What I need to know...
I have always been greatly intrigued with the medical field and medicine in general. My grandmother was a nurse and I was always eager to hear her stories about patients and how her overall day went. In addition, my younger brother has broken multiple bones and the idea of repairing bones, has sparked my interest. I knew that when the idea of Honors Mentorship was presented to me, I wanted to be apart of this program! I knew that if I was involved with this program, I would take the education I learned and could apply it to a future career.
I was placed at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and focused on sports medicine, rehabilitation, and orthotics/prosthetics for a year. After being placed in each of these departments I have found an interest for speech pathology in the rehabilitation department. I quickly became very intrigued with speech language and how to treat speech delays. After a couple weeks of observing different patients, I arrived at my essential question. "What impact does early speech intervention have on a child and how do those interventions lead to a greater success in meeting their therapeutic goals?" I selected this question as my essential question because it accurately reflects many young patients that come in to see the speech pathologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. This question is extremely important in the rehabilitation department because many strive to diagnose children early.
What I know or assume...
Going into this program, I was the most interested in the sports medicine field because of the injuries I have seen with my brother. After going through each of the departments, I quickly became interested in the rehabilitation department. At first I thought that rehabilitation department would consist of helping children walk again for example, or improving their ultimate performance. I soon realized that I was placed in the speech rehabilitation department with a speech pathologist.
Each week I loved going to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to observe more of the speech pathologist and how she interacted with her patients. I learned that "k" and "g" sounds were produced in the back of your throat. There were many games and activities the child could play to work on these sounds. I also learned that "t" and "l" sounds were produced in the front of your mouth and it was important where the tongue was placed. Additionally, children that needed help with subject verb agreement or question words would do activities that specifically helped the child work toward their goal. I believe that nothing causes this speech delay, but it is more beneficial to catch it early on and start therapy. The earlier the delay is caught, the easier it will be to get results in the end.
The search...
About 80% of children will have speech delays early on, but only about 20% do not out grow this speech delay and will not catch up with the others around them. In the second annotated bibliography it was stated that early intervention would not affect the results of a child in therapy. However, in the third bibliography it is proven that while each child is different, it definitely does not hurt. Attacking speech language early on helps a child improve their social and emotional skills.
Interview with Mrs. Karen Keegan
1. WHAT MADE YOU PICK THE SPEECH PATHOLOGY FIELD? AN OLDER FRIEND THAT WAS IN COLLEGE TALKED ME INTO IT.
-THIS IS INTERESTING, BUT NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE FRIENDS HAVE A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE.
2. WHERE DID YOU ATTEND SCHOOL? I WENT TO UNC CHAPEL HILL.
-THIS ANSWER INTRIGUED ME BECAUSE AS A SENIOR I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT VARIOUS COLLEGES, AND I HAVE HEARD UNC IS GORGEOUS. IN ADDITION, THIS SCHOOL IS CHALLENGING TO GET INTO SO THIS PROVES SPEECH PATHOLOGY IS A DIFFICULT CAREER.
3. WHAT WAS YOUR UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR? MY UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR WAS LINGUISTICS AND MUSIC PERFORMANCE.
-I EXPECTED ONE OF HER MAJORS TO BE LINGUISTICS BECAUSE SPEECH PATHOLOGY DEALS WITH LANGUAGE, BUT MUSIC PERFORMANCE SURPRISED ME.
4. HOW MANY YEARS OF POST GRADUATE EDUCATION DID YOU RECEIVE? I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR 2 ADDITIONAL YEARS AFTER COLLEGE AND GOT MY MASTERS.
-THIS WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW HOW MANY YEARS OF POST GRADUATE EDUCATION YOU NEEDED TO BECOME A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST.
5. DID YOU HAVE ANY INTERNSHIPS? YES, I WORKED IN CLINICAL PEDIATRICS, MULTI DIAGNOSTIC CENTER, AND AN AUTISTIC ASSISTED LIVING FACILITATION.
-IT WAS INTRIGUING THAT SHE WORKED WITH ELDERS. I THINK THAT WOULD VERY FUN!!
6. WHY DID YOU PICK CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA OPPOSED TO A SCHOOL/OTHER WORKPLACE? I PICKED TO WORK AT CHOA BECAUSE WHEN I MOVED TO GEORGIA IT WAS THE LARGEST PEDIATRIC CENTER IN THE STATE.
