New Worlds to Explore

I haven't posted a blog in quite a long time and I do apologize. Recently, I started a new position and have been playing catch up ever since. I moved from a position as a high school speech language pathologist to a position at our Early Childhood Special Education/Head Start site. Basically, because of training and experience I was able to move from the oldest students in our district to the youngest. Of course, some preparation was needed. This summer I dug out the tubs in my garage that had my early language, articulation and early literacy materials. I reviewed assessment tools that I had not looked at in a long time. As we started the school year, I asked one of the SLPs that have been at this site for 6 years so many questions. She was extremely helpful- but I probably drove her nuts. Last year I was immersed in a world of curriculum modifications, written language, state and alternate assessments, and real world transitions. Now I spend my time dealing with screenings, an onslaught of initial evaluations, early language acquisition, fronting and consonant cluster reductions! As I've gone through this whirlwind, I am reminded of one of the reasons I love our profession. There is always change and something new. The opportunities our profession presents us with keeps us fresh, creative and constantly learning. Change keeps us on top of our game and helps us better serve our clients and students. While pondering this thought, I remembered that there are many SLPs in my state of North Dakota and other states as well that deal with a great variety of change on a daily basis. In more rural areas, one SLP could serve all the students in Pre-K through 12th grade. Talk about being quick on your feet and being flexible. I certainly admire anyone who handles that much diversity and continues to meet kids needs, and do it well.