Mentor: Leigh Corley, Ability Pediatric Therapy & Veronica Bennett, Lanier Elementary School
Not being able to read, pronounce words, communicate through dialogue, or feel the movement in the mouth is something many elementary school students struggle with everyday. Before my mentorship experience in speech pathology, I took these abilities for granted, and realized that I might not be able to remove the obstacles these students face, but I can make their process of getting to their goal easier, fun, and encouraging. I found that the purpose of speech therapy is not only to drill mouth exercises and reading homework into their brain, but for them to know someone believes in them. Most of these students are picked on because of their speech impediments or their inability to understand the english language, so making sure they know that it’s okay to mess up and we are here for them is very necessary in this field. Results are shown when the student believes in themselves while meeting whatever goal they have. They want to try harder to meet that goal knowing their teacher is rooting them on every step of the way. Not only does their speech improve, but so does their self confidence which lacks in the beginning of speech therapy. Also, incorporating games and fun activities for students to do while they practice their speech will make it seem less like a chore and encourage them to learn more because there’s a reward. To conclude, always encourage and motivate students in a positive way. This should not only apply to speech therapy, but to the classroom, sports, and in the household.
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