Today I helped a high schooler. Well, I do that every week, but today was different. Students in California are required to pass the CAHSEE. What on Earth is THAT? CAHSEE stands for the California High School Exit Exam, which is required to graduate from high school. Some of our students who are language/learning disabled have difficulty passing this test. Note: It is NOT because they are not intelligent. It sometimes happens because they have difficulty using words to express themselves. Does that mean they should not graduate? Of course not. So, what exactly did I do to help a student in this situation? I identified her problem and because of that she will NOW receive some assistance in passing. No, that does not mean she gets out of taking the test. It simply means that she will receive specialized tutoring to help her compensate for her difficulties, and, hopefully, pass the CAHSEE! Yes, all of this seems like it should not be that big a deal….but it could mean the difference between participating in graduation and not participating. Can you imagine not “walking” with your class at graduation? Of course not. So, even though few people really know how SLPs impact the lives of others…today I hope I did just that…made an impact. At the very least, I set a student up for success. There is no greater goal. And…I will be there to watch her “walk” with her class. How is that for positive thinking?
In a future post, I will share other ways SLPs help high school students….stay tuned.
Oh thanks so much! That is NOT what I meant to say! Typo fixed! ๐