Students sit behind a two-way mirror watching a therapist work with a stroke victim. The client’s insurance did not cover his treatment, so he came to the clinic to improve his communication skills damaged by the stroke. This isn’t just a medical office — it’s a classroom.

The Sir Alexander Ewing-Ithaca College Speech and Hearing Clinic offers on-campus practical experience for college students majoring in speech language, pathology and audiology. The clinic, located on the second floor of Smiddy Hall, operates in conjunction with the major. It provides free evaluation and treatment of communication disorders to college faculty, staff, students and their families.  

Ithaca community members may also use the clinic’s services at a reduced fee and are not turned away if they are unable to pay. Services include hearing tests, minor repairs of hearing aids, speech therapy and accent modification.

Clinic Director Christine Cecconi said the clinic offers students practical experience.

“Students have the opportunity to be involved in experiential learning before they invest significant money and time in a graduate program,” Cecconi said. “They’re better prepared to know that this is a profession that they would like to enter.”

She said all students who complete the major take two classes that use the clinic’s resources. The first course, Clinical Practicum I, involves observing therapy sessions at the clinic.

“Typically as a senior or second-semester junior, students actually have a client who they’re assigned to on our campus, or we have a number of off-campus placements,” Cecconi said.

According to Clinic Coordinator Mary Pitti, 40 students work at the clinic doing one-on-one therapy sessions with clients as part of their Clinical Practicum II course.

Senior Sarah Murphy said her 25 hours of observation in the clinic last year, required for majors, contributed greatly to her overall experience.

“It is very convenient for us as students to have a clinic directly on campus,” Murphy said. “It’s a great resource, a great service to the community, and it provides us with great hands-on experience that really enhances our learning at Ithaca College.”

Murphy said she observed a client that used a listening technology device, a teenager who worked on use of language in social settings and a child who worked on speech fluency during her work at the clinic.

“It was a really great first step, being able to observe someone else,” she said. “It helped me learn a lot, and I’m applying what I learned in my observations to what I’m doing now with my actual client.”

Senior Kara Smith, president of the college’s chapter of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association, said the availability of a clinic on campus is rare.

“The fact that it is located on-campus more easily allows our college to give clinical experience at the undergraduate level, which is not typical in all undergraduate SLP programs,” Smith said. “Another positive factor about our on-campus clinic is the proximity to your professors. The professors are right there for guidance.”

The clinic was first housed in Lyon Hall and then moved to its present location in 1982, according to Richard Schissel, associate professor of speech language, pathology and audiology.

Since the clinic’s move, it has been granted significant budget increases, Cecconi said.

“We’ve had some major capital upgrades to the speech and hearing clinic over the years,” she said. “The students have access to great materials, great resources when they do therapy.”

The clinic has soundproof booths with observation windows, digital video recording equipment and a state of the art lab for technology that helps clients communicate with the aid of special devices, Cecconi said.

Senior Amanda Dean said a wide variety of people use the clinic, but she believes many students outside of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance do not know about it.

“It’s unfortunate because it can help a lot of people,” Dean said. “It’s a really good resource for students to be aware of that is available on campus.”

Dean said many theater and voice majors seek the services of the clinic.

“A lot of theater students and voice students go [to the clinic] because sometimes they don’t use their voices properly, and they develop vocal abuse,” she said.

While working at the clinic, students are provided with tools and resources with which to help patients before they get their diploma, Cecconi said.

Cecconi said she is always interested in welcoming new students to explore the resources of the clinic, especially because the major offers well-paying jobs after college.