Connecting through alternative communication

After falling in love with speech-language pathology at Butler University in Indianapolis, Harahan was determined to find a master’s program that would support her dream of continuing to dance and allow her to explore diverse clinical settings and patient populations. While impressed by the UC College of Allied Health Sciences’ renowned research labs and clinical practicum opportunities, Harahan says the faculty and staff she met at an event for admitted students compelled her to commit to UC. 

“I’m the type of learner who needs to be close with my professors — that’s how I thrive in my education,” she says. “When I visited UC, I got to talk with the professors about the courses they teach, and they were all so welcoming and kind. I left feeling like I wanted to be here and that there was a lot of growth opportunity for me.”

Now halfway through UC’s master’s program, Harahan has gained valuable clinical experience across a range of communication disorders and patient populations, from infants with Down syndrome to adults navigating stuttering and cluttering disorders. During her first year in the program, which spans three consecutive semesters of full-time coursework and part-time clinical practicum experiences, Harahan worked at the UC Speech and Hearing Clinic, the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati, and Camp Kaleidoscope, as well as a weekend-long summer camp in Vermont, where she helped create visual schedules for a child on the autism spectrum. 

Visual schedules are one example of an alternative communication method, which Harahan learned about through the program’s required course on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Taught by Associate Professor Amanda Simmons, the course explored low-tech AAC systems, including visual boards that display words, symbols or pictures, and high-tech AAC devices such as a tablet that generates speech by tracking a person’s eye movements. 

“I really loved Dr. Simmons’ class on AAC,” Harahan says. “For our final exam, we wrote a proposal advocating for insurance coverage for a client who needs an AAC device, and that’s something practical that I’m likely going to do one day. We also did a lot of role-playing activities, which helped me realize that AAC was something I wanted to explore more.”

Harahan was so intrigued that she volunteered to support Simmons’ research on populations who use AAC across the lifespan through the UC AACess Lab. In addition to serving on Simmons’ internal review board, Harahan has participated in research projects focused on understanding communication needs and supports at places including the Cincinnati Zoo and Safe Haven Farms, a nonprofit organization in Middletown, Ohio, that offers residential, day and community services for adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. At Safe Haven Farms, Harahan met with residents and staff to build a communication board featuring farm animals, activities and vocabulary. She describes the experience as both educational and rewarding.

“Grace has been an integral part of our lab and work focused on supporting communication across the lifespan in and around Cincinnati,” says Amanda Simmons, PhD, who leads UC’s AACess Lab. “She has designed communication supports for community organizations with a dedication to excellence and a consistent desire to support those around her, colleagues and clients alike. It has been a joy to watch Grace’s creativity in action. She shows up every day with a smile, a humility to learn and grow, and a heart fixed on others.”

This fall, Harahan began her first of three full-time clinical practicum placements, working as a speech-language pathologist at St. Dominic School, a private school in Delhi Township serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and at Mt. Healthy South Elementary School, a public school serving students in first through sixth grades. 

With football season in full swing, Harahan manages her placements and coursework alongside a demanding cheerleading practice and home game schedule. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, she’s expected to show up to practice, knowing the choreography she and her team spent all of July learning and then building on it. Aside from the sideline dances that remain the same, every home game looks a little different for Harahan and her team, who always introduce two new dances and sometimes host special guests for their halftime routines. On top of it all, Harahan engages with community members during weekend appearances throughout the region.  

“It’s truly a dream — everything from going to appearances and talking with the community to the game-day chills I get when I’m in the player tunnel before we take the field to perform our pregame routine,” says Harahan, who cheers alongside occupational therapists, teachers, engineers and other professionals who also balance full-time jobs. “My teammates have empowered me to be the best version of myself and to keep pushing. They’ve really inspired me to achieve my goals professionally and personally.”

Harahan does all this with an impressive level of discipline, poise, and gratitude. She credits her teammates’ strength and the unwavering support of the faculty and staff at UC. Harahan hasn’t missed a single class or clinical hour because the staff have supported her every step of the way, working with her to find clinical placements that accommodate her cheerleading schedule. 

Looking ahead to her spring and summer semesters, Harahan is excited to gain deeper experience in the medical aspects of speech-language pathology at UC Medical Center and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, respectively. She’ll also be eligible to take her board exam and will graduate from the master’s program next August, after which she’ll pursue a yearlong clinical fellowship in the Cincinnati region.

Whether she’s dancing at a professional football game or helping a client navigate a communication disorder, Harahan says she’s driven by a deep desire to understand and help people. She’s also driven by personal experience.

“I lost my dad when I was a young girl. He had lung cancer that caused him to slowly lose his voice,” Harahan recalls. “At the time, I didn’t realize that I would go into speech-language pathology, but near the end of his treatment, I remember there were conversations about how he was going to communicate. That would have been a perfect opportunity to give him access to a type of AAC, whether that be low- or high-tech.”

That experience motivates Harahan not only to make her father proud but also to explore new ways to expand education and advocacy around AAC, whether through her clinical placements or in community spaces. With a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation from Butler University, Harahan is interested in pursuing medical device sales for AAC after completing her clinical fellowship.

“Connecting with and understanding people on a human level is my favorite part about speech-language pathology and cheerleading, because dance is a form of communication too,” Harahan says. “As speech-language pathologists, we’re advocates for communication and giving people a voice. The students in my cohort and the faculty at UC are here to make a difference, and that’s been really impactful in the friendships and connections I’ve formed throughout the program.”

Featured image at top: Sourced from the official Bengals website.