Clinical Services at the Julia M. Davis Speech-Language-Hearing Center
Welcome to the Julia M. Davis Speech-Language-Hearing Center at the University of Minnesota. Our clinic offers a broad range of services for individuals with impairments of speech, language, and hearing. The services offered in our clinic provide clinical education opportunities for graduate students. All services are provided by graduate students under the supervision of a nationally certified and licensed speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Our mission is founded on our need to:
- Provide clinical education opportunities for our graduate students
- Provide service to the community and the University of Minnesota
- Advocate for individuals with speech, language, hearing, or cognitive communication disorders
The clinic is named in honor of Dr. Julia M. Davis, Professor Emerita in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and the former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota.
Speech-Language Pathology Services
Speech-Language Services for Preschoolers Through Adults
Individual Children's Therapy
Individual treatment sessions are provided for preschoolers, school aged children and adolescents. Treatment is provided in the areas of phonological/articulate disorders, receptive and expressive language disorders and stuttering. Before treatment is initiated a comprehensive speech-language evaluation is performed to determine an appropriate program plan.
Individual Adult Therapy
Cognitive-communicative intervention services are provided to a wide range of clients who have sustained brain injury as a result of trauma, stroke, or the onset of a degenerative disease. Treatment focuses on personally relevant goals and tasks. Examples of intervention include:
- Increasing speech intelligibility and comprehensibility
- Boosting success of receptive and expressive language skills (including the use of alternative and augmentative communication compensations)
- Increasing conversation success through pragmatic coaching
- Improving memory success through compensation training
U of MN Cleft Palate, Craniofacial & Prosthodontics Clinics
These clinics are part of the Department of Preventive Sciences in the U of M School of Dentistry. These clinics assess individuals of all ages for adequacy of velopharyngeal closure for acceptable speech productions. Patients receive a multi-component assessment that begins with a speech-language evaluation. This evaluation is only one part of a comprehensive interdisciplinary team assessment, including audiology, dentistry, oral surgery, orthodontics, prosthedontics, plastic and reconstructive surgery, nursing, genetics, and neuropsychology. When all evaluations are complete, the team of professionals meets to formulate a plan of treatment.
For more information, contact Dr. Karlind Moller at 612-625-5945 or molle001@umn.edu.
Audiology Services
Our clinic provides the following audiological services for infants through adults:
- Diagnostic hearing evaluations
- Hearing aid evaluation
- Dispensing a wide range of hearing aids
- Assistive devices
- Hearing conservation programs including hearing tests for individuals exposed to high-noise environments
- Hearing conservation products including ear plugs, musician's ear plugs, and ear muffs
Hearing Aids
A client interested in obtaining hearing aids from our clinics will meet with audiologist to select a product that meets their needs. We work with a number of manufacturers that offer hearing aids with a wide range of options and costs. All hearing aids purchased in our clinic may be returned within 45 days if the client is not completely satisfied, in accordance to Minnesota state law. Clients are provided with follow-up appointments at no cost for the first year after receiving the hearing aid.
Assistive Devices
In addition to our hearing aid services, we work with clients to determine if other assistive devices may be beneficial. These are devices for the telephone, alerting systems, and devices that amplify speakers in large groups or setting with excessive background noise.
Hearing Conservation Testing
Our clinic tests and monitors hearing levels in individuals who are exposed to chronic noise from occupational or recreational environments. We begin by assessing a clinical inventory of possible noise exposure from all sources, including sounds from machinery/factory environments, musical performance, hunting/gunshots, and others. We then conduct formal baseline hearing tests to assess current hearing thresholds. These tests include a basic audiogram across a full frequency range and screening tympantometry (middle-ear testing). Testing could also include more advanced diagnostics techniques such as transient and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. We review the hearing test results and use this information to recommend strategies for identifying risks and protecting ears from damaging noise exposure. The baseline test is kept on file to compare with periodic follow-up test and to verify the effectiveness of the recommended hearing conservation program.
We also dispense protective hearing conservation products, including stock or custom-fitted earplugs, earmuffs, and musician's earplugs.
Auditory Processing Disorder
Some people have more difficulty processing what they hear than others do. Presumably, people who experience this problem have normal hearing, but sounds are not being processed efficiently by the auditory structures higher up in the brain. Individuals who fit this description are assessed to determine if they have an "auditory processing disorder."
