Social skills training in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology: students' perception

ABSTRACT Purpose: to investigate the perception of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (SLPA) students, submitted to a Social Skills Training (SST) program, regarding potentialities, difficulties and perceived gains in their social skills (SS) repertoire. Methods: this qualitative study included 22 students (between 19 and 21 years old), enrolled in the 2nd year of the undergraduate SLPA course. The SST structure was based on theoretical-informative and practical-experiential methodology, developed over 15 meetings, using different teaching strategies. Content analysis was applied to assess the responses to a questionnaire with five open ended questions about the SS and the program itself, administered at the beginning, middle and end of the training. Results: greater difficulty was observed for students in relation to public speaking as well as empathetic and assertive skills toward their peers and professors. The participants highlighted the importance of the SST for the professional-patient relationship and for their professional training, as the training expands skills and competences beyond technical knowledge, with self-knowledge having a central role in this process. Conclusion: in preparation for clinical practice the SST can be used as a promising teaching-learning methodology in the curricula of SLPA courses.