Speech and Language Therapy

The aim of the follow-up master's study program Speech Therapy is to prepare an expert - a speech therapist with a wide socio-scientific perspective focused on pedagogical and psychological disciplines, who will be able to work independently in the counselling field with children, pupils or adults. He/she will have theoretical knowledge and practical skills at top level in the field of speech therapy and hearing impairment. The course will use latest techniques for people with disabilities to practice skills using simulation.

Diagnostics, intervention, education, and counselling are provided by special needs teachers not only in the field of education, but also within the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The contemporary concept of special education deals with the issues concerning an individual with special needs from birth to old age, i.e. early and preschool age, school age, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. The study program focuses on mastering special educational diagnostics and using special educational diagnostic tools and procedures within the fields of speech therapy and hearing impairment.

The compulsory subjects concerning special educational intervention procedures and counselling are subjects dealing with the individuals with impaired communication and with hearing impairment, optional subject covers specific learning difficulties. The study program is realized in full-time and combined forms. It is a follow-up master study program Special Education – Speech Therapy, which is not divided into specialization.

The content of the study is a basic university course with an emphasis on the application area of the field. An equal part of the study is a common basis, which includes psychological, pedagogical, communication (including foreign language), and general cultivating subjects. Everything is supplemented by pedagogical practice with sufficient hourly subsidy.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• to use extensive knowledge and skills within special education,
• to use knowledge and skills from this study field, communication knowledge, skills and techniques,
• to apply approaches towards education and training of children and pupils with disturbed communication and with hearing impairment (individual and group work),
• to work with children/pupils who need speech therapy or have a hearing impairments at the level of a special needs teacher
• to support the teacher in working with pupils with special educational needs in the inclusive class, to support the parents of children with disabilities,
• to design and process research on education of pupils with disturbed communication and with hearing impairment and to argue toward chosen procedures.

Readiness for the Profession and the Professional Adaptability to the Conditions and Requirements of the Practice

The employment of the graduates – speech therapists is assumed in the counselling professions where they will be in the personal contacts with children, pupils or adults with disabilities, mainly with speech disorders and hearing impairment.

They will perform special pedagogical diagnostics, design individual plans, provide interventions and special educational counselling, deal and cooperate with experts at interdisciplinary level. They will be ready to communicate and cooperate with parents of children and pupils and teachers from both special and mainstream schools. They also can work in facilities and institutions with the target groups.

Possible Professions and Institutions after Studies

The graduate of the master's study program Special Education - Speech Therapy will find work in the school counselling area (Act No. 379/2015 Coll. - amendment to the Act No. 563/2004 Coll., On Pedagogical Staff), in health care (Act No. 96/2004 Coll., On non-medical health professions and updated Decree No. 55/2011 Coll., On the activities of health workers as amended) and in the field of social services. It is possible to overlap the provision of services to early-stage children or adults in the field of visual impairment, hearing impairment and disturbed communication.

The unstructured master's study program Special Education - Speech Therapy is one of programs enabling to become a pedagogical staff. They are included as non-teaching pedagogy, teaching and psychology in Government Order no. 275/2016 Coll., On the Fields of Study in Higher Education.

The graduates acquire competencies both in the school counselling area (Act No. 379/2015 Coll. - amendment to the Act No. 563/2004 Coll., On Pedagogical Staff) and in health care (Act No. 96/2004 Coll., On non-medical health professions and updated Decree No. 55/2011 Coll., On the activities of health workers, as amended)

• Special education teacher

The system of practice is based on the need for theoretical knowledge and its application in the field. Students have the possibility of observing practices in facilities co-operating for a long time with the Department of Special Education of MU. Among the long-term cooperating facilities belong The Kindergarten and Primary School with the Speech Therapy Veslařská Brno, Primary School Brno, Otevřená 20a, Primary School Brno, Jasanová, Primary School Brno, Gajdošova 3, Primary School Brno, Bosonožská 9, Clinical Speech Therapy Department of Neurological Clinic at the Faculty Hospital Bohunice (PhDr. Milena Košťálová, Ph.D.), clinical speech therapists from private practices (Mgr. Jan Dezort, Mgr. Bronislava Bubeníčková) etc.

Students have the opportunity to practice a total of 500 hours. The practice starts in the third semester with 40 hours (continuous special educational practice), followed by a number of speech therapeutic practices (Coherent Practice I in the 5th semester, Coherent Practice II in the 6th semester).

The objectives of the practice is to gain a comprehensive overview of the educational, intervention and support process focused on children and pupils with SEN. Students shoul get acquainted with the approaches, organization and administration of the workplaces. Practice III is in the 7th semester, Practice IV is in the 8th semester. , Practice V is in the 9th semester. Students have the opportunity to complete the expanding practice I and II in the total range of 50 and 50 hours. The concept of practice also includes seminars in which the gained experience is is shared and reflected with the associate professors and the assistant professors from the Department of Special Education at the Faculty of Education, MU.

Students must be aware of the current issues in the field of special education, be able to define the topic of their theses (research) clearly, describe the initial state of knowledge and propose adequate methods of solution, clearly and logically create the title of the thesis.

The student is able to work with the adequate primary and secondary study sources, to quote them according to the valid standards and in accordance with the ethics of scientific work. He/she is able to lead discussions and argue with the authors, to draw own conclusions and recommendations.

The student can design his/her own quantitative or qualitative research, including a clear definition of objectives and the choice of adequate research methods in relation to the nature of the phenomenon under investigation, work with the appropriate method, including the ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data and interpret and draw conclusions in an appropriate way.

The student will demonstrate the stylistic competencies by the creation of his/her own text. The student is able to create the scientific work, maintain the logical line of the work composition without grammatical errors.

The student will demonstrate the ability to ask questions and solve problems in an unconventional way, to formulate new ideas and conclusions of the thesis that would bring at least partially new knowledge about the phenomenon being studied or enrich the (new) methodological (in the area of research) or methodical procedures (in the field of education), in relation to clearly defined and selected target groups (elementary school pupils, secondary school students, groups with special educational needs, etc.).

The standards of the final theses within special education are prepared according to the Dean's Decree No. 1/2015, For the completion of the final theses (bachelor's, master's, rigorous and final theses of the life-long learning courses).

4-year doctoral study program Special Education

Students are also prepared for entry into the attestation preparation of Speech Therapy in the health sector.