The irony of the fact that I am sick with jealousy of three friends who are in Italy right now just struck me. Read this if you don't get it.
And yes, I know I'm not a mom. I'm Holland itself. I'm a sibling to Holland. My mother teaches in Holland. And I'm spending all of my time, energy, and money preparing to teach Holland how to communicate. I like to think that I am a bit familiar with some aspects of Holland by now. When it comes down to it, I wouldn't have it any other way.
But I am still jealous of my friends who can afford to cavort around Italy for 10 days.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Summer classes and beyond
I am finished with spring semester and came through unscathed with all A's and B's. Hurray! My organization skills left something to be desired, so I have since set up Microsoft Outlook in hopes of improving them for summer semester. This summer I shall be taking:
-Traumatic Brain Injury, which will probably be as interesting as it is complicated. I shall have to get out my neurology textbook and familiarize myself with the general layout of the brain again.
-Fluency, with one of the foremost experts in the nation. We are really lucky to have Dr. Robinson agree to teach this class for us! One of the assignments in this class that I have heard people talk about is that you have to go to a store or restaurant where no one knows you and pretend that you have a fluency disorder (for example, a stutter). Then you have to come back and report how people reacted to you. I think this is an excellent assignment because it forces us to experience the feelings of frustration and rejection that our dysfluent clients likely deal with every day from well-meaning individuals who don't understand why the person is "talking weird."
-Physics, because I need another science. I am less than enthused about commuting an hour 4 days a week to take this class, especially with gas prices so high, but it will be easier at the community college than at my university.
I was also thinking about possible future research projects while folding my clothes this morning. I am interested in augmentative and alternative communication devices, and not much research has been done to prove the usefulness of the current plethora of electronic devices on the market. I know how difficult and frustrating it can be to get a hold of these gizmos, because of their 3 and 4 figure price tags, so I want to provide professionals and parents with as much unbiased information about them as possible so that all that money is not wasted. However, it would be hard to get a hold of the gizmos for the study, and to find enough children in my small town who have similar communication needs and motor requirements to be my subjects. I have found some tutorials on instructables.com for modifying electronic devices, including toddler toys. Wouldn't it be great if a parent could make an AAC device for their child from a toy they purchased at a thrift store and some simple electronics supplies from RadioShack? I know firsthand how busy a parent of a child with special needs can get, and how implausible it is that Mom/Dad/Uncle/primary caregiver would have time to fiddle around with a soldering gun, but hey! It's a pleasant, if implausible, idea to me that I could empower parents to help their children communicate in this fashion.
I'm also somewhat intrigued by Signing Time. I read a couple of blogs written by parents of exceptional children, and Signing Time has helped many of these children with communication breakthroughs. I wonder if any research has been done using it? Mayhap such research could be used to convince schools and libraries to purchase the DVDs to have available. I really want to help! I'll email my research professor. Please leave any ideas that you may have about communications research that you would like to see in the comments. :)
And now I am away to work! Yay for summer jobs washing dishes ;) At least the food at the Bakery is delicious, and the company is good.
-Traumatic Brain Injury, which will probably be as interesting as it is complicated. I shall have to get out my neurology textbook and familiarize myself with the general layout of the brain again.
-Fluency, with one of the foremost experts in the nation. We are really lucky to have Dr. Robinson agree to teach this class for us! One of the assignments in this class that I have heard people talk about is that you have to go to a store or restaurant where no one knows you and pretend that you have a fluency disorder (for example, a stutter). Then you have to come back and report how people reacted to you. I think this is an excellent assignment because it forces us to experience the feelings of frustration and rejection that our dysfluent clients likely deal with every day from well-meaning individuals who don't understand why the person is "talking weird."
-Physics, because I need another science. I am less than enthused about commuting an hour 4 days a week to take this class, especially with gas prices so high, but it will be easier at the community college than at my university.
I was also thinking about possible future research projects while folding my clothes this morning. I am interested in augmentative and alternative communication devices, and not much research has been done to prove the usefulness of the current plethora of electronic devices on the market. I know how difficult and frustrating it can be to get a hold of these gizmos, because of their 3 and 4 figure price tags, so I want to provide professionals and parents with as much unbiased information about them as possible so that all that money is not wasted. However, it would be hard to get a hold of the gizmos for the study, and to find enough children in my small town who have similar communication needs and motor requirements to be my subjects. I have found some tutorials on instructables.com for modifying electronic devices, including toddler toys. Wouldn't it be great if a parent could make an AAC device for their child from a toy they purchased at a thrift store and some simple electronics supplies from RadioShack? I know firsthand how busy a parent of a child with special needs can get, and how implausible it is that Mom/Dad/Uncle/primary caregiver would have time to fiddle around with a soldering gun, but hey! It's a pleasant, if implausible, idea to me that I could empower parents to help their children communicate in this fashion.
