Communication Sciences & Disorders in Belize

Two weeks in the beautiful country of Belize changed me in more ways than I can count! Our time was filled with learning, growing, seeing, meeting, eating, failing, achieving, adventuring, hammock-ing, and so much more. Being able to interact directly with local children and families, while also witnessing some of the most beautiful scenes in the country, this made for the perfect balance of work and play. The food was incredible, as the people of Belize and Monkey Bay are filled with hospitality. I know for a fact that my experience would not have been what it was if we wouldn't have stayed at Monkey Bay Sanctuary. This immersion into the environment was irreplaceable; the locals who worked there, the nature all around us, and of course, the hammocks. I left Belize having more trust and confidence in myself. On the last day, my team leader asked me what my biggest lesson I learned was while on the trip. I thought about it for a while, and finally I said to her, "If I could put this trip's lesson into one sentence, it would be, "I can do this."" I wouldn't trade my time in Belize for anything!

Therapy Abroad does an amazing job at making your two weeks in Belize the best time you could ever have. This was such an incredible and unique experience where I was able to learn so much about speech-language pathology and also have a blast. Belize is such an amazing and beautiful country and Therapy Abroad does a great job at ensuring that we work and get to play! I am so thankful that this program allows students of all skill levels to learn and grow together. During this trip you not only learn so much but also create friendships that will last a lifetime. Everything about this trip is organized and very well done, Therapy Abroad does a great job at planning and keeping their students safe! Whether I was teaching kids or swimming with sharks, it was the best experience of my life and I would love to do it again someday!

If you are in a position to go on a trip with Therapy Abroad, do it. As a student who attends a university that doesn't offer a major in Communication Sciences and Disorders, only a minor, I firmly believe that Therapy Abroad is the strongest experience on my resume to help prepare me for graduate school. Chad, Jessy, and all of the organizational staff are diligent about maintaining thorough communication with participants throughout the program, whether it be providing details about flight logistics, offering medications and remedies to students whose bodies are having trouble adjusting to their new environment, or outlining the time frames for upcoming plans in the program. I did a study abroad program through my own undergraduate institution, but Therapy Abroad's program is far more organized. They remove the worry of tackling the nuances of getting around a foreign country by planning a group flight to Belize, making restaurant reservations, and arranging lodging, all of which are a tremendous comfort, especially to people who haven't traveled outside the country before. Having all the details taken care of prior to your arrival allows students to really focus on why they are joining in on the trip in the first place: to get hands-on experience in their chosen field. Having certified SLPs as chaperones and supervisors in the program was a crucial component to the program, since they were our go-to people to consult regarding decisions about planning the Tykes Camp curriculum. Their expertise and guidance helped our camp to run smoothly, and the reflection time we shared with them at the end of each day provided us with enlightening advice to help improve each subsequent day of clinical work. The insights I accumulated from that direct experience working with both typically-developing and developmentally-disabled campers, combined with the constructive feedback of my supervisors, was of paramount importance in solidifying my chosen career path. I have recently been accepted into graduate school, and feel much more confident in my ability to handle clinical situations with poise and competence than I otherwise would have. I feel so fortunate to have found out about Therapy Abroad, and highly recommend it to interested students, because you will gain clinical time that is difficult to find in the States and develop close relationships with the other students and supervisors in your group.

This experience was definitely one of my favorite parts of my undergraduate career. I highly encourage everyone to take this opportunity and be a part of this program! This program also set me apart from other students when applying for graduate programs. Not only are you able to gain unique and valuable hands on clinical experience, but you also get to learn about the culture and how to work with individuals from various backgrounds. You may also discover and learn about things that you didn’t even know you were interested in! As a result of this program, I left with a deeper love and passion to serve others in the field of speech language pathology in ways I wouldn’t have known if I did not attend this program. Overall, I had an amazing time- I was well taken care of, as I got to do what I love, in such a beautiful place!

