CCC-SLP

I'm a 27 year old Speech Language Pathologist currently working in the school setting with preschool through 5th grade. This is my third school year. I have been blogging since the beginning of grad school and like to share things that have helped me throughout the process of becoming an SLP!

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Wednesday post will be on thursday because i literally can’t keep my eyes open anymore kbyeeeee

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A Week in the Life of a School SLP - Tuesday

Today was another full day of seeing kids! So Tuesdays & Thursdays are usually days where my schedule is very full of students to serve We have this thing called FTE, and basically the state government surveys us on one Tuesday in October and one Thursday in March to figure out what our typical day looks like. They want to know how many kids we’re seeing and what kind of services they’re getting. This is one of the ways that special education gets its funding, so there is a push in the district to see certain kids (speech only students, self contained, resource students, inclusion students, etc.) on Tuesdays/Thursdays, and we’re usually supposed to see at least 32 kids on those days. Aren’t school politics great?!?! (I think you all practically just heard my eyes roll into the back of my head as I typed that.)

6:18 - I try to wake up by 6:15 at the latest, but sometimes I just need an extra few minutes, you know?

6:55 - I grab all my stuff and rush out the door.

7:15 - I arrive at school and set up everything for the day. I run by the other SLP’s room to get her to look over an email before I send it to a parent. She immediately tells me she has bad news. Another preschooler!! If anyone is counting, that’s #9 on my community-based caseload. To give you a little bit of perspective, I started the year with 4 CB preschoolers last year. YIIIIIIKES. We talk for a few more minutes, and then I go back to my office and cry a little while I finish eating my yogurt. I'm totally late to my first session. Sometimes (especially at the beginning of the school year and in mid-March) you just need to sit in your office and cry for a little bit, and that’s ok.

7:50 - I finally stroll into my first class. It’s a 30 minute inclusion segment with some kindergartners who are working on social skills and basic language concepts. I still don’t know them very well, so I mostly observe and take anecdotal data for today.

8:15 - I waltz out and go to the opposite side of the school campus for my next session. I go into a resource classroom during reading/ELA to see a group of 3rd graders. It’s one of my favorite groups because I have a great relationship with that teacher, and I get to be in there for a full hour. I help her with some assessments that also give me some good baseline data on these students’ speech sounds and reading comprehension.

9:15 - More inclusion! I go to another wing of the building for a 4th grade science class. This is a very mixed group of students. There are vocab goals, artic goals, social goals, sentence construction goals.... I’m still trying to figure out how I want to structure my involvement in the class, but right now I mostly go table-to-table to provide vocabulary support and ask comprehension/critical thinking questions. For the artic kids, I listen for their carryover of sounds in responses. For social kids, I see how well they work with their peers to reach a consensus.

9:45 - My first small group of the day! I pull 3 1st grade students to my room for some dot marker fun! 2 of the students are working primarily on articulation/phonology, and the other student is working on language. This is a great, very well-behaved group of kids. I got great baseline data on all of them.

10:15 - I take a few minutes to go observe a student who we are meeting for on Thursday afternoon. I develop some goals and try to make a decision on service time. This kid is a transfer student who has current eligibility (eligibility lasts 3 years) but an expired IEP. None of the information about his present level of functioning is current, so we basically have to guess on what he needs since it’s the beginning of the school year.

10:30 - 3rd grade articulation group. One of these students is totally rocking it after coming back from the summer! She’s 100% intelligible in structured conversation and 83% intelligible in unstructured. Might be ready to graduate soon!

11:00 - 15 minute articulation drill session. This student might also be ready to graduate soon!

11:15 - 15 minute articulation drill session. We are starting the dreaded task of teaching placement for /r/.

11:30 - Quick 15 minute lunch. I go to touch base with the other SLP and then get stopped in the hallway by the assistant principal to talk about a student with major behavior problems. This isn’t a student on my caseload, but I get pulled into a lot of behavior management consultation for certain students. I’m the go-to for visual schedules, break cards, 5-point scales, etc.

11:50 - Rolling in late to my next group of kids, as usual. This is the same 1st/2nd grade resource reading/ELA class that I was in yesterday. I love me some Matt & Molly stories!!! http://www.linguisystems.com/products/product/display?itemid=10008

12:45 - Email time!!

1:00 - 15 minute artic drill

1:15 - 15 minute artic drill

1:30 - A small group of kinders with articulation goals. One of them really should have been exited last year, but this preschool therapist was a shitty therapist. Them’s the facts. Sometimes you inherit kids from other therapists, and you have to clean up their messes. :/ Bleh.