-I THINK THAT IT IS FASCINATING THAT SHE PICKED CHOA BECAUSE IT WAS THE LARGEST PEDIATRIC CENTER OPPOSED TO A SMALL PRIVATE PRACTICE.
7. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? THE HARDEST PART IS DEALING WITH CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEHAVIOR ISSUES.
-THIS IS VERY UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF PATIENCE TO WORK WITH CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS.
8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITES ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? MY FAVORITE PART OF MY JOB IS SPENDING TIME WITH KIDS THAT ARE RESPECTFUL AND HANGING OUT WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
-THIS IS ALSO UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE IT IS ENJOYABLE TO DEAL WITH KIDS THAT ARE FUN TO BE AROUND.
9. WHAT AGE GROUP IS THE MOST FUN TO WORK WITH? MY FAVORITE AGE GROUP TO WORK WITH IS INFANTS TO TWO YEARS OLD.
-THIS IS NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE I ALSO LOVE LITTLE KIDS!
10. DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH CONTINUOUS EDUCATION TO KEEP YOUR LICENSE ACTIVE? YES, I HAVE TO GET 30 HOURS EVERY 3 YEARS BY ONLINE TRAINING OR TRAINING.
-THIS IS UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR LICENSE ACTIVE AS A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST.
What I discovered...
Before I started observing a speech pathologist, I thought that speech therapy was simply pronouncing sounds through example with the hope that a child would improve over time. However, when I started shadowing, I was completely wrong. It was very interesting to see the different techniques and ways to get children to practice different sounds. It is intriguing that the position of the tongue and lip were so essential to improving speech language. My mentor would use a stick to put the child's tongue in certain positions if they were not able to do it on their own. Additionally, I did not think that children would enjoy their session so much. The speech pathologist makes it so fun and enjoyable through various games and activities, that most children do not want to leave. In real life I think that it is essential to recognize speech delays early on so you can be proactive and get help for the child. It is important to act early because you will get a quicker response on their ultimate goal regarding their speech language.
I have always been greatly intrigued with the medical field and medicine in general. My grandmother was a nurse and I was always eager to hear her stories about patients and how her overall day went. In addition, my younger brother has broken multiple bones and the idea of repairing bones, has sparked my interest. I knew that when the idea of Honors Mentorship was presented to me, I wanted to be apart of this program! I knew that if I was involved with this program, I would take the education I learned and could apply it to a future career.
I was placed at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and focused on sports medicine, rehabilitation, and orthotics/prosthetics for a year. After being placed in each of these departments I have found an interest for speech pathology in the rehabilitation department. I quickly became very intrigued with speech language and how to treat speech delays. After a couple weeks of observing different patients, I arrived at my essential question. "What impact does early speech intervention have on a child and how do those interventions lead to a greater success in meeting their therapeutic goals?" I selected this question as my essential question because it accurately reflects many young patients that come in to see the speech pathologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. This question is extremely important in the rehabilitation department because many strive to diagnose children early.
What I know or assume...
Going into this program, I was the most interested in the sports medicine field because of the injuries I have seen with my brother. After going through each of the departments, I quickly became interested in the rehabilitation department. At first I thought that rehabilitation department would consist of helping children walk again for example, or improving their ultimate performance. I soon realized that I was placed in the speech rehabilitation department with a speech pathologist.
Each week I loved going to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to observe more of the speech pathologist and how she interacted with her patients. I learned that "k" and "g" sounds were produced in the back of your throat. There were many games and activities the child could play to work on these sounds. I also learned that "t" and "l" sounds were produced in the front of your mouth and it was important where the tongue was placed. Additionally, children that needed help with subject verb agreement or question words would do activities that specifically helped the child work toward their goal. I believe that nothing causes this speech delay, but it is more beneficial to catch it early on and start therapy. The earlier the delay is caught, the easier it will be to get results in the end.
The search...
About 80% of children will have speech delays early on, but only about 20% do not out grow this speech delay and will not catch up with the others around them. In the second annotated bibliography it was stated that early intervention would not affect the results of a child in therapy. However, in the third bibliography it is proven that while each child is different, it definitely does not hurt. Attacking speech language early on helps a child improve their social and emotional skills.
