Speech Therapy Center

Walking on the Right Path…

Intern Reflection, by Julie Milian.

“Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.”
“Travelers, there is no path, paths are made by walking”
Author: Antonio Machado

As a Graduate Student from Florida International University, I’m required to do four semesters of internship. My FIU supervisor provided me with a list of places that were available to do my first rotation. Overwhelmed by the long list, I started to get nervous; many questions came to mind. What kind of services do they offer? From what place am I going to learn the most? What is the right place, anyways, if there is one? Among many others.

I decided to do some research. The first thing that caught my attention from Speech Therapy Center website was their commitment, which is that of “Following our heart and our passion has brought us here, and our dedication to those who we serve will help get them to where they want to be.” PASSION and DEDICATION…Then I knew that that was the place where I wanted to do my first semester of internship. There is nothing better than to feel welcome; especially for a first time intern. That’s how I felt from the first day I met the supervisors Barbie and Becky.

During these four months, I have had the opportunity to work with a population that ranges from 3yrs to 20yrs old. My responsibilities were not only assessing and implementing therapy, but also communicating to the parents or caregivers the daily progress of the patient. More than once, I was asked by the parents “do you think my child will ever talk?” I truly believe that the day I stop thinking that a child with potential to talk will NOT; that day, I will change my career. It is not only the responsibility of the therapist, but also that of the family and teachers to help the child in his/her developmental progress; we are a team. As Barbie always said, “we need to have and set high expectations for the patients and we will obtain great results.”

I have felt blessed since the first day I started with Speech Therapy Center. I have developed the confidence and the knowledge necessary that a book can’t give me. This I gained, not only from my supervisors, but also from the patients and their families. I am very thankful for this opportunity to be an interim at the Speech Therapy Center, and especially for the support and guidance that I have received from all. Now than ever before, I know I am walking on the right path.

Reflecting Over the Past 12 Weeks…

Written by Nicole Fisher, Student Clinician, FIU

For those of you who don’t know me, I am a Graduate Student at Florida International University in the Speech and Language Pathology program. About three months ago I received word that I would be completing my first internship at the Speech Therapy Center. Sure, I was excited and eager to start—who wouldn’t be? I was finally able to go out in the community and put some of my knowledge into practice, but—I must admit—I was a little nervous.

Looking back, I am grateful for the amazing experiences I had. Indeed, I was able to put much of my education into practice and I was taught many wonderful and effective therapy techniques. In addition to new skills, I have gained confidence and a newfound love for my future profession. I feel like I will be a much better clinician as a result.

To my surprise, the kids I worked with taught me quite a few things as well. For example, I learned the names of many of the aircraft carriers currently serving our airports—national and a few international. I learned about Sponge Bob, Dora, iCarly and Shrek. I discovered that I am now quite fond of baby jaguars.  I discovered the Wiggles are like the Kindergarten equivalent of the Jonas Brothers. I was even taught a little yoga!

More importantly, while working with the kids I was touched by their determination, their enthusiasm, and their kindness. I was overjoyed when they achieved success, not for me, I was overjoyed for them. I loved watching them flourish. I looked forward to spending my days with these children. They were inspiring in so many ways. They are blessed to have such wonderful, dedicated and loving parents, teachers and therapists.

Each person that I have encountered during this experience has left a lasting handprint on my heart. Thus, I would like to thank you all for embracing me during my internship and helping me grow.

A Silly Success Story

Written by Nicole Fisher, Student Clinician, FIU
*Initials of the patient are used in the story to protect privacy

CV is a young girl three-year-old girl with Autism. When I first met CV I was struck by her tranquility. She was so calm and so still! In fact she sat patiently and quietly for the whole hour.  During our first therapy session together she drifted off in to her thoughts quite often, thus I had to make an effort to reestablish joint attention multiple times. She responded when prompted and often offered up the correct answer to many of my questions. During our first session we labeled the rooms of her house along with some household items. We also explored the function of some of the objects we had labeled. We worked on simple “yes/no” questions (i.e. Is this a pig? or Does this go here?)  as well as simple “what” questions (i.e. What animal is this)?

Over the course of the three months that I was able to spend with CV she excelled rapidly. She responded amazingly well to therapy. I spent my last day with CV this week. It was bittersweet. She has changed so much. She can answer more abstract “what” questions (i.e. What animal has black and white stripes?). She can also answer simple “where” questions. She can describe the function of many household items. She can describe actions, and possession and much more.

One of the most exciting developments, however, is her increased sense of awareness and her desire to be social. Not only does she joyfully partake in therapy, she has started initiating interactions and inviting me to share her experiences.  She wants you to see what she sees, and hear what she hears. Countless times during our last session she excitedly exclaimed, “Look!” or, “Listen!” and would proceed to tell me about the object or sound she wanted me to observe. She also has begun commenting spontaneously. For example, the other day I proposed a silly answer. I was expecting a simple “no,” instead; she looked at me, giggled and said, “That’s so silly!”

