It’s hard to say whether Texas Christian University’s Davies School of Communications Sciences & Disorders has had more of an impact on its students or on the community it serves. This year marks 50 years of TCU’s Miller Speech & Hearing Clinic (MSHC), which teaches future clinicians how to diagnose and treat individuals with swallowing, speech, language and hearing disorders through a working clinic that serves Fort Worth and beyond.
Services at the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences clinic are led by a team of licensed speech-language pathologists and an audiologist who mentor undergraduate and graduate students at TCU to assess and treat individuals across the lifespan.
Priceless for Autistic Children
Jason Vuic has an 11-year-old son who is autistic and was struggling to speak when he was younger.
“They always say it takes a village,” Vuic said. “But with our son, it does, and everyone here has been just wonderful to us.”
Vuic said that MSHC gave his son dedicated space to receive attentive care multiple times a week, and he described the professionalism of students, both graduate and undergraduate.
“I’ve always been impressed with the students here, always,” Vuic said. “Not once have I not been, and we’ve gone through several generations – we get new ones each semester.”
As students providing therapy progress through their education, Vuic was equally appreciative of the office managers’ attentiveness and the connections they’ve built over the years at Miller.
“I would tell anyone, the one-on-one therapy is priceless for autistic children,” Vuic said.
The Next Generation of Speech Pathologists
Jennifer Yack’s family has lived across the country and visited several speech therapists, looking for the right fit for their 4-year-old son. They found MSHC last fall.
“As many people probably know, speech therapy is hard on little ones. It’s a lot of work. And this has been a fun experience,” Yack said. “He’s enjoyed interacting with students, and I've enjoyed interacting with the staff because you can tell that they still enjoy doing what they’re doing.”
Yack said that she loves how students are implementing what they’re learning in the classroom, adding that the next generation of speech-language pathologists is right here at TCU.
When Yack brought her son in for his first appointment, she admitted she was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. But she described the process as seamless and was able to sit back and watch him interact with the students, feeling at ease.
“Miller is a hidden gem, and hopefully we can spread the word that it’s a great resource here in the Fort Worth community,” Yack said. “It’s been the perfect place for my son, and we have been so blessed, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about it.”