Hlumela Silimela
PreReg
Hello, my name is Hlumela, but I prefer to be called Mella for anyone who may struggle with the Nguni lateral click in my name šš.Ā
I studied at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa and graduated in 2012.Ā I have 10 years of experience in Speech-Language Pathology spanning across the Health Sector, Education Sector, Non-profit organizations, and Academia. Having worked in so many different sectors has made me versatile in my clinical skill set, and has enabled me to learn and adapt my work experience into each context I work in. It has also ignited my interest in people with complex communication needs who require Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Having also worked in varying contexts I have seen the value of working in a Transdisciplinary Approach with the family being critical members of the team that ensures generalization of therapeutic goals into the home setting. I believe communication is at the heart of being human and humanity thrives on social interaction. Communication barriers should therefore not be a hindrance to any child’s social interaction and participation. This is one of my areas of interest when it comes to long-term therapy goals. Therapy should be directed at building social communication skills outside the therapy setting.Ā
Nelson Mandela’s Autobiography: āthe Long walk to Freedomā has had the biggest impact on my life. I love this book because it has taught me for one to effect change, sometimes one needs to make huge sacrifices for the greater good.Ā Being a coastal South African, I love spending my spare time with family at the beach and having a braai. If you had to call my best friend and ask him/her to describe me, I think they’d describe me as very passionate, hardworking, helpful and I love a good laugh.Ā
