Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

 
Chair: Alfred H. White, Jr., Ph.D., Professor

 
Location: MCL 806
Telephone: (940) 898-2025
http://www.twu.edu/hs/comms/

Faculty: Professor D. Walker-Baston; Associate Professors A. Bird, D. Grant,K. Millay, P. Scott; Assistant Clinical Professor J. Ford; Assistant Professor C. Gill, A. Lieberth; Clinical Instructors B. Tepper, L. Moorer, J. White.

The primary goals of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders are to provide students with an understanding of the processes involved in human communication and to prepare students for professional careers in the areas of Speech-Language Pathology and Education of the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing.

Students who complete a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology will be eligible for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and students who complete their master's degree in Education of the Hearing Impaired (deaf and hard of hearing) will be eligible for certification by the Council on the Education of the Deaf (CED).

An academic minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders requires 18 semester hours to be specified by the Department Chair. [Note: Students interested in a Human Biology major with a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders are directed to the Biology section of this catalog.]

For detailed information about the bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences, the TEA certification program in education of the hearing impaired, or the graduate programs in speech-language pathology or education of the hearing impaired, write to the Chair, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Texas Woman’s University, Box 23775, Denton, Texas 76204-1775.

Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic

The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic within the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is open throughout most of the year and affords qualified students an opportunity to enroll in clinical practice. Students work with clients from the TWU student body and the community who have various speech, language and/or hearing problems.
 
Admission Requirements

Students must apply to the Department for admission into the Communication Sciences Program. To apply students must have completed 30 semester hours and have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 and/or a GPA of 2.75 over their last 30 semester hours of course work. Additionally, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 once admitted to the program. No more than two grades of C will apply toward the major, nor will credit be awarded toward the major for a grade of D or F.

Students wishing to apply for the TEA certification program in education of the deaf and hard of hearing should do so through the College of Education and Human Ecology after they have successfully completed 15 hours of coursework within the Department. To be accepted into the TEA certification program, a student must meet admission requirements established by the College of Education and Human Ecology and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

It is important to note that most TEA required education courses should be taken at the undergraduate level. Some courses leading to TEA certification offered by the Department are taken at the undergraduate level while others are taken at the graduate level. Students who wish to secure TEA certification should plan for one year of post-baccalaureate studies.

Undergraduate Degrees

B.S. in Communication Sciences
 

Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences

Required Courses

COMS 2003. Articulatory Phonetics

COMS 2513. Deaf Culture

COMS 3033. Acoustic Phonetics and Perceptual Processing

COMS 3063. Normal Speech and Language Development

COMS 3503. Intervention Strategies for Speech Development

COMS 3523. Audiology

COMS 3533. Assisted Listening Strategies: Acoustic Technology and Methods for the Deaf

COMS 3553. Normal/Language Development in School Age Children

COMS 3563. Intervention Strategies for Language Development

COMS 4203. Diagnostic Procedures I

COMS 4213. Diagnostic Procedures II

COMS 4483. English Sign Systems

COMS 4553. American Sign Language I

*COMS 4503. Intervention with Elementary Age Deaf Children

COMS 4563. Advanced Signed English

COMS 4613. American Sign Language II

NOTE: Students seeking TEA certification in deaf education need to take EDUC 3006, EDUC 4403, COMS 4503* They also need 6 additional hours taken from the following: Environmental Studies, Health and Fitness, Philosophy, or Social Sciences.
 

A Suggested Sequence of Courses
 

FRESHMAN YEAR
First Semester ENG 1013.......................................3  HIST 1013......................................3  GOV 2013......................................3  Sophomore Literature .......................3  Elective*........................................ 3                                                      15	Second Semester ENG 1023...........................................3  HIST 1023...........................................3  GOV 2023...........................................3  Mathematics.........................................3  COMS 2003.........................................3                                                           15
SOPHOMORE YEAR
First Semester Sophomore English............................3  Mathematics......................................3  COMS 2513......................................3  COMS 3033......................................3  COMS 3523......................................3                                                        15	Second Semester Sophomore English................................3  COMS 4553.........................................3  Science with lab.....................................3  COMS 3533..........................................3  COMS 3063..........................................3                                                            15
JUNIOR YEAR
First Semester COMS 3503.......................................3  COMS 3553.......................................3  Elective**..........................................3  COMS 4613.......................................3  Women’s Studies.................................3                                                         15	Second Semester Elective**.............................................3  Elective*...............................................3  COMS3563...........................................3  COMS 4483..........................................3  Elective................................................3  Science with Lab....................................3                                                           18
SENIOR YEAR
First Semester COMS 4203........................................3  COMS 4563........................................3  Multicultural Studies.............................3  Elective..............................................3  Elective..............................................3  Elective..............................................3                                                         18	Second Semester Elective**.............................................3  Elective.................................................3  COMS 4213..........................................3  COMS 4653..........................................3  COMS ___3).........................................3                                                            15

 

Communication Sciences and Disorders Undergraduate Courses

COMS 1501. Speech and Language Improvement. Individualized speech and language improvement in the University Speech Clinic for Texas Woman’s University students evidencing oral communication differences. Minimum one hour a week. Credit: One hour.

