Speech and Language Therapy

This module, together with Anatomy and Physiology 2, will equip students with a working knowledge of the normal structure and function of the human body. The clinical relevance and the interrelationship between different body systems will be emphasized. Learning of anatomical structures will be reinforced by highlighting connections with their physiological functions. In this module, students will learn the anatomy and physiology of blood, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system, integumentary system, and the musculoskeletal system. They will also gain an in-depth understanding of the musculoskeletal anatomy of the upper and lower extremities.

This module consists of two components: sociological and psychological perspectives. It is designed for students in their first year of undergraduate studies so that they are equipped with fundamental knowledge for modules in subsequent trimesters. Sociology is the study of society, relationships, and social behaviour. Students will consider key sociological concepts and research to broaden their understanding of health, illness, and healthcare as they relate to the individual, family, and society. Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and the behaviour. In this module, students will attain in-depth understanding of the fundamental psychological concepts, as well as their applications to both the experimental and the clinical settings, enriching their skillset as health professionals and researchers. This module will encompass the central psychological domains: biological, behavioural, cognitive, personality, emotions, and mental health. In addition to the applied learning focus pertaining to health, this module is designed to foster critical thinking. Learning activities include viewing recorded lectures, reading textbooks, accessing e-materials and participating in synchronous seminars.

The World Health Organization (WHO)’s framework of a health system includes resource generation, stewardship, funding and provisioning. The goal of a health system is to improve health, respond to expectations and focus on fairness in financial contribution. In this module, the Singapore health system is described and analyzed within the WHO’s framework. Students will learn to appreciate how policies are developed, health needs identified and met, intersectoral collaborations needed and established, and services organized and evaluated. Through interprofessional studies, they will learn about the needs of patients and the roles of different professions in the health systems addressing those needs.

This module has two main components: Introduction to Language (Part One) and Speech Acquisition (Part Two). Part One introduces students to basic concepts in the study of language including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics and orthographic systems. There will be particular focus on the areas of phonetics and syntax in relation to clinical application. Students will develop understanding of how communicative meanings are encoded phonetically and syntactically in Singapore Standard English, Singapore Colloquial English, spoken Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. Students will also learn about the relationship between form, content and use, and the impact of multilingualism on normal language use and variation. Part Two will focus on normal speech and language acquisition in the early years. The impact of bilingualism and its impact on language acquisition will also be considered.

This module extends the knowledge gained in Anatomy and Physiology 1, and includes structures and functions of the endocrine system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system and the reproductive system. Gross anatomy of the spine (cervical, thoracic and lumbar) and neurocranium (skull) will be covered in this module with emphasis on the musculoskeletal structures and functions of the spinal vertebrae.

The module will introduce the quantitative and qualitative methodologies in conducting research in the healthcare industry. The module will cover the common types of research design. By relating to scientific literature, different topics such as sampling, generalizability, blinding, effect size, randomization will be introduce weekly. Alongside introducing the basic methodology, this module focuses on getting students search for evidence in the literature from the different database. It aims to develop skills in searching for evidence, understanding research articles and ability to critically appraise published literature. Part the module will also focus on preparing students on academic writing, alongside working on the critical appraisal of literature.

Students will learn about typical communication development in children from birth to 6 years. The development of the form and content of spoken language is introduced alongside the importance of social context and function for its use, within a multilingual environment. Information will be integrated from multiple domains of development including sensory processing, motor skills, oromotor, social interaction, speech, language, thinking, and cognition. Students are prepared to apply and interpret norms of communication development by observing and documenting the development of young children.

This module complements what students will learn in the common Anatomy and Physiology modules in HSS. The course is offered as both a broad overview and an in-depth exploration of the fundamental anatomy and physiology underpinning normal human communication and swallowing. Students will learn through a combination of classroom lectures and work assignments. The course will explore the human functions of hearing, speech, reading and swallowing as it brings students through close examination of all relevant anatomical structures and mechanisms of functional control. In addition, students will learn to conduct a comprehensive oromotor examination and cranial nerve evaluation.

Students will develop fundamental knowledge and skills to work with children with language disorders from birth to the end of pre-school, from diverse socio-linguistic backgrounds.

Topics will include the evidence-based approaches and methodology of assessment and intervention. Areas such as pre-verbal skills, oral language development, social communication skills, and emerging literacy in young children will be included.

This module will cover normal cognition, cognitive processes and the cognitive neuropsychological approach to brain-behaviour relationships. Students will learn about brain behaviour correlates and cognitive and behavioural consequences to communication as a result of neurologic injury or disease. Students will also be introduced to approaches of cognitive rehabilitation.

