Tidbits [2]

Something you feel strongly about:

So I have never been one to really get involved in fundraisers or things like that, but I think it's because I never had a true passion for whichever cause I was offered to support by joining a team. That is not to say they weren't worthy causes, on the contrary they all were. But this year, I have the opportunity to join the team of my NSSLHA (National Student Speech Language Hearing Association) members at Western Carolina. We are taking part in the 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer's in Asheville, NC.

For those confused by that acronym , it's basically the student association of people like myself who are studying to become Speech Language Pathologists, sometimes simply called Speech/Language Therapists.


A common misconception is that Speech Language Pathologists only teach children how to say sounds correctly. While this is true, it is only one of the many things we do. 

The role of a Speech Language Pathologist is to evaluate, diagnose, and treat

communication disorders for children and adults with: 

Articulation disorders	Language disorders
Auditory Processing disorders	Phonological disorders
Developmental delay	Stuttering
English language learners (or ELL)	Stroke
Hearing loss	Traumatic Brain Injury

And that’s just the beginning! We can also serve individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (or ASD), Apraxia of Speech, Cochlear Implants, Learning Disorders/Learning Disabilities, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (or PDD), Speech Muscle Weakness (also known as Dysarthria), and Sensory Integration Disorder.

Furthermore… we help both young and old who have or have had: Voice Disorders, a laryngectomy, Feeding Disorders, Accent Reduction/Modification needs, Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate, Swallowing Disorders (also known as Dysphagia), Syndromes like Down, Asperger, and Craniofacial, Neurological Disorders such as Cerebral Palsy, Alternative and Augmentative Communication (or AAC), Diseases like Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s etc.

The more I learn in my graduate classes about the vast number of ways I can impact positively the lives of my future clients, the more my passion grows. 

I'm not asking everyone to donate money, that's not what this post is about. But if you feel any sort of stirring for this cause or have known a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer's, I would be more than happy to accept your donation. It is one population of many that SLPs get the opportunity to serve and I wouldn't be true to my calling to this profession if I didn't support those I serve in additional ways beyond therapy.

If you do feel you want to donate (even if only a dollar), you can do so HERE.

Thanks so much and KUDOS to those who made it through this whole post, it does mean a lot.

Click Here to Donate