KU team facilitates Dominica’s first-ever community-based open audiological and speech-language pathology clinic
LAWRENCE — A clinically based study abroad program at the University of Kansas brought audiological and speech-language services to clients in Dominica last month.
The study abroad trip was led by Krysta Green, audiologist and clinical associate professor in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing, and Kate DeJarnette, speech-language pathologist and clinical assistant professor in the department. They took seven undergraduate and graduate students for the nine-day program in the Caribbean island nation.
The group traveled to local clinical sites across Dominica to conduct screenings, assessments and caregiver training sessions for residents. Faculty and students provided services at a variety of clinical sites, including home visits for the elderly, local schools and an infirmary for adults with acquired disorders.
In partnership with Therapy Abroad, the KU team also facilitated a first-ever community-based open clinic to provide assessment services to community members who otherwise would not have access to them.
“Open means both free of charge and without referral,” DeJarnette said. “Any member of the community could self-refer for a drop-in evaluation at the clinic.”
During the trip, the audiology team conducted 85 pediatric and adult hearing screenings, diagnostic evaluations, hearing aid and technology fittings, and caregiver educational sessions.
The speech-language team provided intervention and training services to 21 children with identified disabilities and 11 elderly adults with support needs in their activities of daily living (ADL) speech, as well as language, cognition and swallowing screenings to 14 children and adults in the community.
The team also offered 18 speech/language screenings and parent education sessions to children with suspected disabilities and delays, including autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome and other genetic conditions.
"Dominica has one ENT on the island and no audiologists,” said Abby Simelgor, a KU senior and future first-year student in the Doctor of Audiology program at KU Medical Center, who participated in the study abroad trip. “Our audiological services provided free screenings to those who want answers about their hearing, along with gaining data on who would be good hearing aid candidates.”
Such services had not been provided in the recent past, Simelgor said. But with KU’s resources, around 80 people received answers about their hearing, giving future audiologists a baseline of Dominica’s population.
In addition to their clinical work, students and faculty visited and learned about the protected Kalinago Territory, went on a whale-watching and snorkeling boat excursion, and explored local beaches and markets.
“My experience in Dominica has shown me the privilege we live in every day in the United States,” Simelgor said. “I am even more grateful for my education and resources after coming back from this study abroad trip. I also immersed myself in a culture that I was originally unfamiliar with, expanding my cultural awareness both clinically and generally.”
In May, Green and Julie Gatts, clinical associate professor, will facilitate a similar study abroad program in Bulgaria and Greece for the department’s students. In 2024, Green and DeJarnette led a program for communities in Belize.