This compulsory module is comprised of 3 Parts.

Part 1: Students will be immersed in the speech language therapy profession to better understand the roles of the speech therapist and the processes involved in the assessment and treatment of swallowing and communication disorders.

Parts 2 and 3: Students will spend time in both paediatric (e.g., child-care, schools, after school-care) and adult (e.g., senior activities centre) facilities to observe the communication and swallowing skills in children, adults and older adults. Students may also be tasked to conduct speech and language activities and/or screening interviews/questionnaires where they relate their observations to relevant academic modules in speech and language therapy clinical practice, child development and adult behaviour (e.g., speech, language, hearing, feeding, swallowing).

Students will learn how to engage, adapt and interact with individuals across the lifespan. Through their interactions with staff and/or caregivers at the observation sites, they will also develop emerging skills in professional behaviour and communication, and self-management.

Students will have classroom sessions to prepare them for the tasks required at site visits and to discuss their observations and learning.

This subject presents speech acoustics and hearing science background relevant to the study of normal and disordered communication. Students will study the acoustic characteristics of consonants and vowels with methods for analysis, and outline the etiology, diagnosis and rehabilitation of hearing impairment. This module will also discuss the inter-relationship between speech sound acoustics, speech perception and hearing, and the impact of these areas on hearing loss.

This course is offered as the initial professional exposure to dysphagia management in adults. Through a combination of class lectures and lab assignments, students will develop skills and knowledge in normal aspects of swallowing, the impact of various diseases and disorders on swallowing function, and clinical management of patients with dysphagia including assessment, treatment, and ethical aspects of care.

This module provides students with theoretical knowledge and clinical understanding of typical school-age language and literacy development. It will explore specific communication disorders in this population. The relationships between oral language, literate language, social thinking, higher level thinking, and discourse will be discussed, and their impact on academic, personal and social development.

This module aims to equip students with skills in evidence-based assessment and management of school-aged children with communication disorders. There will also be an emphasis on inter-professional work in the education and other settings.

More advance research methodologies will be introduced in the module. There will be introduction to a range of statistical methods for health scientists including regression and analysis of variance. The students will be introduced to more complex forms of study designs (e.g. mixed methods design), will be taught how to relate skills of critical appraisal to statistical analysis.

Students will learn about typical phonetic and phonological development in child speech. It will introduce the evidence base behind theoretical approaches to describe speech sound disorders and their psycholinguistic correlates. Students will develop a holistic management programme for children with speech sound disorders to assess, differentially diagnose and plan intervention, with reference to multilingualism and Singapore English. Students will also consider the impact of speech disorders on impairment, activity, and participation in family, peer, and school contexts.

This module introduces students to the study of the range of fluency disorders. Students will develop knowledge about normal disfluency, the nature and epidemiology of fluency disorders, prognostic and risk factors, and causal theories of stuttering. Students will learn how to apply evidence-based practice principles, while integrating knowledge about the local context, to develop entry-level skills in the assessment and management of individuals with fluency disorders across the lifespan. Using the WHO/ICF model, they will also develop awareness about the impact of fluency disorders on the communication and psycho-emotional well-being of the individual and/or their significant others.

In this module, students will be introduced to key areas of professional speech therapy practice, drawing on knowledge learnt from Year 1 and concurrent Year 2 modules. They will be required to integrate and apply acquired knowledge through problem-based learning on cases. Complementing the module ‘HSC1005 Research – Critical Appraisal of Literature’, students will continue to develop skills of applying evidence-based practice to cases.

Case studies in the module will introduce core professional issues such as ethics and cultural competence. Students will also develop skills in self-leadership and lifelong learning that will form a foundation for their professional journey.

Students will be introduced to children whose communication disorder is associated with a common primary biomedical diagnosis, including autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and hearing impairment. They will consider the different implications of each disability type on communication assessment protocols in home, school, and community settings. Students will evaluate common environmental modifications and evidence-based intervention approaches specific to each disability as they learn to interpret and integrate information from multiple sources in case management. Students are prepared to work collaboratively with the individual’s family and other professionals, to apply a client-focused, functional, lifespan approach to case management.

This module is designed to provide students opportunities to assess, diagnose, plan and set goals for intervention to clients with communication and/or swallowing disorders. Students will work under the guidance of a qualified Speech and Language therapist with the aim of attaining at least novice level of competency across the range of practice areas for simple cases. Students will develop reflective learning skills, integration skills and present a case from their placement. Students will also develop generic competencies such as professional conduct, adhering to institutional policies and guidelines and team work skills.

