My name is Courtney Claxton and I am a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) in my Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY), working in the school setting in Kansas. I am a proud graduate of Kansas State University (B.S.) and more recently University of Central Missouri (M.S.). It was quite a journey to get to this point, starting almost 23 years ago. My parents were told by audiologists that their child had a moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears, when I was 2 and a half years old. At this level of hearing loss a great number of speech sounds can be missed, kind of tricky for someone to work with individuals for articulation/ phonology disorders, right? Thankfully, I was fitted with hearing aids allowing me access to a world where communication is a critical part of life. My family, teachers, audiologists, future spouse, and many others have encouraged me along this journey, which has made me feel anything is possible despite obstacles. I view my “disability” as an ability to better serve those with communication disorders!
It hasn’t always been easy, but I hope to use this forum, to inspire others with hearing loss that they should not be limited by a difference, to educate the general public about speech and language disorders, and to do my best to represent the amazing profession of Speech Language Pathology. I also plan to use the blog to document my adventures as a speech therapist, as we often come in contact with some unique situations! I encourage you to reach out, comment, and ask questions. I look forward to sharing this journey with you all !
On March 7th of 2020, I finished a half marathon, which was my ultimate running goal. With that accomplished I felt I could accomplish anything. Then the following week brought a lockdown of our schools, state, country, and in many ways my personal drive. I felt sick and stressed not only physically but mentally as well. I had a hard time getting out of bed at times and was withdrawn.
I am a social person so not being able to interact with family and friends, outside of my immediate family , was extremely difficult. I was also fatigued, constantly tense, out of breath, and anxious about the events happening in our world. I don’t know if it was COVID or allergies, but whatever it was it led to a series of doctors visits, and more anxiety, stress, sadness, and worry. I was constantly living in a state of fight or flight. At the same time I was attempting to help and plan my wedding that eventually had to be postponed, navigating transitioning my in person SLP position in the schools to a virtual one, and preparing to move to be with my now husband. A lot was changing and there was so much beyond my control that I felt helpless. I did not feel like myself at all.
Then in April Team RWB (Red, White, and Blue) began to host virtual live yoga classes at 0600 my time. I was hesitant at first because I always was frustrated by yoga because it is sometimes slow paced and my balance is not the best. I figured I may as well try something new. I began to attend classes and realized there was a lot of values to yoga. It began to improve my digestive symptoms, made me more relaxed, and allowed me a chance to escape from all the chaos. I was also able to connect to others within one of my favorite organizations.
Due to the benefits I began to have, I started doing yoga everyday and have been doing my best to continue practicing daily. The job of an speech language pathologist, is often fast paced and stressful at times and occasionally consumes you to the point where you forget to stop and breathe which is funny because SLPs in the medical setting work with breathing techniques for some patients. I think that many SLPs and clients of all ages could benefit from yoga, as it teaches not only relaxation techniques but stresses the importance of being mindful and present in your daily life.
Before March I was running constantly and often not taking the time to stop and breathe but as soon yoga came into my life I became more relaxed and grounded.
Some say diamonds are a girls best friend, but for me it is my hearing aids as they allow me to access the world and communicate effectively with others. I know wearing hearing aids is a controversial topic for some whether it is because of cultural ideas or stigma, but as a hearing aid user for over 22 years, they are a lifeline!
Over the years I have had my hearing aids malfunction or need a new fitting or have had my FM system suddenly stop working, or have needed help navigating new hearing technology, so Audiologists have been one of my most important resources in navigating life successfully with hearing aids. For Better Speech and Hearing Month, I wanted to take the time to recognize Audiologists, as they are such a critical component to hearing wellness! I myself considered a career as an Audiologist, however I was more engaged with the speech-language side of our field!
I recently interviewed Dr. Stacey Baldwin, an audiologist, with Associated Audiologists, the amazing Audiology clinic I have been going to since I was diagnosed in 1998. I am not sure I will find a clinic as great as this one when I leave Kansas City!
I asked Dr. Baldwin, who in addition to her work at the practice, is the Audiology Legislative Liaison for the Kansas Speech-Language Hearing Association (KSHA), to share some insight on what an Audiologist does and how they become certified.
1) What is your educational background/ how long have you been in the field of audiology? I have been practicing long enough that when I first graduated a Master’s degree was the highest clinical designate that was offered so I completed my Master’s degree and started my clinical fellowship year before going back to school for my clinical Doctorate degree, the AuD. I was actually in the first graduating class for the AuD program at KU. Today if you choose a career in audiology you would go straight through to an AuD so you would complete a 4 year undergraduate degree and then a 4 years graduate program which includes a 1 year externship during your 4th year.
