I have so much on my mind right now! I wish I had more time/less work so I could really pour my thoughts out, but this shortie message will have to do...
1) Everyone has "issues" - call them what you will. It's true. If you think that your neighbor, coworker, lover, mother, etc, is in total happiness... utter bliss... blahblah... think again. I don't mean to say that they may not be happy, but I should emphasize that we all have challenges. C'est la vie, right? That's how it goes, and we all work with what we got. The truth is that we all face problems in our everyday lives. And you don't know what your neighbor, coworker, lover, mother is going through on any given day (well, hopefully your lover at least shares his/her perspectives with you).
2) On a related note, perception is reality, they say. And yes, while I advise people to recognize that it can be important to consider how others may perceive your behavior.... more importantly I just want to emphasize that your perception of things may be warped. What is reality? I'm not here to chat about that, but I am learning so much that what I might perceived is not how it really is... or is meant to be... ?? I am not typing logically and organized, but I hope I make some sense. It's hard to imagine walking around in anyone's shoes but your own. At the end of the day, there is so much I don't know.
3) I look forward to the day when I can come home and do NOTHING related to work. Hopefully within 5 years haha!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Clear?
Here is a tip for working with people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing who use ASL.... (interpreters, SLPs, OTs, Teachers of the Deaf.... especially those just starting out....)
My buddy Eric (future certified ASL Interpreter!) passed this tip on to me, and I felt the need to share it with any colleagues.
When explaining something in a second language of yours, things don't always come out how you intend. Perhaps you are doing the very best you can, but some people still are not quite getting what you are talking about. The miscommunication may be an error on your part or an error on the language reception of the "listener." Either way, something isn't quite getting through.
Often, people who use ASL will express some level of confusion on their faces, and it is important for the "speaker" to confirm adequate communication exchange is occurring. He or she will rely on feedback from the "listener" (i.e. facial expressions, head nods...) to judge the successful reception of the message. And often times, this may come in the form of UNDERSTAND??
The truth is that when people are asked, "Do you understand?" a likely answer may be "yes." Any other response may be implying the incompetence, ignorance, or language impairment of the individual. This focuses on the "listener's" knowledge and skills and removes any responsibility from the "speaker" (who may or may not be to blame for a misunderstanding).
Instead, consider asking for confirmation in the form of CLEAR?? This allows the "listener" to respond more honestly without implying his or her lack of intelligence! It may be any one communicator's or the complexity of the content's fault for a misunderstanding.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Deaf- and/or SLP-related notes
Ok, I reallllllly do have a lot of information/reflections I want to post! So keep checking for more info as time goes by. I am officially making it a New Years resolution to be more consistent here.
Right now, as I "study" for orals, I am finding SO many great sources online for SLPs. I just wish I knew what I should be memorizing instead of everything.
cool handouts (with a free registration):
cool stuff for SLPs doing IEPs (in Wisconsin...) - see phonetic development chart and normal curve statistics sheets...
LOADs of stuff - from reference info to activity ideas:
my new favorite blog! free materials with subscription:
"You know a lot more than you think you do"
I hear this sentence often. Everyone in my program does. And I believe it, don't get me wrong. Of course it's all relative. I know more than the "average" parent about the typical language development of someone their child's age... whatever "average" means. And I get that I have more knowledge of what's going on in the body related to hearing loss, and how that affects language development, not to mention social-emotional development and the cultural components that you can't ignore. But do I really know anything?
When I talk to non-SLPs or people naive to the Deaf world, I get a lot of respect. "I can see you are really passionate about this!" People understand what I am saying and appreciate my level of sensitivity and concern.
Perhaps this is because I step out of student/SLP/professional mode and step into a casual/informal/sincere mode. I'm noticing it can be a challenge in itself to be professional and confident at the same time. "Not my thing," as I usually say when discussing anything out of my scope of being (i.e. alcohol, sports, cars, etc. ;-)
When I talk to my peers or supervisors or faculty, I fall apart, I guess. A wise friend once said to me, "Fake it til you make it"... referring to confidence, in case you haven't heard that line before. And I honestly try! I walk out of my meetings feeling great, thinking I ask intelligent, provoking questions, thinking I left the impression that I knew what I was doing and expressed an appropriate level of rational thought, creativity, knowledge, depth, consideration, etc. But it seems that without any exception, the truth of the matter is that I walk away, and the supervisors more than likely discuss how I couldn't possibly have been more disappointing.
Okok, well, maybe not that far. I always get positive + negative feedback. Though I think that is an SLP thing. "I like how you said your good /s/ sound on the first one, but I didn't hear it for the next 29 words!" yeayeayea. okok. Again and again, I just get slammed to the floor. This isn't for me, I get it. Story of my life.
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