Complementing this module is the module “Introduction to Clinical Reasoning and Professional Issues in Speech Therapy” that will provide students with foundation speech therapy professional skills that they will apply during the placement.

This module prepares students for their honours thesis. Students enrolled in this module will develop a research proposal and submit the proposal for examination at the end of the study period. The research proposal will include the research questions or hypotheses, a critical review of the literature, proposed methodology taking into account ethical considerations, and a project plan. Students will also be equipped with basic research knowledge and skills necessary for pursuing research at honours level.

This module will focus on assessment, differential diagnosis & clinical management of adolescents and adults with acquired language disorders including aphasia and cognitive-communication disorders arising from various neurological etiologies.

Students will gain an understanding of the therapeutic processes and approaches for the management of adolescents and adults with acquired communication disorders. Study of acquired communication disability will be framed in relation to the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), with specific considerations for multilingualism and the local context.

This module provides a study of disorders of voice production. Students will learn about the diagnostic evaluation of voice using perceptual, instrumental and observational methods, and tools for measuring the psychosocial impact of a voice disorder. Students will integrate assessment information to form a clinical impression of the voice disorder so as to plan appropriate treatment and referrals. The treatment modalities for voice disorders of structural, neurogenic, functional and psychogenic etiologies, as well as alaryngeal speech production methods will be covered.

This module introduces students to the assessment and intervention approaches for motor speech disorders in children and adults. Students will be exposed to a range of motor speech disorders such as apraxia of speech (AOS) and various types of dysarthria.

Through assessment of the motor speech system, students will learn to distinguish between normal and disordered speech patterns and identify the speech characteristics of each motor speech condition. Students will integrate knowledge of developmental or neurological etiologies associated with these motor speech conditions, to assess, diagnose and plan intervention for these conditions.

This module builds on knowledge and skills covered in SLT2301 - Introduction to Clinical Reasoning and Professional Issues in Speech Therapy. Students will continue to grow their skills in clinical reasoning, supported by evidence-based practice, across cases that cover a range of disorders. They will consider goal setting for therapy and learn to evaluate therapy outcomes. Students will demonstrate good interpersonal communication amongst peers, faculty, and clients.
Ethical, cultural, and professional issues commonly encountered in the scope of speech pathology practice will be explored through problem-based learning.

This module is designed to provide students with opportunities to assess, diagnose, plan and implement intervention to clients with communication and/or swallowing disorders. Students will work under the guidance of a qualified Speech and Language therapist with the aim of attaining at least intermediate level of competency across the range of practice areas for simple cases. Students will develop reflective learning skills, integration skills and present a case from their placement. Students will also develop generic competencies such as professional conduct, adhering to institutional policies and guidelines and team work skills. Students will use innovation frameworks to suggest a sustainable placement-related innovation solution and complete an innovation poster presentation/report.

This module will provide the students with a foundational understanding of the principles of Augmentative and Alternative Communication and its applications and an understanding of how it relates to Language and Communication.
This module will cover the different types of AAC systems, AAC Assessment and intervention strategies, as well as how AAC can be implemented in a variety of settings. Students will also learn about how AAC can be applied for individuals with complex communication needs across the life span. The different types of AAC Technology will also be discussed.

In addition to lectures, students will also be provided with the opportunity to be able to have hands-on learning experiences. They will also be able to listen to the perspective of individuals who use AAC either live or virtually.

This module is designed to provide students with opportunities to assess, diagnose, plan and implement intervention to clients with communication and/or swallowing disorders. Students will work under the guidance of a qualified Speech and Language therapist with the aim of attaining entry level competency across the range of practice areas for assigned cases. Students will develop reflective learning skills, integration skills and present a case from their placement. Students will also develop generic competencies such as professional conduct, adhering to institutional policies and guidelines and team work skills.

Students enrolled in this module will work directly with their peers and supervisory team to undertake a research project. Students are expected to work both independently and collaboratively within the research team. This means that if division of labour has been established, students must be able to independently conduct their portion of work. Similarly, where team work is expected, students must be able to cooperate with members of the research team. During the study period, students will be equipped with the basic research knowledge and skills necessary for pursuing research at Honours level. Students will present their research findings in students’ forum or conference and submit their work in dissertation format or in the form of a publishable manuscript ready for submission to a peer reviewed journal. This module is conducted over four consecutive trimesters, commencing in Year 3 Tri 2. It is contiguous to Honours Thesis Proposal module as part of the Honours Thesis process.