2) For those who may not know exactly what an audiologist does, how would you describe your profession to them? An audiologist is a doctorate level provider who is licensed to evaluate and diagnose audiologic and vestibular function. This includes hearing/hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and imbalance.
3) Why did you choose audiology as a profession? There are a lot of things about audiology that I love. I primarily specialize in hearing and aural rehabilitation so for me it is amazing to see what a significant impact improved hearing can have on a patients quality of life. The same can be said for my colleagues who manage tinnitus or diagnosis and treat dizziness, those conditions can be really be difficult for patients to live with so to have ways of identifying and managing those are really important to so many patients.
4) What does your day look like as an audiologist? Being in private practice I see a variety of patients and offer a wide range of services. I provide diagnostic testing to either establish a baseline, assess symptoms, or monitor hearing for patients who are at risk for hearing loss as a result of occupational noise or certain medical conditions or medications. I also see a lot of patients for hearing aid services including fitting new devices, adjusting or programming hearing aids, repairing hearing aids, or providing routine maintenance to keep those devices operating at optimum levels. Other audiologists in our practice evaluate and manage tinnitus, dizziness and imbalance. We see patients of all ages from childhood through adult.
5) How can you coordinate efforts with speech language pathologist? Audiologists frequently work with speech pathologists. Patients who are starting speech therapy often need to have a hearing evaluation to rule out hearing loss as a contributing factor for their speech or language concerns they have. Other times patients with a known hearing loss need to be referred to speech pathology to learn, or re-learn, articulation or speech components. For patients with hearing loss who are in long term speech therapy and utilize hearing aids, the audiologist and speech pathologist will often work together throughout the process to continue adjusting their devices to optimum performance or setting up additional assistive listening technologies to help with therapy and communication goals.
6) What is your favorite part of the job? In addition to the rewards of significantly improving someones quality of life, I also love the relationships I build with patients. Audiology seems to have a unique blend between the science of healthcare, the excitement of technological advancements and the personal relationships of long term therapy.
7) What advice do you have for individuals pursuing a degree in audiology or have an interest in pursuing a degree in the field? Go for it! Its a great field, I truly love going to work every day which makes all of the years of school worth it. Plus, there is a high demand for audiologists. As people are living longer, having good hearing and balance are critical components to have an active lifestyle. And unfortunately the affects of noise exposure, health conditions and taking certain medications are resulting in higher incidents of hearing loss so there will be many people who need quality audiology care for years to come.
8) If someone is nervous about getting hearing aids or worried they may have a hearing loss, what advice do you have for them? Take it one step at a time and see a licensed audiologist for an initial diagnosis. There are a lot of things that can cause communication difficulty and the first step is to figure out what is causing your concerns. From there, if you do find out you would benefit from hearing aids, keep an open mind. So many times I hear people tell me that they put off learning about their hearing for a long time and as soon as they treat it they tell me they wish they had done it sooner. In many of those cases the process was far less intimidating than they thought it would be.
I am so grateful for the providers like Dr. Baldwin, at Associated Audiologists as well as the school audiologists I have worked with over the years, as they have helped me navigate success wearing hearing aids through school and into my professional life as a speech-language pathologist.
If you or someone you know is interested in potentially having your hearing tested or being fitted for hearing aids I would be happy to point you in the right direction.
Happy Better Speech and Hearing Month
-HoHSpeechie
On the left is my current sleek hearing aid and on the right is my original hearing aid that I began wearing in 1998.It is amazing how far hearing aid technology has come!
Its Monday, the start of a new work week. I struggle to get out of bed around 6:00 AM but that’s a typical Monday. I head out the door and start my drive to one of the schools I work at. So far so good. I stop at the Starbucks that is always slow, and worry I may not make it to work on time. I pull into the parking lot. The parking lot is empty, extremely strange for a normal school day, but then I remember today is not normal at all. I look down at my watch and it is almost 9 AM, a little late to be showing up for a typical day of work.
I begin walking towards the building, adjusting my mask, and see chalk signs a student of mine and their family created saying words like “We Miss you” and “We love you,” odd considering the school year hasn’t ended. I walk into the building and its pitch black, and instantly I feel like I am in a scene of a bad horror movie. I have to use the flashlight on my phone to get around. Usually when I arrive I hear the voices of students and teachers, but this time, only silence.
