Partner With Us

Several years ago Harding asked us to study the creation of a graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Dr. Long, Dr. Tullos and I agreed we needed something to distinguish ourselves; we needed something a student could get here but could not obtain elsewhere. Dr. Tullos asked what we might do with our overseas programs and his question seemed fitting as the concept of Harding in Zambia (HIZ) was being explored. 

Not long after this conversation, the Zambian president, Mr. Levi Mawanawasa, visited Harding’s campus with several of his ministers, and I ended up at lunch with the Minister of Education and the Minister of Health. I introduced myself and indicated we might be able to cooperate with Zambia in the area of speech-language pathology.

Other Harding programs were also offering their help in different academic disciplines, but after listening to all of us, the Minister of Health put his fork down and said, “All of those offers are very nice. We have physicians, nurses, and many others in our country, but we have no speech therapists. Our greatest need is speech therapy. We have too many marginalized students with no means to communicate their needs.”  I looked across the table and said, “We are coming to help you.”

Through a series of conversations with both the Ministers of Health and Education, we determined to not only bring our students over to Zambia for a portion of their practicum hours, but also to offer to help train professionals in Zambia to create Zambian speech-language pathologists.

The strong reputation of George Benson Christian College led us to open a dialogue – could we offer communication sciences and disorders courses in partnership with them? A “face-to-face fact-finding” visit to both the George Benson Christian College and the Namwianga Medical Mission were needed to see if we could somehow work into their excellent programs. Dr. Tullos, Sara Shock, and I traveled to Zambia; we didn’t know what would happen once we arrived and we didn’t know how the current educational and medical projects in Zambia would receive us, but we prayed in faith for the Lord to allow us to serve.

From the outset, the Namwianga workers welcomed us with open arms. Our first meeting was with Mr. Phiri, the Namwianga Mission Superintendent and Mr. Chona, the director of the George Benson Christian College. We told these administrators we would like to offer classes through their college and train Zambian speech-language pathologists.

After a few minutes of whispering to each other, we thought they might reject our offer, but then Mr. Phiri looked at us and said, “We believe you are a gift from God. We have been told by the higher authorities to expand our curriculum, but we didn’t know what we could offer until you came to us.”

Mr. Phiri and Mr. Chona went with us to see the Minister of Education, The Honorable Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa. He welcomed us into his office and took extensive notes over tea. 

After about thirty minutes of discussion he looked up and said, “I believe we need to alert the media. Would you be willing to be on television?”

Somewhat stunned, we nodded assent. He called his media representative, and in short order we were interviewed by ZNBC with the Minister of Education announcing the joint efforts of George Benson Christian College and Harding.

God has multiplied our idea beyond measure. We went from ‘how can we make our program distinctive’ to having an opportunity to literally impact an entire country.

Would you partner with us?

Harding students are literally serving a nation, and I want encourage you to partner with us so this is not the end but simply the beginning of even greater opportunities to reach our community and people around the globe.

God has multiplied our idea beyond measure. We went from ‘How can we make our program distinctive’ to having an opportunity to literally impact an entire country.

How can I get involved?

Please join us in our endeavors by investing time and resources.

Invest Resources

Therapy Materials – At Harding, we have previously focused on children in much of our therapy but with the addition of the Masters level program we will be expanding to include adults. Essentially, we are building a resource room – which will be a permanent part of our collection. Would you consider sponsoring the purchase – or even donating – materials which we can use to improve the lives of others? We would love to involve you in our program.  We are in need of:

• Minnesota Test for Differential Diagnosis of Aphasia materials - $15
• Record Booklets or Test Forms - $45
• Earobics 1 (two players and guest) - $69
• Phonological Awareness Test 2 Computerized Scoring Software - $90
• Functional Communication Profile – Revised Reporting Software - $100
• Complete Oral-Motor Program for Articulation - $120
• Tests (CADL 2, RIPA 2, KSPT, STAR 1-3, CREVT-2, LAC, PLAI-2, TELD-3, TOPL-2, CAPES, CTOPP, HAPP-3, TOPPS-2, PAT-3, etc.) - $200
• Astra 200 SDI Diagnostics Spirometer - $1,300
• Earobics 1 (Specialist/Clinician – 12 players and guest) - $329
• Lindamood Program – Phoneme Sequencing Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech - $324
• Boardmaker - $399

Speech Pathology Video/Audio Library – They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but if this is true then how important is a video in an age where many have learned to process by watching a television?  A strong video (DVD) library not only allows us the strength of strong research, but it also gives our students the opportunity to see therapy a variety of populations with whom they will interact and treat.  This will equate to a more positive environment and result for both they and their clients. Please contact us at 501-279-4640 or bweaver@harding.edu.

