Being an intern to the speech-language pathologist of Easter Seals Early Intervention was an educational and rewarding experience. The Internship Office referred me to URI’s Early Intervention Office. It was there that I met with a graduate assistant who sent my resume out to different agencies. The speech pathologist at Easter Seals, Ellen Connery, was the first to get back to her. The location was local (Wakefield, RI) and the supervisor seemed warm and inviting. Although I was looking for an internship placement in early intervention, I was completely out of my comfort zone, experiencing child with speech and language disorders at a much younger age than I had ever dealt with. I had also never had experience with at-home services or a coaching model.

 

     Early intervention services children from birth to 3 years of age through at home individual or on-site group intervention. They follow a coaching model where the speech pathologist not only conducts activities with the child and works with them, but also works alongside the parent during therapy, teaching them these tactics and allowing them to practice using them. This coaching model is used so that parents can then carry over these activities to when the clinician is not present.

 

     I spent the first week or so sitting back and observing the speech pathologist while brainstorming ideas for my goals for the semester. As I became more comfortable, I began to interact with my supervisor and the clients. I also decided on my goals for my learning contact. Although they were similar to the ones from my past internship at an inclusionary preschool, they would be different in their own way due to the age of the clients and the different disorders or delays present. The similarities between the two internships also helped with the cohesion of my portfolio.

 

     My internship goals involved learning how to document data and progress of clients in early intervention and then eventually doing so for clients in individual and group therapy using Services Rendered Forms. My second objective was to create my own therapy material and use it while co-facilitating an activity with my supervisor. Through the myriad of experiences I had throughout this internship, I was able to learn a lot about this area of practice and fulfill my goals for the semester.

 

     I attended at-home individual therapy sessions with my supervisor. She usually saw the same children each week and used many different materials with each child. These materials included: play-doh, a bank, a farm with animals, stacking cups, puzzles, and much more. In addition to these toys and activities being fun for the child, the clinician facilitated them in a way that allowed for the child to increase their use of language, especially imitation. For the at-home therapy I focused on one specific child, “Jenna,” for whom I filled out forms. Because my main focus was this child, I was able to recognize first hand the progress she was making and what activities or materials were/were not working for her. While one of my goals was to learn to document data and progress in early intervention, I also aspired to create a therapy material and use it with a child. I was able to create a prop that went along with “The Wheels on the Bus” song and use it with “Jenna” during one of her therapy sessions.

 

     In addition to individual therapy, I participated in a language group with my supervisor that met once a week in Westerly, RI. The group consisted on 8 two-year-olds and worked to encourage their use of language through their interaction with the early intervention staff, their parents/guardians, as well as their peers. I chose a different child each week to focus on during that group and then wrote that child’s Services Rendered Form. I also had the responsibility of taking notes throughout the group sessions on each child. This was a great experience for me to see the progress of these children and the benefits of this social language group.

 

     Along with observing and helping facilitate therapy sessions, I got the opportunity to attend evaluations and watch as tests including the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Preschool Language Scale Screening (PLS) were administered. I was also able to be a bystander at a referral meeting with the school department for one of my supervisor's clients. There were also times where my supervisor, the speech pathologist, would co-treat with a another professional which gave me a glimpse at the team that works together with many children in early intervention. Many times we were co-treating with an occupational therapist that was working on sensory things with the children, whether it be deep pressure or textures. 

 

     Throughout this experience my supervisor was extremely informative. I began my internship by developing an understanding early intervention, eligibility for services, the transition process from early intervention into schools, and even how to write goals or outcomes for a child you are treating. She also broke down each of the therapy sessions for me at the beginning, explaining the significance of each activity. As time progressed, I began to have an understanding on my own of what she was doing with the client and why, and was even able to participate. My supervisor was full of knowledge and shared a lot of it with me. She allowed for a relaxed atmosphere, which made me comfortable asking questions and getting involved. She showed genuine interest in my learning and made my internship a wonderful experience that I will keep with me forever. 

 

 

By clicking the links below you will be able to access my completed objectives and the evidence that accompanies them.