Activity

Events

  • World Hearing Day is an event of the WHO, and the theme for the year 2023 was “Ear and hearing care for all! Let’s make it a reality.” The focus of World Hearing Day 2023 was the integration of ear and hearing care into primary health care workers and training them for the same. The Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology conducted a training program for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) of Kolar taluk. This training was about how to identify ear and hearing-related issues in the population and make appropriate referrals. Dr M Jagadeesh, District Health Officer and Dr S Chandan Kumar, District Family Welfare Officer addressed the gathering on the importance of ASHA workers in identifying ear and hearing-related issues. Upwards of 100 ASHA workers from Kolar participated in the event.
  • Professor M N Hegde, Professor Emeritus in Speech-language Pathology, University of California at Fresno is a great name in the global scene of speech and hearing. Dr Hegde visited the Academy on 10 January 2023 and delivered a lecture on “Biological bases of language acquisition in children: Myths and facts”. A large number of staff and students of the Academy participated in the event.
  • International Day for Persons with Disabilities is observed on 3 December every year. The staff and students of the department of Speech Pathology & Audiology along with ASHA workers conducted a door-to-door survey of the population for identification (if any) of problems relating to speech and hearing in 9 villages of Kolar. Pamphlets related to speech, language and hearing disorders were released and distributed to the members of the public as part of the survey. Pregnant women were counselled on the prevention of communication disorders. 4891 persons in 993 households were surveyed.
  • A one-day online seminar on ‘Assessment and management of speech, language, and swallowing disorders in geriatric population’ was conducted on Zoom platform on 26 November 2022. Dr. M Jayaram, Professor and Head, Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology, SDUAHER delivered the key-note address. The external resource persons included Dr. B S Premalatha, Professor, Department of Speech Language Studies, Dr SRC ISH, Bangalore, Dr. S P Goswami, Professor, Dept of Speech Language Pathology, AIISH, Mysuru and Mr. Prasanna S Hegde, Speech and Swallow Therapist, HCG hospital, Bangalore. The inhouse resource persons were Mr. Lokheshwar S, and Mr. A V Sumanth, Assistant Professors at the department.
  • The department of Speech Pathology and Audiology was established on 20 June 2018. The Foundation Day of the department was celebrated on this day by conducting an Expo on Speech and Hearing Processes. The Expo was especially focused on students of higher secondary (PUC) standards in and around Kolar. Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Dr. G Pradeep inaugurated the Expo. Prospectus of the department for the year 22-23 was released on the occasion. The expo was attended by 422 PU students and 8 teachers from different colleges in and around Kolar in addition to an equal number of staff and students from the Academy.
  • The department of Speech Pathology & Audiology, SDUAHER organised a workshop for singers on ‘Maintaining voice through vocal fitness and practice’. Twenty-five singers participated in the workshop. There were demonstrations on posture, breathing for singing, and Yoga-related exercises in addition to lectures. A hand-out on voice care and vocal hygiene was released on the occasion.
  • World Health Organization has declared 3 March as World Hearing Day. The theme for this year was “To hear for life, Listen with Care”. The following events were conducted by the department of Speech Pathology & Audiology:
    • Activities at the Academy – A national level poster contest was conducted for students of PU and degree colleges. The contest was publicized through social media platforms and an official mail was sent to students of nearly 60 speech and hearing institutions in the county. In addition, 18 pre-university and 12-degree colleges of Kolar city were approached. Nearly 160 students took part in the contest. After the first level of shortlisting, the top 20 posters were evaluated by 4 experts in the field of speech and hearing. Also, a flyer and an awareness video was developed on “The effects of recreational noise”.https://youtu.be/WD6GXp3K3GQ
    • New born hearing screening camp at SNR District Hospital of Kolar –Newborn babies were screened for hearing by a team of 8 audiologists from the department. Detailed high risk register, otoscopy, oto-acoustic emissions and screening BOA were administered. All babies screened passed the hearing screening. Parents and caregivers of the babies were counselled on normal development of speech and hearing entities and were also asked to visit the department if any deviation or delay was noticed in the growth of their babies.
  • UN has declared 3 December as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD). The theme of IDPwD 2021 is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world”. The department conducted two events to educate the public on issues related to disability and persons with disability.
    • Walkathon-Walkathon was flagged-off from Nalla Gangamma Temple to Gandhi statue, MG Road, Kolar. Staff and students of department of Speech Pathology and Audiology as well as students of the Department of Physiotherapy participated in the event. Pamphlets related to speech, language and hearing disorders were distributed to the public.
    • Street play-A street play on aphasia was performed at Gandhi Statue Square, M G road and at old bus stand of Kolar City after the walkathon. The team then performed a street play in the village of Ramasandra, Kolar. The street play dealt with four themes - aphasia, importance of early diagnosis and intervention in hearing impairment, stuttering and presbycusis. Pamphlets related to speech, language and hearing disorders were distributed to the public. Stationery items were distributed to the children of the Government primary school.
  • The month of June is observed as Aphasia Awareness Month every year. The department of Speech Pathology and Audiology commemorated the event by conducting the following events.
    • Initiation of a multi-specialty “Neurogenic Communication Disorders Clinic” There are people who suffer from stroke, or who experience head injury or other neurological diseases. A common sequel of all of these is a difficulty in speaking or understanding or both. The department of Speech Pathology and Audiology has established a special clinic – Neurogenic Communication Disorders Clinic - at the Department of General Medicine to provide much needed clinical services in the domain of communication disorders for this affected population.https://youtu.be/nzAPYEQFGIE
    • Development of a short film on “Aphasia – Importance of early intervention”: A 11-minute video which highlights the importance of early intervention in developing communication skills in persons who suffer stroke was released on the occasion. The video is also available in print form in Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam.
    • Development of a handout on Aphasia: This hand out gives all information on stroke/ brain injury and its sequel in a nutshell.
  • The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology of the Academy observed World Hearing Day on 3 March 2021 by conducting a quiz program for +2 students of PU Colleges of Kolar. 18 pre-university colleges of Kolar city were approached for the event and nearly 460 students took part in preliminary rounds between 24 to 27 February 2021. Fortyfive students qualified to the grand finale which was held at the University Auditorium on 3 March 2021. This program was conducted to create awareness on the field of speech and hearing among the students of Kolar. Dr. G Pradeep Kumar, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of the Academy released a video on “Hearing Care”.  Dr. K N V Prasad, Registrar and Dr. S M Azeem Mohiyuddin, Medical superintendent released public education material on “Hearing Aid Care and Maintenance”.
  • Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare formally inaugurated the AIISH - SDUAHER Newborn Hearing Screening project on 3 March 2021, on the occasion of the World Hearing Day. Senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GOI, Prof. M Pushpavathi, Director of AIISH, Dr G Pradeep Kumar, Vice Chancellor of SDUAHER, Dr. K N V Prasad, Registrar, Dr. S M Azeem Mohiyuddin, Medical Superintendent, Dr. Madhavi Reddy, Dean of Allied Health & Basic Sciences and Dr M Jayaram, Head Dept. of Speech Pathology and Audiology and NBS Coordinator along with staff of the Academy were witness to this inaugural event.
  • International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2020 was observed by the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology on 3 December 2020 by carrying out two events; a) an online quiz on “Disability-related Issues” was held on 30 November 2020 on Zoom and Kahoot platform, and b) subsequently, a public education pamphlet on Autism in two languages - English and Kannada - was released by the Hon’ble Chancellor Dr S Kumar.
  • A orientation program on hearing health and rehabilitation for journalists of Kolar was arranged on 3 March 2020 at Press Club, Kolar in association with Press Bureau of Kolar. The members of the Press Bureau gave wide publicity to this program.
  • The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology organized an orientation program for Village Rehabilitation Workers and Multi Rehabilitation Workers on aids and appliances for hearing loss on 3 March 2020. This was a part of the observance of World Hearing Day. Mr. M Abhijith, Audiologist Gr-I, was the resource person.
  • Orientation for Nurses by Mr. Ashique, an Audiologist Gr I under the AIISH-SDUAHER Newborn Hearing Screening project conducted a orientation program for nurses, in coordination with the staff of the department, on the importance of newborn hearing screening. The program was held on 12 -13 February 2020.
  • On the occasion of International Day for Differently Abled Persons,
  • The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology organized an orientation program for special educators on the importance of inclusive education. This program was conducted on 3 December 2019 at Sri Sai Shathashrunga Residential School for the Deaf, Bangarapet, Kolar in association with the NSS Cell Unit - III of the Academy.

