Jackson Roush, PhD, and Cara McComish, PhD, both faculty within the Department of Allied Health Science’s Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, have received two federally funded training grants totaling $1.3 million. The four-year grants will prepare future audiologists and speech-language pathologists to work with children who have autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, in addition to hearing loss.
Jackson Roush, PhD, and Cara McComish, PhD, both faculty within the Department of Allied Health Science’s Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, have received two federally funded training grants totaling $1.3 million. The four-year grants will prepare future audiologists and speech-language pathologists to work with children who have autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, in addition to hearing loss.
The grants are funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau and from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. Roush, who will oversee the audiology competent, said nearly 40 percent of children with hearing loss have one or more additional challenges that include autism and other developmental disabilities. “There is a critical need for clinicians with the knowledge and skills required to serve these special populations,” Roush said.
McComish, who will oversee the speech-language pathology component, said these grants will support workforce development in a specialized and much-needed area within both disciplines. “We are fortunate to have partners at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD), UNC Hospitals, and the Children’s Cochlear Implant Center at UNC where experienced preceptors provide outstanding clinical education and mentoring to our graduate students,” McComish said.