• Speech, Language, and Hearing Milestones: Birth to Age Five - $10
• Clinical Decisions with Adolescents Who Stutter - $74
• Medically Fragile Adults: Issues in Evaluation and Treatment - $74
• Childhood Voice Disorders - $75
• Dysphagia in Schools: An Interdisciplinary Team Approach - $74
• HIPAA: Privacy Regulations - $86
• Working with School Age Children Who Stutter - $86
• Apraxia Uncovered (Book and 4 hour CD) - $95
• AAC in the Schools: From Consideration to Implementation - $115
• Therapeutic Interventions for Dysphagia (Master Clinician Series) - $115
• The Dysphagia Evaluation: Consultation to Instrumental Exam (Master Clinician Series) - $115
• The SWAL-QOL and SWAL-CARE Outcome Tools for Dysphagia - $115
• Enhancing Phonological and Metaphonological Skills of Children with Highly Unintelligible Speech (Master Clinician Series) - $125
• Intervention Strategies for Children Who Stutter: Building Bridges Between Research and Clinical Practice - $125
• Clinical and Instrumental Evaluation of Voice Disorders (Master Clinician Series) - $125

Speech Pathology Library – Every academic discipline needs a solid collection of resource books from which their students and young practitioners may benefit. The better the quality of the books, the greater the benefit will be not only to the students but also to their future clients. We are in a continuing process of purchasing those resources, particularly with our recent addition of the Masters Degree in Speech Language Pathology.  It may be that after perusing this list you have some of these materials and would like to donate them; if so please contact us at 501-279-4640 or bweaver@harding.edu.

• Beyond Baby Talk: From Sounds to Sentences - $14
• Take Home: Phonological Awareness - $34
• Eliciting Sounds - $40
• Practical Tools and Forms for Supervising Speech Language Pathology Assistants - $41
• The Phonological Awareness & Reading Profile – Intermediate - $42
• Just for Kids: Apraxia - $42
• The Source for Phonological Awareness - $44
• The Source for Pediatric Dysphagia - $44
• The International Guide to Speech Acquisition - $44
• Pediatric Voice and Upper Airway Disorders: Current Management Practices - $45
• Easy Does It for Apraxia and Motor Planning - $52
• Easy Does It for Apraxia-Preschool - $52
• Easy Does it for Articulation: A Language Approach - $52
• Classification Manual for Voice Disorders - $54
• Treatment of Dysarthria: Evidence Based Practice - $55
• Roles and Responsibilities of Speech Language Pathologists With Respect to Reading and Writing in Children and Adolescents - $55
• Ethics Education - $65
• Emergent Literacy Environments of Young Children At Risk for Literacy Learning Difficulties - $65
• Dysphagia: State of the Clinical Examination - $65
• Dysphagia in the Trach/Vent Population - $65
• Emergent Literacy Intervention: Evidence Based Practice - $74
• Evidence Based Practice in Traumatic Brain Injury: Assessment and Intervention for Cognitive Communication Disorders - $74
• Ethical Issues and Employer Demands - $74
• A Handbook on Stuttering - $77

Invest Time

Donate Therapy Materials – We are searching for up to date, gently used therapy materials and tests.  If you have some you might donate or know of someone who might, please contact us at 501-279-4640 or bweaver@harding.edu.

Provide a Traineeship – Our graduate students are more than capable and already equipped with an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders.  We are currently sending graduate students who, with monitoring, can fill a part time role in school settings.  This may make the difference between a school being able to offer services and having to contract out the work at a much higher rate.  Or, it may allow a school or program to fulfill a need without the costs of hiring a full time employee, with benefits.  Why not consider offering a traineeship?  Not only are you investing in the future of the Speech Pathology profession, but you may even be grooming your next potential hire.  Remember, this is not a ‘something for nothing’ proposition.  We believe your organization will likely benefit as much as our student. Please contact us at 501-279-4640 or bweaver@harding.edu.

Mentoring – Are you currently an SLP?  Would you like to get involved with our students?  A young professional is almost always helped by an opportunity to ask questions from someone who has ‘been there.’  They don’t have to learn the hard way what mistakes to avoid and are blessed by the chance to hear multiple voices – not just their instructors and clinical supervisors. Please contact us at 501-279-4640 or bweaver@harding.edu.