How speech-language therapy opened doors for IH director

I sat in silence as my parents confidently explained to the principal that I was not slow but in fact quite capable and able to learn like any child my age. What I struggled with, my parents contended, was the ability to pronounce words correctly and understand the phonetic structure of speech. 

The adults in the room shared words back and forth as I worried what my fate would be until it was finally decided that maybe a speech-language pathologist (SLP) could help. Unfortunately, living in Grande Cache, a town of 3,000, the closest speech-language pathologist was in Grande Prairie, an almost two-hour drive away through a mountain pass that was not completely paved in those days.

My parents were undeterred by the skepticism, distance or road conditions. They packed me up and we made our way to the big city.  I do not remember the name of my SLP or the path to her office, but I can vividly picture the warmth of her smile, her kind voice and her endless patience for me. 

I loved my time with her, she did not get frustrated as I stumbled, and sat with me in this amazing room filled with toys, books and pictures that were new to me, slowly helping me find my words.

Visits to the SLP were followed by hours reading to my dad each evening to practise what I learned.  The night that I was finally able to say “comfortable” was an emotional one. I cried as my dad wrapped his arms around me, tired but elated that I had conquered a word that felt impossible to say until I made the journey north.

I am happy to report that I stayed in my class and even went on to the University of Northern BC, completing both an undergraduate and master’s degree. I still have my struggles mind you: if I ever proclaim mid-conversation that “I am losing my words,” my thoughts are trying to find a path to you just as they did as a child in that SLP room so many years ago.

Today, I live in Vernon and work as the director of the Early Childhood Development program for all of Interior Health that includes Speech-Language Pathology, and long-term care for North Okanagan. It brings me so much joy to oversee a program that helped me so much as a child. I am grateful to be able to give back to such an amazing profession by advocating for children searching for their words too. 

Thank you to all the of speech-language pathologists who have taken the time to help a child find their voice. I owe much of mine to you.

May is Speech & Hearing Month in Canada. This month, Speech-Language & Audiology Canada shines a spotlight on communication health and the life-changing work of SLPs and audiologists. At IH, we offer speech-language clinics for children from birth to kindergarten at 17 locations, as well as services for adults at 11 locations.

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