Share Before I became a speech therapist, I held a position in a special education classroom in our city’s lowest-income school. All of my students presented with severe communication needs. I watched as they thrived when provided with different modes of communication, like AAC. These children were suddenly empowered with their new means of communication, and their families were too. I learned so much from my students’ flexibility and hard work as they familiarized themselves and persevered with daunting new tasks. Many caregivers shared stories of watching their child tell someone their name for the first time as a result of speech therapy. Those children, teachers, speech therapists, and caregivers taught me how to provide a whole-person approach to each child while remaining flexible and patient. I am grateful to be in this field.
