Life experiences shape education. In the case of the Claude I. Howard Speech and Hearing Center at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), patients sometimes grow up to become students.

The center has a dual mission: to provide high-quality speech-language pathology and audiology services and to train graduate student clinicians for professional practice. Its programs include the Claude I. Howard Speech and Hearing Clinic, Northern Nevada Cleft Palate Clinic, University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Aphasia Center of Nevada, Northern Nevada Voice and Swallowing Clinic, Gender-Affirming and Communication Clinic and Best Buddies.

“I always remembered the front desk employees and when I started grad school, they were still there,” said Matthew Potts, a speech-language pathologist (SLP). “As a child, I went through the Speech Pathology and Audiology department, including the cleft palate clinic, and worked with Dr. Watterson who was professional and provided excellent information throughout the process.”

Potts earned a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from UNR Med in 2009 and went on to a medical career that included time at Wahiawa General Hospital in Hawaii. He moved back to Reno and held various positions in town, including years at Renown Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. He has since moved to Chicago to join the TRYAbility team to grow its SLP program.

Providing services, the UNR Med cleft palate clinic addresses the needs of children with cleft lip and palate, the most common birth anomaly occurring in one in 598 births. The clinic provides evaluations and services at no cost, helping approximately 100 children per year.

“My earliest memory of going through the cleft palate clinic would be during elementary school,” said Adrian Moreno, who earned a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology in spring 2024. “I remember waiting in the lobby with other children and families who were going through the same situation as me. It was honestly the only time I saw people with a cleft, and for me and my parents, it was helpful because we had the opportunity to talk to other families in the lobby and share our experiences.”

Moreno has applied to the Washoe County School District to support local students in the county.

Beyond the cleft palate clinic, the Claude I. Howard Speech and Hearing Clinic provides many services in northern Nevada for all ages. Therapies offered a full assessment to address speech articulation, language development, fluency and voice and swallowing difficulties.

“Speech therapy builds confidence,” said Potts. “In fourth grade, I was able to stop speech therapy, and it felt like a graduation. I started giving presentations and telling jokes – it was great.”

After cleft palate surgery, about half of children at age five still experience speech deviations and are referred to speech-language therapy. In addition to building confidence, programs at the speech and hearing center give students perspective.

“I think an experience like mine will impact any career I choose to pursue because I have met so many inspiring people,” said Moreno. “My biggest takeaway from them has always been to use your own stories or experiences to help others. My parents did the most amazing job being calm and patient throughout my development and I wish to instill that in others but most importantly myself.”

The University of Nevada, Reno offers both a bachelor’s in speech pathology and audiology and a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. The programs incorporate core knowledge in biological and physical sciences, statistics and linguistics along with the fundamentals of speech, language and hearing development and disorders.

The need for more speech-language pathologists and audiologists is high due to rising cases of developmental and acquired disorders of communication, cognition, feeding, swallowing and hearing. The forecasted job growth in audiology is 11% from 2023 to 2033—much faster than the average for other occupations according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

“My background absolutely provides a unique perspective,” said Potts. “I understand that somebody who comes into an office is going to be uneasy and will want to know what is going on. In my current professional role, I strive to find common ground and remember they’re a person. I talk with them and find their goals; we do not just discuss their situation. They are a person first.”