The Tribune

Brittney Cooper, a recent graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a Master’s of Science in communication sciences and disorders, is setting her sights on a significant career goal: to address the shortage of speech-language pathologists in The Bahamas.

Currently working towards certification as a speech-language pathologist, Brittney is passionate about making a difference by expanding access to speech and language services.

“My goal is to continue to put myself in different settings in this field, taking advantage of opportunities to continue to learn and grow in knowledge and skill as I want to be well-rounded in my work and what I offer,” Brittney explained. 

“My goal is to return home and one day open a practice of my own providing pediatric and adult services.”

This ambition is driven by her recognition of the current shortage of speech-language pathologists in The Bahamas.

When looking at The Bahamian population, Brittney expressed her concern about the limited number of professionals in the field.

“I honestly get excited when I hear of young Bahamians taking on the path of speech pathology,” she said. 

“I think it is important to spread the speech service across the country.”

She emphasised the importance of addressing cognitive challenges students may have and advocates for early intervention of speech therapy. 

“I think of the youths in our schools who may be having challenges academically that could be a result of an underlying issue with receptive or expressive language,” she said.

“There may even be cognitive challenges that, if seen by a speech therapist, could make a difference in their educational journey. 

“I think of citizens - young and old - who experience trauma to the brain through injuries and require rehabilitation services for cognitive/speech/language needs or even swallowing or oral motor therapy. 

“I think of children with intellectual disabilities or developmental disorders who can thrive with early intervention of speech therapy. I think it’s so important to expand on the number of professionals in this field to better serve our Bahamian population in need of services from speech pathologists.”