SPCHSCI 723 : Communication Disorders in Adults
Science
2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
Capabilities Developed in this Course
Capability 1: | People and Place |
Capability 2: | Sustainability |
Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
Capability 6: | Communication |
Capability 7: | Collaboration |
Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Identify and describe the neurological, physiological and diagnostic basis for the major motor speech disorders (Capability 3, 6 and 8)
- Identify and analyse the extent to which aphasia disrupts language production and explain how to address the impact of this disruption on the life of an individual and their family/whānau (Capability 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
- Incorporate principles of evidence-based practice and the ICF framework in assessment and intervention suggestions (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and respect for the historical, sociopolitical, economic and cultural significance of tangata whenua (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8)
- Critically evaluate current debates in the literature regarding the description, diagnosis and possible treatment of acquired communication disorders (Capability 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
Assessments
Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
---|---|---|
Aphasia assignment | 35% | Individual Coursework |
MSD class test | 15% | Individual Coursework |
Final exam | 50% | Individual Examination |
3 types | 100% |
Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
Aphasia assignment | ||||||||||
MSD class test | ||||||||||
Final exam |
Key Topics
- Aphasia (fluent and nonfluent)
- Cognitive-communication disorders
- Language processing
- Right hemisphere language disorder
- Dementia
- Motor speech disorders (dysarthria and apraxia of speech)
Special Requirements
Students are required to attend all lectures and tutorials for this course.
Confidentiality Clause requirement
This course uses client materials including assessment/therapy plans, photographs and videos to enhance your learning. Students must take all reasonable steps to protect against inadvertent disclosure of this information to people who are not enrolled in this course. This includes not sharing materials and being aware of one’s environment when watching or discussing class materials online.
Tuākana
Tuākana Science is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacic students providing topic specic tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/pacific-in-our-faculty.html
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/maori-in-our-faculty.html
This course is supported by the Tuākana in Science Programme, which began almost 30 years ago and facilitates the success and wellbeing of our Māori and Pacic students. The foundation of the Tuākana Programme is the tuākana-teina principle an integral relationship in which older or more expert tuākana (traditionally brother, sister or cousin) guides a younger or less expert teina (traditionally younger sibling or cousin). This is a reciprocal relationship which fosters safe learning and teaching environments. The Tuākana Programme values manaakitanga (kind and caring interactions), tautoko (support), mana (reciprocal respect), ako (learning and teaching), whanaungatanga (relationship, kinship, sense of family connection) and hononga (connection). We encourage all Speech Science students to engage in the Tuākana Programme through shared tutorial support with your classmates. Read more here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/maori-and-pacific-at-the-faculty/tuakanaprogramme.html
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in. For this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures, a 2-hour tutorial, 2-3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 2-3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
- The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
- Lectures will be available as recordings, but this should not be relied on. Other learning activities, including tutorials, will not be available as recordings.
- The course will include live online events, including group discussions/tutorials.
- Attendance on campus is required is required at scheduled activities, including lectures and tutorials, the class test and the exam.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Recommended reading includes:
- LaPointe, L.L. & Stierwalt, J.A.G. (Ed) (2018). Aphasia and Related Neurogenic Language Disorders (5th edition). New York: Thieme
- Davis, G.A. (2013). Aphasia and Related Cognitive-Communicative Disorders. London: Allyn and Bacon
- Freed, D.B. (2020). (3rd edition). Motor Speech Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment. USA: Plural Publisher https://www.pluralpublishing.com/publications/motor-speech-disorders-diagnosis-and-treatment
- Duffy, J.R. (2019). Motor Speech Disorders (4th ed.) https://www.elsevier.com/books/motor-speech-disorders/duffy/978-0-323-53054-5
Additional readings will be provided for each topic through Canvas.
Student Feedback
During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.
At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.
Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.
We regularly make improvements to the course based on student feedback.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Copyright
The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.
You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.
Where content has been provided to you in electronic format, you may only print from it for your own private study and research. Failure to comply with the terms of this warning may expose you to legal action for copyright infringement and/or disciplinary action by the University.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.