Understanding Speech and Behavior at
Misericordia
Personal Effectiveness Program Intern
Introduction
As part of the Social Justice Internship program, myself and the rest of
my cohort were designated to different internship sites and positions
that focused on meaningful work. Through classroom discussions and
personal reflections, we aspired to draw connections of our experience
in our internship to larger social inequalities.
Misericordia is a non-profit organization that specializes in housing,
care, and activities for adults and children with intellectual and
developmental disabilities. Their mission is surrounded around giving
these individuals meaningful lives. This includes providing residents
with employment, therapy, and opportunities to participate in social
and recreational activities.
My Daily Tasks
Create schedules for residents who require additional structure
Correct and remind residents of behaviors that we are aiming to
adjust
Assist residents with chores and tasks to ensure that they
remained focused, feel supported, and receive affirmations for
positive work
Lead morning classroom check-ins about the weather, sports, and
current events
Create classroom resources such as worksheets and posters
About the Personal Effectiveness
Program
The Personal Effectiveness Program specializes in residents who
specifically are in need of behavioral and emotional support. PEP
provides a structural setting that has increased predictability. For
example, many of our residents have daily schedules and chores that
they complete with staff guidance. Each resident has personalized
behavioral goals with plans that are developed around them.
Along with work that is done individually, PEP also encourages group
classroom work. The goal of these activities is to update residents on
current events, encourage them to problem solve and use deductive
reasoning to independently come to conclusions.
Acknowledgements
• Internship program for his consistent support throughout this year and for
providing my cohort and I a space to dig deeper into our experience
• I would like to thank my internship supervisors Rachel Michels, Sarah
Walker, Sharon Rosenbloom, as well as the entire staff of PEP for their
guidance
• Thank you to Loyola University Chicago and Misericordia for giving me
the opportunity
• I would like to thank Andrew Miller, the coordinator of the Social Justice
Mikayla Davis
Working with a Speech Pathologist
Part of my work as an intern included working with a speech pathologist to develop
a plan to help facilitate speech function in a resident. We tracked how often they
were vocally participating in the classroom and asking to use the restroom. We
used personal whiteboards to help retrain their ability to speak in 1:1
conversations. I was mentored by Sharon Rosenbloom- award-winning author,
licensed speech pathologist, and founder of COPES, a practice that serves those
with autism.
PEP Programing Activities
• Fitness and Aquatics
• Residents have the opportunity to workout in the fitness room or swim
• Yoga
and play games in the pool for exercise My Learning Objectives
• Residents have a space to relax, focus, and relieve tension by
participating in yoga exercises by a trained instructor
• Music in the Gym
• Residents are able to socialize, dance, and simply have fun at the end of
the day with live musical performances Demonstrate skills in
communication and sign
Progress in PEP language with residence with
My time at Misericordia in PEP has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve developmental disabilities where
ever had. I was able to work with a population that, coming into my internship, I had there may be a language barrier,
little experience with and learned about some of the best practices to serve them as such as those who are non-verbal
well as established fulfilling relationships with my residents as well.
There was a lot to take away from during my time there. It’s
important when working with people with intellectual disabilities to understand
some of the greater conversations that surround how we care for this population.
Being at Misericordia has shown me the benefits of community care when it comes
to adults with intellectual disabilities and the value of caring for all parts of every
person. Community care allows for a safe space that residents can flourish in. This
means creating social spaces for them and opportunities for them to work and
contribute to their community.
I saw this in my time at Misericordia. I learned that there is
something genuine about looking at each residents needs, not just based off their Assess and act accordingly in
disability, but off of what they loved and what they were passionate about. Our stressful or emotional situations
residents take great pride in working in different areas on campus and being with residence as a form of
successful in the classroom. Too often people with intellectual or developmental problem solving by shadowing and
disabilities are barred off from the rest of society, in a sort of “out of sight, out of partnering with a specific resident
mind” practice. My role in PEP, I feel plays a part in dismantling that. Our work in throughout the academic year.
PEP makes our residents more confident and better able to interact with others
independently and be able to participate in excursions outside of Misericordia’s
campus.
There were many days at my internship where the work was
extremely emotionally challenging. I found that instead of fighting the feeling and
embracing the challenge, I was more honest with myself and better able to
understand where some of my frustrations were coming from. I think there is a
certain feeling of helplessness that comes with working with disadvantaged people,
as there are often a multitude of interconnected problems that can make it difficult
to correct problems over the course of an academic year. Develop my organizational skills
Part of what the rest of the staff in PEP, especially my mentor by preparing unique and helpful
Sharon, helped me realize was that doing this type of work will never be easy, but it lesson plans for residence and the
will always be worth it. Outside of the technical work that we do with residents, there
rest of the staff, in order to
are always emotions that come with it, for both our staff and our residents. We
recognize these and embrace them. I have learned a range of practices and
contribute something valuable to
techniques for connecting with people with disabilities, but I also matured PEP.
emotionally in a way that makes me even more equipped to work in this field. I will
continue to be an advocate for the over 600 residents of Misericordia and all people
with disabilities.
References
• https://copesweb.wordpress.com/about/ Mikayla Davis
• https://www.misericordia.com/our-story/programs-and-services/ Loyola University Chicago Class of 2019
• https://www.misericordia.com/about/ Sociology and African Studies and the African
• https://www.misericordia.com/our-story/ Diaspora
mdavis16@luc.edu