Educational goals

In drafting the RAD form, due consideration was given to the indications of the NetQuest Project Report - Speech Therapist Training in Europe - United in Diversity (26 September 2013), which can be viewed on the website www.netques.eu. The document, attached, created with the coordination of the CPLOL (Comité Permanent de Liason des Orthophonistes-Logopèdes of the EEC), involved numerous European universities and was developed with a view to a teaching harmonization project at European level regarding the professional figure of the speech therapist. According to the European Category Guidelines, the training path must lead to the training of an expert professional on human communication and its disorders and swallowing, in their complexity, through the acquisition of a scientific method based on the evidence of the literature and on the management methods of the clinical problems in the sector. In particular, the speech therapist must acquire general expertise in all fields of interest in communication and swallowing disorders, also including ethical and legal notions. The skills concern the three main areas of competence: A) 'Practical-Clinical' area. It includes: 1) ability to plan and transfer primary, secondary and tertiary prevention activities, relating to communication and swallowing disorders; 2) ability in diagnostic, therapeutic-rehabilitative and speech therapy evaluation of the patient; 3) development of skills on interactions with the caregiver, with the environment and counseling techniques 4) ability to coordinate patient management through suitable interactions with the rehabilitation team, medical and/or social-health teams. B) 'Organization' area. It involves the ability to: 1) work within the team, promoting its development; 2) manage one's skills in clinical practice; 3)instruct and guide colleagues and trainee staff. C) 'Profession' area. It includes the ability to: 1) develop one's professional skills; 2) develop methods and techniques for a scientific approach to diagnostic problems and clinical management of patients. Regarding the contents of the theoretical teaching, the student acquires skills regarding the structures, functions and disorders relating to communication, nutrition and swallowing. The theoretical teaching must be closely integrated with clinical practice and the student implements the theoretical knowledge in field training with patients of developmental age and with adult patients presenting with communication and eating/swallowing disorders. In particular, the specific objectives of the degree course are: - To provide the student with the basis for knowledge of the fundamental biological and pathophysiological phenomena of language, communication and swallowing; - Provide the student with the theoretical bases and practical knowledge aimed at the prevention and rehabilitative treatment of language, communication and swallowing disorders of central or peripheral, organic or functional origin in developmental, adult and geriatric age; - Acquire the basic knowledge to understand the functioning principles of the various organs, the quality and quantitative evaluation of biological phenomena, the general principles of linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morpho-syntax, semantics and pragmatics) - Acquire the fundamental elements of 'anatomical-physiology of the sense organs and phonation, as well as the principles of human communication with particular regard to sensorial and expressive afference, to the modalities of central processing and interindividual relationships; -Learn the principles of pathophysiology of language and communication, as well as specific clinical correlations, including those with organs, systems and systems connected with the communicative function; - Learn the principles underlying the pathophysiology of swallowing; - Ensure, according to methods that may vary, operational training adaptable to the progress of the discipline, relating to each category of speech therapy disorders, recognized symptoms, etiological data, typology, differential diagnosis, evaluation procedures and tools, factors that influence the evolution favorable or not of the treatment, existing therapeutic approaches, possible speech therapy intervention or alternative interventions, average duration of treatments, criteria for evaluating progress and defining the end of treatment; - To structure in the speech therapist student those personal skills that allow a global approach to the patient and his family unit, as well as the adaptation to the individual case of tested techniques and expressive methods that can be used appropriately with therapeutic and rehabilitative value; - Know how to carry out investigations for the execution and evaluation of tests for the diagnostic-therapeutic framework; - Know how to use interview techniques to collect medical history data; - Know how to observe and describe verbal and non-verbal behavior, record and analyze the various interactions; - Knowing how to use and evaluate standardized tests and informal control methods for understanding communication and swallowing disorders and finally being able to interpret the results; - Know how to evaluate the evolution of the treatment and the results as well as draw up reports on the matter; - Know how to prepare a work plan for each therapeutic session and a work plan for the entire course of therapy; - Know how to detect individual and social anamnesis; identify and analyze the speech therapy situation, obtain data for diagnosis and treatment; know how to develop a therapy plan based on the disorder articulated in an individual manner and with the appropriate therapeutic purposes; plan the therapy taking into account the diagnostic results; choose the appropriate rehabilitation methodologies; know how to evaluate whether speech therapy measures are sufficient or whether they should be integrated with other therapies; evaluate the results of the rehabilitation intervention and the methods of continuation or interruption of the same in the following pathologies of speech therapy relevance: 1) functional and organic dysphonia in developmental, adult and geriatric age; 2) laryngectomies; 3) language and communication disorders acquired in adulthood such as aphasias, dysarthrias, during neurological diseases and in particular strokes and dementia; 4) language and communication disorders on a congenital or acquired basis present in developmental age 5) dysphagia in developmental, adult and geriatric age; 6) verbal flow disorders such as stuttering and tumultus sermonis; 7) congenital hearing loss, cochlear implants and post-verbal hearing loss; 8) specific language and communication disorders, including those secondary to organic pathologies; 9) pathologies of the phono-articulatory and respiratory organs (pharyngeal veil insufficiency, peripheral mechanical dyslalia), infantile cerebral palsy, genetic syndromes, cognitive delays, perceptual disorders, emotional-relational disorders; 10) specific learning disorders or secondary to other congenital and acquired pathologies; - Learn the basics of research methodology and develop research programs, applying the results in order to improve the purpose and quality of the treatment.

Career opportunities

SPEECH THEAPIST: The professional opportunities of the Speech Therapist are located within the S.S.N. and Regional; this professional figure will be able to work in accredited public and private healthcare facilities, IRCCS, Rehabilitation Centers, RSA, carry out home and outpatient activities, as an employee or as a freelancer.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the degree course, the student must have a high school diploma, required by current legislation, or another qualification obtained abroad, recognized as suitable by the competent bodies of the University. Enrolled students admitted to the degree course with a grade lower than a pre-established minimum threshold may be assigned specific additional educational obligations (OFA); the methods for making up for any training deficits, to be filled in any case within the first year of the course, are governed by the teaching regulations of the degree course.