I get to my office, and it is also dark. Things are exactly where I left them 2 months ago to the date. My kind co-worker/ roommate is not there to greet me like she normally would be. I set down my drink and begin packing away my things. I chuckle when I find the stapler that got broken a few months ago, pack away the mermaid-unicorn puzzle I bought with one of my students in mind, and smile remembering the fun my students had playing with my Legos and Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game. I also feel sad, realizing I won’t get the opportunity to say goodbye to many of my students and co-workers.
I turn the light off and leave the now partially empty room. I say a brief goodbye at a distance, to one of my amazing co-workers and I go to my car and sit for a while, reflecting on the past few months. I am reminded that in a few days, I will have to do the same process again at my other school.
A time a year that is normally filled with field days and 5th grade farewells is now quiet and spent learning lessons and socializing with teachers and classmates through a computer screen.
This is certainly not the way I imagined that my first year as an SLP would end, however this time has taught me to be patient and flexible. This first year taught me a whole lot more than I could have ever imagined months ago.
Even though things ended this way I have hope for a better tomorrow where kids can laugh with their friends and enjoy being at school again.
This is part of a series that I will be doing for the month of May, which is also known as Better Speech and Hearing Month!
So for those of you who have wondered what exactly the acronym SLP stands for , whether you have a child or parent who has worked with one or have just heard me or a friend of yours use the term, SLP stands for Speech Language Pathologist. SLPs are individuals trained in working with individuals with quite the array of communication disorders. We work with individuals who may have ….
-Been impacted by a stroke – Have disfluencies in their speech – Difficulties with the production of various speech sounds -Voice Disorders – Swallowing Disorders- Traumatic Brain Injury- Difficulties with cognition – Difficulties with literacy concepts- Difficulties related to hearing loss, and more!
A SLP spends a minimum of 5-6 years obtaining Bachelor and Masters degrees, and it is no walk in the park, but it is an extremely rewarding profession for those who stick with it! As a urrent school speech language pathologist I am qualified to evaluate and treat students who may need speech/ language services to assist them in their general education setting. We work with a team of school pyschologists, paraprofessionals, occupational therapists, physical therapists, resource teachers, general education teachers to help provide the best services for a student who qualifies for them!
Over the years we have been address by many names, most commonly “speech teacher” or “speech therapist,” when in reality speech-language pathologist, albeit a mouth full, fully reflects the scope of services we can provide.
We all have had different motivations as to why we entered the field. I, myself decided to pursue career in speech- language pathologist to give back to this profession, as so many great hearing professionals including SLPs and Audiologists, helped me get to where I am today! I would love to hear your stories about why you chose to become a speech pathologist or answer questions if you are interested in becoming one / if you are a parent who has been told your child may need to work with a SLP!
What two weeks this has been for our state, our schools, our nation, and our world… It is hard to wrap your head around all the news and all the changes to our everyday lives. We received the news, in my home state, about a week ago that our physical school doors would be shuttering for the rest of the school year. Many of us have barely left our homes for fear of becoming sick.
For me this has caused, stress as i wasn’t sure what the plan for my speech services would be, anxiety for what was to come, and saddness, as I will not be able to physically say goodbye to my students, as I will be changing locations and positions due to my personal life. I especially worry for a student with high medical needs, and finally can understand what it is like to be homebound. These emotions have certainly taken its toll.
I am also praying for all of the OTs, PTs, SLPs, nurses, doctors, respiratory therpists services who still have to be physically on deck during this time. When we get to be at home, these individuals are working hard to help to ease the pain of many.
On another lighter note I am also hoping beyond hope nothing dramatic happens with my hearing aids,as it would be difficult to get them fixed right now, although I hear a rumor that audiologists can work magic from a computer remotely.
If you do happen to get sick during this time and you have a hearing loss make sure to communicate this the best way possible to medical personnel. I have had doctors be shocked when I tell them I have hearing loss, but maybe communicating this would improve overall care!
So what can I do during this time as an SLP? I can check in with my students and their families to provide them support that they need. I can pursue some continuous learning opportunities to sharpen my knowledge. Thank you ASHA for allowing us access to continued education! I can prepare myself for my next position and I can be thankful for the blessings I have everyday, such as my family and a roof over my head.
