| CODE | CSD3001 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Case File and Client Presentation 1 | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| EQF/MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Human Communication Sciences and Disorders | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Students are expected to integrate theoretical understanding, clinical knowledge, and practical skills through the preparation of a comprehensive clinical report (case file) detailing the communication and/or swallowing profile of a client whom they have been following during their clinical placement. The report should demonstrate the student’s ability to link assessment findings to evidence-based intervention planning, critically reflect on the therapeutic process, and evaluate client progress and outcomes. Through this process, students will have a first opportunity to demonstrate clinical reasoning, professional documentation skills, and reflective practice as developing speech-language pathologists. In addition, students plan and deliver structured sessions under the supervision of their clinical educators. Session goals must be relevant to the client’s communication needs and draw on appropriate theoretical frameworks and evidence-based practice. A segment of one such session will be presented for assessment (client presentation). A comprehensive session plan, including clear aims, objectives, procedures and supporting rationales with references, should also be submitted for assessment. Students are given an opportunity to discuss their case file and client presentation during a viva voce examination with two assessors. During this examination, students are expected to answer questions about the case file and the session, explain their clinical reasoning, choice of materials and techniques, and responsiveness to the client’s communication profile. Study-Unit Aims: Students are expected to integrate and apply the theoretical understanding, knowledge, and clinical skills acquired during the first three years of the programme while working on a detailed clinical report (case file) and practical sessions for the selected client. The study-unit aims to: - Expand students’ experience across diverse clinical settings and client profiles, allowing them to integrate theoretical knowledge into supervised practice; - Develop skills to plan, deliver, and evaluate individualised, evidence-based interventions aligned with clients’ needs, strengths, and contexts; - Encourage collaborative problem-solving and professional dialogue with supervisors, peers, and academic staff to strengthen clinical reasoning and decision-making; - Cultivate critical self-evaluation, ethical judgment, and professional documentation skills essential for effective, independent practice in multidisciplinary environments. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Collate and report relevant demographic and / or developmental and clinical profiles of individuals who present with communication and / or swallowing difficulties; - Select and justify the choice of assessment and intervention tools and approaches for individual clients, based on the presenting profile and needs; - Integrate and appraise evidence from multiple sources (including clinical observations, assessment findings and research) to make tentative differential diagnoses and intervention plans for individual clients; - Describe the strengths, needs and prognostic factors in relation to communication and / or swallowing of individual clients; - Prepare structured session plans and conduct sessions that demonstrate good theoretical and evidence-based foundations, informed by analysis of the client’s communication profile, strengths, and areas of need; - Discuss and evaluate session outcomes, drawing connections between theory, practice, and clinical reflection, with the assistance of clinical educators and academic staff; - Demonstrate awareness of ethical, professional, and contextual considerations influencing clinical decision-making. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Conduct comprehensive assessments using appropriate standardized and non-standardized tools, interpret findings systematically, and formulate a tentative differential diagnosis supported by sound clinical reasoning; - Design and deliver individualized, client-centred therapy sessions that address identified communication and/or swallowing needs, demonstrating flexibility, sensitivity, and professional competence; - Critically evaluate session effectiveness, therapeutic interactions, and outcomes, identifying implications for continued management, interdisciplinary collaboration, and referral when necessary; - Clearly articulate clinical reasoning and evaluative reflections in both written (case file) and oral (viva voce) formats, integrating contextual, prognostic, and psychosocial factors into ethical and evidence-informed decision-making. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Assessments and related materials will be made freely available to students for use and access throughout the duration of the course. Additionally, recent and relevant journal articles will be provided continuously to support learning and keep students updated with the latest research in the field. Supplementary Readings: - Varies depending on the communication needs that the specific client may present. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Co-requisite Study-unit: CMT3312 | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Placement and Tutorial | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Rachael Agius Daniela R. Gatt Ritienne Grima Nadine Tabone |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2026/7. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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