2:00 - Quick check out with one of my behavior kids as I’m sprinting down the hallway for my next group. It’s another 15 minute artic drill with 2 students who are working on the same sound.

2:15 - I run the kids back to class before the bell and power-walk to my afternoon bus duty

2:40 - I just do some housekeeping stuff. Updating schedules, making data sheets, organizing student folders for tomorrow, etc.

4:00 - TIME TO LEAVE BYE DON’T FOLLOW ME

4:20 - Finally make it home and have a snack because I’m starving

4:45 - Phone calls. I do that a lot, yeah?

5:45 - I procrastinate on the couch for a little while because I don’t really want to do my workout

6:00 - Workout commences

6:45 - I try to figure out exactly what I want for dinner and have a hard time deciding. I take a shower in the meantime.

7:20 - Pasta! Time to relax

8:45 - More phone calls while I pack my breakfast & lunch for tomorrow and do a little more relaxing

10:30 - I lay out my clothes for tomorrow and hop in bed to write this post

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A Week in the Life of a School SLP - Monday

What a crazy day! I picked up 2 more kids on my preschool caseload. UGHHH!! I am almost at caseload cap already, and the school year just started! I’m hoping my lead SLP will wiggle some allotments/assignments around once she takes a look at our caseload spreadsheets. ANYWAY.

6:45 - Remember how I went to bed late last night? Yeah, well I accidentally woke up late too. Whoops.

7:25 - I leave my apartment to go to my first preschool center of the day. I check my phone after I park and get the email letting me know I have another student at this preschool.

7:45 - I don’t pull the new student since it’s his first day at this school and I haven’t had the chance to look over his file yet. I pull the student I had originally come there to see, and we just make introductions and play for a while so I can take some baseline data.

8:30 - The session is supposed to last for an hour, but since it’s the first day of speech, I don’t want to overwhelm any students. I think this particular student would be fine, but that was my plan for the day, so I stuck to it. I wrote his session note to send home and speak with the lady at the front desk about my new student. I get back in my car to head to the elementary school.

8:45 - I arrive at my elementary school and have a little bit of time to settle in and eat breakfast. I check my emails while I eat and look up my new student.

9:00 -  I have a 30 minute session with a walk-in preschooler.

I should clarify at this point that in my district, preschool students ages 3+ who aren’t attending the school district preschools are split up amongst other therapist in the county to serve based on our caseload size/allotments. I serve an elementary school as well as a few walk-in preschoolers (who come to my school like an outpatient clinic) and community-based preschool (for students who attend daycares/preschools in the community for the entire school day M-F).

9:30 - I return the student to his mom and chat with her for a few minutes. I also spend a few minutes chatting with the other SLP in my building. I get back in my car and head to my other preschool center, which is within walking distance from my elementary school. It’s on a busy road with no sidewalks though, so I don’t actually walk there. :P

9:45 - I see another preschooler for 30 minutes and head back up the road to my elementary school.

10:20 - I have some time to send emails and make copies of materials that I need for the rest of the day.

10:45 - I go into a 4th grade social studies class to serve a student who receives inclusion services for social skills and articulation carryover.

11:15 - I make some more copies and fill out timecards to send home with my students to let their parents know when I will see them for speech this school year.

11:30 - I have a few minutes to eat lunch and decompress

11:45 - I’m in a resource (special education small group) reading & ELA class supporting speech objectives. There are 8 students in the class, and 7 receive speech services. Most of them are pretty high need cases as well, so I go into this class for an hour every MON-THURS

12:45 - Another moment to take a breather and answer some emails and update my to-do list.

1:00 - A quick articulation drill for a 4th grader. For most of my artic students, I like to pull them in 15 minute increments several times a week versus pulling them for 30 minute chunks of time. Research supports the efficacy of these “burst” sessions (think Cycles Approach), and they are missing less information from class when they get pulled.

1:15 - Another 15 minutes articulation drill. 2nd grade.

1:30 - I have a language group of 3 2nd graders. In the middle of the session, the OT comes to my door and explains that we have a scheduling conflict. I change my schedule to pull this particular group at 1:45 instead so she can see one of the students as well.

2:00 - I take the students back to class and speak with the teacher to discuss the change in schedule and get caught up. I don’t manage to see the last 15 minute artic drill kids I had scheduled for that day, but I’ll see them on Wednesday instead.

2:15 - I “check out” with my two students who I am the point person for. For some of our students, we have a “preferred adult” that checks in with them at the beginning of the day and checks out with them at the end of the day. I will have to explain this concept in-depth in a later post.

