SLP in Orton-Gillingham classroom

      My name is Elaine and I am a student in the combined Master's of Clinical Science (SLP) and PhD program at Western University. My clinical and research focus is on preschool and school-age children with speech and language needs. I first became interested in language impairment during my undergraduate program in Hong Kong. I was part of a research team that investigated the genetic causes of Chinese reading disorders.

      After obtaining my undergraduate degree, I came to Canada to pursue a Master of Science where I studied the brain responses to sound among children with specific language impairment and autism spectrum disorders. While working on my Master's degree, I volunteered for two years to tutor school-age children with reading disorders using the Orton-Gillingham multi-sensory approach. At the end of the program, one of my students came to me and said, 'I never thought I could read. Everyone told me I am stupid, but you understand me. Thank you!' 

      Her comment made me reflect on my own experience as an English Language Learner and how isolated I felt when I first arrived in Canada and struggled with English. I decided to pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology so I could help other people connect through communication. I enjoy working with my clients in the clinic and advocating for the importance of communication in the community.