie and www.rcslt.org