Debbie B. Parsley, M.S., CCC/SLP

Background

Debbie Parsley is a Clinical Instructor and Supervisor in the Department of Communication Disorders. She has been on the faculty at WKU since 2004. Prior to coming to Western, Mrs. Parsley has had extensive experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist serving students in the public school system. She teaches courses on Management of Communication Disorders in the Schools, Survey of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Alternative and Augmentative Communication. In addition to classroom instruction Mrs. Parsley is responsible for supervising clinical internships in the Communication Disorders Clinic where students get practical experience working with individuals having communication impairments.

Teaching Philosophy

Mrs. Parsley’s broad work experience facilitates her ability to give practical instruction and assistance to students wishing to pursue a career in the area of speech pathology. She is dedicated to providing useful, real-world knowledge to the classroom setting. Students are encouraged to be engaged in the learning process through individual and group assignments. Critical thinking skills are taught to support an active learning environment.

Courses taught:

CD 280 Survey of Speech Pathology and Audiology
CD 488 Alternative and Augmentative Communication
CD 491 Management of Communication Disorders in Schools
CD 495 Clinical Internship
CD 591 Clinical Externship

Professional Interests

Mrs. Parsley’s professional interests include pediatric speech and language acquisition, remediation of communication disorders in the school-aged population, and literacy issues as they relate to language development. She has recently been researching the application of Interactive Metronome to help individuals with a wide range of disabilities including ADD/ADHD, Specific Learning Disabilities, Speech and Communication Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Cerebral Palsy.