Clients are evaluated using a number of behavioral and physiological assessment procedures. Information from these assessments is used for both clinical and research purposes. In other words, clients will participate in assessments that are considered part of the clinic's standard of care (i.e., tests of hearing, auditory function, and speech-language and intellectual ability) and assessments that the clinic staff view as experimental (i.e., behavioral tests of auditory processing). Clients will only be billed for procedures that are standard of care. All other procedures will be conducted at no charge. The results of all testing will be clearly explained to the client/parent/guarding and appropriate referrals and recommendations will be made.
The complete assessment will involve four to five visits to the clinic that will each last one to two hours.
Aural Rehabilitative Group
Our clinic offers an aural rehabilitative group for adults with hearing loss who experience challenges with listening across different situations and environments. The group meets weekly for four weeks, with each session designed to provide new information about a specific topic. Every session includes interactive group activities to allow members to practice their skills in hearing and speaking effectively with different communication partners. Some of the themes of weekly sessions include:
- Knowledge about the nature and causes of hearing loss
- Understanding hearing aids
- Using other amplification and assistive devices
- Strategies for improving communication
- Introduction to speech-reading skills
- Organizations and publications of interest to persons with hearing loss
For more information about addiology services, please contact at 612-624-3322 or slhs@umn.edu.
Clinical Fees Policies
The Julia M. Davis Speech-Language-Hearing Center is a fee-for-service clinic. The modest income we receive from these fees benefits our clinical education program and our clients by allowing us to cover the costs of clinical materials and expenses.
At the time that you make your initial appointment for service, we will provide you with information about our fees. Most clinical fees for evaluation or treatment are standard rates and will not vary from session to session. Some audiology diagnostic evaluation services may vary depending up on the amount of testing required, but a close estimate will be provided before your appointment.
The following policies explain the procedures that apply to all clients who receive clinical services in our clinic:
- Fees are payable before the session.
- You may pay with cash, check, or charge (VISA or Mastercard).
- You will receive a receipt for every payment.
Although we are a part of the University of Minnesota, our clinic does not bill insurance directly and does not accept third-party payments.
Students who are registered full-time at the University of Minnesota pay the minimum fee for service. Please contact our clinic for more details.
All fees collected at the Julia M. Davis Speech-Language-Hearing Center are subject to appropriate taxes.
Sliding Fee Scale
We have a sliding fee scale available for clients who have a documented financial need. This policy provides general, minimum requirements for the sliding fee scale for clients at the Julia M. Davis Speech-Language-Hearing Center. Clients with documented financial need may receive services at a reduced fee if application for assistance is approved. Thorough and consistent guidelines for the sliding fee scale ensure that all clients are treated equally.
Sliding Fee Scale Procedures
- All income must be verified in order to qualify for the sliding fee scale.
- Clients are asked to provide records of all income to the Director of Clinical Programs, Dr. Mark DeRuiter, preferably before their first appointment at the clinic.
- Income verification documents may be faxed to 612-624-7586 or mailed.
- Acceptable means of income verification include pay stubs for everyone working in the household or current income tax forms. If you work for cash or are unemployed, a letter stating your situation is acceptable.
- The sliding fee scale is reviewed and changed annually to reflect any changes in the guidelines necessary for this plan.
- Any income or family size must be reported to the clinic. "Family" is defined for these purposes is mother, father, children, significant other, husband, wife, and any dependent adult or child who is support by the family unit and benefits from the combined household income. Roommates do not qualify as family.
- Income changes that must be reported include:
- Employment or becoming self-employed
- Loss of employment or business
- An increase or decrease in wages
- A change in eligibility for unemployment, workers compensation, disability, SSI, SSD, child support, or retirement benefits
- Bankruptcy filings
- Becoming a landlord, manager, or caretaker
- Receipt of payment of child support
- Change in responsibility for account
- Family size changes:
- Marriage
- Change in domestic partner living arrangements
- Divorce or separation
- Birth
- Death
- Adoption
- Contact information changes:
- Name
- Address
- Phone
If you have questions about the fee policy or about your ability to pay for services, you may contact the Director of Clinical Program, Dr. Mark DeRuiter to confidentially discuss your concerns. You may reach Dr. DeRuiter at 612-624-3322 or derui001@umn.edu.