Reading List For Summer Before Starting SLP Program

[carathestudent]

Hi,

What is some good reading to do in the summer before starting a graduate program in speech-language pathology?

Also important to mention... I graduated with a bachelor's of arts in English. I have NO clinical experience, except about ten hours of observation. I've taken biology and chemistry, but other than that, I've had no other "hard" science education. I was accepted into a program designed for us 3-year students, but is there anything you recommend reading to give me a head start? Perhaps about anatomy, disorders, etc. I just want to be on top of my game.

I appreciate it so much! Thanks!

[WanaBSLP]

Congratulations!!! I've actually started looking over my old SLP-Assistant textbooks. Definitely start memorizing your anatomy especially with the neck and head portions along with the brain. Gain understanding of the basic functions. That will alleviate a lot of stress for later. I've also been brushing up on basic communication lingo such as receptive, expressive, morphemes, phonemes, articulators, etc.  I hope this helps =P 

ps. ooo you can also start memorizing the phonetic (IPA). 

Edited February 12, 2017 by WanaBSLP

[jpiccolo]

Might help to start building therapy resources. Anything to make planning more efficient because it can be slow when you're new. 

[SpeechLaedy]

YouTube is your friend for anatomy and pretty much anything else SLP related. I've watched sessions of certain disorders, looked at the epiglottis of numerous random people via endoscopies and also looked at barium swallow videos. I would say get acquainted with anatomy, IPA and phonetics, and research some speech, language and hearing disorders. Even just having a basic understanding will help you. But definitely prioritize learning aspects of the IPA and anatomy. If you can get some notes from any students you know who are on the SLP track, that'd be great too. Good luck! 

 

Some books on client experiences may interest you such as Still Alice, Ghost boy by Martin Pistorius, and some others. These really get me to think about how tough our future clients have it and get me to emphasize with certain struggles 

Edited February 12, 2017 by SpeechLaedy

[angela4]

Too add to SpeechLaedy's recommendations on books on client experiences, these are some books we read in one of my prereq courses:

"Where is the Mango Princess" (written by the wife of someone with a closed-head injury)

"Look me in the eye" (written by a man with Asperger's)

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (a memoir written by someone completely paralyzed by a stroke who could use only his eyes to communicate)

Edited February 13, 2017 by angela4

[carathestudent]

Awesome advice! Thanks so much everyone!

[li'lsebastian]

I recently read "Schuyler's Monster" by Robert Rummel Hudson, and really got a lot out of it.