I had a fantastic experience volunteering with the intensive summer speech program. It was amazing working with these kids. They showed me that I really do love this field! The palatometer is one of the coolest tools I have ever seen. It really helps these kids, and older clients, understand how to produce sounds correctly, and I can't believe the progress they made!
Sincerely,
Cassie
Hello Mrs. Dorais,
I must say that I was incredibly impressed with the intensive summer speech program. It was well-organized and I was amazed with the progress that the participants made. They all (and their parents or grandparents) seemed so thrilled with personal articulatory and phonological gains. You and the other speech therapists were very much in tune with the specific needs of each client. You pushed them to work hard and make improvements, but not beyond their breaking points, so to speak. I really hope to develop such adeptness pertaining to a child's limits and behavior management.
Thank you again for the experience. It was extremely worthwhile!
Sincerely,
Liz Perry
Mrs. Dorais
Thank you for allowing me to work with you during the summer clinic. I felt comfortable in the clinic setting as you were so accommodating and inviting to me and all of the other volunteers . I learned a great deal about Speech Therapy and people in general. It was a special experience for me to see the concepts I have learned about in class be applied to real situations. Disorders of Articulation became real to me as I saw how the palotometer worked and practiced the /r/ phoneme daily with C. (one of Kristine’s patients). The concepts of Speech Anatomy were reaffirmed to me as I witnessed how simple breath adjustments and relaxation of the articulators could produce the perfect /r/ blend. It amazed me how the simple instructions of laying down, breathing in the nose, letting air out the mouth, opening up the vowels and saying words like “are”, “or”, “air”, “ear”, etc. while relaxing could be the perfect adjustment to making the /r/ sound perfect! Language Disorders and the stories I had heard Dr. Fujiki and Dr. Brinton share became very clear to me while I worked with sweet G. I learned how important language is as a communication tool and its everyday implications. I also learned how important family support is through the process of acquiring language. Watching mothers, fathers, and grandparents attend therapy sessions daily and then talking to them about their child’s accomplishments in speech was special for me. G’s mother, particularly, became a saint in my eyes! Hopefully that gives you an idea of what I learned these past several weeks. Thank you again for allowing me to be part of the experience. Have a wonderful summer!
Kimberly Clark