Speech Language Pathology Assistant Narrative

When I began my undergraduate career in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at UNT, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But after taking a handful of classes, I was excited to find out that the major had many interesting aspects to it, including my favorite; science. After being in the program for a year, speech therapy began to grow on me more and more. Not only was I fortunate enough to actually enjoy something blindly chosen, but for once in my life I was beginning to feel passionate about

Eighteen years ago, ‘Introduction to Speech Pathology’ triggered my interest in the field. It was then, I realized that I wanted to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. I recall the realization as being an exciting and liberating feeling. Identically, it is the same feeling I get every time someone talks about the field, its research, and every time I observe a session!

I completed my undergraduate and graduate studies at Western Michigan University. During this time, I accumulated over 260 clinical hours assessing and providing treatment to preschool and elementary-aged children with speech and language disorders. This has prepared me to be a qualified candidate for this position. At Richland

During my interview with Speech Pathologist, Deborah Kirsch, I learned countless details about the Speech Pathology career field. When we first began talking, I learned that Mrs. Kirsch works out of a company called “Professional Therapy Services”, where she is contracted out to work for “Eunice Smith Nursing Home” which is located in Alton, Illinois. She has been working at this facility for about a year. She is a newly found graduate from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and she graduated in May 2011. Another thing that I learned about Mrs. Kirsch is that she originally did not go to school to become a speech pathologist, this was a career that she found later in life. After she had graduated from SIUE, the first time with a bachelors in Psychiatry, she started working at a nursing home around this area. She came to know a Speech Pathologist that worked there and she quickly found the field very fascinating. She had always been driven to help others, and she witnessed some of the exercises being done with individuals at the nursing home and decided to go back to school to get her masters in Speech Pathology.

One of these challenges is the communication concerns that the SLP might encounter. The diversity of these individuals and at times the SLP not being able to communicate quickly with the individual can impact how the SLP functions in a specific environment. Moreover, the increased training for the speech-language pathologist can become a challenge, due to there being diverse individuals an SLP must always continue their education courses and training to provide quality service. Additionally, some challenges include communication concerns and enhanced training for the speech-language

The introduction of Whitmire’s journal starts at the beginning of speech pathology nearly 100 years ago. Since then, the job description has changed, along with standards and resources available for speech pathologists. By comparing and contrasting the caseload composition of today and of fifty years ago, she brings to light how many more students speech pathologists have become responsible for teaching. Whitmire also identifies the IDEA Amendments that were created to lessen the burden on speech teachers and improve the rehabilitation of students requiring special education. While Kathleen introduces methods of identifying children with special needs and analyzing their individual requirements of care, she is also informing the reader of how much work goes into helping these children.

Good interpersonal skills, the ability to take another person's perspective, and problem solving are crucial characteristics for a speech language pathologist. An article from the Journal of Nursing Education titled, “The Teaching Effectiveness of Standardized Patience,” demonstrated that interpersonal skills have overwhelmingly “positive, creative and meaningful results” in clinical environments (Becker, 2006). I am a powerful and positive Puerto Rican woman who is direct, uses I-statements, and possesses the characteristics needed for a speech language pathologist. I have always been quite comfortable with complex group dynamics, conflict management, collaboration, and all the varying degrees of human interaction. I have witnessed and experienced birth, death, trauma and joy throughout my college and post college career.

The opportunity to observe the work overview of a Speech Pathologist, has tremendously solidified my interest in this field. At the Diana Rogovin Speech Center at Brooklyn College, I observed clients of various ages with different speech language disorders including articulation, language, voice, fluency and accent modification. Observing clinicians at the speech center gave me the opportunity to learn how important client-clinician interaction is for the session and how essential it is to build a good relationship with the client. Although I learned the

“‘Atticus, he was real nice….’… ‘Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.’” is a dialogue written by Harper Lee that stuck with me after reading To Kill A Mockingbird in high school. Despite physical appearance or intellect, everyone deserves to be valued at their core; what better way to affirm someone than by conversing with them as Scout did with Boo Radley. Thus, my aspiration is to enable a voice to those with communication disorders. This desire to be a speech language pathologist has been influenced by personal and professional exposures to the field.

The student writing this personal statement will not be the same student a week, month or year from now. This is due to my commitment to continual personal and professional growth and development. This commitment to life long learning, as well as my passion for helping people, is the why behind every single one of my waking moments. I look forward to a career in Speech Language Pathology because the profession is constantly evolving and there is always more to learn. I look forward to staying current and developing mentoring relationships within the profession, as well as developing strong bonds within the community.

Educational standards for American public school system children who struggle with various communication disorders cannot be maintained without an increase in the number of school-based Speech Language Pathologists. While the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public school staffing of Speech Language Pathologists, access to such services continues to be compromised by the ongoing shortage of these school-based specialists. I have been inspired to apply to Speech Language Pathology graduate school partly because of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's efforts to lessen the shortage; without trained Speech Language Pathologists, children cannot receive the care ensured to them by IDEA.

Upon graduation from Avon Lake High School, I have been accepted and wish to attend the University of Akron. I plan to major in Speech and Language Pathology with a minor in Special Education. With a degree, I wish to help children and teens who have special needs with their speech, giving them more confidence and courage in social settings. I decided on studying Speech and Language Pathology as a major because I think kids who struggle with speech problems and disorders lose confidence in themselves when they try to interact with other fellow classmates and peers. When children with these problems are given an opportunity to improve their speech with a therapist, it gives them confidence and courage to face their peers and interact better

In the field of speech language pathology parent education and involvement in treatment programs can be very beneficial to a client’s progress(TEMPEL). Evidence supports the use of programs that contain interactive approaches to speech and language intervention(LORRAINE). The importance of education is often recognized but can be difficult to deliver. The challenge of providing an effective parent/ caregiver education is an issue that Speech Language Pthologists may come in contact with.

The areas that interest me the most in Speech Language Pathology practice are Autism and Down Syndrome with feeding and swallowing disorder. I believe both areas are evolving and are most common now days, calling for a great necessity in therapeutic services. Autism is a broad field, where as a future Speech Language Pathologist, I have a large scope to learn from and achieve professional goals in one discipline. A larger group in the Autism community is found in children furthermore, Autism is characterized to follow a child all his or her life and as adults with Autism, specifically those who are nonverbal may also benefit from Speech and Language treatment. This allows employment opportunities in both children and adult settings for future SLP’s.

For Speech and Language Pathologists, there exists a myriad of roles and responsibilities to be met, as it is stated by ASHA, they work to prevent, assess, diagnose and treat speech and/or language difficulties. But cognitive communication is also included, as well as swallowing disorders in both children and adults. From the list of Reflection Tool Summary; I have chosen one option from each of the four areas that I found most appealing to me.