Placement details

American Family Children’s Hospital

Inpatient pediatrics 

The American Family Children’s Hospital Inpatient Pediatric SLP service provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment services to children with medically complex conditions from birth to age 18. This practicum is medically intense and rigorous, with opportunities to gain experience in inpatient rehab, PICU and NICU.

  • Acceptance of 1–2 students annually with semester variability. Supervisor will vary based on availability and interest.
  • Minimum of four days per week, preferably in a row. These can vary based on the supervisor’s schedule.
  • Full days required from approximately 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., though these hours might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule. Future absences within these hours may be discussed in advance with supervisor.
  • Preference for a student with a strong desire to work in the inpatient pediatric setting; interview required.
  • Additional exceptions may be considered for a student who has a strong desire for further inpatient NICU/PICU experience/observation.

Outpatient pediatric voice, swallow, airway, craniofacial 

The speech pathologists with the American Family Children’s Hospital Outpatient Clinic provide comprehensive services in evaluating and treating pediatric outpatients with:

  • Feeding and swallowing disorders, often related to craniofacial or airway anomalies
  • Voice and upper airway disorders, including cough and breathing difficulties and gender affirming voice services
  • Resonance and articulation challenges related to craniofacial anomalies

Multidisciplinary coverage includes:

  • Pediatric Aerodigestive Clinic
  • Tracheostomy Clinic
  • Feeding Intervention Team Clinic
  • Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies Clinic

This practicum is medically intense and rigorous. 

There might be days when the student will be seeing patients on-site at our Deming Way location, depending on the supervisor — the supervisor will vary based on availability. Qualified students will have completed the voice and swallowing courses and demonstrate a strong interest in these areas of medical speech pathology.

Additional details:

  • Up to one student per semester
  • Minimum of four days per week; actual days might vary based on supervisor’s schedule, but Friday is required.
  • Full days required from approximately 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., though these hours may vary based on the supervisor’s schedule. Future absences within these hours may be discussed in advance with the supervisor.
  • Students should expect to spend time outside of clinic hours completing documentation
  • Acceptance into the practicum will be determined by an interview

Adult outpatient neurogenic cognitive communication

The UW Health Adult Outpatient Neurogenic Cognitive-Communication Program is located across three clinic locations: University Avenue Rehabilitation Clinic in Middleton, Yahara Clinic in Monona and Eastpark Medical Center in Madison. This practicum might be at any of the locations based on supervisor availability. The speech-language pathologists are an integral part of neuro rehabilitation, providing comprehensive evaluation and treatment services within the domains of speech, language and cognitive communication.

  • Acceptance of one student annually, typically for spring semester — the supervisor will vary based on availability and interest.
  • Minimum of four days per week; actual days might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule.
  • Full days required from approximately 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., though these hours might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule. Future absences within these hours may be discussed in advance with the supervisor.
  • Preference for a student with a strong desire to work in an adult outpatient setting and/or with neurogenic cognitive communication disorders; interview required.
  • Contact hours will be a mix of diagnostic and therapy hours, most in-person but with the possibility of telehealth modalities

University Avenue Rehabilitation Clinic

Outpatient pediatric speech and language

  • Acceptance of up to one student per semester — the supervisor will vary based on availability and interest.
  • Minimum of four days per week — actual days may vary based on the supervisor’s schedule
  • Full days required from approximately 8 a.m.–5 p.m., though these hours might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule.
  • Future absences within these hours may be discussed in advance with the supervisor
  • Participation in pediatric case conference every other Thursday beginning at 7:30 a.m. is expected
  • Preference for students with a strong desire to work in a pediatric outpatient setting and/or with developmental cognitive communication disorders; interview required.

Outpatient pediatric feeding and swallowing

  • Acceptance of up to one student per semester, depending on supervisor availability
  • Minimum of 3–4 days per week; actual days might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule
  • Full days required from approximately 8 a.m.–5 p.m., though these hours might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule. Future absences within these hours may be discussed in advance with the supervisor.
  • Participation in pediatric case conference every other Thursday beginning at 7:30 a.m. is expected
  • Practicum takes place at multiple sites, including University Avenue Rehabilitation Clinic and American Family Children’s Hospital, with the potential for multidisciplinary clinic coverage at Waisman Center.
  • Preference for a student with a strong desire to work with pediatric patients with feeding and swallowing disorders — patients are often complex and may have developmental cognitive communication disorders as well, for which the student will also provide treatment; interview required.

University Hospital

Adult swallow 

UW Health adult swallow service provides advanced evaluation and treatment to adult inpatient and outpatient populations. This practicum is medically intense and rigorous, requiring prior coursework in swallowing and swallowing disorders.

  • Qualified students will have a strong interest in adult swallowing and medical speech pathology
  • Acceptance into the practicum will be determined by an interview
  • One student per semester (fall, spring and summer)
  • Minimum of three full days per week; actual days might vary based on supervisor’s schedule
  • Full days required from approximately 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., though these hours might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule.
  • Students should expect to spend time outside of clinic hours completing documentation
  • Contact hours will be a mix of diagnostic and therapy hours, most in-person but with the possibility of telehealth modalities.
  • Supervisor will vary based on availability and interest
  • Students must work through their respective grad program for practicum placement

Adult voice 

UW Health adult voice service provides comprehensive voice services in evaluating and treating adult outpatients with voice and upper airway disorders, including cough and breathing difficulties and gender affirmation. This practicum is medically intense and rigorous.

  • Qualified students will have completed the voice course and demonstrate a strong interest in the area of voice and upper airway disorders
  • Acceptance into the practicum will be determined by an interview
  • One student per semester (fall, spring and summer)
  • Minimum of 3–4 days per week; actual days might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule
  • Full days required from approximately 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., though these hours might vary based on supervisor’s schedule. Future absences within these hours may be discussed in advance with the supervisor.
  • Students should expect to spend time outside of clinic hours completing documentation
  • Contact hours will be a mix of diagnostic and therapy hours, with in-person and telehealth modalities.
  • Supervisor will vary based on availability and interest

Adult inpatient neurogenic cognitive communication

The UW Health adult inpatient neurogenic cognitive communication SLP service provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment services within the specialty domains of speech, language and cognitive communication. This practicum is medically intense and offers opportunities to gain experience with medical complexities, tracheostomies and speaking valves.

  • Acceptance of two students annually with semester variability. Supervisor will vary based on availability and interest.
  • Minimum of four days per week, preferably in a row — these might vary based on supervisor’s schedule.
  • Full days required from approximately 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., though these hours might vary based on the supervisor’s schedule. Future absences within these hours may be discussed in advance with the supervisor.
  • Preference for a student with a strong desire to work in an adult inpatient setting and/or with neurogenic cognitive communication disorders; interview required.