COMS 2003. Introduction to Speech Science and Phonetics. Structure and function of the vocal organs, the international phonetic alphabet, practice with broad phonetic transcription. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 2513. Deaf Culture. History of deaf community, its art, literature and language (American Sign Language), including current attitudes, movements, policies and trends which affect the deaf as a minority. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 3033. Acoustic Phonetics and Perceptual Processing. Basic acoustical properties of sound. Acoustic phonetics. Phonetic transcription of disordered speech. Speech perception. Tactile, visual and motor speech processes, suprasegmental aspects of speech and speech instrumentation. Prerequisite: COMS 2003. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 3063. Normal Speech and Language Development. Nature of language, language-learning theories, and milestones of speech and language development; emphasis on preschool years. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 3503. Intervention Strategies for Speech Development. Normal speech development; etiology, diagnosis and treatment for speech disorders as they relate to children and adults. Factors involved in the learning and teaching of speech to the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Prerequisite: COMS 3033. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 3523. Audiology I. Introduction to the assessment of hearing loss through audiometric techniques, including supervised testing of children and adults with hearing losses. Required observation in University Clinic. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 3533. Assisted Listening Strategies. Acoustic Technology and Methods for the Deaf. Environmental management, hearing aids, assistive listening devices, tactile transducers, cochlear implants, speech reading and auditory training methods for adults and children with hearing and/or listening differences. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 3553. Normal Language Development in School Age Children. Nature of oral and written language, the relationship of language to academic learning and language development in the school age years. Prerequisite: COMS 3063. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 3563. Speech Development for the Hearing-Impaired I. Problems of speech acquisition, phonetic systems, formation, and articulation of speech sounds; emphasis on intelligible speech development. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 4201. Clinical Practicum of Diagnostic Procedures in Speech and Hearing Disorders. Administration of current diagnostic tests of speech and language disorders in practice situations. Observation of formal diagnostic sessions of clinic patients. Corequisite: COMS 4202. Three laboratory hours a week. Credit: One hour.

COMS 4203. Diagnostic Procedures I. Instruction in current evaluative procedures of speech and language both formal and informal; using test data to plan for intervention strategies. Corequisite: COMS 4201. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 4213. Diagnostic Procedures II. Formal and informal evaluation procedures for speech and language using test data to plan for intervention strategies. Prerequisite: COMS 4203. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 4483. English Sign Systems. The use of various manual code systems (SOS, MSS, Cued Speech) to facilitate the development of English by teachers of the hearing impaired. Prerequisite: COMS 2513 or permission of the instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 4501. Clinical Practicum I. Participation in clinical sessions as clinical assistant. Prerequisites: 3.0 GPA in COMS courses, permission of COMS Clinical Review Committee. Corequisite: COMS 4502. Three laboratory hours a week. Credit: One hour.

COMS 4502. Introduction to Clinical Process. Introduction to clinical handbook and basic clinical procedures. Prerequisites: COMS 3501 and 3503. Corequisite: COMS 4512. Two lecture hours a week. Credit: Two hours.

COMS 4511. Clinical Process. Planned experiences related to client assessment, therapeutic and behavior management, and effective interaction. Prerequisites: 3.0 GPA in COMS classes, permission of COMS Clinical Review Committee, and proof of clinical liability insurance. Corequisite: COMS 4512. One lecture hour a week. Credit: One hour.

COMS 4512. Clinical Practicum II. Assessment and management of clients with speech, language and hearing disorders in TWU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic under supervision of ASHA-certified supervisors. Prerequisites: COMS 3501 and 3503. Corequisite: COMS 4502. Four laboratory hours a week. Credit: Two hours.

COMS 4553. American Sign Language - I. A first course in American Sign Language (ASL). Development of a minimal working vocabulary of signs taken from ASL and to develop some understanding of and the ability to use ASL grammar. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: three hours.

COMS 4563. Advanced Signed English. The development of functional skills in the use of Signed English, including Morphemic Sign System (MSS). Prerequisite: A course in signed English or permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 4613. American Sign Language - II. A second course in American Sign Language (ASL). Expansion of ASL vocabulary and grammar. Enhancement of ability to understand ASL. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 4653. Literacy Development in the Hearing Impaired. Review of research in the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills of both hearing and hearing-impaired populations. Linguistic and literacy development explored in-depth as they relate to whole language development in hearing-impaired children. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 4903. Selected Topics in Communication Sciences. Study of selected topics. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

COMS 4913. Independent Study. Individual study of specific problems. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.