SLHS Outreach

The University of Arizona is home to the largest concentration of science research and education in the Southwestern United States, and SLHS faculty and staff are proud to carry on the tradition of outreach to the Tucson and Southern Arizona communities.

The department organizes several annual lectures and conferences.

Here is a sampling of the many activities our faculty, staff, and students engage in:

The L4 Community Forum Program provides an opportunity for practicing speech language pathologists to engage in learning and sharing of ideas in an interactive setting moderated by faculty and students engaging in current research in young children with language and literacy issues.

The Hearing Aid Bank is a collaborative project between SLHS’s Hearing Clinic, Tucson Hearing Society, the Community Outreach Program for the Deaf (COPD), and United Way of Greater Tucson to provide reconditioned hearing aids at a drastically reduced cost to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them. We are always looking for donated hearing aids, because the quality of the program depends on them.

Our Colloquium Series, held most Mondays from 12:00 to 12:50 during the school year, brings together researchers and practitioners from a variety of fields and interest areas to share their knowledge and engage in thoughtful discussion regarding the science of human communication and its disorders.

Each year, our Hearing Clinic, along with our speech-language pathology and audiology graduate students, participates in annual Community Health Fairs. These include the Tucson Festival of Hope and the Healthy Aging Expo.

The Community Lectures Series highlights research and clinical aspects of speech, language, and hearing to the Tucson and Southern Arizona communities. Each 45 minute talk gives the audience a unique opportunity to meet and interact with some of the leading authorities in the area of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

One-day Interactive Camps for Adolescents with Autism or Aspergers have included “Chemistry Can Be Fun” and “Optics and Astronomy Camp: Seeing is Believing.” These camps are possible through collaborations between SLHS, Chem/Biochemistry, Radiology Research, Optics, Education, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and the Autism Society of America, Greater Tucson Chapter.

It Takes Two to Talk: The Hanen Program for Parents 12-week program has been provided for families attending our speech-language clinic and community families who want to learn how to create and take advantage of everyday opportunities to promote their child’s communication and language development.

SLHS and ALOHA (Adults Loss of Hearing Association) collaborate on engaging and informative workshops for individuals living with hearing loss. These workshops take place on campus, at ALOHA, and in Green Valley.

Hear@Tucson, a community group for hard of hearing young adults ages 18 to 35 years, provides an opportunity for individuals sharing the same hearing experience to interact and engage during planned activities in the community. SLHS faculty and graduate students coordinate and facilitate.

Saint Andrews Children’s Clinic in Nogales, Arizona is a multi-specialty clinic held the first Thursday of each month and designed to provide free diagnostic services to Mexican children who are medically indigent. Services include audiology, therapies, pediatrics, orthotics, neurology, nutrition, vision and other specialties. We also collaborate with personnel from the Sistema de Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), Manos que Hablan (Hands That Talk), and ARSOBO (Arizona-Sonora Border Projects) to serve adults and others who do not qualify for services from St. Andrew’s Clinic.