Hello to all my readers! This blog is intended for parents, colleagues and paraprofessionals involved in the care of special needs children. Its intent is to shed light on how dynamic the populations we serve really are. Speech and language disorders are no respecter of class, gender, income or nationality. And although these disorders can affect any member of the human race, the ways in which families deal with them varies greatly. This blog is going to highlight issues within a certain demographic, one that is easily overlooked and disregarded, even, by some.
Families in lower socio-economic backgrounds oftentimes do not get access to the services for many reasons. Where there is a high concentration of families with low income, other social issues can take precedence. Sometimes getting services is just due to simply not being aware of the need of such services. Consequently, not knowing that your child can be helped may result in a delay in receiving services or not receiving therapy(-ies) at all. Facilities that do exist in the community may have a huge waiting list, which also negatively impacts access to services. Other times therapists may set up practices in communities where they are in a better place to earn more money. There may even be concerns of safety and the ability to attract a financially and ethnically diverse client base. We can propose many causes and solutions, even, but this blog’s purpose is not to point fingers or lay blame. It is understandable that as altruistic as the best of us may be, we have to earn a living and we want our good works to be in a safe, conducive environment.
Thus, the impetus to start this blog culminated after the same kinds of issues kept arising within this population that I serve and love. The title “In the Margins” refers to those who receive services (speech, occupational, physical therapies, ABA, Developmental Instruction, Family Training, etc.) or need services in these underserved communities and the myriad of social issues that compound a disorder. This marginalized group is overlooked and underserved. Their voices, rarely above a whisper in the bigger scheme of things in our society, frequently go unheard or ignored. So as I write this blog I realize that although I live and work in this community, I sit in a “privileged position” as an insider and yet still not quite within the same constraints of the families with which I serve. Nonetheless, I offer my insights and research as a possible resource for those who also work in these areas and those who do not. I am no expert on social ills nor a sociologist. I just lend my experiences as a tool to enrich and educate all of our families and colleagues. So, happy reading and I hope you enjoy!!
Naimah Calloway, M.A., CCC-SLP is a speech pathologist in Northern New Jersey. She owns the private practice Calloway Speech Language Services and has a speech blog under the name “Speech…In the Margins.” Naimah received her Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Kean University and has been practicing as an ASHA certified member since 2006. She has performed community outreach to improve education about the field of Speech Pathology and has a passion for early childhood intervention, Multicultural Issues, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Feeding Disorders.