I went on this trip not knowing a single other person and came out with the greatest of friends from all over the country that I never would have known otherwise. I also came back with more knowledge than I've ever had on speech-language pathology, Belize, and my own abilities I didn't know I possessed. I had always wanted to study abroad, but never found any programs specifically for CSD and that weren't an entire semester long - which would throw off all of my classes (especially with being a senior). When I heard about Therapy Abroad, it was the exact thing I had always been looking for. At first, it may seem too good to be true, but it IS true and you will not regret it. You get to work hands-on with children of all different levels and practice doing real things used in therapy. I learned things here that I never would have learned in my Undergrad classes let alone applying them. Even in such a short amount of time, you can possibly see progress and changes happening among the kids. There's no need to worry about your level of knowledge going in because the SLPs/supervisors teach you and allow you to trust in yourself with what you do know. Our supervisors were incredible and helped us to not be scared, but to trust that we can do this and to learn from one another. I discovered strengths and weaknesses I never knew I had. Yes, it was incredibly hot and humid which wasn't always easy, but I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I let that hold me back. I felt completely safe at Monkey Bay and everywhere we went. The food and people are absolutely wonderful. Zip-lining, snorkeling, cave tubing, and walking the ruins were also SO incredibly fun and I am so glad they were incorporated in the trip. Going to the island is such a fun time and you'll wish you could stay! Learning about the culture of Belize is amazing and I was genuinely sad to leave what honestly started to feel so comfortable after just two weeks. You work hard and get to experience something incomparable to anything else with a special group of people who you will always share that with. You will be pushed to limits and face challenges that will only help you grow in your CSD academics and also a personal level. This trip has developed a heart in me to want to provide speech services internationally in my future career. This trip gives you the opportunity to start a small part in changing some lives and also changing your own. To me, it opened up a whole new world of what speech pathology can be. It was pretty much the best thing I ever did and would love for as many people who can, to also experience it!!

Traveling with Therapy Abroad to Belize for two weeks was an experience I will treasure forever. The hands-on learning was nothing like anything I had done before. We were able to come up with and execute plans for a day camp, and also work with licensed SLPs in the process.

During my trip, we were able to travel to a school and give hearing screens as well as assist in taking speech samples that were used to determine if the students should be recommend for treatment. We also traveled into the community and observed the SLPs giving language screenings to at risk populations who were unable to travel to clinics in town.

On the weekends we were able to do SO many fun and unique things! We went cave tubing (during the hike I held a tarantula!) and zip lining the first weekend. Both were activities I had never done before. I felt completely safe and had an amazing time during both experiences. The last weekend in Belize we traveled to a near by island. This was where we got to go snorkeling!! (With sharks and sting rays!!!) Again, this was an activity I had never done before, and I felt safe and was never pressured. It was definitely a once in a life time opportunity that I will never forget!

I was unsure what was in stock for in on my Therapy Abroad journey starting out and I'm so glad I got the experience I did! Traveling to Belize during the summer of 2018 I had hands-on therapy experience every day. Working with amazing SLPs I was given a chance to practice without the fear of a grade looming over my head. Getting to experience all of this while making connections with other students from around the country gave me 12 lasting friendships that we have continued after returning home. On top of the therapy, we also were given the chance to go on fun excursions that I will never forget. The knowledge I obtained during my time in Belize helped me immensely throughout my following semester and made me feel like I had a leg up starting out my final year of college strong!

Therapy abroad was by far the best experience I have had. The staff is awesome and you get to spend two full weeks with students like yourself learning, bonding, and experiencing everything the beautiful country Belize has to offer.

As for the clinical aspect of the program…IT WAS AMAZING!!! Therapy abroad sets up a program called Tykes Camp where children that have been previously screened are chosen to attend the two week long camp. You get paired up with another aspiring SLP on the trip with you and the two of you get assigned a kiddo. You spend the first day of the camp evaluating their speech, communication, and behavior skills. Then it is up to you and your partner to come up with a diagnosis, as well as a plan for the future. For the two weeks you are there, you work with the kiddo based off of your plan, and when you leave the next person after you can continue your plan with the child. I was able to evaluate, diagnose, and follow through with lesson plans, and SOAP notes as if I was a real life practicing clinician. The supervisors are great and they are there to teach you and guide you, but they take a step back and let you run the show. If something went wrong (and trust me it will) they were there to step in and help.

Not only does this program allow you to advance your skills, but it also changes the lives of so many children. In the entire country of Belize there is one practicing SLP, so they need as much help as they can get. ALSO…. there is so much more to the program. Yes the best thing is getting to go to another country to help others, but therapy abroad does a nice balance of work and play. On the weekends you will spend your time adventuring through the Mayan Ruins, go cave tubing, snorkeling, and so much more. And the friendships you make on this trip are for a lifetime. I still talk to all 14 of the girls that were on the program with me.

This program helped me to understand myself better as a clinician and a person and I would recommend it to every aspiring SLP. Please, please, please do it, you will not regret it one bit.