Ronda completed a joint major in Philosophy / Linguistics / Psychology at SFU, then achieved her Masters at the UBC School of Audiology and Speech. She now works as a Certified Speech Language Pathologist in Lloydminster, Alberta. |
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‘Do research on what careers your disciplines could lead into - do job shadowing, see what people do day-to-day, go with them and “be in their shoes”.’
Q. You did the PLP Program (joint major in Philosophy/Linguistics/Psychology before it became the Cognitive Science Program). What made you get into it?
A. I wanted to take something that you don’t get a chance to do in high school. All disciplines were very interesting. I really liked them, but after first year I questioned where my career was going. I went to vocational counselling, and did tests at the career centre at SFU. Speech pathology came up, and the graduate requirements were all the PLP courses. It was a perfect fit.
Q. Were your expectations met?
A. Absolutely! I found a career that I loved doing. It was an amazing discovery.
Q. Did you have a clear idea of where you wanted to go with it when you started?
A. Yes and no. I hadn’t decided for sure on speech pathology, but was comfortable in the knowledge of a career at the end. In my 3rd year, UBC offered a job viewing program where students could talk to professionals to learn more. Some Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists brought video and came to show what the day-to-day work was like. This is what helped me decide I wanted to be a Speech Pathologist.
Q. Overall, how has your PLP BA fit into your career?
A. I use my knowledge of linguistics everyday working with children who have difficulty with speech sounds and language. About sixty-five percent of my work is with articulation & speech sounds, and the other thirty-five percent language-delayed children, some of whom have special needs as well. In Speech Pathology, you analyse language rule systems of children who are having trouble and look for patterns inconsistent with “the norm”. Sometimes they have a simplified system, such as delaying grammar, or they have a very low vocabulary or word knowledge. Children with special needs will be taught an alternative method of communications, such as computers with pictures or symbols, or American Sign Language (ASL). There are definitely opportunities developing computer communications systems for people who have a much higher difficulty speaking, such as cerebral palsy or Angelman’s syndrome. It [the computer system] is a small device which allows them to point or type in words and the system says it for them, like a symbol-to-speech system.
Q. Tell us about the job search process as a PLP graduate
A. When I graduated from my Masters in Speech Pathology, I had my choice of job offers. In fact entering Grad school put me in high demand. After graduation I applied to three or four places, and got offers from two. I chose my dream job, which was working with multiply-handicapped pre-school children. It was at a child development center in a small town in the interior of BC. Right now there are a lot of opportunities in health-care positions and education, though it depends on the province. Private practices, of about 5-6 people, sometimes hire. The specialized equipment required is not expensive, and you could start out using modified children’s toys.
Q. How have employers responded to your PLP degree?
A. [laughs] …it’s been a while. It said joint major in Psychology, Linguistics, and Philosophy on my resume. Some employers questioned it, but being certified and accredited with national and provincial associations was much more important. The fact that it [PLP Joint Major] led to the Masters so well was most important.
Q. I’m sure you’ve been able to use your PLP skills directly in a work situation, do you have any good stories around that?
A. I use Logic and Phonetics almost every day. For example, I work with an 8-yr old boy who has Down syndrome and possibly Autism. His speech is hard to understand and he has some behaviour problems, for example, he was taking his sock off his foot, putting it on his hand and then rubbing it on desk, chair, floor, etc. When analysing his problem, I followed a logical procedure. Based on his behavioural problems, which were well documented, I reasoned that if he was only Down syndrome, then he would be acting stubborn and trying to push people’s buttons. However if you assume the premise that he’s possibly autistic, then he has issues with his sensory system, and that might explain his behaviour. This led to a new solution. For example, in similar situations I’ve suggested using a puppet. It’s more sanitary and socially-appropriate, and the child gets needed sensory stimulation. An accurate diagnosis changes the way the child is perceived by the authority. If the child is seen as being obstinate, it can escalate anger in the situation. Whereas if you know that the child is acting based on the structure of their brain, it offers a different viewpoint. If you assume one premise, and follow it to its conclusion it’s going to be different than had you assumed another premise.
Q. Tell us about the conferences you’ve been to, why you went, and what you were looking to get out of each one.
A. I’ve attended conferences by the Canadian Association of Speech language pathologists and Audiologists, and several world-renowned Autism workshops in Saskatchewan. As an undergrad I also attended a philosophy conference downtown Vancouver, which was a really worthwhile experience.
Q. Tell us about the professional organizations you belong to, why you joined, and what you were looking to get out of each one.
A. Some Canadian and provincial associations, and a lot of people are members of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Q. Looking back… what advice do you have for current students?
A. Do research on what careers your disciplines could lead into - do job shadowing, see what people do day-to-day, go with them and “be in their shoes”. Perhaps volunteer with a special education and technology BC organization. Look at using computer technology to help students with special needs, like the visually-impaired, movement-impaired, and speech-impaired.
Thank you Ronda, for taking the time to speak with the Cognitive Science Program today.
The heart of the Cognitive Science Program lies in its ability to facilitate creative cross-discipline thinking. Cognitive Science at SFU is proud to be the home of many thoughtful students who have found imaginative approaches to connect their broad interests in ways that allow them to get the engaging education they want. Learn more about other Cognitive Science Program alumni.