2. Patient Information

Patient Information

We are pleased to serve children and adults throughout the High Country with speech-language pathology and audiology services. Whether you are preparing for your first appointment or returning for ongoing services, please review the important information below regarding clinic policies, parking, fees, and more.

To schedule an appointment, please contact us and our team will help determine the clinic and services that best meet your needs.

Clinic Locations

The Communication Disorders Clinics at Appalachian State University provide speech-language pathology, swallowing, and audiology services for children and adults through two clinic locations:

  • The Scottish Rite Clinic, located on the first floor of University Hall, primarily serves preschool and school-aged children.
  • The Interprofessional Clinic, located on the first floor of Leon Levine Hall, provides audiology services and speech-language pathology care for individuals with medically based communication disorders (primarily adults).

Both clinics operate Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Since we are a university training program though, our University Hall clinic follows the University calendar and is open when classes are in session, while the Levine Hall clinic is generally open year-round except during university holidays.

Clinicians and kids at the Clinic

Parking Information

Parking locations vary by clinic. Please use the designated parking area for the clinic where your appointment is scheduled.

  • University Hall clinic - In the front parking lot at University Hall or in the designated Preschool Language Classroom (PLC) parking spaces located along the side of the building
  • Leon Levine Hall clinic - In the clinic-reserved spaces behind Levine Hall. A parking pass must be obtained from the clinic reception desk and displayed on the front windshield of your vehicle.

Appointment Policies

Clients are expected to attend scheduled appointments. If you are unable to make your appointment, please notify the Clinic as soon as possible. Messages may be left on voicemail after business hours. Missed appointments without notice (“no-show”) and excessive absences may result in discharge from therapy services.

For the health and safety of all clients, staff, and students, please do not attend appointments if you have a fever or an infectious illness. Contact the Clinic to cancel or reschedule your appointment.

Information for Pediatric Clients

Arrival and Pick-Up Procedures

Parents or guardians are required to escort children into the building unless prior written arrangements have been made with the supervising clinical educator or the child independently drives to appointments. The child should sit in the waiting room with the permission of the clinic staff or the parent should deliver the child to the clinician for treatment.

Parents or guardians are expected to pick up children promptly at the end of each session. Children will not be allowed to wait outside the building or remain in the building unattended. Failure to comply with these rules may result in dismissal from treatment.

Medical Support During Visits

If a client has a known problem requiring specific medical intervention methodology or treatment, the parent or caregiver must be present during all interactions with the client. Although clinic personnel are trained in the provision of basic life support within the definition of North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Act, medical intervention procedures which are not within the scope of practice of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist cannot be performed by clinic personnel.

Clinician and toddler

Privacy and Confidentiality

Sessions may be observed by a client’s parents, spouse, clinical educators, or students in the Communication Disorders Program. Observations are confidential and information concerning a client may not be discussed with others who are not part of the client’s diagnostic or treatment team. Others wishing to observe must check with the clinical educator in charge of the case. Outside individuals must have written authorization from the client or client’s guardian to observe.

Client records are confidential and are not released without appropriate written authorization. All student clinicians, faculty, and staff follow established confidentiality and privacy practices.

Fees and Financial Assistance

Fees are charged for all clinic services and are subject to a sliding fee scale. To qualify for reduced fees, clients must contact the Clinic to complete a Financial Inquiry Form. Clinic staff will review the information and determine eligibility before discussing fees with the client or family.

Client Rights and Clinic Expectations

The Clinic is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and productive environment for all clients, families, students, and staff. The Clinic does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

The Clinic reserves the right to exclude from or limit services to any client who engages in behavior that substantially disrupts a program or poses a risk of injury to other clients of staff.

Filing a Complaint

Clients have the right to file a complaint against the Clinic or the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences through the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Information about the complaint process is available on ASHA’s website.