Helping others reach speech milestones
• Bridport girl Zoe Sharman now works in Melbourne as a speech pathologist.
By Daisy Baker
July 04, 2018
Raised in Bridport, Zoe Sharman left for Melbourne in 2014 to study a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Master of Speech Pathology at La Trobe University.
Since graduating at the end of last year, Zoe has taken on two jobs in speech pathology and is currently living near Footscray.
“I work at a special school for children aged five to eight years old who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),” she said.
“At the school, I provide assessment, implement therapy and ongoing evaluation for an allocated caseload of children.
“I also implement alternative and/or augmentative communication systems for children who are non or minimally verbal and support staff in their use of appropriate communication strategies for their students.”
Zoe also works at Spectrum Speech Pathology, a leading private practice that specialises in providing assessment and therapy to children and adolescents who have ASD and other com-plex developmental and communication challenges.
Working in both an education setting and in private practice, Zoe said she is fortunate to work with a diverse range of clients.
“No two clients are ever the same, which can at times be challenging but is also one of the best parts of my jobs as it ensures I am constantly learning,” she said.
By pursuing a career in speech pathology she has been able to combine several areas of interest.
“I had always wanted to enter a profession that involved helping children and I was particularly interested in the areas of communication and disability,” Zoe said.
Speech pathology is a challenging but rewarding career which Zoe is very passionate about.
“There is truly no better feeling than hearing a child say their first word or finally say ‘rabbit’ instead of ‘wabbit’,” Zoe said.
“Not only is it an amazing feeling to watch students meet these goals, but I get to continue to watch them make progress over time.
“Though I have only been in the workforce for six months, I know that seeing the progress that the children make (no matter how small), is what makes me most passionate about being a speech pathologist.”
In five years’ time, Zoe hopes to build on her expertise in speech pathology and ASD, while continuing to learn from her colleagues and the children she works alongside.