I am here to tell you about a remarkable professional opportunity that is free but before I go there, let me introduce myself. My name is Amanda Nagler. I have been in the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) program at Adelphi since fall of 2017. I am originally from Long Island but I have lived in Boston, London, and San Francisco in my adult life.  I have traveled to 39 of the 50 states on two cross-country road trips, I am an AmeriCorps Alum and I love dogs (so much). I graduated from Northeastern University in Boston with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and a minor in psychology. While I was there, I worked as a tutor for children K-12 and a peer mentor and advisor for students at my university. After I graduated, I served as an AmeriCorps member in California working to provide free home repair to low income homeowners in the bay area. It is safe to say I really like helping others and learning about different communities and people!

Early in my graduate program to be a speech-language pathologist (SLP), I heard about a remarkable opportunity to add to my growing knowledge as a professional and participate in the Infant Mental Health-Developmental Practice (IMH-DP) Master’s program. As I completed my first year in CSD, I applied and got accepted into the IMH-DP Program. I was absolutely enamored with the idea of combining my growing knowledge from the field of speech language pathology with the knowledge and understanding that can be gained from considering mental health and relationships within my practice. I am currently in the midst of my IMH-DP year and the program has opened my eyes to so much that I would not have had the opportunity to learn and understand within the CSD program alone. There is so much to learn about speech and language, that aspects of child development outside of the field, including mental health, are often sacrificed in our required education. The IMH-DP program allows me, as a future SLP, to receive an education that will enable me to treat more holistically and provide me with a new frame of reference for how I practice. I feel incredibly fortunate to go forward in my studies knowing that I will be able to help children with new ways to not only support their ability to communicate but also nurture growth in related areas of development.

After I complete this eye opening experience, I will return to the CSD program with a much broader view of what it means to work with children in a relational context. With this degree, I hope to help bridge the gap between the disciplines of infant mental health and speech and language services for the benefit of our clients and for the field itself. Large-scale change can start with small acts of interdisciplinary practice and I am excited to be a part of that change in the field of Speech Language Pathology.