Rachel and Adam Croft brought their daughter Mackenzie to The University of Tulsa’s Mary K. Chapman Speech & Hearing Clinic with concerns about her limited language.
Like many parents, they were eager to begin services. Applied Associate Professor Kris Foyil reassured them that Mackenzie had the ability to improve and eventually have typical language skills.
Through interactive sensory activities, TU’s speech-language pathology graduate students engaged Mackenzie and demonstrated techniques to improve language at home. Foyil commented that “there was a perfect pairing” with the Crofts receiving education and implementing suggestions in the home.
Mackenzie is now a talkative 3-year-old with typical language skills.
The Crofts decided to give back to the Chapman Clinic in appreciation for their wonderful experience. Mackenzie’s mother commented that activities that incorporate movement and sensory exploration were particularly engaging for the toddler during her therapy.
The Crofts wanted to donate in a way that would help more children like Mackenzie improve speech and language. Foyil suggested the generous gift could fund a sensory wall for youngsters to use in the clinic where it is vital to have engaging activities that may be novel to children to capture interest and increase motivation.
The new sensory wall was installed in spring 2023 and is currently used by children daily in the speech and language clinic. “The wall is an interactive way to naturally work on language,” Foyil said. “It is motivating and targets multiple areas of development including language and social interaction.”
The students and faculty of the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders are grateful for this gift that will help children in the community for many years to come.
Interested in studying speech-language pathology? Check out TU’s bachelor’s degree and master’s degree options. If you or someone you know could benefit from the free and low-cost services available at the Chapman Clinic, please visit utulsa.edu/speech-clinic.