Making speech therapy a playful experience for kids (and SLPs).
Hello and Welcome
Hi! I'm Shannon. From the get-go I feel it’s important to state that to make this blog work (for me), I need the freedom to be transparent; to allow humor, to embrace mistakes and to be able to integrate the personal with the professional (minus any specifics about my current placement or caseload). I am more than a speech language pathologist. I am a daughter, wife, mother, friend. So this hey-let’s-write-a-blog journey will include all facets of me.
Ok, so let’s do this.
About Me
I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband of 33 years. We have two grown children whom we adore beyond measure. I have been a speech language pathologist for over 30 years mainly working in schools.
I have spent a large part of my career on the floor “playing” with students while supporting their speech and language development. I LOVE the connection play brings to each session. And as you know, with connection comes engagement.
Even back in grad school, I was making games and activities to engage my clients in our important work together. My husband used to tease me that I was getting my Master’s degree in Cut and Glue.
See how I didn’t say “Paste”? That was on purpose. I’m trying to stay relevant.
My point is I am a firm believer in having fun with the kids I work with. Engagement builds connection and it also supports “buy-in”. If students don’t have buy-in, it makes for a looooong school year.
Fun, Engagement and Connection
These will be recurring themes woven into this blog so I don’t need to say much more about it here except that it’s not only important for the kids. Adults need it too!
One of the greatest benefits of working in a school setting is the opportunity to be a part of a team. To have a vast array of knowledge and experience at your fingertips is a GIFT! Camaraderie should not be taken for granted. I consider myself lucky to be able to work alongside such wonderfully caring and witty people.
In a nutshell
I am an introvert by nature, but I believe in community. We can get more done together. And why not have some fun along with way?
Thank you for joining me in the journey! To find out more about how Speech Hamster came to be, read here. To read more about my journey into the land of SLP-ing, check out the blog post "The Accidental SLP".
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