2:20 - I have afternoon busy duty

2:35 - I touch base with some of my co-workers, and the other SLP lets me know of the other preschool student who I am going to have to pick up. We discuss some students and plans of action for them.

2:50 -  I got back to my office and...you guessed it! Answer more emails! I can leave the building at 2:55 if I want, but I want to tie up some loose ends so I don’t have to deal with it tomorrow. I figure out exactly what materials I need for therapy tomorrow and make copies. I update my schedule to reflect all the time changes and new students that I picked up today. One of the special ed teachers comes to my office to discuss a student we are meeting for on Thursday. I print some stuff for her because I have administrative access to most of our computer systems, including the ones with all the academic benchmark information

4:00 - I sprint into the parking lot and drive home

4:20 - I set out my clothes for tomorrow and pack my breakfast/lunch. I throw a load of laundry in.

4:50 - I sit down on the couch, have a snack, and chill out! My mom calls, and I talk to her for a little while. Shortly after my boyfriend calls to talk about his first day of law school

7:20 - I start making dinner. While dinner is in the oven, I start packing my backpack for a weekend trip. I’m planning to leave immediately after school on Friday, so I try to use my time wisely and pack a little here & there so it doesn’t seem like an overwhelming task when Thursday rolls around.

7:40 - I eat dinner and have a glass of wine. I relax on the couch, message friends, spend some time on my personal tumblr, and watch Kids Baking Championship.

9:30 - I crawl in bed for the night, totally exhausted. I write this post and listen to some music while I do so. I may watch a little more TV, and I’ll probably be asleep by 10:30ish. Success! I actually went to bed at a very reasonable hour tonight.

Tuesday will start at 6:15. Good night!

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A Week in the Life of a School SLP - SUNDAY

I truly do start prepping for the week on Sundays, so I wanted to document the full 7 days instead of just 5 workdays. 

11:00 AM - Waking up & checking social media. 11:00 is usually the very latest I wake up. I’m typically up between 9:00-10:30ish, but I stayed up late playing Skyrim. Don’t judge y’all.

11:20 AM - I finally get my ass in gear and get up. I put some laundry in to wash and did some dishes. I make breakfast...even though I guess at this point it’s more brunch. Anyway. I eat a meal.

12:00 PM - Facetime with my boyfriend and do some more house chores. I cleaned my shower! Go me!

2:00 PM - I take a little break and spend some more time on my computer. I mess around on my personal tumblr for a little while.

3:00 PM - Get a workout in. My mom calls in the middle of my workout, so I call her back before I finally go for a shower

4:45 PM - I meal prep lunches for the week. I’m making the Skinnytaste chicken pot pie soup with some crackers made out of pie dough. Here’s the recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-pot-pie-soup/

6:30 PM - I start making dinner. Skinny texas cheese fries. I’m currently obsessed with Skinnytaste recipes. Recipe here: https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-texas-cheese-fries/

7:40 PM - My boyfriend Facetimes again, and we talk for a while. His first day of law school is tomorrow, and he’s pretty nervous. :P We don’t normally talk this long, but I do get more laundry & dishes done while we talk. I also pack my lunch and breakfast so I can just grab it from the fridge & go in the morning. I set out everything I need for my coffee and lay my work clothes out in my bathroom.

I ALWAYS set out my clothes/food/coffee the night before because it means I get to sleep in longer, and I’m never late because I spend too long trying to figure out what to eat/wear. Highly recommend, even if it’s just so you can have an extra 10 minutes of sleep. If you can tell, I am NOOOOT a morning person at all.

10:30 PM -  I type up some emails that I’m going to send tomorrow. Typically I don’t check my email that often on weekends, and I DEFINITELY don’t respond to emails unless it’s an emergency. I never respond to parents unless it’s during work hours because I don’t want to set up the expectation that I’m available 24/7. I have a life too! If I get a difficult email or one that requires an extended response though, I sometimes go ahead and draft it just so I’m not constructing a response in my head instead of sleeping at night. ;) It just helps me clear my thoughts and move on.

11:15 PM - I do some planning for therapy tomorrow and making a list of all the things I need to pull off the shelves & the copies I need to make. I meant to get my planning in much earlier this weekend, but things happen. I try really hard to not plan at home, but like I said, I haven’t settled in to a typical school schedule yet. I’m going to try planning on Wednesday afternoons this year, and we’ll see how it goes.

12:00 AM - Unwinding & going to bed. This is pretty late, I know. I’m trying to get better, and I have gone to bed before 11 most days during the past few weeks. Sometimes I just get carried away, though. We’ll try again tomorrow!

