03/13/2026
On Friday March 13, 2020, I recall getting a call from UBC Linguistics. I was going to be presenting on Monday to a group of 200 eager students....online! Online? I cannot do that...I only present in person. I only see clients in person.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 6 years since that horrific time when the world shut down. We had to learn different ways to be with loved ones, socialize, educate our kids, do our jobs. And there was just so much loss and sadness.....
As a speech-language pathologist, this certainly presented with challenges. How could we work effectively with:
- young children
- hard of hearing clients
- seniors
- those who did not have access to technology
- clients with mental health, physical challenges or behavior difficulties that prohibited access to online services
Then came the masks, and the face shields, the plexiglass between us. There were so many obstacles that seemed unsurmoutable.
Six years later, I reflect on how different my practice has become. Online sessions are commonplace, allowing us to provide services to those who could not get them before. In person team meetings are still so effective, but much more rare. Online learning / professional development has become much easier as both an attendee and a presenter.
I am grateful for some of the changes, but am so happy to be a “mostly in person” SLP again. :)
How did COVID change your own practices?
