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(Rockville, MD - August 6, 2009) For Amy McConkey Robbins, MS, CCC-SLP, one particular therapy session with a patient really sticks out in her mind. One early spring day she tried conducting a session outside her home office with her young patient, Sally, thinking that she would begin by getting the child interested in crocuses that were sprouting. However, Sally, who wears a cochlear implant, was more interested in McConkey Robbins's gas grill. So McConkey Robbins "went with the flow" and showed Sally the grill.
As things turned out, both were in for a surprise: A bird was nesting beneath the cover of the grill. McConkey Robbins proceeded to talk to Sally about the bird as a lead-in to her therapy session with the child. The experience helped engage Sally as McConkey Robbins helped her with her communication skills.
In a video featured on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA) home page (www.asha.org), McConkey Robbins, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in private practice in Indianapolis, IN, tells her story of engaging the young patient. Amy's video is part of ASHA's Share Your Stories project, which highlights the difference audiologists and speech-language pathologists make in people's lives, making the professionals more familiar and accessible to the public.
In addition to publishing an integrated speech and music therapy curriculum, Ms. Robbins also has published research in professional journals and textbooks. She worked previously at the Indiana University School of Medicine, at Boys Town National Research Hospital, and as a consultant for 3M-International in Brussels, Belgium. Ms. Robbins received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Hollins College, a diploma in phonetics and linguistics from Leeds University, Yorkshire, England, and a Master of Science in audiology and speech sciences from Purdue University.
"Giving back is a common theme among our 135,000 members," according to ASHA President Sue Hale. "Often, I hear from SLPs such as Amy, as well as audiologists, about how rewarding their work is and how it is about much more than a salary and job security."
ASHA plans to regularly feature segments from its Share Your Stories project on its home page. "We think it's a great way to introduce the public to our members—to the kind of people they are, as well as the great value they contribute to society through their work," Hale says.
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About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 135,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders.
View all ASHA press releases at www.asha.org/about/news.
Hear all ASHA podcasts at www.asha.org/podcast/.
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