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Ludden Speech Language Clinic

Named for its founder, Sister Mary Antonine Ludden, RSM, the Ludden Speech and Language Clinic at Saint Xavier University has been in existence for over 40 years, bringing the gift of communication to the children and adults of Chicago and local areas. Since its inception in 1959, more than 6,000 clients of all ages and disorders have benefited from services provided by the Ludden Clinic.

Our Clients

The clinic provides diagnosis and treatment for 150-200 clients with various communication disorders each year. Clients range in age from infancy through adulthood. Disorders may include any of the following:

• Phonology/Articulation:
  Problems in developing and producing correct sounds for clear, intelligible speech.
• Language:
  Delay or disorder in children's development of comprehension and/or expression of words and sentences.
• Aphasia/Stroke:
  Impairment in the ability to use language symbols due to brain injury, affecting speaking, listening, reading, writing and understanding.
• Stuttering:
  Disturbance of rhythm and fluency of speech with repetitions, prolongations and/or blocking of sounds, syllables, words or phrases.
• Voice:
  Conditions of hoarseness, nasality, abnormal pitch or intensity or absence of voice following surgical removal of the larynx due to cancer.
• Auditory Processing:
  Specific difficulty in the understanding of spoken language often manifested as confusion following oral directions, inability to answer spoken questions and reduced vocabulary development.
• Hearing Impairment:
  Problems in comprehending and/or producing speech and language due to varying degrees of hearing loss.

These disorders may be functional or related to organic or neurological impairments, such as autism, developmental delay, mental retardation, cleft palate, cerebral palsy, emotional disturbances or central nervous system disorders.

Our Goals

The goals of the clinic are threefold:

1. To provide professional services for children and adults with communication disorders in Chicago and the surrounding areas
2. To offer clinical experience for students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Saint Xavier University
3. To continually develop more effective methods for the evaluation and treatment of communication disorders