We often take such simple moments like these for granted. Yet there are so many factors that come into play here. CV has become more aware of her environment. CV has increased her vocabulary and has discovered how to use this thing we call language to communicate, to interact. She has realized that language can be used for more than just requesting, answering and labeling on command. Language can be used to share with others those fascinating little surprises we encounter during the day such as a butterfly, or the sound of an airplane overhead. Most fun of all, language can be used to be silly!

Ben Sweetland once said, “Success is a journey, not a destination.” I am very grateful that I was able to experience part of her journey. I am sure there is much more to come.

Auditory Processing Disorders 101

What is Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)?

Auditory processing is a term used to describe what happens when your brain recognizes and interprets the sounds around you. Humans hear when energy that we recognize as sound travels through the ear and is changed into electrical information that can be interpreted by the brain. The “disorder” part of auditory processing disorder means that something is adversely affecting the processing or interpretation of the information.

To read the full article, go to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.asp

And for addtional information visit the American Speech Language and Hearing Association
: http://www.asha.org/ Understanding auditory processing disorders in children

Julie A. Milian, Student Clinician
Florida International University ‘11

Extraordinary Individuals: Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin is an inspirational woman that has proven to the world that autism is a limitation that can be overcome.

The BBC has produced a biography of her life, that not only states her accomplishments but also gives much insight into the lives of autistic children. Check out the series of videos. They are well worth watching:

The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Additionally, a film by HBO, Temple Grandin, named after this heroic figure was created. It is available for rent at your nearest video rental store. Check the official site for the movie:

http://www.hbo.com/movies/temple-grandin/index.html

For more information of this individual and her works, look at:

http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2006-Ei-La/Grandin-Temple.html

Finding Inspiration in the Imperfection

Alexander Graham Bell, Walt Disney, and Winston Churchill all had learning disabilities. Think about how each of them has influenced the world today; including the creation of the telephone, the magic of Disney, and the strategic skills and persistence necessary to win a war. It is important to keep in mind that because your child is diagnosed as learning disabled, does not mean he/she is incapable. All of these men are remembered for their great accomplishments and with your help your child will do great things as well.

Often, children with learning disabilities compensate for their difficulty with strength in other skills. Additionally, they are usually difficult to detect, simply because they will hide their difficulties. As a parent you have to keep a close watch in order to insure that your child is provided with early detection and remediation. Keep in mind that you want to provide as much support as possible.  A red flag for detection will be that your child will complain of schoolwork and receive poorer grades than his/her peers.

With help from psychologists, and other specialists, the difficulties encountered by learning disabled children and teens can be decreased. Often times, children with learning disabilities have concomitant issues with speech, language and/or hearing. Therefore a speech and language evaluation is highly recommended. Please feel free to consult with us at Speech Therapy Center to identify, remediate and educate your child to reach his/her full potential.

Keep in mind, that people who have suffered from various disabilities have accomplished wonderful things. Please do not limit your children. It is your job to inspire them to grow and inspire others with their talents!

To see more historical figures who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities, check out:

http://dyslexiamylife.org/who_els.html

Another great website all parents should read concerning learning disabilities is:

http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/learning/learning_disabilities.html

Welcome!

Welcome to our new website. We are very excited to have this blog in order to facilitate active communication between our therapists, our parents and our community.

Feel free to post questions; concerns and or information you have, that would benefit our community of bloggers.

We will add information about articles, books, and therapy activities weekly. Feel free to comment on our topics and share your knowledge with us.

Here are some words spoken by some of the children we serve. We can find inspiration and motivation even from the smallest of teachers - our children.

Please share some of your words with us to add to our website for encouragement to others who visit our site.

“Sit down correctly, that is a good choice!” (spoken by Nicolas)

“no-Yes…yes um-hum” (spoken by Irene)

“Be yourself, who else is better qualified.” (spoken by Teresa)

“Love is the most important thing in life.” (spoken by Daniel)

“Show me don’t tell me.” (spoken by Alex)

“Never give up.” (spoken by Joey)

“May I be excused?” (spoken by Nicolas)

“I will try my best to listen” (spoken by Daniel)

“Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t just say it mean it.” (spoken by Lucia)

“Be good.” (spoken by Ashley)

“Say, I love you!” (spoken by Derrick)

“I love bananas.” (spoken by Derrick)

“I want more, please.” (spoken by Leslie)

“All I want is my mommy…” (spoken by Bella)

“Everyone is different but the same too.” (spoken by Luciano)

“Give me a hug… and squeeze.” (spoken Gabriel)

“I don’t wanna be sad, I wanna be happy.” (spoken by Sebastian)

“Hug me” (spoken by Rachel)