What Interns Say
I absolutely know that I want to be a speech-language pathologist after this summer and because of this internship. I was very sure before, but after actually having a hands-on experience I know that working with children that need assistance is what I want to be doing with my life. I have learned so many language facilitation techniques and have watched 2 year olds grow and change in just a few weeks because of (my new skills)! I am so thankful to have had this opportunity. I now have some real experience with very small children with language, social, and behavioral barriers and that is so valuable. I can use my experiences and lessons learned from TSGI at work, in school, and I know I will definitely use them in graduate school. I could not be more thankful!
I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful learning experience of interning for your organization. It has by far prepared me for my future more than any other internship or job I have had. I keep a picture of my Talking Turtles students on my desk, and I miss them dearly.- Kelly, 2015
Working as an intern with The Speech Garden Institute taught me so much more than I could ever learn from a textbook, seminar, or classroom lecture. This program showed me the powerful benefits of incorporating language therapy into the classroom setting, especially for children with delays in social skills and pragmatics. Making learning and therapy a fun part of a child’s day is the most successful way to get a child closer to achieving his or her goals, and the rationale behind TSG Summer Camp is the perfect way to blend a fun, summer vacation camp with the speech and language components that these campers need. TSGI’s emphasis on literacy-based therapy and the incorporation of music and movement, to elicit communicative functions and desired target behaviors, helped me realize that speech and language therapy can be incorporated into a variety of classroom activities and should not be solely restricted to the “speech room.” – Rachel, 2015
Before I began the internship, I wasn’t sure that speech pathology was the correct path for me. It was something I always said that I wanted to do but I was not certain, because I didn’t have any direct experience. After my time at the Speech Garden, I knew that this was the career path I wanted to follow. The hands-on experience I had at the speech garden gives me the knowledge and the confidence I need to take on the rigors of graduate education. – Anna, 2014
This internship impacted my life by helping me to learn more about myself. This experienced help solidify how much I love this field and how passionate I am about Speech-Language Pathology. I was able to go behind-the-scenes and see what it was like to plan lessons and be in charge teaching a young group of children. From learning about myself, I realized what my strengths and weaknesses were, professionally and personally. – Rebecca, 2015
Before (my internship at) the Speech Garden Institute, I felt very passionate about the field I am planning to enter. However I realize now, how much more my passion has grown since I volunteered at camp. I learned more in this setting than I have in any of my classes. This experience has excited me for my future as a Speech Language Pathologist and has shown me the scope of disorders I can work with. Prior to camp, I had not put much thought into working with children with visual impairments. However after working with our kiddo with a visual impairment, my mentality has changed. Our kiddo, so sweet and full of life, touched my heart throughout camp. I will always think about him and the impact he has had on me. As a result, I now hope to work with children with visual impairments on their social skills and pragmatics. – Alexandra, 2015