Alumni Profile
Ellen Estomin
(CSD ’73)
Retirement. That’s something that Ellen Estomin, CCC-SLP, just isn’t ready to accept. For the past thirty years, Estomin, who holds a master’s degree in communication science and disorders from the University of Pittsburgh, has been the director of speech–language pathology for Pittsburgh Public Schools. She and her staff work with children who have impairments in the areas of language, articulation, fluency, and voice. Rumor had it that she was retiring in 2005, but instead she took on even more responsibility when she accepted the position of Senior Program Officer: Program for Students with Exceptionalities. In her new role, Estomin not only directs the speech–language programs, but now oversees all special education programs for Pittsburgh Public Schools. With three decades behind her, Estomin remembers many of the children she worked with years ago as if it were yesterday. In particular, she remembers a young boy whose mother was concerned about his ability to communicate. When Estomin and her staff began working with him in kindergarten, they found that he had absolutely no oral communication system. His family worked diligently with him, but still they were apprehensive about his immediate future and his chances of attending college in later years. One of the methods Estomin used with the boy was to break everything down into very small steps for him. He wasn’t an auditory learner, so she had to use multi-sensory teaching, meaning that she literally had to teach him how to put two words together, then three words, then four, and so on. She eventually taught him how to form complete sentences, while also showing him that every sentence has a message. When talking with him, if he would say something that didn’t make sense or didn’t have relevance to the subject, shewould offer him feedback.
“The bottom line is that we were helping him to help himself – that’s what it’s really all about,” says Estomin. “We were laying his foundation so that he could perform to the best of his ability and be independent. His parents often call me today to let me know how he is doing – in college, that is!” Estomin says that, over the years, some of the tools and techniques for working with special education students have changed, but the principles of quality teaching have not. With improvements in technology, software programs are constantly being updated and auditory programs have been enhanced. She says that the most dramatic change has been in the approach to reading. “Until recently, there was no agreement among the literacy/reading community about the skills one needs to have to learn how to read. Those of us in the speech and language profession have always said that communication is connected to learning how to read, but some in the reading community didn’t agree. Now they are highly connected, and it has helped tremendously.” As practices and techniques change, it has been Estomin’s responsibility to make sure that she and her staff remain on target with the professional scope of practice, which includes having her staff trained in all new areas. Each year, she must also measure the needs of each school and redistrict the staff so that students are receiving the best possible services. “The only real obstacle in this work is your own attitude. You have to believe that all children can learn – and if they aren’t learning, then why not? There are circumstances in life, like poverty, that are beyond our control. Life in today’s world is much different for youth than it was 30 years ago,” says Estomin. “We let students know that we may not be able to control the circumstances they face every day, but we can give students strategies and skills to help them cope with what’s
going on in their lives.”
Aside from her work with the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Estomin is the speaker of the legislative council for the American Speech- Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and a member of the School Finance Committee for ASHA. Furthermore, she works part-time as a clinical instructor for the University of Pittsburgh. “It’s been my commitment that graduate students understand basic therapy principles. I lay the foundation of good fundamental skills and let them know that, no matter the job setting, whether a hospital or a school, those basic skills will be what makes them successful,” says Estomin. Estomin says that one of the most rewarding aspects of being a clinical instructor is having the students return to tell her that they’ve become successful in their work environment. She is also proud to employ several graduates of the University of Pittsburgh in the public school system.