AU Speech and Hearing Clinic continues Tuskegee-Macon County Head Start partnership
Auburn University’s Speech and Hearing Clinic (AUSHC) has once again secured vital support to extend its longstanding partnership with Tuskegee-Macon County Head Start (TMCHS). A recently awarded contract will allow AUSHC to continue providing speech, language and hearing screenings to Head Start children throughout the school year.
This decades-long collaboration ensures that young children in Macon County, one of Alabama’s most underserved areas, are able to receive consistent, accessible screenings during a critical period of development. Early identification of hearing loss or communication delays can make a lasting impact on a child’s academic readiness and social development. These screenings empower families to seek timely diagnoses and appropriate treatments, helping to minimize long-term challenges.
Kelli Watts, associate clinical professor in Auburn’s Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS), stressed the necessity of this partnership.
“Macon County is one of the poorest counties in Alabama, and these children often do not have access to speech and language services or hearing healthcare,” Watts said. “Through this contract, we provide services to those who may not be able to access them otherwise.”
In addition to providing screenings, AUSHC works closely with TMCHS educators and families to raise awareness of how communication challenges affect learning and behavior. Parents learn about the importance of early intervention, the role of individualized education plans (IEPs) and individualized family service plans (IFSPs) and the impact of speech and hearing disorders on child development.
This partnership also plays a key role in training SLHS students. By participating in these outreach efforts, students gain real-world insight into health disparities facing rural communities.
We take our students to these centers, allowing them to see the health disparities that can exist in impoverished and/or rural communities firsthand. Once they see the disparities, they can then learn to advocate for clients and help them access the services they need regardless of their location, income or economic status. ~ Kelli Watts
Associate Clinical Professor in Auburn’s Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS)
Beyond its partnership with TMCHS, the Auburn Speech and Hearing Clinic provides low- or no-cost screenings at local schools, senior centers, health fairs and other community events. As one of the nation’s oldest accredited training programs in speech, language and hearing sciences, Auburn’s SLHS department continues to lead in preparing compassionate, community-focused professionals committed to improving lives through communication health.
Learn more about the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.
Tags: Speech and Hearing Clinic Community, Outreach and Engagement Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
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