Paula Correa

Prior to getting into the program, I worked one-on-one with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The diagnosis alone overwhelms families with questions, challenges and fears. Entrusting their children to a support network of clinicians, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), help relieve their anxieties. These families require a team of compassionate and competent people who understand their circumstances, particularly families of diverse backgrounds. For SLPs, every day is an opportunity to share families’ hopes and dreams for their children.

My experience as a classroom teacher also inspired me to pursue a program which emphasizes therapist-teacher-family collaboration in assessing students’ communication needs.

UBC’s program at the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences appealed to me because it offers opportunities for theoretically-informed applied research and evidence-based clinical experience. I was a research assistant during my undergrad at Simon Fraser University and I enjoyed doing research. I was drawn to the research aspect of UBC’s program, particularly with respect for its cultural and linguistic diversity, including their work on the language and cognitive abilities of bilingual children with ASD. I am passionate about pursuing research with this population to help develop techniques to better support multilingual homes of children with developmental disorders.

To visit Greece has been at the top of my bucket list for many years now. Greek food is one of my favourites and I am fascinated by Greek architecture and mythology. Plus, thanks to movies like “Mamma Mia” and “The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants,” I’ve always dreamed of visiting Santorini or Mykonos.