In October 2020, work officially began on what will be a $10 million addition and renovation to make the Barkley Speech Language and Hearing Clinic a state-of-the-art training facility for speech and language, and audiology students. Follow along on this page for construction updates throughout the project.
- The new Barkley Clinic space will feature three large, three medium and 13 small treatment and diagnostic clinical rooms on the ground level of the Barkley Memorial Center.
- Specialized treatment rooms include: gross motor, smart room, life skills, motor speech, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
- Clinical training in communication disorders has increasingly used video observation and recording solutions to improve the ability to educate and teach students. All clinical spaces and specialized treatment rooms will be equipped with state-of-the-art Video Audio Learning Tool (VALT) software to better educate and train speech-language pathologists and audiologists. VALT features include:
- HD Video and High-Quality Audio – VALT software integrates with the latest IP camera technology to observe in real-time or review recorded high definition video in 1080 resolution. Auto-graining microphones provide high-quality perfectly synchronized audio, capable of picking up the softest of voices.
- Talkback Feature – Instructors can "talkback" into any treatment room to provide live feedback to the student wearing a small earpiece. This allows instructors to shape clinical practice in real time.
- Searchable Database – Video can be stored and managed with a built-in searchable database. This enables easy lookup and review of video files.
- Security and HIPAA Compliance – VALT offers the most advanced security features available to maintain HIPAA compliance standards.
- The expansion and renovation will also feature spaces for community partners, including: RiteCare, Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network, Nebraska Stroke Association, and a traveling clinician.