Comprehensive Communication Disorders Services at the UCF Clinic

The UCF Communication Disorders Clinic provides a wide array of services targeting various communication challenges across different age groups. The clinic is part of UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Center, within the College of Health Professions and Sciences, bringing together health experts from across the university to advance education, medical research, and patient care. It serves both children and adults, offering specialized care delivered by clinical educators dedicated to preparing the next generation of speech-language pathologists. The clinic focuses on providing individualized, direct assistance to individuals and their families, including those with autism, pervasive developmental disorders, autistic-like disabilities, dual sensory impairments, or sensory impairments with other disabling conditions. The loss of your ability to communicate can affect every aspect of your life. We invite you to join our UCF family. We are here to help.

Intensive Reading Programs

The UCF Communication Disorders Clinic offers several intensive reading programs designed to assist children with reading disorders. These programs are rooted in the science of reading and employ a language-rich approach to develop foundational skills necessary for success in reading and writing.

iREAD Program

The Intensive Reading Enrichment for Academic Development (iREAD) program utilizes evidence-based strategies derived from the science of reading, combined with rich oral language-based approaches. This program aims to help children with reading disorders develop the essential foundational skills required for reading and writing proficiency. The iREAD program effectively addresses the same needs and follows the same approach that was used in the iHEAR program to support the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community. If you are applying for an iREAD program, please be sure to mention if your child is DHH.

Cost: $2,275
Deposit: $600 due at registration to secure a spot.*At this time, the 2025 Fall iREAD Session is full.

Early iREAD Program

The Early iREAD program serves as a bridge between the Camp iREAD and iREAD programs, specifically catering to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. This multi-month program centers on early conventional literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, reading, spelling, and writing. It prepares participants for a more intensive approach in the Summer iREAD program.

Cost: $1,200 + $25 materials fee
Tuition is paid in installments throughout the semester.

BLISS Program

This new program provides a novel approach to early literacy instruction for young children with autism by building language skills through life-sized interactive storybooks. Children will explore and build reading and comprehension skills using moveable pictures, videos, and environmental sounds. The Sessions will take place inside the Blended Learning Immersive Interactive Simulation Suite (BLISS) in the CHPS Rehabilitation and Innovation Center. Participants will expand their oral language (vocabulary), build relevant background knowledge, improve their story recall and retelling abilities, and build their inferencing skills.

Read also: Your Guide to Sports Communication

Eligibility: Children with autism who are not yet reading independently, ages 5-8.

Aphasia House

The UCF Health Aphasia House offers an intensive, comprehensive therapy program designed to help individuals with aphasia make progress on their long-held goals. Whether newly diagnosed or having lived with aphasia for years, participants receive a personalized course of therapy based on the latest clinical research. Janet Whiteside, Ph.D., is the founding director of the Aphasia House.

The Aphasia House has a long-standing relationship with the Scott Coopersmith Stroke Awareness Foundation (SCSAF). SCSAF values the work that both students and faculty and staff do for stroke survivors.

Speech and Language Evaluation

The UCF Communication Disorders Clinic emphasizes comprehensive evaluation processes to accurately diagnose and address speech and language disorders. The evaluation consists of two components. During the first evaluation, the speech-language pathologist administers a number of self-report tests (questionnaires). The second evaluation consists of obtaining different speech samples that allow the clinician to determine the number and types of dysfluencies (breaks or interruptions in speech flow), as well as the ways in which the speaker reacts to and copes with the speech disorder.

To ensure a thorough assessment, the clinic requests any reports from previous speech and/or language evaluations or treatment. This information helps determine if and what additional assessments need to be completed. Relevant medical or psychological reports, IEP school records, etc. can also be submitted.

Research Opportunities

The Aphasia and Related Conditions (ARC) Research Lab, directed by Dr. Lauren Bislick Wilson (PhD, CCC-SLP, CBIS), conducts research to better understand the complex processing of speech and language and its breakdown in people with aphasia and apraxia of speech. Our goal is to conduct research to better understand the complex processing of speech and language and its breakdown in people with aphasia and apraxia of speech. We strive to develop new and explore effective treatment approaches. The clinics are always recruiting participants for research studies.

Assistive Technology Services

The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) has six Regional Demonstration Centers which provide services to increase awareness, access and acquisition of assistive technology for all Floridians. Assistive Technology (AT) can be defined as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability” (Public Law 101-476). The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) has twelve Regional Demonstration Centers which provide services to increase awareness, access and acquisition of assistive technology for all Floridians.

Success Stories and Testimonials

The impact of the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic is evident in the success stories shared by parents and participants:

One parent shared, “My son had such a great experience at the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic summer reading program. The students and instructors went above and beyond to make it a fun program that my son wanted to attend. He made such drastic improvements in his reading during the summer program that it has affected his confidence and academic performance this school year. He is proud of his progress, and his teachers and support staff at his school have gone out of their way to communicate how well he is doing. I was so happy when he recently asked for money to buy something at the book fair and was pleasantly surprised when he came home with a grade level book. In the past, he would have purchased a much lower grade level book, or not even a book at all. He has been reading the book on his own each week and summarizing what is happening in the story, which he had not been able to do before."
Another parent stated, “I spoke with my daughter to describe for me her experience at the Intensive Reading Program this last summer, she relayed to me how wonderful the experience was for her, she loved the therapists, they made her feel welcome and special, she always had fun and felt engaged."