Speech Language Therapist - Christian Wright
Meet Christian Wright, a Speech Language Therapist in Wellington
His background
Christian Wright is a Wellington based Speech-Language Therapist with eight years’ experience working for the Ministry of Education.
He works with children from birth until they start school and has also spent five years working with students in the school sector.
He’s also got a wealth of professional development under his belt. He’s spent 15-months as a practice advisor at national office, shared the role of service manager for 3-months and, right now, is co-covening the 2010 New Zealand Speech Therapy Association conference.
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His story
Christian has enjoyed watching his clients progress, thanks to the powerful combination of maturation and therapy.
“Sometimes, you are literally bolting your therapy onto that process and riding a wave of development.”
The father-of-three says his ultimate goal is to help a child learn to use speech and language to express their needs, wants and ideas, form friendships and gain independence.
He works hard to integrate speech and language learning into a child’s play and firmly believes everyday life is a great context for learning.
“We’re encouraging Rueben [one of my client’s] to climb the three stairs to his front door, while practicing the ‘SSSS’ sound with mum. When they get to the top they finish the word together – ‘SSSSTAIRS!’.”
Ultimately, it’s about making sure communication is not limiting their ability to learn and successfully engage with the world around them, Christian says.
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The rewards and challenges
“The best thing about my career is getting paid to make a difference in a child’s life,” says Christian.
Meeting the wide range of people who support a child and working together effectively is a major highlight, too.
Christian works with mums, dads, siblings and early childhood centre staff. He may also work with a range of other professionals including members of the GSE early intervention team through to audiologists, paediatricans, Plunket nurses and any other professionals who might be involved in supporting a preschool child’s development.
“It’s great to work with like-minded people who share the desire to move things forward and make a difference in a child’s life.”
It’s not all easy. There are definitely challenges to the job, he says.
Sometimes a child’s progress can be slow and you’ve got to be patient and stick with it. And building rapport and forming good relationships with the adults in the child’s support team takes time and energy to develop.
His future aspirations
Christian is open to what his future holds, saying he’s keen to keep building on the knowledge and experience he’s gained so far.
For others considering a future in a career like his, he advises: “Don’t take yourself too seriously, leave your pride at the door and get stuck in. Kids love it when you play the games they want to play, so don’t be afraid to wear the fairy wings or be the pirate.”
A good therapeutic relationship inspires a child to engage with therapy and take the steps they need to take to be a more competent and confident communicator, he says.
Want to speak to someone like Christian about a career as a Speech-Language Therapist? Give us a call on 0800 622 222 or email special.education@govt.nz [no spam]