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COURSE OUTLINE

This module addresses knowledge and skills relating to acquired language and cognitive communication disorders in both adults and children. It develops students’ understanding of the theoretical and therapeutic principles and processes of assessing, providing therapy and managing people with these disorders. Practical and clinical aspects are considered, including the importance of client-centred working and working with others. The module builds upon knowledge and skills developed in the first year of the MSc SLS, and its content is designed to be integrated with knowledge and skills developed throughout the second year, notably SLAN0008: Professional Studies 2, SLAN0010: Management of Communication Disorders 4 (Speech, Swallowing & Voice) and SLAN0011: Brain, Mind & Health. This module is relevant to the Health and Care Professions Council ‘Standards of Proficiency’ for speech and language therapists relating to the management of clients with acquired language and communication impairments.

AIMS

• To develop knowledge and understanding of the causes, range and nature of acquired language and cognitive communication disorders and their functional and psychosocial impact
• To develop knowledge and understanding of a range of assessment approaches to enable differential diagnosis between and within a range of acquired language and cognitive communication disorders.
• To develop knowledge and understanding of a range of different management approaches to enable selection of appropriate approaches, strategies and techniques for intervention in acquired language and cognitive communication disorders.
• To integrate knowledge of assessment and management approaches with current UK social and healthcare contexts.

• To develop a critical appreciation of the evidence base relating to acquired language and cognitive communication disorders and an understanding of how intervention can be evaluated.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of this module, students will be able to describe and discuss:

• theoretical and applied research relevant to acquired language and cognitive communication disorders;
• the ways in which language processing can be impaired and the range of features and conditions that arise in acquired language and cognitive communication disorders;
• the ways in which a range of acquired language and cognitive communication disorders can be assessed and the underlying rationale for different assessment approaches;
• theoretical rationale, evidence base, application and evaluation for common intervention approaches used with people with a range of acquired language and cognitive communication disorders.

• the functional, psychosocial, educational and occupational implications of acquired language and cognitive communication disorders across the lifespan.

• the factors influencing treatment outcomes and recovery (including personal, social, religious and cultural factors)
• multi-disciplinary & mulit-agency management of acquired language and cognitive communication disorders

Skills

By the end of this module, students will be able to demonstrate that, for clients with acquired language and cognitive communication disorders, they can:

• select and describe appropriate assessment procedures and outcome measures;
• analyse and interpret evidence from a number of sources to make and justify a differential diagnosis;
• formulate hypotheses regarding the underlying disorder, functional impacts and influencing factors
• develop an overall management plan, including setting appropriate client-centred goals;
• develop and evaluate an appropriate intervention programme;
• adapt practice to meet the needs of clients and families from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds;
• collaborate with clients, carers and other professionals;
• clearly communicate information related to language and cognitive communication difficulties to people from a range of backgrounds.

These outcomes will be achieved through:

• teaching the syllabus outlined below
• guided reading and self-study
• online resources and activities
• problem-based learning
• discussion of integration of theory and practice during workshops, including use of students’ own clinical examples
• guidance and formative feedback from lecturers on data analysis tasks