Purdue students provide speech, language services to local veterans
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University graduate students in the speech-language pathology program are gaining experience treating communication disorders that are common to the geriatric population and specific to veterans of war.This is the eighth year that graduate students and their supervisors from the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences have provided speech, language and swallowing therapy and diagnostics to residents of the Indiana Veterans Home in West Lafayette.
"Our department provides a variety of clinical opportunities for students to develop their professional skills," says Mary Lou Poole, clinical associate professor of speech-language pathology and coordinator of the program. "Students placed at the Indiana Veterans Home are given an unique opportunity to treat disorders that are frequently found in those who served in the armed forces. For example, many veterans have some degree of hearing loss due to exposure to heavy artillery and machinery. Veterans also have a higher incidence of traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress syndrome."
Poole says most of the clients the students work with are veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, as well as the Gulf War. Poole estimates the Purdue graduate clinicians treat approximately 200 veterans a year. Purdue clinicians provide skilled speech-language therapy at the Indiana Veterans Home three days a week as part of their clinical practicum rotations. Poole works closely with the home's staff speech-language pathologist, Gwen Pennington, and audiologist, Theresa Smith, to coordinate services.
"Students love this placement and find it very rewarding," Poole says. "This experience allows students the opportunity to develop their professional skills while treating men and women who have bravely served our nation in times of war. All of our students experience a renewed sense of patriotism as they work first-hand with those who have sacrificed so much for their country."
Veteran's Day, Saturday (Nov. 11), was created to mark the armistice that ended World War I.
The Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences is housed in the College of Liberal Arts.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Source: Mary Lou Poole, (765) 494-3823, marylou1@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: Purdue students will provide speech-language therapy services for women veterans at 10-11 a.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 7) or Thursday (Nov. 9). Journalists interested in reporting on Purdue students helping at the Indiana Veterans Home should contact Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu. Veteran's Day is Saturday (Nov. 11).
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