July 12, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo
Students in the College of Applied Health Sciences have the opportunity to do their internships in a variety of fields. Today, we speak with Mia Mangialardi, who is a rising junior in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, about her internship.
Q: What was your experience with The Autism Program?
A: The Autism Program is a resource for individuals with autism and their families to gain support through networks of people. I worked in the resource room twice a week and also took a zoom class once a week that trained me to become a Registered Behavior Technician. At the resource room I would assist teachers, social workers and parents with any questions they had and directed them to specific books, pamphlets and hand outs. I also created devices for students on the spectrum to use such as Picture Exchange Communication Systems, personalized schedules and social stories.
Q: How did you apply for the internship?
A: After receiving an email from my advisor about a potential internship opportunity, I filled out an application that included my resume and letters of recommendation and emailed it to The Autism Program.
Q: What did you learn from the internship?
A: Through the years I have done a lot of hands on work with students with special needs. This internship really allowed me to work behind the scenes and see how the resources that aid communication are made and the purpose behind them.
Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the experience?
A: My biggest take away from this experience is that there is so much to learn from people who have Autism and their support systems. I had the amazing opportunity to get to know my supervisors, fellow interns, and different visitors that came in and each and every one of them gave me valuable information that I will be able to use in my career path.
Q: Is this internship closely related to the field you are hoping to work in?
A: My major is Speech and Hearing Sciences with a concentration in Speech Language Pathology. I have always wanted to work with individuals on the spectrum and this internship definitely taught me so much more about how to help and work with these individuals.
Q: Would you like to share any other information that might be helpful for future SHS students?
A: I suggest to try and get as much experience in different fields as possible! Just because a research, job or internship opportunity isn’t exactly what you will be doing in the future does not mean that it will not be beneficial in a multitude of ways.
Editor’s note:
To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
