Saima Wazed with DU Communication Disorders Department
Communication Disorders is a newly established department under the Faculty of Social Sciences. The people suffering from various communication disorders are getting their life hampered due to lack of social awareness and a stigma with a discriminatory approach. So, The aim of the department is to identify people with communication disorders and provide proper treatment and therapy so that they can be rehabilitated in the mainstream of the society. Moreover, the department is anticipated to produce skilled human resources and conduct different researches in the concerned field.
The department formally started its journey on 1st April, 2015, through the decision of Academic Council meeting held on 12th December 2013 in University of Dhaka, and the founder chairman was Prof. Dr. Hakim Arif, the then chairman of the Dept. of Linguistics. At that time, Tawhida Jahan, lecturer of the Dept. of Linguistics also joined this department as permanent faculty. Currently the department is administrating with 5 full time faculties along with some specialist part time faculties. In the session 2015-16 the department started BSS (Hons.) program. The total seat number is 40, of which 20 seats are reserved for the students of the faculty of Arts and 20 for the students of the Faculty of social Sciences. Apart from regular programs, the department runs a professional masters program called PMSLP (Professional Masters in Speech and Language Pathology). In this program total 50 students are studying in every semester coming from various academic and professional backgrounds including speech and language therapists, audiologists, special school teachers and doctors. Students belong to both regular and professional programs are to attend mandatory clinical practices.
From the very beginning, the department of Communication Disorders has participated and arranged many social and national activities including celebrating Autism Awareness Month, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy awareness programs. Since 2016 the department has taken an initiative to provide free assessment of persons with speech and language disorders as a part of observing Autism Awareness Month. The department has decided to start a Communication Clinic in the premise of the department. Currently the department is conducting higher academic research on the linguistic and communication difficulties of Autism, Down syndrome, Cerebral palsy, Stuttering, Language delay, Audiology and, so on.