Charles Van Riper Language, Speech and Hearing Clinic
Students receive part of their practicum education at the WMU Unified Clinics in a new state-of-the-art facility on the university campus that not only provides training for students but offers care to people in the wider Kalamazoo community. The facility is shared with the Kalamazoo area medical educational programs of Michigan State University, as well as with the College of Health and Human Services clinical programs in occupational therapy, vision rehabilitation, speech-language therapy, audiology, geriatric assessment, children's trauma assessment, alcohol and drug abuse, and developmental disabilities. The interdisciplinary focus of these clinics gives students an opportunity to work in teams with students in other disciplines when appropriate, a condition that mirrors current trends in some practice situations.
The Van Riper Language, Speech and Hearing Clinic offers hearing evaluations, speech and language evaluation, and therapy/rehabilitation services. A basic goal is to assure that individuals who have communication disorders or are at risk for disorders achieve maximum communication competence. Graduate and undergraduate students serve as clinicians under the direct supervision of faculty members who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.