Clinic
University of Arkansas Speech and Hearing Clinic
The University of Arkansas Speech and Hearing Clinic is a university-affiliated practice that has been offering comprehensive speech, language and audiology services for individuals and families in the greater northwest Arkansas area since 1960. The clinic serves as a clinical training and research laboratory for undergraduate and graduate students and is designated as a RiteCare clinic of the Scottish Rite Orient of Arkansas. The clinic has faculty with a wide range of experience who provide intervention to individuals with communication disorders while also teaching and supervising graduate and undergraduate students.
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Speech and Hearing Clinic Fax: 479-575-4507 |
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Appointments and Information |
New Referrals
Medical, educational and self-referrals are accepted. Select the ‘Request An Appointment’ button above, or email spclinic@uark.edu to start the referral process.
Who can receive services at the clinic?
- Open to the public, faculty, staff and students
- Services available for all ages
Patient parking is available at no charge in the designated spaces in the lot north of the building.
What types of services are available?
The U of A Speech and Hearing Clinic provides free screenings and consultations for the following conditions:
- Thinking skills screening and consultation following a concussion or acquired brain injury
- Voice screenings and consultation
- Swallowing screening and consultation
The U of A Speech and Hearing Clinic also provides comprehensive evaluation and therapeutic services to adults and children for speech, language and hearing problems. Please see a more detailed description of each service below.
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Services
The University of Arkansas Speech and Hearing Clinic offers hearing health care services to adult residents of Northwest Arkansas and throughout the state. We treat a wide range of adult hearing related disorders, which include hearing evaluations, evaluation for hearing aids, and follow-up services for adults with hearing aids. The clinic provides free hearing screenings for children upon request.
The University of Arkansas Speech and Hearing clinic offers specialized services for individuals with hearing loss. We address deficits in articulation, language, and/or auditory skills that often accompany childhood hearing loss. These services require family participation and interaction throughout the evaluation and intervention process.
The UA Speech and Hearing Clinic provides clinical services to help optimize functional cognitive-communication skills. Our services include assessment, intervention, and education for changes to thinking and communication skills caused by concussion or brain-injury.
Commonly reported changes include:
- Reduced attention and concentration skills
- Increased forgetfulness and difficulty remembering what was read
- Difficulty planning and organizing job responsibilities and/or school work
- Difficulty managing time
What to expect from your visit(s):
- A comprehensive evaluation is completed by a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist and assisting student clinician.
- A detailed evaluation report will be generated and provided during a separately scheduled post-assessment information session. This review session may be held in person, over the phone or virtually.
- Intervention scheduling will occur if a personalized wellness plan is recommended. Intervention plans vary based on each client’s goals and medical diagnosis. A typical intervention plan lasts 4-12 sessions over a period of several months. Sessions are generally once per week for 45 – 60 minutes each.
Concussion/Brain Injury Intervention Program
The cognitive-communication program includes a wellness plan of rehabilitative training and education to optimize your concentration, memory, organization, decision-making and cognitive endurance.
We offer evaluation and treatment services for pediatric articulation, or speech sound production needs.
Articulation problems may include the inability to clearly produce the sounds of speech. This makes it difficult for the listener to understand the speaker. Speech sound production disorders may include articulation problems, phonology problems, and/or apraxia of speech.
Speech sound therapy, otherwise known as articulation therapy, focuses on the proper pronunciation and correct placement of oral structures used to produce speech.
Language and literacy are connected. The skills that a child develops in spoken language are interconnected with written language. If you have concerns about your child's reading or writing abilities, a speech-language pathologist is trained to provide assessment and intervention services to address these needs. More information can be found at the Emergent Literacy page of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or the Dyslexia page of Scottish Rite for Children.
We offer evaluation and treatment services for pediatric language needs.
Difficulty in the ability to understand or express ideas in one's communication system may include difficulty understanding sounds, words, meanings, grammar and social use of language.
The Typical Speech and Language Development page of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association provides a description of communication skill development.
Early detection and intervention to address delays in speech-language development is crucial so problems do not persist or worsen, potentially affecting later developing skills such as reading, writing, academics or the ability to negotiate friendships.
Language therapy often focuses on verbal expression, listening comprehension, vocabulary, literacy skills, and strategies to use language in more successful social interactions.
We offer evaluation and treatment services for pediatric social communication skill needs.
Social communication therapy focuses on increasing interaction and social skills.
The UA Speech and Hearing Clinic provides clinical services to adults with difficulty swallowing.
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a symptom that accompanies a multitude of medical conditions, including neurological conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and Parkinson’s disease. Difficulties can range from coughing while drinking, choking at meal times, unintentional weight loss, increased risk of respiratory infection, difficulty maintaining adequate hydration, and total inability to produce a swallow.
