DENTON (UNT), Texas — For nearly six decades, the University of North Texas Speech and Hearing Center has supported individuals with speech, language and hearing disorders across the North Texas region and southern Oklahoma. The center focuses on services in speech-language pathology and audiology, while providing clinical education for students in the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.

“The UNT Speech and Hearing Center strives to provide superior professional diagnostic and treatment services in speech-language pathology and audiology while providing excellence in clinical education for students in the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at UNT,” said Shannon Presley, principal lecturer, clinical educator and assistant clinic director of the center.

Through this program, licensed and certified speech-language pathologists educate UNT graduate students to assess and treat a wide range of communication disorders through individual and group treatment services. Averaging 5,000 client visits annually, the center offers an array of assessment and therapy services, including a hearing aid dispensary, preschool speech and language therapy, literacy intervention, social skills therapy and areas for family observation of clinical sessions.

The Speech and Hearing Center also offers support groups that provide opportunities for emotional and social connections to foster a sense of belonging for those with communication disorders. The center hosts the UNT Aphasia Support Group, marking its 10^th anniversary in October, and the North Texas Stuttering Support Group, helping individuals connect with others managing various communication needs.

Recently, the center had continued Project Communicate’s work by creating a support group for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools and strategies, which help those with speech or language difficulties.

Project Communicate is a five-year master’s program led by project director Miriam Boesch, associate professor of special education in the UNT College of Education, and co-principal investigator Katsura Aoyama, associate professor of audiology and speech-language pathology in the College of Health and Public Service. It offers interdisciplinary coursework, field experiences and professional development to train special education teachers and speech-language pathologists to collaboratively improve outcomes for school-age children with autism. The program is funded by a $1.2 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The Augmentative and Alternative Communication Connection group focuses on socialization for school-age children who use AAC, offering them the opportunity to build meaningful and effective conversations through practice with peers and UNT student clinicians.

“It started with this need out in the school districts,” Boesch said. “In recent years, there’s been a push to have professionals who support students with disabilities train more collaboratively — not just special education teachers but speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and counselors as well. It’s important for students to be trained with people from other disciplines, because that’s how they’re going to be working.”

Gina Robinson previously worked as a high school teacher for Burleson Independent School District for 13 years before pursuing her master’s degree in speech-language pathology at UNT.

“After my teaching career, I searched for a profession that would utilize my teaching skills and fulfill my desire to help others. Speech-language pathology felt like the perfect fit,” Robinson said.

She started her degree and began working at the Speech and Hearing Center as a student clinician last year.

“The Speech and Hearing Center has shown me how impactful therapy can be across different populations,” Robinson said. “UNT's program stood out to me for its client work. I have had young clients who were nonverbal at the start of therapy, but have persevered and found their voice. Everyone has the right to communicate their wants and needs and it is so rewarding to know that you helped someone be able to do so.”

To schedule an appointment at the UNT Speech and Hearing Center, call (940) 565-2262 (voice) or (940) 369-7702 (TTY), or visit in-person at 907 West Sycamore Street, Denton, TX 76201.