Day 1 has proven to be busy day for us all. We started early with a trip to the 'shantytowns' that rise into the foothills just beyond Lima. It really served to highlight the very dire circumstances in which some of children live. The shantytowns are home to many of the children who come to the clinic to receive services.
We followed this with an introduction to the people and families at Armonizar. We all were forced to put our Spanish skills to the test when we were provided with the 12 charts of the children who we will be seeing. All involved were welcoming and eager to have us in their clinic. Sue and a returning student from last year's trip were excited to re-connect with some of the children who were seen last year!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Speech Language Pathology Peru Clinical Placement 2009
Welcome to the Speech Language Pathology Clinical Placement in Peru Blog
This speech language pathology clinical placement follows on the successful Peru clinical placement that was completed by 3 second year students and their clinical supervisor in August 2008. This placement is a joint venture between The University of Western Ontario’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Solidarity in Action (SIA), and Armonizar.
The 2009 Clinical Team
This year’s clinical team includes Michelle Colli, Victoria Lewis, Adriana Lopez and Jana Zalmanowitz.
UWO School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinical Faculty includes Susan Schurr and Taslim Moosa.
Who are our Partners?
SIA is an international Canadian based not-for-profit social justice organization that was started in 2006. To date, it has helped 16 Canadian universities and chaplaincies organize denominational and non-denominational social justice/academic solidarity trips, programs and experiences. SIA coordinates the clinical component of this trip with their partner clinic, Armonizar, and its executive director Alberto Garcia.
Armonizar is the first integrated initiative for the treatment of Cleft Lip and Palate in Peru. Its mission is to promote the physical, psychological and spiritual harmony of children with a lack of economic resources. The clinic receives clients from a wide catchment area and delivers a well-integrated service. The organization operates with a small paid staff and large number of committed professional volunteers representing dentistry, genetics, paediatrics, social work and surgery.
The clinic’s volunteer Speech Language Pathologist, Dr. Fatima Dantas coordinates the clinical schedule for the students. She also provides clinical teaching in conjunction with other Armonizar Inter-Professional Team members and UWO Clinical Faculty.
What are we doing?
An important pre-departure dynamic of the SIA program rests in the collection of donations to be collected and transported by the students. Students are encouraged to reserve half of their 100lb. luggage allowance for donations. Students were motivated and determined to collect a variety of resources as suggested by Armonizar. We were able to collect toys, Spanish children’s books, medical and dental supplies, hearing aids, Spanish speech and language assessment and treatment materials and specialized feeding equipment.
Students were selected for the placement in January 2009. This allowed them to coordinate the drive for donations and to participate in a variety of preparatory teaching clinics. These 6 teaching clinics focused on:
1. developing knowledge and understanding of the philosophy of SIA and Armonizar (conducted by SIA)
2. establishing roles, determining the responsibilities and expectations of all parties, and discussing the supervisory process
3. ensuring logistical preparation including scheduling, waivers, health requirements, contact information, donations etc.
4. developing in-service materials - literacy, early language development, feeding/swallowing
5. investigating Spanish phonology and specific sound production differences
6. teaching specific to Cleft Lip and Palate assessment and management (resonance, co-articulation, compensatory articulation, fistulas)
Student clinical activities will include:
- provision of daily therapy (in Spanish) to 6 children and their families
- provision of Spanish in-services to families – information regarding specialized feeding strategies, feeding , early language development and early literacy development – all services not currently provided by the clinic
- participation in the professional consultations provided to children and families, including otolaryngology, dentistry, genetics, surgery, social work and paediatrics
Student cultural opportunities include:
- a trip to Machu Picchu
- Lima city tour
- traditional music and dance exhibitions
- market
- salsa lessons
Other student opportunities:
- daily evaluation meetings will offer students the opportunity to envision the connection between their career goals and social justice in an international context
Planning for the Future
This year we are investigating a clinical component that we hope will be worthy of expansion into an additional clinical placement experience in 2010. UWO-Clinical Faculty, Taslim Moosa, will be conducting a needs survey at a school for students with multiple physical and developmental delays. The need for support regarding augmentative and alternative communication, safe feeding and swallowing procedures and literacy development will be explored. Additionally the School for the Deaf in Cuzco will also be visited.