What to expect from your visit(s):
- A comprehensive evaluation is completed by a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist and assisting student clinician.
- A detailed evaluation report will be generated and provided during a separately scheduled post-assessment information session. This review session may be held in person, over the phone or virtually.
- Intervention scheduling will occur if a personalized intervention plan is recommended. Intervention plans vary based on each client’s goals and medical diagnosis. A typical intervention plan lasts 4-12 sessions over a period of several months. Sessions are generally once per week for 45 – 60 minutes each.
Specialized programs
In addition to traditional rehabilitation approaches, the clinic also offers the following specialized program:
McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP)
MDTP is a systematic exercise-based approach to swallowing therapy in adults with
dysphagia. MDTP uses swallowing as an exercise to progressively strengthen and coordinate the swallowing musculature. This program
utilizes a structured hierarchical framework and high frequency of repetitions to
provide individualized and intensive therapy to adult patients with swallowing difficulties.
Please visit the following websites for additional information on feeding and swallowing disorders:
The UA Speech and Hearing Clinic provides clinical services to help restore and optimize a healthy speaking voice. Our services include assessment, intervention, and education for conditions affecting vocal quality, vocal loudness, vocal endurance and comfort.
Commonly Referred Diagnoses and Conditions Include:
- Aging voice
- Chronic cough, irritable larynx, and paradoxical vocal fold movement
- Discomfort or strain when speaking
- Hoarseness
- Loss of range, power or flexibility
- Muscle tension dysphonia
- Vocal fold injuries (nodules, polyps, swelling)
- Vocal fatigue (voice tiring with use)
- Vocal fold atrophy or bowing
What to expect from your visit(s):
- A comprehensive evaluation is completed by a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist and assisting student clinician.
- A detailed evaluation report will be generated and provided during a separately scheduled post-assessment information session. This review session may be held in person, over the phone or virtually.
- Intervention scheduling will occur if a personalized wellness plan is recommended. Intervention plans vary based on each client’s goals and medical diagnosis. A typical intervention plan lasts 4-12 sessions over a period of several months. Sessions are generally once per week for 45-60 minutes each.
Specialized programs:
- Vocal Health Program
The Vocal Health program provides and trains a personalized wellness plan consisting of rehabilitative exercises and health education to optimize the spoken voice. Plans may be developed for daily voice users, professional voice users and performance voice users.
- SPEAK OUT! and The LOUD Crowd
SPEAK OUT! is a highly effective speech therapy program recommended for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and Parkinson-plus syndromes. SPEAK OUT! emphasizes speaking with intentto strengthen the muscles used for speaking, and to convert speech from an automatic function to an intentional act. The program consists of 12 individual speech therapy sessions (2-3 sessions per week for 4 weeks). Once participants complete SPEAK OUT!, they transition to the second phase of the program called The LOUD Crowd. - LSVT LOUD
Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD) is a speech therapy program designed to improve functional vocal loudness and communication skills in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. This intense and structured program involves 4 clinic sessions per week for 4 weeks (a total of 16 sessions in 1 month). The treatment also includes daily training sessions at home with a family member or friend to assist. LSVT LOUD emphasizes "Think Loud"to increase vocal effort and more intelligible communication. - PhoRTE: Therapy for the Aging Voice
PhoRTE (Phonation Resistance Training Exercise) an effective behavioral treatment for the aging voice (also referred to as presbyphonia). This intervention is for older adults who are suffering from changes to the voice caused by deconditioning and aging. PhoRTE uses high vocal intensity exercise to overload the muscles of the vocal mechanism to improve vocal power and endurance. PhoRTE progressively increases vocal intensity targets by applying exercise training principles to voice therapy.
Accepted Methods of Payment
- Self-pay/Out-of-pocket — Cash, check, or credit is accepted at the clinic.
- Medicaid — A referral from the client's primary care provider is required.
- Private insurance — Several insurance plans including
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- United Health Care
- UMR
- Note: A referral from the client's primary care provider may be required. Please contact the clinic directly to determine what preliminary paperwork is required.
The Speech and Hearing Clinic uses an electronic system to:
- provide timely appointment scheduling
- enable patients quick access to records
- enhance privacy and security of patient information
The Speech and Hearing Clinic Foundation Welcomes Donations
The clinic staff, students and university faculty are committed to providing you with excellent service. We appreciate your loyalty and confidence in our services and look forward to meeting your communication evaluation and intervention needs.
The University of Arkansas Speech and Hearing Clinic follows the Code of Ethics of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.