USD Welcomes Young Students to Speech Camp
“This camp offers intensive therapy, five days a week for three hours a day, more therapy than what the students experience during a normal school year,” said Kyle Brouwer, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders who has served as an instructor at the camp for five summers. “The students make meaningful progress during a short period of time when they might otherwise be on a reduced summer therapy schedule.”
Hosted by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the half-day camp includes activities designed to improve speech and language skills ranging from outside games to making crafts to literacy exercises. Individual therapy is available.
The camp also allows USD graduate students to gain experience with a wide range of disorders.
“We pair camp attendees with a graduate student and supervisor who monitors them as they provide individual therapy,” said Liz DeVelder, a communication sciences disorder instructor and director of the camp. “It’s a great opportunity for our graduate students to interact with their peers and work in a team environment while also learning how to adapt their teaching plan to their client’s needs. It’s an enriching experience for the graduate student and camper alike.”
Along with Brouwer and DeVelder, Mandy Williams, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders at USD, is also an instructor at the camp.
