We found out about Cole's deafness in the first few weeks we moved to Illinois. He was 14 months old and as soon as we moved to our new state, we received news during one of his hearing tests that he was profoundly deaf...{I know most of you know this already, but thanks for your patience while I update our new friends} Miss Amy (as we began calling her) was the first SLP we crossed paths with after our audiologist. I remember how comfortable she made us feel as she asked us a bunch of questions I hardly knew the answers to as my mind was swimming with what this diagnosis meant for our boy. I remember how comfortable we immediately felt with her as she helped us through such a difficult stage of the journey...the beginning. God is so good...I'm am so honored that "Miss Amy" agreed to share with you today. I hope you enjoy another glimpse into the life of an amazing Speech and Language Pathologist..one, we couldn't be more thankful for.
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When I was invited by Danice to write a little something for
her blog in honor of Better Hearing and Speech Month, I wasn’t sure where I was
going to begin. I wasn’t sure
which direction I should take my thoughts and attempt to describe my career and
the path that I was so graciously given. I had so many questions running through my head. How do I begin to put into words my job
and what I do every day? How do I
begin to quantify the sacrifices, challenges, dedication, and triumphs that the
children and families that I serve go through each second, minute, and hour of
a day? How do I explain the ECHO
team that I work with and begin to justify just how AMAZING they each are? How can I adequately show my true
appreciation to the children and families that have entrusted myself to take
their child’s hand and grow together as student and SLP?
What I can easily explain to you is that I have NO real
memory of why I chose Speech Language Pathology as my career. My first instinct was to follow in my
mother’s footsteps and attend nursing school at Parkland College, a community
college in Champaign, IL. But it
seems that there was a plan for me much bigger than what I initially had for
myself. After deciding on
Speech and Hearing Sciences, I always pictured myself as an SLP in a
school. Most school SLPs are
famous for their ability to be the “fun” teacher that comes and takes a child
out of class to do “who knows what” while everyone else must sit in class and
work. Who wouldn’t want to be that
person????
As I explored jobs in my area following my graduation, I
found a job listing that seemed to be calling my name at Expanding Children’s
Hearing Opportunities (ECHO) Program and St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf at
Carle (now known as the Carle Auditory Oral School)!!!! When I walked into ECHO/SJI-C for the
very first time, I knew I NEEDED to work here. During my initial visit and interview, I was able to see a
child receive the gift of hearing during a hook-up of his cochlear
implant. I sat in a little room
with a two-way mirror watching a little boy turn his head towards beeps for the
first, and I was moved to tears. I
watched as a mother sat in anticipation, with tear-filled eyes, waiting for her
son to hear her voice for the very first time. I watched an audiologist and therapist prepare a family for
the journey ahead of them with this new device and ALL the information and
parts that went along with it. I
listened as the therapist discussed the work and dedication that would be
involved in training the child to use his hearing to develop listening and spoken
language. I saw a family that was
thankful for the gift they were being given. And I knew that I wanted to be a part of THAT journey with
other families!!!!!! To this
day, I have seen and been a part of a number cochlear implant hook-ups and
hearing aid fittings, and each one is a true miracle in itself. Being a part of such a big
milestone in each family’s life is something that I am forever grateful
for.
What I learned shortly after joining the ECHO team is that
every day is not as glorious as the day I witnessed during my interview. When families are introduced to the
ECHO program, they are facing some of their darkest days. Each family that
enters our program is traveling a path that they did not plan to travel. But what makes this job so great is
that we, as an ECHO team, are here to embrace the family and give them a
glimpse and begin work towards brighter days. We are able to provide them with support and knowledge and
help them through this little bump in the road along their journey.
The aspect that I love the most about the ECHO program is
the family- centered, family-driven philosophy that we strive for. Each decision is made by the family
from mode of communication, to the type of device (if they choose implantation
or hearing aids), to days and hours of therapy that their child receives. The entire family is educated on ways
to incorporate language and speech targets into their daily lives. We fulfill our mission each day to
make the family more educated and better able to make decisions that reflect
what best suits their own family and their needs.
I am currently finishing my 9th school year at
the Carle Auditory Oral School in Urbana, IL and I continue to feel as blessed
today as I did the day that I was given the opportunity to join this team. I am fortunate enough to work under one
of the best ENT doctors, Dr. Michael Novak. I work with an amazing team of Audiologists, Speech Language
Pathologists, Deaf Educators, teacher assistants, office coordinators, and
families. I am thankful that
families believe in me and my guidance to help change the life of their child
and family. Each day I am given
the opportunity to make an impact in the life of a child and his/her family. And each day I know that I am making a
difference!
The month of May, or Better Speech and Hearing Month, means
something much different to me than the average person. I can place names and faces to this
month. I can picture audiologists,
classroom teachers, therapists, principals, moms, dads, siblings, grandparents,
friends, and children as examples of inspiration that will do whatever it takes
to strive for the better hearing and speech. I can place adversities, struggles, sorrows, challenges, battles,
and triumphs to this month. As an SLP, May is more than warmer weather and
blooming flowers. It is one month
that is specifically named for my mission as a Speech Language Pathologist.
Love this! Thank you for sharing. I'm always grateful for the speech therapists that worked with me and my kiddos. Thanks for all you do!