Julie Gamradt Featured in WSJ
8/23/05
Wisconsin State Journal, Buisness
WHAT I DO: Alternative communication specialist
Name: Julie Gamradt
Age: 46
Job: Outreach program manager/augmentative and alternative communication
specialist at the Communication Aids and Systems Clinic (CASC) and Communication
Development Program (CDP) at UW-Madison's Waisman Center.
 I became interested in speech-language pathology (SLP), or what's also called
"communicative disorders," during college when my roommate was enrolled in SLP
classes. I got my first real job as an SLP in a small school district in
northern Minnesota. The principal of my school informed me that most of the
children who would be on my caseload had severe disabilities and limited
functional speaking skills. Oddly enough, in my training as an SLP, the issue of
helping people who couldn't communicate using speech barely came up - of course,
this was over 25 years ago, and it's different now. In a panic, I went to the
library and found one book on adaptations for people who were "nonspeaking."
One of the children at my first job had a dramatic effect on my life and career
direction. His name was Brian. He was a 12-year-old boy who had severe cerebral
palsy. Brian used a wheelchair and because of his physical disability was unable
to speak. I found that Brian could communicate "yes" and "no" with the movements
of his head - and that was pretty much it. I had never met anyone like him, and
he changed my life.
At that time there were precious few options to offer students like him - there
weren't any fancy communication devices or adapted computers. But, even a simple
communication board had a dramatic effect on his ability to participate in
school and life. It was then that I was hooked into helping people who had
limited speaking abilities learn to use alternative ways to communicate.
Eventually, I went on to pursue a master's degree in communicative disorders,
and now I work with people who have a wide variety of disabilities, including
Lou Gehrig's disease, cerebral palsy, autism, people who have had strokes or who
have sustained brain injuries, people who have other types of developmental
disabilities. . . . The people I work with have one thing in common: They aren't
able to communicate adequately through speech or handwriting alone, or they're
unable to use computers effectively due to their disability.
When I meet a person who can't communicate well, I have them try a range of
options, which often include voice output communication devices (also called
speech generating devices or "talking computers") and simple things such as
boards and books that show words or pictures that they can point to for
communicating ideas. I often work as a part of a team, including occupational
therapists.
I've been able to witness significant "firsts" in the lives of people I have
served . . . being able to communicate "I love you" for the first time, being
able to use a device to communicate independently over the phone for the first
time, or restoring abilities that were lost because of disease or accidents.
It's a profound privilege to have the opportunity to work with people in this
way.
Interviewed by Amanda Kramer What I Do lets people tell what they do in their
own words to make a living. It runs every Tuesday. Contact Kramer.News@gmail.com
to suggest someone to feature.
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