Keaunna Knox's Speech-Language Pathology

While obtaining observation hours for ASHA, I had the privilege of viewing therapy sessions of students at Oscar Smith Middle School. I never had the opportunity of meeting children with disabilities personally until I began my observation hours. During a treatment session, two young ladies with Intellectual Disability (ID) captured my attention and changed my perspective on the part Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) play in providing these students with the critical skills to communicate with their special and general education instructors and others they may encounter through their environment. Witnessing the middle school students’ interactions with their SLP and myself gave me a glance at the rewarding aspects

Chapter 33 discuss a speech therapist’s and speech pathologists’ job. The chapter brought up issues speech pathologists have, how they are close minded when it comes to deaf culture, and how they socialize with deaf children. While reading this, I found

The Magnolia Multi-Service Center provides various services to individuals in Houston. Some of the services that this community center provides include dental care, daycare, WIC programs, senior programs, etc. The service center also provides speech, language, and hearing services for children. The speech language pathologist (SLP) and the clinical fellow provide therapy services in small groups and individually. The SLP and clinical fellow provided individual therapy services for a fluency disorder, an autism spectrum disorder, an intellectual disability, and an articulation disorder within three hours. The Magnolia multi-service center provides necessary speech language and hearing services to individuals in the community.

The contents of this article demonstrates that speech language pathologists have such a multifaceted role throughout their profession, specifically in the sector of school-based intervention. It is not more so “who” must receive special treatment in the system, but “how” treatments are carried out. Gelzheiser et al (1991) have reported that public school research studies on special education show an absence in quality treatment. Interestingly, intelligence is not actually deemed to be a key factor when it comes to improving readability, which is why RTI is making the endeavor to deliver a more sufficient way of identifying those with reading disabilities. We learn throughout this article that the second Tier in RTI is typically where the most improvements occur-in the temporary yet intense instruction. Nonetheless, the problem lies in both financial costs and the fact that there is a potential for showing

Speech Language Pathologists work with a variety of clients with different demographics. Volunteering at Press on Youth Center has exposed me to youth from different backgrounds. Communication disorders can affect an adolescent’s emotional, social, and academic success in life. I noticed that students at the youth center had various articulation disorders, and behavioral issues that affected the

A speech language pathologist is transcendent; their ability to explore options, in addition to, providing an optimal form of communication, speaks volumes about the depths they go for patients. The idea of barriers impeding our form of communication, and impacting our everyday ventures, is a difficult concept to grasp. Thoughts gain meaning when they transcend into words; despite the communication platform, everyone deserves to have a voice and be heard. For this reason, I choose to be a part of a field where you impact a patient’s communication in a positive manner, it is what I aspire to do with future patients. Ultimately, I seek admittance to the communication sciences and disorders graduate program at Texas A&M Kingsville.

I remember feeling so nervous and anxious as it would be my first time observing a speech-language-pathologist clinician performing therapy, experiencing that hands-on experience. As I sat down in my car I could not stop thinking about the various emotions I was feeling at that time. Finally, it was time for me to get going. Well, let’s recognize that the speech clinic was easy to find among the all the other service clinics offered by Magnolia’s multi-center building, a huge University of Houston sign was resting in the middle of the hallway. As I entered the room is was exactly how pictured it, mini classroom feeling with very minimal wall decorations. There was a small filing cabinet on of posterior left side of the room. As soon as walked in you were greeted by the speech-language pathologist, who was sitting on her desk resting in on the anterior left side of the room. There were also two different size tables in the room, one was the children’s table with four available seats and the adult table with four seats as well. As for the setting, it was clean and approachable. The classroom decorations were minimal, there not too much

Pedagogues play highly important roles in the fostering of speech and language for young children, particularly for those who may have a disability in this area of processing and cognition. Teachers actually serve a multitude of purposes in this respect. They act as models of proper language and speech, helping children to see and listen to how people talk and how the children themselves should one day speak. They also serve as coaches, and utilize a variety of methods to coax understanding of language and of speech from children themselves. Additionally, they function as facilitators who provide a variety of different mechanisms and means to initiate understanding in children, both of what it is the child wants and a comprehension of what the teachers expect for the children to do as a result.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2005). Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists with respect to augmentative and alternative communication: position statement. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/policy/PS2005-00113/

Speech language pathologists serve a wide range of clients from different linguistic along with cultural backgrounds. For this reason, speech pathologists should be aware of their own personal biases and perceptions and be able to adapt their teaching methods according to each individual client. Negative perceptions and attitudes towards clients and their families may prevent the clinician from providing effective services. It is important for a speech pathologist to be aware of the lifestyle of the families they are working with, so they are able to successfully serve clients. In the course, the presenter discussed how working with parents of children with disabilities requires the clinician to take on a different perspective.

Communication is the cornerstone of most social interactions throughout life. It is a requirement for developing a relationship, careers, and fulfilling basic needs. Many of us take basic communication for granted. Imagine being a young child trying to communicate what you want to eat for lunch, but sufferer from Apraxia and are unable to form basic words. If it were not for the hard work of the speech pathologist from the University of Michigan STEPS Autism program this child would not be able to form basic sentences. My experiences as a speech assistant, teacher and postgraduate student, have guided me to a career in speech pathology.

Growing up in The Bronx has impacted my views, desires, and goals towards furthering my education in Speech & Language Pathology. Coming from this area, the population consists of many people that hold a low- socioeconomic status (SES). Experiencing on a daily basis the lack of resources provided to such urban areas has aided to my ambitions to find ways to provide to these types of low SES populations. I believe that one major outlet that many areas of low SES lack, is that of centers and/or professionals in Speech Pathology. This lack in the field conveys to my intentions in wanting to attend Howard University and become a Speech Pathologist.

It has been two months since Tamara Assad has been in my 5th grade classroom at Phillips Elementary School. During these two months, Tamara has been struggling in various ways. According to her history, Tamara qualified for special education in Kindergarten, as she had a moderate delay in speech and language. Tamara received services to target speech sound disorder by a speech-language pathologist until May 2015. The speech-language pathologist focused on sound substitutions each grade until she was discharged with, “speech issues that persist, but considered age-appropriate.” During her time in therapy, her literacy scores were lagging 10-15 percentage points below benchmark, but were considering passing. However, it has been two years

Some problems that children with special needs may face are speech and language disorders, which include articulation disorders, fluency disorders, receptive or expressive communication disorders, and many more. Speech disorders cause children to have difficulty pronouncing words and sounds, while language disorders make combining ideas and creating sentences challenging. Speech therapy can help these children improve their ability to communicate verbally, and, if it is administered early in their lives, children may improve enough that they will no longer even need therapy (Evans, n.d.).

Speech is the very foundation of communication and our ability to communicate effectively stands at the heart of what defines us as humans. As a young child, I wished every day for a baby sister and I was terribly disappointed when my parents brought home a baby brother instead. However, to add to my angst, his ability to communicate with me was greatly hindered by ankyloglossia and chronic middle ear infections in his infancy. I experienced firsthand the frustration both he and our family faced as we tried to understand him and ultimately, get the surgery and subsequent speech therapy he desperately needed. If it were not for the dedication of his speech therapist, Ellen Carlin, he would not be the confident and articulate young man he is today. Even though I was only four years old, his experience opened my eyes to how vital communication is to all areas of every child’s development and sparked my desire to help children who have communicative disabilities.