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Written By: Chiara Salvatore
Lynn Ellwood joined the University of Toronto Speech-Language Pathology department in 2003. Twenty-two years later, I had the opportunity to sit down with Lynn to reflect upon her journey in the field and her time with the department.
Lynn knew early on that speech-language pathology was the path for her, thanks to support from her high school advisor. “My aptitude surveys said teacher or nurse or social worker, and they kind of sort of hit the mark - but they didn’t excite me that much,” shared Lynn. She was thrilled to hear of her advisor's acquaintance who worked with people learning to communicate again after a stroke; this was her first introduction to the field of speech-language pathology.
“To have had normal communication and to have lost it - for me to be able to help seemed like a great place to be.”
At the time, only an undergraduate degree was needed to practice speech-language pathology. Lynn joined the Communication Sciences and Disorders undergraduate program at Western University, then worked for two years in outpatient rehabilitation in London. She returned to school for her Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto, sharing how her participation in the workplace had sparked clinical questions she wanted to investigate further. During both her undergraduate degree at Western University and her master’s at the University of Toronto, she served as class president.
Lynn graduated from the program in 1990 and continued her work in adult neurorehabilitation at Niagara Health & Rehabilitation Centre in St. Catharines, where she quickly stepped into a role as professional practice leader.
“I always stayed interested in that adult neuro rehab niche, but came to love the whole profession and really appreciate what speech-language pathologists do for people at every age and stage.”
Lynn joined the University of Toronto as a faculty member in 2003, when the department was in the process of increasing the class size from 20 to 40 students. She worked with Professor Susan Wagner to teach courses in principles of clinical practice and coordinate placements for students, stating she applied to this position because she’d always enjoyed introducing others to the field.
During the interview, Lynn’s passion for supporting clinical education was apparent. When asked to share some of her most memorable experiences in her career, she highlighted her time leading a weekend aphasia camp through March of Dimes alongside ten speech-language pathology students. In her only opportunity to be a clinical educator while on faculty, Lynn worked to help individuals with aphasia once again participate in activities that were meaningful to them, such as aiding participants in golfing for the first time since their stroke. “It was so incredibly intense,” she said. “I saw our students really step up and be the communication ramps for all the aphasia camp participants. And the people at the camp just took so much from it; I became a great fan of the group model for student supervision.”
Another highlight for Lynn was working in the international service space; she discussed serving as the primary organizer for the Chris Gandy International Outreach Award, and arranging placements for students in Tanzania, Kenya, and India. She spoke about ensuring the sustainability of this outreach work through supporting community initiatives, like when she helped to organize the East Africa Childhood Communication Disorders Conference alongside East African speech-language therapists/pathologists. “To see a developing profession grow and strive towards best practices and recognition of speech-language pathology in that context was amazing.”
An accomplishment Lynn is particularly proud of was her early work to support the attendance of out-of-region students in teaching clinics through the use of technological supports. She also discussed the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presented to her role, but how it was inspiring to work with leaders in clinical education to find solutions for student placements during this difficult period. Her rapid development of a two- week simulated practice course in response to all placements being canceled for Unit 9 2020 bought time to organize approved modifications to the final placement and either virtual or hybrid placements for all students, thanks to the tremendous support of the clinical community. The course was so successful, it became a core part of the curriculum, shifting to a 4-week, full time synchronous and asynchronous clinical laboratory.
Through her work at the University of Toronto, Lynn was able to develop strong relationships with others in the field. She discussed attending annual Speech-Language & Audiology Canada conferences throughout her time at the University of Toronto. “That was a time to meet up with my Canadian colleagues from programs across Canada,” said Lynn, describing the special bond between other educators who worked to help coordinate clinical placements. She also enjoyed working with her colleagues in the department, noting how they pushed her to grow; she plans to stay connected to the department as a professor emeritus.
When asked about her plans for retirement, Lynn told me she’s excited to continue with her private speech-language pathology practice, which she began five years after joining the department. She also plans on going sailing more, and shared that she and her husband look forward to frequently living aboard their boat. In response to a colleague who said that Lynn was born to be a sailor, Lynn replied “I was born to be a speech-language pathologist, but I learned later in life I’m a sailor to my core.”
When asked if there was a message she’d like to leave with both alumni and students, Lynn shared the following words:
“It has been a great pleasure and privilege to witness your journey towards entering the profession, to learn from and with you, and to see you become my colleagues! In my experience, the practice of speech-language pathology can be a career-long joyful journey of learning and growth in what I consider to be a service profession. I wish you well and share with you these words of wisdom from Mahatma Gandhi:
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Thank you, Lynn, for taking the time to share more about yourself with the alumni and students. Your dedication to supporting students in both their clinical placements and in your role as a professor has touched the lives of countless speech-language pathologists. We hope you enjoy this next chapter of life and visit often!
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