I'm also somewhat intrigued by Signing Time. I read a couple of blogs written by parents of exceptional children, and Signing Time has helped many of these children with communication breakthroughs. I wonder if any research has been done using it? Mayhap such research could be used to convince schools and libraries to purchase the DVDs to have available. I really want to help! I'll email my research professor. Please leave any ideas that you may have about communications research that you would like to see in the comments. :)
And now I am away to work! Yay for summer jobs washing dishes ;) At least the food at the Bakery is delicious, and the company is good.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
General frustration
I am completely swamped with homework, and most of it is my fault; apparently when you don't keep track of due dates, you miss them. Who knew? My time management skills have been not so good this semester, and I keep needing to remind myself that I'm actually good at and excited about speech therapy. I got a test back today and I had forgotten to answer an essay question. I turned it in blank and lost 5 points. What is WRONG with me?
I am impatient with all my classes and just want to get some clients and get started. There is so much to do, so many children to reach, and I just wanna hit the ground running, even though I know that I do not have the knowledge and experience to do so yet. I'm worried that my lack of patience with classes and my rambunctious puppy means that I will not have patience with my clients. I'm worried that I won't get back on top of life. I'm tired of learning by failing. I'm a student taking a buttload of hard classes and it's the end of the semester. Such is life.
I am impatient with all my classes and just want to get some clients and get started. There is so much to do, so many children to reach, and I just wanna hit the ground running, even though I know that I do not have the knowledge and experience to do so yet. I'm worried that my lack of patience with classes and my rambunctious puppy means that I will not have patience with my clients. I'm worried that I won't get back on top of life. I'm tired of learning by failing. I'm a student taking a buttload of hard classes and it's the end of the semester. Such is life.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
It's that time again
It is that time again, the time that every student dreads: the pile-up. There are always 2-3 weeks every semester when it seems like everyone is giving tests, projects, and papers, and you never quite seem to manage your time well enough to get it all done without panicking. Well, maybe some people do, but I don't. ;) I've been slack the past 2 weekends or so, just visiting with Chester instead of doing my homework like I usually do, and this week I'm paying for it. The domino effect of procrastination has begun! For example, I have a test in roughly an hour or so. However, I am typing a blog entry instead of studying or eating lunch.
Some quick shout-outs: happy birthday Joey! (joeyandymom.blogspot.com) Feel better soon Rhett! (rhettsjourney.blogspot.com) Good luck with your AAC, Nik! Keep up the good work! (http://maternal-instincts.blogspot.com/)
Some quick shout-outs: happy birthday Joey! (joeyandymom.blogspot.com) Feel better soon Rhett! (rhettsjourney.blogspot.com) Good luck with your AAC, Nik! Keep up the good work! (http://maternal-instincts.blogspot.com/)
Monday, March 24, 2008
"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time...
...that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." -Oscar Wilde
The observation and clinic hours that we do in my program are so important for that very reason: there is only so much that a person can learn sitting in a classroom looking at a PowerPoint presentation. For example, the other day I observed a 7o-something year old man who was a dentist for many years. This man had suffered a stroke which left him with aphasia. This condition did not affect his intelligence, but his ability to process words was slowed. He has trouble finding words in conversation. For example, if he wanted to say the word "camera", he might say, "The thing that takes a picture, you know..." because he cannot think of the word "camera." His therapy session consisted of having a conversation with my supervisor. I was a little confused and later asked my supervisor about it. She told me that she didn't want to do word drills with him in front of me because it might embarrass him, so she engaged him in conversation and kept a mental tally of how many times he needed help finding a word. She said that marking down errors on paper makes the client feel like they're being tested or something, and that it's just not necessary. There are two lessons right there: treat clients with respect, and try to make as few notes during the session as possible to avoid making them feel self-conscious. I feel like I learned more practical knowledge in that one hour than I do during many classes.
Now I should scoot to the living room, as our new puppy may be wanted to do some oral-motor exercises soon ;)
The observation and clinic hours that we do in my program are so important for that very reason: there is only so much that a person can learn sitting in a classroom looking at a PowerPoint presentation. For example, the other day I observed a 7o-something year old man who was a dentist for many years. This man had suffered a stroke which left him with aphasia. This condition did not affect his intelligence, but his ability to process words was slowed. He has trouble finding words in conversation. For example, if he wanted to say the word "camera", he might say, "The thing that takes a picture, you know..." because he cannot think of the word "camera." His therapy session consisted of having a conversation with my supervisor. I was a little confused and later asked my supervisor about it. She told me that she didn't want to do word drills with him in front of me because it might embarrass him, so she engaged him in conversation and kept a mental tally of how many times he needed help finding a word. She said that marking down errors on paper makes the client feel like they're being tested or something, and that it's just not necessary. There are two lessons right there: treat clients with respect, and try to make as few notes during the session as possible to avoid making them feel self-conscious. I feel like I learned more practical knowledge in that one hour than I do during many classes.
