Why Become an SLP?

What made you choose this profession?

When I entered university I was an education major. I knew I wanted to work with children and I thought that I would enjoy being a teacher. When I enrolled in education classes, I found myself getting bored and realized that I wanted to do something more specialized. I found the field of Communications Sciences and Disorders and then discovered Speech-Language Pathology. My neighbor and good friend was an SLP and she let me shadow her which solidified my decision. I highly recommend spending a day shadowing an SLP to get a true feel for life on the job.

Was this something you always knew you wanted to do or discovered later?

Yes. I always knew I wanted to work with children and once I changed my major it was was a very direct path for me. Florida State University had a great undergraduate program and I felt supported every step of the way. When I got accepted into the FSU masters program I was thrilled.

In your opinion, what is the hardest aspect of your job?

The hardest part of my job is the evaluation process. Talking with parents about my suspicions for disorders such as autism and guiding them through the differential diagnostic process. Sometimes a diagnosis of autism can take a long time and its met with conflicting information. It’s very challenging for families. I do my best to support families from early detection all the way to discharge. 

What would you say is important to know when choosing this path?

It’s very important to be patient and flexible. Things don’t always go according to plan. I might plan an amazing session filled with laminated reinforcements but if a patient is having a bad day I have to scrap my plans and do something different. It is all about adapting on the spot! There are always ways to target communication (just might not be what you initially planned)!

Was it difficult to find work after college?

Not at all. I got numerous job offers out of college! I was able to decide between a school, inpatient hospital, and outpatient nonprofit clinic. I chose an outpatient clinic because I liked the idea of serving the community and families from a low socioeconomic status. Now I am work outpatient for a pediatric hospital. 

Can you describe what a typical day looks like for you? 

I work 4, 10-hour days so I only work Tuesday-Friday. Long weekends are so nice! I create my own schedule which is also a huge perk.  I see patients from 8-12 and then 1-6 with a break for lunch in between. On Tuesday and Thursday I do evaluations from 10-12pm. I either do a communication evaluation, feeding evaluation, or language and literacy evaluation depending on the needs of the hospital.  I only schedule 2 evaluations a week but I can do more if I have cancelations. 

What type of patients do you typically work with?

I work with various disorders including expressive/receptive language impairments, articulation disorders, phonological disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, fluency disorders, autism spectrum disorder, language based reading disorders, spelling disorders, and writing disorders. I typically see little ones (birth-5) until about 2 pm and then from 2pm- 6pm I see older school-aged children. 

What activities do you do with kids?

My activities vary from day to day. I try to incorporate language and literacy into all of my activities. We read a lot of books, do crafts, play games etc. Sometimes we go outside and have treasure hunts. It depends on the needs of the patient.  

Can you tell me more about the different aspects of the job?

I have a few different specialities: I see patients with speech sound disorders, language and literacy disorders, and feeding disorders. I work closely with audiologists, OTs and PTs at the hospital. Many of our patients are multidisciplinary which requires constant communication and good teamwork. Luckily I work with an amazing team. I often co-treat with Occupational Therapy to address sensory needs in conjunction with communication deficits. My newest interest is creating personalized digital Boom Cards for my patients. I am always learning!

Where did you go to school?

Florida State University for B.S and M.S

Are you considering a career as an SLP? Comment below or reach out to us at beachiespeechies@gmail.com if you have any questions!