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From: Charlie osborne
Date: 16 Oct 2007
Time: 15:58:10 -0500
Remote Name: 143.236.35.203
Laura, I’m fresh out of matches, so no need to worry! I believe that you make several strong points. Being responsible for every child and the specific delay or disorder he/she walks through the door with is a considerable challenge. Add to that the challenge you mentioned regarding parent contact (or the lack thereof), along with trying to schedule the child, along with the other 60-80 children, along with not having the luxury of working with each child on an individual basis, along with dealing with some teacher’s idiosyncrasies (not being able to take the child during “specials,” etc., etc., etc,), and along with all of the other challenges I have failed to mention! I worked as an itinerant clinician in the schools for 3 years before I realized that I was unable to function in the way I thought I needed to be an effective clinician (my caseload varied from 70-85 children). During that time, I met other clinicians who shared my angst. However, I also met those who seemed to flourish in that environment as did the children they treated. It was a larger school system and I had the good fortune to become a fluency advisor for the other itinerant clinicians, to provide inservices and to consult with clinicians at their schools (we also provided consults for AAC). In my private practice, I usually had one or both parents coming in, and the fact that they were paying for my services seemed to give me more credibility in their eyes (hence, I must be “real” if I cost so much!). In addition, parents were typically more than willing to be involved and follow through with my suggestions at home. I was able to see each child individually for 60 uninterrupted minutes twice each week. I felt that the success the child experienced was a result of the therapy I provided along with these other factors! Now, I work at a university clinic and still enjoy the advantages of individualized therapy and regular parent contact. My respect for the public school clinician has not diminished. Many that I have met are attending or participating in the numerous continuing education opportunities in an attempt to sharpen their clinical abilities in the area of stuttering. Providing more continuing education opportunities and online supports are steps that I feel are moving us in the right direction. As you mentioned, encouraging school systems to use specialists is an excellent idea. Kudos to you for participating in an event such as this! I hope that no one is in search of more wood, because I am on the stake right next to you!