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Communication Disorders

Great PALS (Great Plains Auditory Learning Services) - Aural Rehabilitation Clinic

Great PALS is a service provided throMother and infant who's deaf/hard of hearingugh the Communication Disorders Clinic at Minot State University. The Great PALS team combines expertise from the fields of speech-language pathology, education of deaf/hard of hearing, audiology, and early intervention to provide family and client centered programming for the development of listening, language, and literacy skills for children and adults with hearing loss. The program was developed in response to amazing developments in the field of hearing loss such as newborn hearing screening, cochlear implants, digital hearing aids, and early intervention. Great PALS provides an option for both families of children with hearing loss and adults with hearing loss to develop their listening skills to the greatest potential. We provide a bridge between getting access to sound and what our brain does with the sound to create functional listening and communication for our clients.

Education of Deaf/Hard of Hearing: The program is an emphasis area within the graduate degree in Special Education. Using a comprehensive approach, the program trains graduate professionals for education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing and is accredited by the Council for Education of the Deaf.

Early Intervention: The North Dakota Parent-Infant Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and their Families provides family-centered intervention services in the child’s natural environment. Certified teachers who specialize in early intervention for children who are deaf/hard of hearing support families in establishing timely communication with their children.

Communication Disorders (Audiology and Speech-Language): The program trains both undergraduates and graduates for the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology. The graduate program focuses on training professionals in speech-language pathology and is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Great PALS objectives:Child who's deaf/hard of hearing

Services for Adults: Hearing loss for adults makes communication frustrating and may lead to withdrawal from social and daily life activities. The Great PALS team provides services in auditory rehabilitation focusing on improving listening skills, visual strategies, and self-advocacy skills to enhance communication interactions. Our belief is that hearing loss doesn’t have to limit your ability to interact with the world. Great PALS helps adults with hearing loss become an active part of family interactions, social conversations, and the workplace environment again.

Services for Children: Children in North Dakota are screened for hearing loss within hours of being born. Hearing loss is the most common birth anomaly and any type or degree of hearing loss can have a negative impact if not properly managed. When a hearing loss is detected in a child from North Dakota, the family has access to audiological and educational early intervention services. The North Dakota Parent-Infant Program for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Children and their Families provides family centered intervention in home or childcare based settings. If the team decides that clinical intervention services are an appropriate compliment, children are referred to the Minot State University Communication Disorders Clinic (MSU CDC). Through a collaborative approach with the family and the child’s managing audiologist, Great PALS staff, with supervised participation of university students, develop an intervention plan that addresses:

Please call Donna, Clinic Operations Manager for the MSU CDC, at 701-858-3030 for an appointment.

Team Coordinators:

 

 

TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY provides unprecedented access to sound; the possibilities for both children and adults with hearing loss are greater than ever before.