Now I should scoot to the living room, as our new puppy may be wanted to do some oral-motor exercises soon ;)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Oh, I'm ready for it, c'mon, bring it
The other day I posted in my personal blog about SOAP notes. I'm not exactly sure what they are; I think they are just notes on how a session with a client went, but as I have yet to have any clients, that particular mystery has yet to be revealed. I said I would keep the blog posted on if I ever found out what SOAP stood for, and Julianne replied with the obvious answer that it stood for Snakes On A Plane. The subject title is in honor of that. ;)
Yesterday I did my first three observation hours. I got lost getting there and getting home (in the dark, lolz), but my supervisor is an angel and talked me back to the right road, and I listened to the SOAP song and felt empowered. I observed 3 children. Child #1 had started therapy in August as a non-verbal child. I did not know this until after the session and I was really surprised, because Child #1 was talking up a storm! I thought he was just there for articulation, but man. Angelic Supervisor is a miracle-worker for sure. Child #2 had a cochlear implant. Very simply, cochlear implants can help some deaf children regain some measure of hearing. Child #2 had just discovered Star Wars and was extremely inquisitive, often interrupting Angelic Supervisor to ask questions about the toys they were using and activities they were doing or to tell her that he had recently acquired a Wookie. He was darling. Child #3 was the sister of Child #2. She was extremely animated; she talked with lots of inflection, facial expressions, and gestures. I was really hungry at this point, but she kept me amused by pointing out how her mispronunciations just "wouldn't make sense" and telling a very interesting story involving twins, triplets, a party, and a person in a wolf costume.
I love this. I really do. I feel like speech pathology is where God is calling me to be. I've got my Psychoeducational Assessment textbook open next to me right now, but it's so dry in comparison to all of the exciting linguistic wonders I've heard about in the past 24 hours that I just can't focus on it. Everything that I'm learning is coming together...at least for the moment. I hope this novelty doesn't wear off. I'll need the excitement to carry me through.
Yesterday I did my first three observation hours. I got lost getting there and getting home (in the dark, lolz), but my supervisor is an angel and talked me back to the right road, and I listened to the SOAP song and felt empowered. I observed 3 children. Child #1 had started therapy in August as a non-verbal child. I did not know this until after the session and I was really surprised, because Child #1 was talking up a storm! I thought he was just there for articulation, but man. Angelic Supervisor is a miracle-worker for sure. Child #2 had a cochlear implant. Very simply, cochlear implants can help some deaf children regain some measure of hearing. Child #2 had just discovered Star Wars and was extremely inquisitive, often interrupting Angelic Supervisor to ask questions about the toys they were using and activities they were doing or to tell her that he had recently acquired a Wookie. He was darling. Child #3 was the sister of Child #2. She was extremely animated; she talked with lots of inflection, facial expressions, and gestures. I was really hungry at this point, but she kept me amused by pointing out how her mispronunciations just "wouldn't make sense" and telling a very interesting story involving twins, triplets, a party, and a person in a wolf costume.
I love this. I really do. I feel like speech pathology is where God is calling me to be. I've got my Psychoeducational Assessment textbook open next to me right now, but it's so dry in comparison to all of the exciting linguistic wonders I've heard about in the past 24 hours that I just can't focus on it. Everything that I'm learning is coming together...at least for the moment. I hope this novelty doesn't wear off. I'll need the excitement to carry me through.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
PSA
Two updates in one day? What's going on? ;)
Yesterday in Speech Science we had a sound level meter, and we were measuring different sounds. Our professor told us to hold the meter 2 inches away from a hair-dryer to find out how much noise was right next to your ear while you were drying your hair. It measured 92 dB. The human voice is between 60-70 dB. 92 dB is LOUD, folks, especially right next to your ear. That's loud enough to cause damage over a period of time. Be mindful of your ears! The same thing applies to earbuds. All that volume funneled directly into your ear is dangerous. There is so much noise in the world today that we just don't think about, and our ears are not equipped to handle that constant bombardment.
Yesterday in Speech Science we had a sound level meter, and we were measuring different sounds. Our professor told us to hold the meter 2 inches away from a hair-dryer to find out how much noise was right next to your ear while you were drying your hair. It measured 92 dB. The human voice is between 60-70 dB. 92 dB is LOUD, folks, especially right next to your ear. That's loud enough to cause damage over a period of time. Be mindful of your ears! The same thing applies to earbuds. All that volume funneled directly into your ear is dangerous. There is so much noise in the world today that we just don't think about, and our ears are not equipped to handle that constant bombardment.
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