Broadening their Horizons
Additionally, The School of Communication Science and Disorders has three students participating in the general Solidarity in Action trip alongside students from other Canadian University programs. Two students are representing The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Audiology program and one is representing the Speech Language Pathology program.
This speech language pathology clinical placement follows on the successful Peru clinical placement that was completed by 3 second year students and their clinical supervisor in August 2008. This placement is a joint venture between The University of Western Ontario’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Solidarity in Action (SIA), and Armonizar.
The 2009 Clinical Team
This year’s clinical team includes Michelle Colli, Victoria Lewis, Adriana Lopez and Jana Zalmanowitz.
UWO School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinical Faculty includes Susan Schurr and Taslim Moosa.
Who are our Partners?
SIA is an international Canadian based not-for-profit social justice organization that was started in 2006. To date, it has helped 16 Canadian universities and chaplaincies organize denominational and non-denominational social justice/academic solidarity trips, programs and experiences. SIA coordinates the clinical component of this trip with their partner clinic, Armonizar, and its executive director Alberto Garcia.
Armonizar is the first integrated initiative for the treatment of Cleft Lip and Palate in Peru. Its mission is to promote the physical, psychological and spiritual harmony of children with a lack of economic resources. The clinic receives clients from a wide catchment area and delivers a well-integrated service. The organization operates with a small paid staff and large number of committed professional volunteers representing dentistry, genetics, paediatrics, social work and surgery.
The clinic’s volunteer Speech Language Pathologist, Dr. Fatima Dantas coordinates the clinical schedule for the students. She also provides clinical teaching in conjunction with other Armonizar Inter-Professional Team members and UWO Clinical Faculty.
What are we doing?
An important pre-departure dynamic of the SIA program rests in the collection of donations to be collected and transported by the students. Students are encouraged to reserve half of their 100lb. luggage allowance for donations. Students were motivated and determined to collect a variety of resources as suggested by Armonizar. We were able to collect toys, Spanish children’s books, medical and dental supplies, hearing aids, Spanish speech and language assessment and treatment materials and specialized feeding equipment.
Students were selected for the placement in January 2009. This allowed them to coordinate the drive for donations and to participate in a variety of preparatory teaching clinics. These 6 teaching clinics focused on:
1. developing knowledge and understanding of the philosophy of SIA and Armonizar (conducted by SIA)
2. establishing roles, determining the responsibilities and expectations of all parties, and discussing the supervisory process
3. ensuring logistical preparation including scheduling, waivers, health requirements, contact information, donations etc.
4. developing in-service materials - literacy, early language development, feeding/swallowing
5. investigating Spanish phonology and specific sound production differences
6. teaching specific to Cleft Lip and Palate assessment and management (resonance, co-articulation, compensatory articulation, fistulas)
Student clinical activities will include:
- provision of daily therapy (in Spanish) to 6 children and their families
- provision of Spanish in-services to families – information regarding specialized feeding strategies, feeding , early language development and early literacy development – all services not currently provided by the clinic
- participation in the professional consultations provided to children and families, including otolaryngology, dentistry, genetics, surgery, social work and paediatrics
Student cultural opportunities include:
- a trip to Machu Picchu
- Lima city tour
- traditional music and dance exhibitions
- market
- salsa lessons
Other student opportunities:
- daily evaluation meetings will offer students the opportunity to envision the connection between their career goals and social justice in an international context
Planning for the Future
This year we are investigating a clinical component that we hope will be worthy of expansion into an additional clinical placement experience in 2010. UWO-Clinical Faculty, Taslim Moosa, will be conducting a needs survey at a school for students with multiple physical and developmental delays. The need for support regarding augmentative and alternative communication, safe feeding and swallowing procedures and literacy development will be explored. Additionally the School for the Deaf in Cuzco will also be visited.
Broadening their Horizons
Additionally, The School of Communication Science and Disorders has three students participating in the general Solidarity in Action trip alongside students from other Canadian University programs. Two students are representing The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Audiology program and one is representing the Speech Language Pathology program.
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