Student Volunteer, Audiology and Speech-Language Clinic. January to August 2018. During this experience, I completed over 40 volunteer hours reorganizing and cataloging 500+ items in the therapy resource room. I also sorted and categorized 550+ reading materials and created a library document accounting for all books, and completed an inventory of all standardized test materials. This experience taught me the importance of organization within a clinical setting, and how knowing what and where all your resources are plays into efficiency and professionalism. 

Special Needs Summer Camp Volunteer, Sensory + Theater = Endless Possibilities Summer Camp. July 2018. During this experience, I completed 38 volunteer hours at a multi-sensory summer program for children aged 6-21 years. I was paired with children diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder, and assisted them with activities centered in theater, dance, and art. This experience demonstrated to me the spectrum that every individual, both neurodivergent and neurotypical, falls on, and the importance of approaching every clinical placement and experience with a blank slate, open mind, and an understanding that your therapy plans are not a one-size-fits-all. 

Program Volunteer, The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham. September to December 2017. During this semester-long experience, I volunteered at weekly events for teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that provided participants with opportunities to socialize, meet new people, and enjoy activities in a safe environment. It was during this experience that the importance of maintaining an individual’s dignity and autonomy was vehemently reaffirmed. As a speech-language pathologist, and especially as someone interested in working with the neurodivergent population, I will undoubtedly work with adults diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. Maintaining the dignity of these individuals by interacting with them in a way that validates their age and doesn’t veer in the direction of infantilization is essential when providing speech-language pathology services.