Canaan Heuser and Diana Long. Photo – Cecily Heuser

Illinois Speech and Hearing Association recognized Karen Kockler for her outstanding career as a speech pathologist by appointing her an ISHA Fellow on February 14, 2015.

Kockler’s career in educating children with communicative disorders spans over two decades. She is VP for Division of Professional Services and State Education Advocacy Leader (SEAL.)

Speech or Language Impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

Following her mother’s lead, at an early age Kockler recognized her desire to help people with speech difficulties. One of Kockler’s eighth grade teachers helped her believe in her potential and inspired her to be a teacher at an early age by recognizing her individuality.

Kockler points out that her career is as old as the Egyptian pyramids, with evidence of Pharaohs needing help to overcome stuttering. At the same time, neuroscience is expanding the understanding of communicative disorders to include a wide range of manifestations: swallowing disorder, speech production, pragmatic language, stuttering, articulation, receptive, and expressive language.

“We take our ability to communicate for granted, because it becomes innate. There are rules we all learn by observation. We don’t stand really close, we don’t use a loud voice, we know when to use a stronger volume and when to talk softly,” explains Kockler. Communication is much more complex imagined, until, that is, an impairment brings the complexity to the forefront.

Speech-Language Pathology Services encompass such activities as: screening, diagnosis and appraisal of specific speech and language impairments; identification of children with speech and/or language impairments; referral and follow-up for medical or other professional attention necessary for the habilitation of speech and language impairments; planning and developing interventions and programs for children or youth with speech and language impairments; provisions of services for the habilitation and prevention of speech and language impairments; and counseling and guidance of parents, children, and teachers regarding speech and language impairments.

McHenry County has a population of 308,000, with a cognitive disability rate of 1.7%, many with speech or language impairment. The importance of early intervention becomes more important as breakthroughs in neuroscience occur:

“… new neurons can often take over old tasks. Nor are we just our neurons. Our memories and experiences are also encoded in the patterns of electrical energy produced by our brain cells, like a musical score. As with an orchestra, when one member of the string section is sick, the show can still go on if a replacement has access to the musical score. This new “plastic” understanding has major practical implications for how we treat brain problems and maintain brain health.

“Our Amazingly Plastic Brains”

By Norman Doidge. The Wall Street Journal. February 6, 2015

Kockler specializes in literacy skills and language development. She is certified in Therapeutic Listening and trained in Picture Exchange Communication Systems.

Kockler really appreciates people who ask questions: “To clarify, to seek more information, asking questions of each other, and trying to understand beyond what is obvious is really important.”