KU music therapy, speech-language-hearing scholars provide interdisciplinary services in rural Bulgaria – The University of Kansas

LAWRENCE — A singular partnership between College of Kansas college members in speech-language pathology and music remedy supplied KU college students with a hybrid scientific and experiential examine overseas program in Bulgaria and Greece through the intercession between the spring and summer time semesters.

Primarily based on their prior collaborative work to create an interprofessional practicum referred to as “Sing and Converse,” Julie Gatts, speech-language pathologist and scientific affiliate professor, and Invoice Matney, music therapist and affiliate professor, led three graduate college students and 12 undergraduate college students to Stolat, Bulgaria, for the interprofessional program, which included offering scientific companies.

4 music remedy and 11 speech-language-hearing college students spent 10 days in Bulgaria and 4 days in Greece. They met with people from the Bulgarian Alzheimer’s Affiliation and Bulgarian Music Remedy Affiliation, then traveled to north-central Bulgaria. The group traveled between villages and cities and supplied interdisciplinary speech-language remedy and music remedy at a kids’s residence and elder residence. They interacted with different professionals and purchasers by way of interpreters and music.  In addition they supplied an age-integrated day camp on their final day in Stolat. 

“The scholars as a complete demonstrated the power to interact inside the many ways in which communication and music overlap; they may use this overlap even once they could not communicate the identical language as these they labored with,” Matney mentioned.

Pupil individuals mentioned they developed personally and professionally from the journey.

“I grew extra all through this journey than I ever thought I’d. I grew in data and confidence, and I discovered the way to let go and be versatile inside a scientific setting. (There) was an unimaginable second the place I felt like our professions meshed in such a productive method that really benefited the shopper’s expertise,” mentioned Megan Tucker, scholar in undergraduate speech-language-hearing.

Being surrounded by like-minded people from therapeutic fields was inspiring, mentioned speech-language pathology undergraduate scholar Natalie Brown.

“Bulgaria was such a life-changing expertise and such a turning level for me at this level in my training,” Brown mentioned. “I’ve by no means felt so motivated and so positive of my future as I do after I mirror on this journey.”

Whereas in Bulgaria, the group explored the fortress and crafters at Veliko Tarnovo, the medieval capital of the realm, visited quite a few cathedrals and Roman archaeology websites, toured museums, and visited Devetashka cave and Krushuna Falls. 

“It was very spectacular how the music and speech remedy college students seamlessly collaborated to speak with the youngsters, adults and professionals inside music-based actions. Our group spent loads of time speaking about how the historical past, tradition and folks of Bulgaria have captivated our hearts and minds. The issues we skilled and discovered had been life-changing on knowledgeable and private stage,” Gatts mentioned.

The group additionally made a cease in Athens to go to the Parthenon and Acropolis and study concerning the historical past and tradition of Greece.  The journey additionally included two-day cease on the Greek island of Santorini. 

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