The Career Choice That Changed Her Life: Falling In Love With The CCHAT Center

With more than 20 years of experience working with children that use hearing aids and cochlear implants, Lisa McWilliams is the perfect choice for lead Speech Pathologist for the CCHAT Center.

Lisa has a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, (M.S. CCC-SLP), a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Cert (LSLS Cert. AVEd) and she also has a rehabilitative services credential for teaching in a classroom. 

Having worked with adults for 7 years,  Lisa wasn’t sure if she would be a good fit for the CCHAT Center - she was unsure whether she would be able to work with children or be able to help them with their disability.

“I kept putting them off and declining because I didn't think I wanted to work with children, and I didn't know anything about cochlear implants.”

Eventually, she gave in and took the job - and hasn’t looked back since. She tells us that “it was the best career choice I have ever made!” Lisa says she loves working with all of her students and couldn’t be happier in her working environment. 

“I love working with my students and families. I also have some of the best co-workers (and boss!) that anyone could possibly want.”

Although she finds it difficult at times when school districts don’t understand the need for children who are deaf and hard of hearing children to learn spoken language in the critical early years,  she tells us “it is the most rewarding and fulfilling job that I can think of.”

Lisa’s Favorite Part About Working With CCHAT

Lisa says she enjoys working closely with her colleagues to give her students the best level of support. She loves to provide the knowledge for all her students to build confidence and comfort with their own abilities.  

“I get to work with an extremely close staff that are all working towards attaining the highest level possible for our students and meeting the needs for them to eventually mainstream with their hearing peers.”

Lisa’s Greatest Successes 

Lisa considers her students’ progress over the years her biggest achievement. She is proud to see how they have learned how to orally communicate with their peers, even with a variety of hearing disabilities. She loves to see her students go on to graduate college and live their lives to the fullest thanks to her unwavering support and guidance. 

“It is a joy to watch the students learn and grow and orally communicate with their peers and adults. I have been at CCHAT so long that some of my students are college graduates and are getting married!”

Lisa’s Advice To Other Students, Parents & Friends

Lisa wants parents to know that if their child is born or develops hearing loss that they should be treated the same way as any other child. Lisa stresses how important it is to treat a deaf child the same as any other kid their age - and not make them feel any different.  

“My biggest tip for parents is to allow your children to become self-advocates! It's not a good idea to coddle them. Treat your child with hearing loss no differently than you would your hearing children!”