Clinical Experiences

As a part of the graduation requirements, each student will complete two types of clinical experiences, Internship and Externship.

CD 590 Clinical Internship

The Clinical Internship (CD 590) is completed under the supervision of WKU faculty. At least 25 hours must be earned during the Internship. Before being given a grade for CD590, the Department must have written documentation that observation hours have been completed at the Undergraduate level. If the hours were not completed at the Undergraduate level, they can be completed while enrolled in CD590 or other coursework.

There is an exception to the enrollment sequence for students who completed their undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders at WKU during the year in which they begin graduate study. These students may be eligible to complete one section of CD 591 prior to CD 590. Campus students in CD 590 will be expected to be available for service delivery at the WKU Communication Disorders Clinic from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. from Monday through Thursday.

CD 591 Clinical Externship

Upon successful completion of the Internship, the student is then eligible to enroll in Clinical Externship (CD 591) to complete a minimum of three different clinical experiences under the supervision of personnel not employed by the university. To do that, you register for CD 591 at least three times. To graduate and be eligible for certification, at least 400 clinical clock hours must be accumulated with at least 50 hours in each of the three placement sites. One site must be medical (e.g. nursing home, hospital) and another must be educational (e.g. preschool, school). The third can be any type of your choice. Among those 400 hours, you must have 50 hours while working with children (have not reached age 18) and 50 hours while working with adults (18 years and older). Of the 50 hours with children and the 50 hours with adults, you must accumulate 15 in evaluation and 35 in treatment. You must have at least 15 hours in hearing treatment or screening (these cannot count as any of the 15 in evaluation).

Externships are 8 to 16 weeks in length, full-time or part-time. A full time placement is at least 35 hours a week and 7 hours a day. Anything less than that is considered part-time.

Clinical Hours

Of the 400 hours, 25 must be observation and 50 can be transferred in from undergraduate school. Hours earned during CD 590 Internship will count toward the minimum of 400. Further, competency in evaluation and treatment across nine different skill areas and four interpersonal and communication skills areas with children and adults must be demonstrated. These are delineated in the Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA). The accumulation of the competencies identified in the KASA serve a key component to being granted the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) by ASHA. For more information on these standards, please visit www.asha.org and look for 2005 Speech-Language Pathology Certification Standards.

Before beginning CD 591, students are required to undergo criminal background checks, provide proof of a recent physical examination, professional liability insurance, and negative TB.

Arranging Clinical Placements

Arrangements for clinical placements are handled in one of three ways. The Externship Coordinator makes the placements for campus students. Distance students make their own arrangements after consulting with the Externship Coordinator. WKU faculty make the arrangements for the UFT students. For all cohorts, there must be a contract in place prior to the placement beginning.

Students wishing to obtain employment as a speech language pathology assistant (or whatever the title given to Bachelor's level professionals in a given state) may have that experience serve as their CD591 placement (if the employer and supervising SLP are in agreement). The supervising SLP must hold a current CCC and complete a form indicating his or her willingness serve as your CD591 externship supervisor.

Competencies

All graduates with the Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders will demonstrate entry level competencies with clients across the lifespan and diverse cultural backgrounds as addressed in the 2005 certification standards of the American Speech Language Hearing Association and the 2008 accreditation standards of the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology.

For more information, contact the Externship Coordinator at lauren.bland@wku.edu.