Interview with Mrs. Karen Keegan
1. WHAT MADE YOU PICK THE SPEECH PATHOLOGY FIELD? AN OLDER FRIEND THAT WAS IN COLLEGE TALKED ME INTO IT.
-THIS IS INTERESTING, BUT NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE FRIENDS HAVE A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE.
2. WHERE DID YOU ATTEND SCHOOL? I WENT TO UNC CHAPEL HILL.
-THIS ANSWER INTRIGUED ME BECAUSE AS A SENIOR I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT VARIOUS COLLEGES, AND I HAVE HEARD UNC IS GORGEOUS. IN ADDITION, THIS SCHOOL IS CHALLENGING TO GET INTO SO THIS PROVES SPEECH PATHOLOGY IS A DIFFICULT CAREER.
3. WHAT WAS YOUR UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR? MY UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR WAS LINGUISTICS AND MUSIC PERFORMANCE.
-I EXPECTED ONE OF HER MAJORS TO BE LINGUISTICS BECAUSE SPEECH PATHOLOGY DEALS WITH LANGUAGE, BUT MUSIC PERFORMANCE SURPRISED ME.
4. HOW MANY YEARS OF POST GRADUATE EDUCATION DID YOU RECEIVE? I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR 2 ADDITIONAL YEARS AFTER COLLEGE AND GOT MY MASTERS.
-THIS WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW HOW MANY YEARS OF POST GRADUATE EDUCATION YOU NEEDED TO BECOME A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST.
5. DID YOU HAVE ANY INTERNSHIPS? YES, I WORKED IN CLINICAL PEDIATRICS, MULTI DIAGNOSTIC CENTER, AND AN AUTISTIC ASSISTED LIVING FACILITATION.
-IT WAS INTRIGUING THAT SHE WORKED WITH ELDERS. I THINK THAT WOULD VERY FUN!!
6. WHY DID YOU PICK CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA OPPOSED TO A SCHOOL/OTHER WORKPLACE? I PICKED TO WORK AT CHOA BECAUSE WHEN I MOVED TO GEORGIA IT WAS THE LARGEST PEDIATRIC CENTER IN THE STATE.
-I THINK THAT IT IS FASCINATING THAT SHE PICKED CHOA BECAUSE IT WAS THE LARGEST PEDIATRIC CENTER OPPOSED TO A SMALL PRIVATE PRACTICE.
7. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? THE HARDEST PART IS DEALING WITH CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEHAVIOR ISSUES.
-THIS IS VERY UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF PATIENCE TO WORK WITH CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS.
8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITES ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? MY FAVORITE PART OF MY JOB IS SPENDING TIME WITH KIDS THAT ARE RESPECTFUL AND HANGING OUT WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
-THIS IS ALSO UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE IT IS ENJOYABLE TO DEAL WITH KIDS THAT ARE FUN TO BE AROUND.
9. WHAT AGE GROUP IS THE MOST FUN TO WORK WITH? MY FAVORITE AGE GROUP TO WORK WITH IS INFANTS TO TWO YEARS OLD.
-THIS IS NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE I ALSO LOVE LITTLE KIDS!
10. DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH CONTINUOUS EDUCATION TO KEEP YOUR LICENSE ACTIVE? YES, I HAVE TO GET 30 HOURS EVERY 3 YEARS BY ONLINE TRAINING OR TRAINING.
-THIS IS UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR LICENSE ACTIVE AS A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST.
What I discovered...
Before I started observing a speech pathologist, I thought that speech therapy was simply pronouncing sounds through example with the hope that a child would improve over time. However, when I started shadowing, I was completely wrong. It was very interesting to see the different techniques and ways to get children to practice different sounds. It is intriguing that the position of the tongue and lip were so essential to improving speech language. My mentor would use a stick to put the child's tongue in certain positions if they were not able to do it on their own. Additionally, I did not think that children would enjoy their session so much. The speech pathologist makes it so fun and enjoyable through various games and activities, that most children do not want to leave. In real life I think that it is essential to recognize speech delays early on so you can be proactive and get help for the child. It is important to act early because you will get a quicker response on their ultimate goal regarding their speech language.