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From: Beth Bienvenu
Date: 21 Oct 2006
Time: 09:49:59 -0500
Remote Name: 71.246.249.140
I’ve often thought that SLP’s should learn career counseling, or that someone should hang a shingle advertising speech therapy, career counseling, and even psychotherapy! So much of our fears are wrapped up together – fears of our speech getting in the way, fears of getting in over our heads, not knowing what we really want to do when we grow up (even into our 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s!). I spent a lot of time trying to untangle everything and often wished that I had some professional help to assist in the process. But even if an SLP doesn’t want to get any additional credentials, I think that some training in career management, or even just in the practicalities of job interviewing, disclosure and job accommodations, would be very useful. I would recommend that speech programs, SLP students and practicing SLP’s look at the OPEP website: www.dol.gov/odep, as well as the other resources I listed at the end of the article, because your clients are probably going through these very same issues. And read through the various articles on this and earlier ISAD conferences – they provide a lot of good advice that you can share with your clients! Those of you who work with youth, please consider having these discussions with your young clients. They need to be thinking about their education and career development and they should have the resources so that they don’t start limiting themselves from an early age. Thanks for posting and for thinking about this issue from the perspective of clinical practice!