Calvin University Speech Pathology & Audiology

05/20/2026

We're excited to share that the Calvin Speech & Hearing Clinic is offering two new pediatric groups this summer for picky eaters in our on-campus clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan!

We’ve had some great questions about how you know if your child requires feeding therapy, as all people have food preferences and kids do phase through things that they like or don't like.

Here are some general guidelines:
Does picky eating cause stress during mealtimes at home or does it limit the family's ability to do things outside of the home?
Are there behaviors like gagging, throwing food, or tantrums during meals or when trying something new?

If the answer to one or both of these questions is “yes,” we can help!

During the summer semester on Mondays at 11am, we’re offering a group for 4-6 year olds, and on Wednesdays at 9am, we’re offering a group for 7-10 year olds. If you are interested, please contact us at 616-526-6070 or [email protected]. We’ll have one of the group facilitators call you for an informal interview prior to joining the group. As with all of our therapy, there is no charge to participate!

Thanks for helping us spread the word!

05/11/2026

This past weekend was full of lots of celebrations and goodbyes. Wishing the class of 2026 the very best as they move into their final externships and then on to their Clinical Fellowships. We're so proud of you all!

04/30/2026

Learn more about some of the research being conducted by our faculty! Dr. Chun is using electroencephalography (EEG) to examine brain activity during sentence repetition tasks for bilingual and monolingual individuals.

At Calvin, multiple publications resulting from faculty and student research are published every year. This is a great opportunity for students to be involved with research and gain hands-on experience that will benefit them when they enter the work force or do research of their own.

04/28/2026

Ever wonder what a typical day on campus is like for our undergraduate students? Follow along with Rebecca, a freshman in our program, as she shares a typical day in her life!

04/24/2026

Introducing this week’s Clinical Instructor spotlight: Grace Lambert!

Grace grew up in Grand Rapids and attended Calvin University for her undergrad and graduate degrees.

She was drawn to speech pathology because it allowed her to work across a wide range of settings and with a variety of age groups. She was also interested in how speech pathology is a medical profession that requires creativity.

When discussing why she felt called to engage in her role as a clinical instructor, she mentions the lasting impact her clinical instructors had on her. She says, “Their mentorship shaped my practice, and I love giving back by supporting and guiding future SLPs in their own clinical journeys.”

Grace most enjoys watching student clinicians grow and become more confident. When asked what advice she had for students, she said, “Stay curious and embrace every opportunity to learn! Focus on building genuine connections with your clients, as strong relationships are the foundation of effective therapy.”

04/16/2026

Yesterday, students from Calvin’s speech pathology, nursing, and social work programs met, along with Western Michigan’s OT students, for an Inter-Professional Education colloquium. Each discipline reviewed aspects of a shared case study and discussed what their goals/focus would be and how each discipline could support the patient’s wholistic health goals.

04/15/2026

04/13/2026

It's Student Worker Appreciation Week here at Calvin! Pictured (L to R) are Audrey, Alea, (Tiffany), Cara, and Rebecca; these amazing students help us manage all the behind the scenes clinic admin work that allows our department to run so smoothly. Thank you for doing every task with excellence and enthusiasm.✨❤️ We are so incredibly grateful for you!

04/09/2026

It may look like play, but there’s a plan behind it 👀
Adelaide, one of our first-year graduate students, shows us one method of collecting data during a pediatric session: using a mailing label! This allows her to move easily around the treatment room without worrying about a clipboard. Speech pathologists use data to measure a client's progress and to guide next steps in therapy activities.

04/07/2026

Meet our alumna, Tiffany Yamamura! Tiff graduated from Calvin with her masters in Speech Pathology in 2024, and now works full-time at an elementary school. She has also just started PRN at Hawaii’s pediatric hospital.🏖️☀️🌸

When describing how her education prepared her for her career, she said: “I am beyond grateful for the Calvin SPAUD program, as I believe our courses provided me a strong foundation in each area within our field. Additionally, I appreciate that it provided me with diverse clinical experiences to apply what I’ve learned in my course work to various populations and settings. Throughout each externship opportunity, I’ve valued the hands on experience and advice from mentors, which I find myself using daily throughout my career now."

Tiff shared some wise advice for our current students: “Enjoy your learning journey throughout your time in this program! During my time at Calvin, I recall constantly looking to the next thing-- I hope I survive dysphagia class; I hope I get this externship, I hope I pass the Praxis, I hope I get a good CF. Now, working in the field, I realize how valuable each milestone throughout the program was in preparing me for what I do now. Once you graduate, you won’t get years back dedicated solely to learning and growing. So soak up every part-- each late-night course, language sample, conversations with mentors. They all play a role in forming you to be the best therapist you can be for the people you serve.”

04/02/2026

We're celebrating the end of this semester's externships with so much gratitude and appreciation for all the time and energy our clinical supervisors give to our graduate clinicians. Pictured here (L to R): clinical supervisor Heather Francis of Riverside Middle School, Calvin residential clinic director Mary McDermott, and 2nd year graduate student Cassidy Agemy.