Pakistan has no nationally trained speech language therapists available for its 140 million citizens, including an estimated 20 million with communication, swallowing, and hearing disorders. The lack of a training program in Speech Language Therapy has resulted in a tremendous dearth of qualified practitioners and a lack of assistance to individuals in need of treatment.

Therefore considering this dilemma faced by Pakistan the Speech and Hearing Association of Pakistan (SHAP), a non-governmental, non political, non religious and a non commercial, voluntary organization formed by a group of professional workers keenly interested in the field of Speech Language Therapy and Audiology, has proposed to establish and conduct a training program at the speech Language therapy training school housed in the Ziauddin Medical University, (ZMU) Clifton Karachi. Established in 1995, ZMU is a non profit medical institution actively involved in the promotion of advancement in health science through excellence in teaching, research and public services. Presently ZMU is offering undergraduate and post graduate degree programs in various disciplines of medical science, with the exception of Speech Language therapy.

Through the training program in Speech Language Therapy SHAP and ZMU aim to collaborate so as to increase awareness in the general public of the strengths and needs of people with communication difficulties and shall prepare the trainees to identify, diagnose and treat adults and children with speech language, swallowing and/or hearing disorders.

SHAP and ZMU have mutually agreed upon exploring avenues for expansion and development of this project, through National and International agencies.

AIMS OF THE PROPOSED SPEECH LANGUAGE THERAPY TRAINING SCHOOL

• The Speech Language Therapy Training School through its highly qualified team of professionals is pioneering to conduct Pakistan’s first degree programme in Speech Language Therapy.
• The Speech Language Therapy Training School shall bear a strictly professional stature.
• The Speech Language Therapy Training School shall be catering to patients from all strata of society without any discrimination.
• The Speech Language Therapy Training School shall have its patient welfare fund to meet the needs of patients from lower social economic backgrounds.
• Quality of all services imparted within the Speech Language Therapy Training School shall be at par with international standards.
• The Speech Language Therapy Training School shall develop and maintain a good professional reputation in the field of education, training, habilitation and re habilitation.
• The Speech Language Therapy Training School shall make appropriate monetary reimbursement, for services received from all professionals and individuals working for and within it.
• The Speech Language Therapy Training School shall strongly promote research and development in the field of speech language therapy for the Pakistani population.

The Speech Language Therapy Training School shall form a Board of Study which will work as an Advisory and Supervisory Committee comprising of six members to look into all affairs of the Speech Language therapy training school. Its role is as follows:

• It shall function as an advisory body for the SLT training school and shall evaluate, over see and monitor the functioning.
• It shall make selections for core faculty in SLT and the associated faculty for the SLT training school.
• It shall select candidates strictly on merit to ensure high caliber.
• It shall develop course curriculum in SLT and upgrade it with the passage of time, to keep up with international standards.
• It shall monitor and over view the process of instruction in the SLT training school.
• It shall specify the duration and type of all the training programs in speech language therapy and swallowing disorders.
• It shall monitor and conduct all examinations in SLT and the internship following completion of training.
• It shall fix and amend whenever necessary the student fee.
• It shall provide financial help/subsidy to the deserving students.
• It shall conduct workshops, seminars, support groups, new releases pertaining to the area (and periphery) of speech, language, hearing and swallowing.

GENERAL OUTLINE

TERM 1