Camps

  • A free hearing screening camp was conducted on 3 April 2021 drivers and conductors of KSRTC. 54 staff members of KSRTC were screened for hearing and counselled. This program was an effort to raise awareness on noise induced hearing loss as well as on the availability of facilities for hearing evaluation and management at Kolar.
  • A screening camp was organized for screening children with hearing impairment on 3 December 2019 at Sri Sai Shathashrunga Residential School for Deaf, Bangarapet, Kolar. 54 children were screened for their speech-language and hearing status and 24 of them were referred to the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, SDUAHER, Tamaka, Kolar for detailed evaluation.

Media

  • Programs relating to ‘Foundation Day of the Department’, more particularly the Expo on ‘Speech and Hearing Processes’ for PU students in and around Kolar on 20 June 2022 were extensively covered by regional Kannada newspapers of Kolar.
  • The quiz program for +2 students of PU Colleges of Kolar (as part of World Hearing Day) and virtual inauguration of AIISH-SDUAHER Newborn Hearing Screening Centre on 3 March 2021 were extensively covered with lead articles in Kannada newspapers of Kolar.
  • An article on Autism was published in two local Kannada newspapers 'Kolara Kirana' and 'Kolaravani' on 2 April 2020 on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day.
  • Dr. M Jayaram gave an interview on the importance of early identification and rehabilitation of children with hearing impairment and an article was published in Vijaya Karnataka on 11 June 2020.