Ace of Trades: A therapist can change a child's world

Drew Bracken
·3 min read
Amber Cohagen is a speech-language pathologist with Zanesville City Schools and The Carr Center. “I didn’t know the profession of speech-language pathology existed until my younger cousin received services from The Carr Center. That’s when my interest was sparked," she said.
Amber Cohagen is a speech-language pathologist with Zanesville City Schools and The Carr Center. “I didn’t know the profession of speech-language pathology existed until my younger cousin received services from The Carr Center. That’s when my interest was sparked," she said.

ZANESVILLE – She had dreams of becoming a zoologist, studying animals in the wild. Well, that took a turn.

“As a child I was very much a tomboy,” remembered Amber Cohagen. “I had a ton of energy. My report cards essentially said I talked too much, which probably lends itself well to my profession now – I talk for a living.”

Today, Cohagen is a speech-language pathologist with both Zanesville City Schools and The Carr Center.

“I assess, diagnose and treat speech and language disorders,” she explained. “I didn’t know the profession of speech-language pathology existed until my younger cousin received services from The Carr Center. That’s when my interest was sparked. My cousin was non-verbal, and the speech-language pathologist (SLP) helped give him a voice. The impact she had on him, and our family, was immeasurable.”

Cohagen grew up in both Zanesville and Dresden, graduated from John Glenn High School, then Ohio University in 2016 with a degree in linguistics, and then earned a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from Alabama A&M University in 2020.

“I actually volunteered at The Carr Center from about 2016 to 2018,” she recalled. “After I finished undergrad in 2016, I wanted to learn more about speech-language pathology and get hands-on experience. The days I volunteered, I had the privilege of shadowing SLPs Patricia Childers and Amy Headley Morris. These women were incredible educators and friends to me, along with Tracy Miller and Amanda Nunley. They all supported and cheered me on as I applied to grad schools.

“Fast forward two years,” she added, “I graduated from Alabama A&M. I knew I wanted to be part of The Carr Center in some capacity. When I got hired at The Carr Center it felt like I was coming home.”

Becky Clawson, executive director of The Carr Center, considers Cohagen a “delightful addition” to the staff.

“She’s very invested in her students and their success,” assessed Clawson. “She’s helped to bring new ideas and innovation to our practice in speech pathology. I hope Amber will be with us her entire career.”

“I absolutely serve the children from my heart,” responded Cohagen. “My goal for my kids is for them to be able to communicate their thoughts, wants, feelings and needs. I want them to be understood.

“And it doesn’t always come easy,” she noted. “I’ve sat there with kids who are in tears because correcting their speech is hard for them. I remind them that, ‘Yes, it is hard. But we can do hard things together!’ I remember where they started, and now I get to witness them communicate with confidence. That’s brought a tear to my eye more than once. If they try, I’m a happy therapist.

“My career choice has proved to be very fulfilling,” she concluded. “The kids make my day lighter, better. Laughter throughout is usually a given. What more could I ask for?”

The Carr Center is located at 1035 Beverly Ave. in Zanesville. For more information, log on www.carrcenter.org.

Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at trnews@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: A therapist can change a child's world