Hello guys! I am enjoying my job as a part-time substitute teacher's aide in the schools. It pays $14 an hour, and I would have been making $18 if I had taken the permanent position, but there are no benefits and it is also just part-time (29 hours a week). I am getting a lot of good experience with autistic and special needs kids as well as regular classroom kids, and I have also come in contact with many other professionals like speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, school social workers, teachers, school nurses, special education teachers, and guidance counselors. It is really solidifying my desire to work in speech language pathology, because I think it would be so rewarding to help an autistic or learning disabled child be able to speak and have a fuller, brighter future. I'm also planning on shadowing in a nursing home to talk further with a speech language pathologist. I like speech because it is rewarding and not very physical since I suffer from plantar fascia and can't stand on my feet for long periods. Also, I am not that physically strong so professions like occupational therapy, nursing, or physical therapy would be out of the question. I have been working since May 2015, so about 10 months, including summer work. I think I will be contacting Nova Southeastern to enroll in their online slp program to do the pre-requisite classes, and then prepare the the GRE. I know it's competitive to get into, but this seems like a perfect fit for me. I don't know what I would fall back on, but in case it doesn't work out, I may look into social work, special education, or medical records (RHIA/RHIT).
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