I know this is a trying time for everyone and it is hard to adjust to a new normal, so if you are an SLP or enjoy reading my blog updates and you need someone right now to vent to or collaborate with, don’t hesitate to reach out for me. For all of SLPs and other service providers, who are having to navigate how our services are offered, hang in there!
If you are a parent with a child with hearing loss, or need some advice regarding your child’s communication disorders, there are an army of SLP’s wanting to help as well as so many great resources out there. I know you didn’t plan to be your students part time speech teacher!
If you are a military spouse, SLP or not, and you are dealing with PCS stress or being seperated from your loved one, or just dealing with the difficulties of this lockdown, I will lend you my ear, I understand.
This is a time for us as SLP’s, people, and as a country to come together, and turn those lemons into lemonade and to make the best of the situation we are currently in, and hope that we come out on the other side better than we were before.
Spring Break is typically intended to be a time to relax and take our minds off of work for a while, however this year due to COV-19 many educators have cancelled their plans, wonder if they will return back to their schools after spring break, and have to think about how to best serve their students in this unprecedented time.
I myself cancelled my spring break plans, to limit having to deal with the chaos, and am so wishing that life would just go back to normal, but I accept that this is the precaution we have to take. For example, I have students, as do many other SLPs, that are medically fragile in the best of times, and it could be potentially devastating for them and their families if they were exposed to/ contracted the virus. I have other students who love to give hugs and may not quite understand why a elbow bump is a better form of social greetings right now, but this is our current reality.
It is also my CF (clinical fellowship year and the year that qualifies us for full licensure) and if schools are closed many of us are concerned if we will meet our requirements, but again if these are the precautions we have to take, I understand.
I am supposed to get married in June to my fiancé currently serving in the military, which has caused some stress due him changing stations, and whether or not we will be able to make our wedding date work, but as long as we are together that’s what we care about.
I am finding this to be a time to be grateful about the simple things in life such as having a roof over my head and food to eat each night, as well as a network of family and friends that I can still connect with during this time of social distancing.
So that being said… How do I intend to spend this spring break that could potentially be extended?
-Reading more, I have so many books on my bookshelves that have been waiting to be read for years.
-Cleaning, planning, and organizing to prepare for the upcoming new transition in my life
– Binge watching some new things on my favorite streaming platforms. My fiancé and I discussed having a movie, TV watching club to have something more to discuss than current events.
-Getting off of social media at times and using the time to connect to others, and updating my blog 🙂
-Exercising, even though my gym is closed and some races are cancelled, I can still walk and run and enjoy those things for some peace of mind
-Preparing and making materials for my students, and reading up on current literature to best serve my students
-Being thankful, for what I do have and not dwelling on what I am “missing out on.”
So I encourage you all to take a deep breath and think about how this time of COV-19 can help you better yourself. Here’s to staying healthy and happy during this time!
In 8th grade I was in the play “If I Could Do It Again.” This play was written by students at my drama teacher, Mr. Curt Robertson’s, previous school. The premise of the play was essentially a series of social situations accompanied with acted out scenes and monologues, including topics such as bullying and eating disorders.
When I tried out for the play, Mr. Rob told me that I could write my own monologue about my story if I wanted to. So this would be the first time I told my story of my hearing loss in front of an audience. I remember feeling nervous to share what I had to say, but felt encouraged by Mr. Rob and my friends “The PT Players,” around me.
Here is my monologue from that time.
” Some of you know me, but many of you don’t. Those of you who don’t know me just listen to what I have to say, I am not asking you to be my best friend or whatever, all I am asking of you is to hear me out listen to my story.
I am different from many of you, you may not notice what makes me different, but I am. When I was barely three years old I was diagnosed with a moderate hearing loss, I had been born with, which meant I would have hearing aids for the rest of my life, most people get them when they are older, but not me.
When I was in Preschool I was with kids who had hearing aids just like me and I fit in. But once I got to Elementary school many things changed. Kids in my grade always asked question and were curious, and I think some people may have judged me and it felt like I didn’t exactly belong.
Sometimes even to this day I wish I wouldn’t be hard of hearing and have to wear hearing aids, but then good things come out of even bad situations. I have learned to get over my hearing loss and to be just me, my friends, my parents, and teachers have taught me that. I am involved in many things that I love to do and I don’t let one little thing get in my way. Everything happens for a reason and maybe I am meant to do something special for kids who are like me, whenever I see a kid with hearing aids I smile and remember of a little girl who had a hearing loss, me.
