Program Reviews

My trip with Therapy Abroad to the Dominican Republic is by far one of the best experiences of my life. Before this trip I had experiences shadowing various SLPs but the exposure I had on this trip was so different, in the best way possible. During the trip I was immersed in their amazing culture, I got to meet so many wonderful people who are passionate about helping others, and I learned so much about the field I love. The accommodations were great, food was delicious and I always felt completely safe. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in field, everyone at therapy abroad is so kind and helpful. You'll fall more in love with the field and meet so many amazing individuals! I am so grateful to have been a part of this.

Mosquito repellent is definitely a necessity! And just when you think you sprayed enough you may need more! Although I only received 3 or so bites, my friends received 50+ bites, Yikes! Overall, an amazing trip balanced with fun activities ranging from nights at the market to rock climbing. It was also full of learning and support by the program coordinators and Physical Therapist. I learned more terms related to the PT and OT realm, as well as techniques to use in my field. A large portion of this experience is hands on and involves at times last minute planning, which greatly prepares one for how the workforce actually is. I really enjoyed being able to work with individuals from different backgrounds and the variety of age groups. This is definitely a overseas experience that I would participate in again!

Therapy Abroad in Thailand gave me a much better experience than I was ever expecting. We were put into an intensive hands-on environment working with special needs kids that was both mentally and physically exhausted. However, the staff prepared us so well that I gained so much experience and skills. There was a nice balance of therapeutic work (as well as visiting an elephant hospital to get perspective on therapy not just on human beings), as well as activities that made us learn and experience the land of Thailand, from visiting temples, tuk tuk rides, waterfalls, and more. This trip made me more confident in myself and gave me the ability to see that I am able to explore my own ideas and execute them in a therapeutic setting, but taught me that it is ok to fail, as long as you get back up. The skills I learned and the relationship I built with the children and parents form RICD and Thomas House and the overall cultural experience will definitely be something I carry with me into my professional career. Lastly, I couldn't of asked to be a part of any other group of people. Without the staff and all of the laughs, it wouldn't be the same; and I made the best connections with incredible people I know I will continue to be in touch with, despite out location differences.

This trip was so eye opening to me. I have always wanted to wait to go to Asia until I was with people who knew the culture, and this was the perfect opportunity. The two Thai guides were amazing at making us feel welcome and showing as all the amazing aspects of Thai culture, with a little humor as well. Additionally, all the leaders were great at challenging the group while also checking in to make sure we were settled nicely. In the therapy portion of this program it is important to be on your toes and be able to adapt, while also being confident in the work you produce. It is tough, but it is so worth it. Additionally the fun activities and the excursions were so memorable as well. Be sure to bring an extra bag for all the souvenirs you get! Since all the people here are interested in the same things I’m interested in, I’ve made great connections and overall this was a trip I’ll never forget.

Going into this program, I really didn’t know what to expect. I received an email about it one day and decided to give it a go based on my desires to go to Thailand and become a physical therapist in the future. I had no previous experience with going abroad or physical therapy, as I just finished my first year of college, so I was a little nervous for this trip the closer it came to leaving. However, I’m glad to say that any nervousness I had quickly dissipated when I met the staff and other students who were all so welcoming. I was able to build SO many amazing relationships that I know will last a lifetime, and I learned so much at the Tykes camp and at Thomas House. I was challenged each day we worked with these children, but I’m proud to say I’m leaving here with more experience, cultural competency, adaptability, and a new and improved outlook on life. I really don’t think this trip would have been the same without the staff and amazing students. They made each activity engaging and fun, whether it was a visit to a Temple or a night out at the Night Bazaar. I leave this trip with so many unforgettable memories, and I will always be beyond thankful to have been a part of this program.

This trip was truly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. It was such a humbling experience working with kids and being able to help make a difference in their lives. Everything was well planned out and our activities were great. From the World’s first elephant hospital to riding through old Chiang Mai on the Tuks Tuks and seeing all the beautiful temples were just a couple of the great adventures we had. Oh and the Thai Massages were probably my favorite part. The memories I have will last a lifetime along with the amazing friendships I made. The group of people on this trip, I instantly connected with day one and I know I will forever keep in contact with them because they are my second family. I truly recommend this trip for anyone who isn’t considering a field in occupation or physical therapy because aside from the many excursions, we were challenged in preparing the Tykes Camp for the children and had to step out of our comfort zone but it helped me and everyone else to grow as individuals.

Everything about this trip exceeded my expectations. The history, food, knowledge, experiences, and most of all the people. I love every aspect about this trip. I was able to gain so much information about PT/OT and learning about Thai culture throughout the trip has enlightened me in my perspective of living. The wisdom I’ve gain from the staff, the laughs of my team that I now call family, and the satisfied bellies from the delicious meals from the restaurants planned by the staff. The temples we have visited, the cultural songs we listened to, and amount of smiles I’ve encountered helped me learn how different the culture is from America. I am truly grateful for this experience and there’s nothing I would trade this for. Thailand truly is the land of smiles.

From the day I arrived in the town of Cabarete, I felt at home because everyone on the team gives you a warm welcome. The people of Cabarete are very welcoming; I never felt unsafe in the town. Having the opportunity to work with kids was an unforgettable experience, you learn and grow so much. The camp was 6 days and we worked with 9 children with speech problems. My partner and I were in charge of pretend play and everyday we planned new activities to have the children engaged. We were also assigned to observe a child throughout camp and later we met with our child's parents and teachers to exchange information and write an observation report. I also noticed how much they are in need of speech pathologists in Cabarete and the rehab center in Puerto Plata, which is why I would love to go back once I become an SLP and advocate for my Latino community. If you are planning on becoming a speech language pathologist I definitely recommend Therapy Abroad. You will have an unforgettable experience that will follow you through your career.

This is the only bilingual speech therapy program out there! It was such an amazing experience to get to meet others with the same passion as you. I learned so much about the development of children regarding speech and fine and gross motor skills all in Spanish. I think that prepping this camp was a great opportunity to see what planning and working with children with different disabilities would be like. It gave me hands-on experience working with these children. Also, observing the bilingual speech therapists on the trip during their screenings of children helped me gain a better understanding of the evaluation aspect of this field. This program expanded my knowledge on vocabulary in Spanish in this field and helped solidify my passion to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist.

This experience was incredibly special and unique. I had the opportunity to set up a speech and language camp that was designed to help nine local children. We were all assigned a child that we would be responsible for observing the entire camp. After the camp, we had to write observation reports about our child. This gave me so much hands-on experience, and taught me things about this field that I would have never learned in a classroom. I was the only participant from Iowa, and because of this trip I am excited to present to everyone everything I learned. Having two licensed and very experienced SLPs on this trip with us was also amazing. We were able to observe informal clinical observations of a variety of different children from the DR. The best part of it ALL was that every single part of it was in Spanish! I grew as a student and as a person because of this program.