Through this module, students will develop an understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by changes in science, technology, society and organizations. Popular narratives related to the disciplines of science and technology, such as improvements to how we do things because of technological advancements, or benefits to health because of scientific development, often frame these disciplines as both providing and based upon absolute truth, and formed through singular evolutions. Such narratives present current advancements in science and technology as unproblematic and inevitable processes of evolution. These narratives often fail to take into account alternative narratives and social, political and cultural reasons for the changes, and as such present the reader a view that is, at best, static, and at worst, prejudiced. In recent years, scholars have repeatedly demonstrated that science and technology are as fluid and malleable as the people who produce them.
Through a focus on three themes of “Social Change”, “Organizational Change” and “Individual Change”, students will develop an understanding of how change occurs, why it occurs, and what we can do to anticipate, encourage and manage change, contextualized to healthcare and social care. Students will think about and discuss a range of benefits that managing and understanding change may contribute to their lives, the organizations in which they work, and society as a whole. 

Organizational change theories, and concepts regarding resistance to change will be introduced and discussed. Students will also develop knowledge of individual change. Through exploring their individual strengths and concepts of occupational identity, students will identify individual coping mechanisms and mindsets that may be employed when dealing with change. Students will discuss the potential ways of becoming both a change recipient and agent for an organization and society.

This module explores themes on professionalism, healthcare ethics, legal aspects of healthcare and global health. Students learn about professional and interprofessional issues that they are likely to encounter in their practice. Ethical issues are discussed from different moral perspectives. Global health themes such as diversity, advocacy, primary health care, Sustainable Development Goals, health diplomacy and comparative health systems are included. A focus of this module is on interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

Students enrolled in this module will work directly with their peers and supervisory team to undertake a research project. Students are expected to work both independently and collaboratively within the research team. This means that if division of labour has been established, students must be able to independently conduct their portion of work. Similarly, where team work is expected, students must be able to cooperate with members of the research team. During the study period, students will be equipped with the basic research knowledge and skills necessary for pursuing research at Honours level. Students will present their research findings in students’ forum or conference and submit their work in dissertation format or in the form of a publishable manuscript ready for submission to a peer reviewed journal. This module is conducted over four consecutive trimesters, commencing in Year 3 Tri 2. It is contiguous to Honours Thesis Proposal module as part of the Honours Thesis process.

In this module, students will learn to apply clinical reasoning, supported by evidence-based practice, to complex cases through problem-based learning. They will be equipped with professional skills and professional practice, taking a person-centred approach to the assessment and management of the client across the continuum of healthcare and social services. Cases will cover the range of practice including speech, language, voice, swallowing, fluency and multi-modal communication. The complex cases will also require students to consider and evaluate ethical, cultural, and professional issues. This module can incorporate contemporary topics affecting speech and language therapy practice.

This module is designed for students to attain the basic knowledge of evaluation and management of swallowing and feeding disorders in the neonatal and paediatric population. This includes an introduction to the assessment and management of neonatal and infant breastfeeding and bottling, assessment and intervention of paediatric feeding and swallowing and working with the problem feeder and fussy eater. Students will understand the anatomy and physiology of swallowing in feeding and swallowing disorders infants and paediatrics. Planning for clinical bedside, instrumental assessment and various treatment approaches will be discussed. Students will understand basic nutritional and dietary requirements for infants and paediatrics. Students will learn to integrate medical conditions, sensorimotor, psychosocial factors, and the roles of caregivers and other professionals.

This module complements Contemporary Topics, Professional Issues and Management of Complex Cases. In this module, students continue to develop clinical reasoning skills, supported by evidence-based practice, on complex cases through problem-based learning. They will be equipped with professional skills and professional practice, taking a person-centred approach to the assessment and management of the client across the continuum of healthcare and social services. Cases will cover the range of practice including speech, language, voice, swallowing, fluency and multi-modal communication. The complex cases will require students to consider and evaluate ethical, cultural, and professional issues.

This module is designed to provide students with opportunities to assess, diagnose, plan and implement intervention to clients with communication and/or swallowing disorders. Students will work under the guidance of a qualified Speech and Language therapist with the aim of attaining entry-level competency across the range of practice areas for assigned cases. Students will develop reflective learning skills, integration skills and present a case from their placement. Students will also develop generic competencies such as professional conduct, adhering to institutional policies and guidelines and team work skills.