I'll bet you think I'm going to talk about the holidays. Hey, you know me better than that. I've got something even better. My first Blog Giveaway!!! Read on...
I love my job. I call it my dream job. God has blessed me with a challenging but enjoyable career. In case you've just joined us, I will give a very brief synopsis. I am a pediatric speech pathologist (aka and been referred to as speech teacher, talking lady, speech friend, speech person, teacher lady, I could go on..). I provide services for children birth to 3 (plus a few older ones) in their homes. I specialize in feeding disorders but work on speech too. I get most of my referrals through a State program called First Steps. They send the referrals and I work under their many guidelines.
I say that I work in-home but technically, First Steps tells us that services must be provided "in the child's natural environment". So over the years "natural environment" has led to many creative situations. The parent ultimately deems what is "natural" for their child. What I am trying to say is, I work in whatever place the parent requests. This list, over the years, has included front porches, sidewalks, street corners, McDonalds, parks, parties, playdates, the mall, the nature center, and yard sales. The most creative place on the list has to be the ticket gate at the SEMO District Fair. Years ago, the Mom called and said she was working the gate and she needed me to work with her son while they were there. So I found myself at the gate, providing services for a child in his "natural environment".
So your challenge today is to tell me the wackiest work situation you have ever found yourself in. I will award a $10 Panera gift card to the best answer. (Katie C, get to work on picking your favorite, you have as many as I do). I can't wait to hear everyone's stories!
11 comments:
Pick me! Pick me! Last week I had the pleasure of being informed mid-session that I was doing therapy on the very kitchen floor that the sixteen-year-old mother had delivered the now sixteen-month-old child on, almost exactly sixteen months ago. And it gets better....the six-month-old brother was delivered on the same kitchen floor! Yay!
Wow..I guess my jobs have been some what normal if you call them that! Ok, there was this one year I was saving money during Highschool to go over seas and I was up for any job. Well, I decided to work at a fire works tent over 4th of July! It was horrible..horrible! I worked in the geto(around good hope) where people only walked by the tent to go get their daily alcohol ( in a brown bag) and swisher sweets! I was scared for my life and so was everyoen else...ha
Ok, Michele, I think I have shared this story with you before. This was a family that I saw out in Marble Hill area and eventually let go of them, which you ended up getting :). In this particular "natural setting" during one session, I caught the dog peeing on my leg and I wasn't even offered a towel for cleanup. Another time at this same location, there was a visiting relative staying with the family and stayed in the room during the whole tx session. I heard him say during tx "Damn if my teachers had looked like that I would have never quit school". That was the day I learned to always provide services while sitting with my back against the wall for safety reasons.
Shawna :)
My family worked for several funeral homes in the SEMO area doing setups at the cemeteries, (tent, chairs and grass). I have seen and been in situations you wouldn't believe. During one such funeral, as the family gathered round the tent and the preacher began his sermon, one older gentleman in the back,(who appeared to be slightly tipsy), unceremoniously turned towards where we were parked, whipped it out, and began to relieve himself. NO ONE EVEN TURNED THEIR HEAD... I laughed about this for days...
Got one--when I was an intern I went in to a unit at a facility for severely developmentally disabled young adults. I reviewed charts before I went, then planned my session. I sang my "Hello Song" and then went on to the first activity. A man jumped up, stripped all his clothing off, and flipped over a table. I ignored the behavior and continued the session as the workers removed him from the room. When I went back to tell my supervisors I found out this man loved the song "Down in the Valley" and if the MT didn't sing it right away, he got upset. Now don't you think that would have been important information to put in the chart or at least tell me? I don't think it's in the league of the thong or urination stories but I never forgot it--or the song.
Okay, there is no way I can top anyone's horror stories on here but I will offer the only one I can think of at the moment...
Besides cleaning the toilet used by nasty old fart farmers in Southeast Missouri....the most uncomfortable had to be a job I didn't get a paycheck for. Pushing intestines through a hole the size of a pencil eraser with my fingers three times a day while praying I didn't faint during each session to prevent Declan from an early hernia surgery was pretty much the worse job situation I had been in.
Linda
When I was in High School I worked at the local skating rink. On weekends I was often the "Birthday Clown". I had to dress up as a clown, face paint and all. I had to skate around like that! When it was time for cake and presents I had to gather all the children around and get them to sing Happy Birthday. Well, this one particular day was like no other. I kept asking the Birthday girl questions as usual only this time she wasn't answering me. I was horrified when one of the parents told me she was deaf. I was SO embarrased and worried that I had offended them. It was awful.
*crickets chirping*
Okay when I right it down, it doesn't sound that bad... but it was! I'll never forget it.
THanks for commenting! I will be giving to toys for tots by tomorrow, we have plenty to give from work..but I have a donated Ham and other items if you know a family I would be glad to help!
Oh Fun!!!! I love this game!!
I guess my best work story is when I had just started seeing kids in the home and I go to see this family in the projects and they live behind a run down house in an even more run down house. So I get there and knock on the door and the mom answer's the door wearing no bra, which is very common apparently, and a HUGE confederate flag t-shirt. The mom weighs approximately 350lbs! So anyway I go into the house and there is no floor in the kitchen and I get to sit on an oddly wet spot. It was just odd, but the best part is when I went one time and knocked and knocked till I heard come in. I had to stick my hand through the broken out glass door to open it and find a 6 year old boy taking a poop on the potty. I look for the mom and she is topless asleep on the couch with the youngest boy running and bouncing off her belly!!! Finally the 6 yr old wakes her up and she asks him to get her bra and she puts it on in front of me. Then I sit in another oddly wet spot and smell something funny and look in the corner to see vomit on the floor from the husband who is passed out in the bedroom. Needless to say, I made an excuse and left early that day.
Katie C.
One of my funniest stories is when I was an O&M intern in Michigan. I planned a lesson for my student (a nine year old girl who was totally blind) to walk to the Quality Dairy Store 6 blocks away and to buy a cookie for Valentine's Day. I had just learned braille and was not very fast at producing it - I spent HOURS brailling "clue cards" for her to use on the route and attached them together with a little ring. I went to pick her up at school and showed her the cards. On the way out the door she mentioned that she needed to use the restroom. I was waiting for her for what seemed like hours when she said, "Um - I think I dropped the cards in the toilet". Sure enough - all of my hard work was down the drain - literally. I felt like crying and my supervisor was doing everything she could to hold back her laughter.....
Pam A.
Ok - I'll chime in a bit late for fun. You have to love a job where you get to say (calmly) "We don't yell a$$ here." or "Naked stays in the bathroom. If you say 'help please' I'll help you get your pants back on." or "Please don't touch me there - those are just for me." You'd think I had a very different job! - Amy H
Post a Comment