As our name indicates, the Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology (SLP&A) comprises of 2 individual units, Speech and Audiology, and is spread across 2 floors. The first floor is fully functional with 7 well equipped, state of the art, sound proof therapy rooms that provide an optimum structured environment for therapies. This floor also comprises of a resource room, a multipurpose room, a conference room, a faculty room and the Head of the Department office. The second floor is unique in its observation gallery that is central and open to all of its 11 therapy rooms. A separate Feeding and Swallowing room and a Group/play therapy room are also situated on the second floor. A well-equipped multisensory room, in conjunction with CCD department, will soon be operational. An early intervention room for group therapy is in the process of making.

Function of both units of the department is to prevent, diagnose, evaluate and treat people of all ages facing communication problems. In addition, we also accept urgent inpatient cases from the nearby hospitals (SIUT and Civil) for swallowing disorders and rehabilitation. Our department currently provides Outpatient (OPD) services, including, but not limited to following disorders:

• Aphasia
• Child Developmental and/or Acquired Language Disorders
• Motor Speech Disorders (Oral and verbal Apraxia, Dysarthria)
• Cleft Lip and Palate Speech Disorders
• Nasality Disorders
• Fluency Disorder
• Articulation and Phonology Disorders
• Voice Disorders
• Feeding Disorders (Averseness to food, picky eaters)
• Sensory Integration (Hypo or Hyper oral-sensitivity)
• Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia)
• Puretone Audiometry (PTA)
• Brainstem Evoked Potential Response (BERA) aka ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response)
• Tympanometry
• Balance Disorders
• Speech Audiometry

It is important to note that the SIPM&R’s Audiology Department is the first in Pakistan to use the latest Audiological equipment by Grason Stadler Inc. (GSI) from USA.

As the new world is moving towards more objective assessments we are ready to combat that with highly specialized procedures* like:

• Vital Stim Treatment for Swallowing Disorders (already in practice at the Institute)
• Fiber optic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)
• Gold Standard Modified Barium Swallow Studies (MBSS) aka Video fluoroscopic Swallowing Studies (VFSS)
• Alaryngeal Voice and Speech Rehabilitation such as Electro-laryngeal Speech, Esophageal Speech and Tracheoesophageal Speech with Prosthesis Insertion and Management for total Laryngectomy
• Play Audiometry for children.

*Our SLPs and Audiologist are already certified and skilled to practice above procedures

The SLP&A Department ambitiously aims to provide integrated intervention programs for individuals from all walks of life and different socio-economic backgrounds in all regional languages from all over Sindh, in fact entire Pakistan, at a pocket-friendly fee.  Our vision is to raise awareness about Speech Language Pathology and Audiological Services, early Speech language and hearing loss detection and Intervention, identification of at risk individuals and implementation of a mandatory “newborn hearing assessment” in all hospitals. We hope to improve overall outcomes immensely by these measures.

Regards,

Amber Hassan

MS, CCC-SLP
amber.hassan@sipmr.edu.pk