My fascination with language and communication stems from childhood experiences and observations. Our family had moved from Vietnam to Australia before I was born. As I grew up, I watched my mother struggle to acquire fluency in English. She succeeded but it was a long, hard journey complicated by the fact that Vietnamese is very different from English and other European languages in structure and the tonal basis of Vietnamese. My mother’s struggles led me to the study of linguistics and then to a decision to pursue a career in Speech Pathology. My experience to date has totally confirmed me in this decision.
My work experience as a Junior Applied Behavior Analysis Therapist has exposed me to the day-to-day work of Speech Pathologists and I have learned a great deal. The most important lesson has been that it takes a very special type of person to treat speech disorders successfully; that empathy, determination and enormous patience, substantial technical knowledge and skills are called for to achieve optimum outcomes. I believe that I possess the necessary personal qualities and characteristics and now seek to acquire the advanced knowledge and skills through participation in the program, to equip me to practice as a therapist treating children suffering from acquired or developmental speech disorders.
I am also very excited to be part of a profession in which constant advances in techniques and tools are being made and I hope to assist in future progress in the field
Among the cases to which I have been assigned is that of a seven-year-old boy diagnosed with speech and language delay. I was responsible for conducting discrete trials, performing fluency instructions, evaluation and providing recommendations on the evaluations. Assisting this child has exposed me to the application of various techniques and to sharing the joy of client and parents in seeing progress being achieved. I am very aware of the need to treat every client as unique and to be ready to apply creativity and flexibility in the selection and application of therapeutic techniques and tools.
By pursuing a degree in Speech, Hearing and Language, I learned much that is directly relevant to this application. I studied a wide range of subjects including Sociology, Biology, Psychology and Physiology in Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences. I learned to critically evaluate information and became especially interested in the links between language and behaviour.
My postgraduate degree in Special Education has also been an amazing experience. During my placement, I was lucky enough to observe a Speech Pathologist and the short lessons she conducted 3 days a week at the Macquarie University Special Education Centre (MUSEC). There, I was able to experience up close the type of therapy support and education the children were receiving directly from a Speech Pathologist. I could better appreciate the role of communication in individuals’ lives, the importance of a student-therapist relationship, and the role played by the Speech Pathologist has in client's lives.
I must admit that my academic performance was less than ‘stellar’ initially. It was necessary to work full-time while studying and the heavy and conflicting demands on my time were reflected in my grades. However, as my time management skills improved and my motivation increased, I overcame the problem and my grades improved. I am currently studying for my graduate diploma in Special Education which I believe will add to the skills relevant to this application and my future work.
I have happily studied, worked and socialized with people of many social and ethnic backgrounds. I enjoy learning about new cultures and sharing information about my own. I relate well to others, especially children with whom I have a special rapport. My background has provided me with a special empathy for those whose own background is bi-cultural.
To summarize, I have an academic background that is highly relevant to my application together with directly relevant work experience. I believe that I have the maturity, discipline, commitment and, most importantly, passion for the profession that will enable me to excel in the program and to become an excellent therapist. I can assure the reader that I shall apply myself with exceptional enthusiasm and diligence, if selected.
Thank you for considering my application.
Personal Purpose Statement SLP Children Vietnamese