La Salle’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program supports the community through no-cost speech therapy clinic

The clinic offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment services for both adults and children addressing a wide range of issues.

Maeve Shields, M.S. '25, works with a client in theno-cost speech therapy clinic for adults operated by the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) program.

La Salle's St. Benilde Tower is not only the home for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences but also a space for a community speech clinic.

The Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) program operates a no-cost speech therapy clinic for children and adults in the local community who may lack access to care. Graduate students supervised by University faculty provide the evaluations and treatments.

"This initiative not only addresses the speech and language needs of individuals across all age groups but also embodies our University's mission of giving back to the community," Kristopher Ralph, MS, CCC-SLP, clinic director, said. "By offering high-quality therapy at no cost, we support the well-being and development of our neighbors, fostering a healthier, more connected community. Additionally, the clinic serves as a practical learning environment for our students, who gain hands-on experience while contributing positively to the community, thus reinforcing our commitment to service and education."

Joe Mihalich, '78, special assistant to the head coach for the La Salle men's basketball program, works with Anabel Pena, M.S. '25, on language and articulation following a stroke.

Clients receive comprehensive evaluation and treatment services, addressing a wide range of issues such as speech and language disorders, articulation disorders, cognitive impairments, voice therapy, and swallowing impairments. Both in-person and telepractice visits are available.

Through the children and adult clinics, La Salle students and faculty provide a variety of specialized services including evaluations and treatment for children with selective mutism; group therapies for children and for adults with aphasia; transgender voice therapy; and videostroboscopy for assessing the movement of the vocal folds during voice production.

All student supervision is conducted by nationally certified and PA-licensed speech-language pathologists, who are faculty or adjunct faculty in the CSD department.

Anabel Pena, M.S. '25, (left) works with client Michael Bryant on targeting his dysarthria following a stroke.

"All graduate students begin their practicum in our on-campus clinics, gaining their first real-world clinical experience. Here, they develop foundational clinical skills that prepare them for subsequent off-site practicums in various settings across Pennsylvania and New Jersey," Ralph said.

James M. Mancinelli, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, runs the stuttering clinic and supervises graduate student clinicians. He guides them through the assessment phase and trains them in treatment approaches with people who stutter.

Stuttering is a less prevalent communication disorder so the student's ability to work under the supervision of an experienced faculty clinician builds their clinical confidence for working with people who stutter across the lifespan, he said.

Client Kyle Behler discusses areas of the brain that were affected when he suffered a brain injury with Maeve Shields, M.S. '25.

Graduate student practicum is also not the only way students get involved in the clinics. Students also conduct research with faculty and utilize the clinics as part of different courses that teach vital evaluation and treatment skills. Undergraduate students utilize the clinics to earn observation hours, gaining valuable insights and exposure to real-world applications of speech-language pathology services.

Maeve Shields, M.S. '25, (right) provides language and cognitive therapy to client Cecelia Gooding (left).

Clients of the clinics are also seeing results.

"The speech clinic is great," Michael Bryant said. "When I came here in 2024, I could not talk due to me having a stroke. Now people understand me. This program is amazing. My insurance won't cover therapy and this clinic sees me free of charge. I'm getting better every week."

Family members are the support system for many of the clinic's clients and see progress in their loved ones.

"Since attending La Salle speech sessions, my husband Kyle has made many improvements such as using memory techniques to remember things and people's names, not interrupting people when talking, and not repeating himself. He's always eager to come and work on improving every weakness he comes across," Megan Behler, client Kyle Behler's wife.

To learn more about the speech therapy clinic or schedule an appointment, please contact Kris Ralph at 215-951-1888 or email [email protected].

Anabel Pena, M.S. '25, (right) is working on expressive language with client Mark Goodman following his stroke.