Recipient of the 2014

Meagan Buttle

Nominated For: HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

I am overwhelmed and so grateful to be nominated for the health care provider of the year award. It is humbling to be included in a group of such fantastic colleagues and friends. I have worked exclusively in ABI rehabilitation since becoming an SLP, but my passion for this community began before that, when a family member was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. During their recovery I learned about intervention, advocacy, and the challenges of rehabilitation. I read reports by professionals I now call colleagues, and found passion for this niche area of SLP.

My career started at a support group with the Brain Injury Association of Peel-Halton, where I now volunteer as a Board Member. An SLP was guest speaking when I attended with my family member. She graciously mentored me, and her functional, individualized approach became the core of my clinical work. I furthered my knowledge through advanced training in assessment and treatment of cognitive communication disorders, ABI conferences, professional groups, and research. I now speak at brain injury associations and universities about the role of SLP in cognitive communication, and am looking forward to presenting at OBIA’s provincial conference this fall.

I opened my own practice in 2019, and the Buttle SLP team has grown to 10 SLPs since. As a family member of a survivor, it was imperative to me that client-directed care be at the forefront of our practice. I strive to be the SLP that I would want on my team. Someone who is warm, empathetic, action-oriented, and with a good sense of humour. A clinician who cares personally about the outcomes of clients and their successes, and someone who will sit in the muck with you and help find a way through, knowing (in the words of Mark Ylvisaker and Tim Feeney) that “there’s always something that works”. An SLP who is “real”, and is in your corner, listening to concerns and designing therapy that fits real life. Seeing a client write their wedding vows, return to elementary school, or become a parent are big moments I am grateful to be part of. But the small victories are just as sweet – writing a birthday card to a spouse, creating an online dating profile, or being able to participate in a monthly book club.

Our advocacy is not always on behalf of one client, but also our industry. In addition to volunteering with BIAPH, I am a member of the Canadian SLP association Interest Group for Brain Injury, lend my knowledge to online forums of SLPs, support SLP ABI research, and mentor clinicians who are entering the TBI field. I actively engage with the ORA on initiatives, and lend a hand in finding clinicians or connecting professionals.

I often am asked by SLP colleagues and friends why I chose to work in this field. They frequently cite how hard it must be, or ask how I handle the challenging and sad experiences my clients have lived through. But those who work in this industry know, it’s worth it for the people, the wins, the resilience, and the joy that comes between the hard parts. I am so grateful for the work I get to do each day, and this nomination.