By: Victoria Pavelko, MS CCC SLP
I can’t believe it has been 16 years since I graduated as a Speech Language Pathologist. Sixteen years later…I’m still grateful I chose this career.
A favorite patient, Mary, once said, “I hear ya talkin, but I can’t understand a thing that you’re saying!” Another says, “That’s the first bite of real food I have had in weeks!” And finally, “My husband was able to hear me for the first time without me repeating myself…for the 100th time”.
My patients, young and older, are constant reminders of how grateful I am to help build communication, swallowing, voice, and cognitive skills for the BEST qualify of life possible.
A Brief Peek into the Day of a speech pathologist:
A toddler needs help transitioning from a bottle to a cup and baby food to soft chewables… I am able to assist the parents in teaching their child safe eating and drinking skills to advance their diet and independence with self-feeding.
A preschool child is turning 3 years old and is not yet combining words into phrases…I smile as Mom hears “more milk, Mama” for the first time.
An elementary age child is having difficulty producing the “Tr” and “Ch” sound combinations…after practicing, the boy is proud to share he gave a presentation at school and no one made fun of his speech.
A high schooler is embarrassed to go on college entrance interviews because of his stuttering disorder…we implement strategies for him to use along with stress and anxiety relief techniques and he scores his choice of colleges.
A teacher is thinking about retiring early because she constantly loses her voice at the end of the day…I am able to help control her breath support and teach effective vocal projection techniques.
A car accident victim suffers from a head/neck injury resulting in a tracheostomy...I play an active role in speech and swallow recovery while preventing choking, aspiration pneumonia, and weight loss.
A patient suffering from MS or Parkinson’s disease is experiencing memory loss, brain fog, and reading difficulties … I implement written and environmental strategies for independence with daily life.
A patient in stroke recovery is having slurred speech and trouble keeping liquids out of their lungs…oral motor exercises are provided along with postural changes, and the patient is communicating with loved ones and happily sipping a milkshake.
Life can be unpredictable, but I am grateful to play a role in someone’s communication and eating/drinking skills each day. Cheers to another 16 years in the BEST field ever!
Happy Speech & Hearing Month!