During my high school and early college years, my favorite experiences always seemed to be centered around interacting with children. Whether babysitting, spending summers as a camp counselor, or teaching weekly classes during the school year, I have always loved connecting with kids and their families. Speech Language Pathology was such a natural fit as a career path because it included all my favorite things and people. I earned my undergraduate degree early on in Communication Disorders at the University of Houston, but then took several years at home to raise a family before returning later to earn a master’s degree in speech language pathology at U of H. I am very grateful for those years and experiences at home, because now I can bring more to my profession, from both the academic world and the practical experiences of parenthood.
I have worked as a pediatric speech therapist in a private clinic setting for over ten years now, first in The Woodlands, Texas, and more recently as I joined Speech and OT of North Texas at their McKinney clinic location. I love being part of a multidisciplinary team – including SLPs, OTs, PTs and ABA therapists as we strive to provide the best possible care to assist children who may be struggling in a wide variety of areas. These difficulties may include trouble with speech articulation, motor planning issues, receptive and expressive language disorders, non-verbal kids who use a communication device, those with attention deficits, sensory processing disorders, social communication skills, hearing impairments, and so much more. The past few years I have also worked closely with an ABA center and greatly enjoyed assisting with the needs of kids with autism spectrum disorders. I consider my occupation a privilege and a calling, with each day full of rewarding interactions. Life is never boring as a speech language pathologist!