WHEEL WORLD NEWS
May 2018
11
specifically neuro-rehabilitation.
In 1993, I began working as a clinician for Rehab Without Walls, a comprehensive, interdisciplinary rehabilitation program. This shaped my role as a speech language pathologist which broadened from a more narrowly defined traditional speech therapy view to a “whole person” approach which allowed me to see their speech and language, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical needs. The idea of providing therapy in the person’s own environments, addressing activities that are relevant and meaningful to them, creating a program around the injured individual rather than putting the individual into a program – these ideas made sense to me and I embraced the model whole heartedly.
In recent years, I am representing Rehab Without Walls as the Community Relations Manager. In this role, I have the privilege of attending community events and meetings as a resource for injured individuals, families, and professionals. I am fortunate to attend events sponsored by AZSCIA, Ability360, BIAAZ and the Barrow. I meet incredible people at various stages – newly injured to many years post. New therapists and well- seasoned. I believe this community is continually learning, and growing, reshaping to adapt to new technologies and modifications, to new ideas about coping and adapting, and to adjusting to the new challenges encountered day to day. It is ALWAYS inspiring! While I always hope to have something to offer, more often than not, it is the disabled individual/community which teaches me, offering me invaluable life lessons about perseverance, determination, adaptability, and the indomitable human spirit.
-Maribeth Hirte
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