Program Overview

School of Health Sciences

The School of Health Sciences offers various disciplines, including the Discipline of Speech-Language Therapy.

Speech-Language Therapy

The Discipline of Speech-Language Therapy is a health care profession concerned with the field of communication. It serves to rehabilitate people with disorders of communication as well as prevent communication disorders. It is closely related to the fields of Audiology, Medicine, Special Education, and Psychology.

The Discipline of Speech-Language Therapy trains students to become Speech-Language Therapists. The Bachelor of Communication Pathology (Speech-Language Pathology) is offered in the School of Health Sciences, taking four academic years to complete. All students are required to register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in their first year of study.

The discipline is involved in the:

• Identification
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention of disorders of speech, language, voice, and/or swallowing.

Academics

The program focuses on the science of speech, with students gaining hands-on experience. Students run support groups for children and adults with disabilities, working in a transdisciplinary team to stimulate gross and fine motor skills, as well as language and listening skills.

Research Areas

The Discipline of Speech-Language Therapy is involved in various research projects, including:

• One Health AlARMS
• The profile of first year SLT students
• Developing isiZulu terminologies in SLT
• ReachIT
• Students' experiences and perspectives regarding undergraduate research in SLT
• Drooling in children with neurodisability in special schools The discipline also explores research themes and has research units/centres.