Pediatric Speech Language Pathology Internship at Play and Grow Speech Therapy

Abstract

Having the opportunity to engage in an internship this summer left me feeling more inspired and fulfilled than I could have imagined. Before this internship, I did not know a lot about the field of Speech Pathology, but I found it intriguing and an applicable field for my future career. This internship allowed me to gain hands-on and direct experience within the pediatric and educational sides of the field and further integrated me into the behind-the-scenes work of an SLP. During the speech therapy sessions, I was exposed to a multitude of cognitive, developmental, and motor disorders among the clients, which broadened my understanding of disabilities among children. I learned to use a variety of talking aids, such as iPads with talking software, which I used to communicate with non-verbal patients, as well as learned basic ASL to use during the sessions to communicate with those on the Autism spectrum and to further emphasize words that are critical for children\u27s development. In terms of more professional development skills, I believe that this internship enhanced my communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. For all of the learning advantages and reasons above, I would definitely choose this experience again if I had to go back. It truly was more than I could have asked for in terms of hands-on experience and professional growth, as well as aiding in my future career goal planning