What a gift it is to help a child hear better so she can participate more fully in family and school activities. Or to help an adult who struggles with a speech disorder to confidently speak in front of his business peers. Or to help an elderly person learn to speak again after a stroke.<br><br>The passionate professionals who are recognized for this kind of work are audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Audiologists focus on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of hearing and balance problems. Speech-language pathologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of speech, language, and swallowing disorders. These are two separate professions, but they’re strongly connected in the category of human communication sciences.<br><br>The Department of Communication Disorders provides intimate, dynamic instruction and hands-on training for undergraduate students in both the theoretical and applied aspects of human communication sciences and disorders, preparing graduates for post-secondary study and multi-disciplinary career opportunities. The academic and clinical faculty members in this AUM program hold certification by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association and licensure via the Alabama Board of Examiners in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. The academic faculty teach the theoretical perspectives for both development and disorders, while the clinical faculty directs the student’s implementation of this knowledge.