Communication is the foundation for daily function. In order to better communicate, people speak to one another. Speech, as well as speech disorders, begins with infants going from crying to cooing to babbling. Growing up with a communication disorder is often difficult to deal with. When I was six-years-old, my parents sent me and my older sister, Nicole, to a speech pathologist once a week. We both had severe speech impediments; we seemed to pronounce "th" as "d" and say things like "duh boyd" instead of "the bird". Going to school with a speech impediment was tough because every student took automatic notice to our different pronunciations of simple words. Another problem was that at such a young age, children do not mind being blunt and stating what is on their minds. Therefore, I heard this everyday: "Why do you sound like that?" or "My mommy says you have a talking problem." I would go home crying to my parents nearly everyday not fully understanding the issue I had to deal with.
Once Nicole and I began visiting a speech pathologist, everything changed. We finally met someone who understood why we spoke the way we did and what we would have to do to fix it. She made sure the assignments given were enjoyable with stickers rewarded to us after the projects were completed. We kept notebooks filled with different words that we were once unable to pronounce correctly. I remember looking forward to going to school each day merely to show off my capability of speaking just like my peers, if not better! I can truly say a speech pathologist changed my life. I sometimes think about what my life would be like if my parents never sent me for help. I believe it would make everything more difficult. I probably would not have as many friends judging by the way I was treated as a child. I probably would not have a job answering phones, directing people, and making contacts for business promotion at a banquet hall. Furthermore, I would most likely not be writing this essay attempting to become a speech pathologist.
I have read numerous articles on incidents where a speech pathologist was needed to help an individual overcome certain challenges with speaking. In each article, the patient was not the only one who had profited from the help of the speech pathologist. The speech pathologists themselves benefit by expanding their knowledge and progressing professionally. I believe that in the field of speech and language pathology, working with individuals requires much creativity and patience. I want to pursue a career that will never lose my interest and that will keep my learner just as intrigued as I am. I would love to bring confidence to those in need of feeling comfortable in hearing their own voices; and to ensure hope to those who have experienced traumatic situations such as car accidents, where knowing how to speak is suddenly a thing of the past. My main aspiration is to change lives for the better.
Once Nicole and I began visiting a speech pathologist, everything changed. We finally met someone who understood why we spoke the way we did and what we would have to do to fix it. She made sure the assignments given were enjoyable with stickers rewarded to us after the projects were completed. We kept notebooks filled with different words that we were once unable to pronounce correctly. I remember looking forward to going to school each day merely to show off my capability of speaking just like my peers, if not better! I can truly say a speech pathologist changed my life. I sometimes think about what my life would be like if my parents never sent me for help. I believe it would make everything more difficult. I probably would not have as many friends judging by the way I was treated as a child. I probably would not have a job answering phones, directing people, and making contacts for business promotion at a banquet hall. Furthermore, I would most likely not be writing this essay attempting to become a speech pathologist.
I have read numerous articles on incidents where a speech pathologist was needed to help an individual overcome certain challenges with speaking. In each article, the patient was not the only one who had profited from the help of the speech pathologist. The speech pathologists themselves benefit by expanding their knowledge and progressing professionally. I believe that in the field of speech and language pathology, working with individuals requires much creativity and patience. I want to pursue a career that will never lose my interest and that will keep my learner just as intrigued as I am. I would love to bring confidence to those in need of feeling comfortable in hearing their own voices; and to ensure hope to those who have experienced traumatic situations such as car accidents, where knowing how to speak is suddenly a thing of the past. My main aspiration is to change lives for the better.
