1. Vocational Leadership and Agents of Change
Abby Gober

2. Vocational Calling
God’s calling for our lives based on our gifts, passions and interests
Stays the same even as our careers change
Vocation is not the same as a career
“Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.” – Fredrick Buechner

3. Charles Van Riper

4. Charles Van Riper Born December 1, 1905 in Champion Township, Michigan
Began stuttering at two years of age
Sever stutter caused problems during his childhood
Superstitions about stutterers
Attended two institutes for stutterers, but they didn't’t help
People hadn’t taken the time to learn about stuttering, so there was no known “cure”
Did well academically despite stutter
Graduated from the University of Michigan
Received doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Iowa
Pioneer in department of Speech-Language Pathology

5. Contributions to Speech Pathology
Founded the speech clinic at Western Michigan University, one of the first speech clinics in the nation
Developed stuttering modification therapy (a type of stuttering therapy intended to reduce the anxieties of adult stutterers) which is still one of the most commonly used methods of stuttering treatment
Wrote the first textbook for the field of Speech Pathology: The Treatment of Stuttering and Speech Correction: Principles and Methods

6. Charles Van Riper’s Legacy
His methods in stuttering therapy are called the “Van Riper Program”
His work continues to be referred to and analyzed

7. Importance of Speech Pathology
“Speech-Language Pathologists work to prevent, assess, diagnose and treat speech and language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.”
Speech therapy can help individuals struggling with speech and language disorders gain confidence
Speech and language problems in children can have negative impacts on social and emotional development, but early intervention and treatment plans can help
Therapy methods, such as the ones created by Van Riper, allow individuals with speech disorders to cope with and the impacts of their disorders