Written by Julie Davenport, director of Interior Health's Early Childhood Development program
My journey with speech language pathology started as a small child living in Alberta.
My early life was a curious and happy one; I loved going to the library to find a new mystery or another book on Florence Nightingale. Reading brought me so much joy, I could understand and appreciate the words found on the pages but when I tried to speak all the phrases I had absorbed, I often found myself unable to pull all the words together.
Indeed, some of my thoughts felt trapped inside, swirling around, unable to find a path out. Spelling anything felt impossible, and I struggled at times to be understood leading to frustration and embarrassment as soft giggles echoed throughout in the classroom as I spoke.
My challenge to speak and resulting emotion expressed to those around me brought me to the attention of the principal. I remember that moment so clearly as I sat beside my parents in the principal’s office. Kind but firm, the fellow suggested that I was too slow for regular instruction and instead needed to be placed in what they termed in those days a special class.