I may miss something someone says or I forget to say my s’s but it is all a part of who I am , my hearing loss makes me, me So the next time you see some one a little different whatever their case is don’t judge them, look past the differences and look for who they really are.”
If I could do it again I would take my hearing loss in stride and accept it as a part of myself.
I am so grateful for Mr. Rob for encouraging me to share my story. Sadly, Mr. Rob passed a few years ago, but he had such an impact on me and so many students life. He not only helped me to accept myself and my differences, but he helped to provide a place where I belonged and had friends who helped me through the difficult time of junior high and beyond.
I hope to have such an impact on students and client’s lives as a speech therapist. The line of “Maybe I am meant to do something special for kids who are like me,” makes me remember that becoming an SLP has allowed me the outlet to provide individuals with communication disorders with tools to reach success, just like the countless individuals, like Mr. Rob, who have helped me get to where I wanted to be.
Back in 2010: A few of my PT player friends and I (middle) during one of our drama classes
Every year on New Year’s Day, American Girl releases their “Girl of the Year,” doll. This doll is supposed to relate to the girls of today. As a former employee of the company I would often look forward to this day with anticipation as it was always a busy day, but it was also fun to see how the girls would react to the new doll.
This year American Girl released Joss as their “Girl of the Year.” Joss is a surfer and cheerleader who has hearing loss and needs a hearing aid to help increase her ability to hear the world around her.
Wait what? A doll with hearing loss?? But dolls can’t hear! That’s besides the point, the point is American Girl has a released a doll to show a example to young girls that regardless of ability or dis-ability they can do whatever they set their mind to.
My first American Girl doll was gifted to me by my sister and one of the first things I wanted to do was to get hearing aids for my doll, so it would look like me! So my doll became the first doll at American Girl Kansas City to get bilateral hearing aids 🙂
Just like Joss, I have reminded myself over the years that I can whatever I put my mind to despite my hearing loss. Between my 4-H activities growing up, playing piano, running, volunteering for organizations that I love, and now being a speech- language pathologist, I am not limited at what I can do. I may not be able to do things like swim in the pool with my hearing aids in , or join the military, but I have the power to do so many other things. This year I have had the pleasure to work with a student with cochlear implants, who is active in her school, and they remind me that despite a dis-ability, it is possible to achieve great things with a little bit of hard work and determination!
** Just a note, the reason why I label it dis-ability, is that dis-abilities, give individuals the ability to see the world from a different and unique perspective.**
Until next time!
-HoH Speechie
Pictured above is my “Look Like Me,” doll with hearing aids.
Growing up I did not know many Veterans or active duty service members, but this all changed the fall of 2013 when I began studying Speech- Language Pathology at Kansas State. I met an active duty service member this year, and then more servicemembers following and wondered what I could do to give back to this population. I considered the possibility of joining myself only to realize this would most likely never be possible due to my degree of hearing loss. Then I found the United Service Organization (USO) in fall of 2014. I began volunteering on Wednesdays, and quickly found myself engrossed in being a volunteer and creating more connections with servicemen and women. I loved being a USO volunteer at Fort Riley, even if that meant my schoolwork suffered at time. I felt I had truly found a calling to be amongst those of the military population.
In the fall of 2017 I began a new journey in graduate school, where I began volunteering for the USO Missouri Mobile Unit. Unfortunately, due to scheduling I am not able to volunteer as much for the USO as I would like to, but that tug to do more for those who do so much for us was and is still there. In Spring of 2019 I got the privilege to do my externship at Whiteman Air Force Base, where I got to work with military kids with communication disorders. This was such a great semester!
I moved back to Kansas City wondering how I could stay connected to the military community, when I found Team Red, White, Blue (RWB) and active and social group that aims to connect civilians and veterans. This has been an amazing organization to be apart of so far.
This week I had the opportunity to speak to students at one of my schools about Veterans Day, which I didn’t feel entirely qualified to do since I am not a Veteran, and was able to engage them in a card making activity for deployed troops. This activity was near and dear to me as my future spouse has spent the last 9 months serving his country overseas. I was so humbled by what these students had to say to our American heroes. Their messages included things like “you are brave” and ” They miss their family and say it is ok.” I had a bonding moment with a student, who was telling me about their dad’s service in the Army who had been stationed at Fort Riley at one point and it reminded me of the sacrifices our brave men and women in uniform make. I am so thankful that not only have I been blessed with Veterans and servicemembers in my life, but that I have had the opportunity to serve this population both as a volunteer and budding professional.
HoH Speechie 