Good night!

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A Week in the Life of a School SLP

Hey, friends.

I thought it might be kind of fun and interesting to keep a little journal of everything I do this week just to give you guys an idea of what it’s like to be a school SLP. I know when I was in high school/college/grad school, I would always wonder what having a full-time “adult job” would be like and how I would cope. Would I be more/less stressed that I am right now? Would the workload overall be more/less?

Of course you guys already know this is not a one-size-fits-all weekly schedule. Every week for me is a little different too, but maybe this will give you a better idea of things to expect. I’m just going to give you a glimpse at things that work for me as well as habits that I’m trying to change.

This week is the first full week of running my therapy schedule for the year, so we’ll see how it goes! The first two weeks of school are incredibly different than the rest of the school year, so that’s not a good reflection of “the norm”. If you’re curious about what Back to School/Pre-planning is like, feel free to send me an ask!

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JO, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!

I know, right? Long time no see. It’s been about a year and a half since the last time I posted. YIIIIIIIKES. 😱😱😱 I have thought about this blog MULTIPLE times in the past 18 months or so, but today is the first time that I really felt the overwhelming need to sit down, remember my password, answer asks, and start posting again.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE?

Well, if you notice the URL change, I got my C’s in January 2017! I’m officially a full-fledged CCC-SLP! Shortly after my last posts in December 2016, I moved from a one bedroom apartment where I was living by myself into a two-bedroom apartment with my college roommate. It’s been pretty great! I’m still working as a school SLP, and my 3rd school year started last week. My students range from ages 3-11, and I’m still in the same elementary school. I also see “community-based” preschool, which means I go to their daycares for therapy. It’s a nice escape from the school building once or twice a week. In my personal life, I’ve been doing lots of traveling and eating good food and playing way too many video games. 😜

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

I’m still in the same city and at the same school I started at in January 2016. I’ve been to Chattanooga, Charleston, Savannah, Asheville, Charlotte, Tampa, Key West, and CUBA!!! That was all for pleasure, though. No work was involved.

WHY DID YOU LEAVE FOR SO LONG?

Usually when people disappear like I did, they come back and say they don’t have a good reason and they’re sorry and they’ll do better etc., etc., etc.

Well, I can honestly say that I did miss my blog while I was gone. I did have a good reason though, and I’m not making any apologies for it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Real life happened. From December to February of 2017, it was all I could do to keep my head afloat with moving apartments and dealing with second semester work. All of my fellow school SLPs will know that the second half of the school year is an endless marathon of meetings and making up missed therapy sessions because of the meetings. Then end of year assessments start, and you need like 80 glasses of wine just so you don’t run screaming into the night.

In early February of 2017, one of my friends randomly decided to introduce me to this guy that he worked with. We texted for about 2 weeks, went on our first date, and the 19th of this month will be our 1.5 year anniversary. So, I left my blog for a guy? Yeahhhhhh, pretty much. So the deal is, my boyfriend lived in the middle of the city, and I lived in the suburbs. We both had fulltime jobs, so we pretty much only were able to see each other on weekends and on my school breaks. This weekend is like the 2nd or 3rd weekend I haven’t been with him since we started dating. I just didn’t have any free time anymore to think about my blog or even attempt updating it. We spent the entire summer together traveling, and I honestly didn’t want to do anything else. My priorities shifted.

So, what’s changed? Well, a couple of things.

1) My sweet & wonderful & driven boyfriend is moving out of state to start law school in a week. He’s only 4 hours away now, but I’m most likely not going to see him every single weekend like I have been since we started dating. There will be more weekends where I’m unoccupied.

2) I kind of just want to go back to blogging. I keep thinking of things I’d like to post about & do now that I’m a fully fledged SLP.

Will my posts be consistent? I don’t know. Will I keep posting forever & ever, amen? I don’t know that either.

All I know is this is what I want to do for now, and I want to be more active for as long as I have the drive to do it.

HAVE A QUESTION(S) I DIDN’T ANSWER IN THIS POST? ASK IT!

Even if it’s something totally unrelated to this post and you don’t care what I’ve been up to at all, I’m still happy to get any comments/questions/concerns/cries of outrage you want to throw my way. The best part of this blog has always been the interaction with you guys!

As far as stuff I want to post, would you guys be interested if I did a “Day in the Life”-style post to show what my day-to-day is like as a school SLP? Let me know!

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Hi, so I'm currently a high school student trying to pick a college major and hopefully a career. I'm torn between SLP and Linguistics. Currently I'm leaning towards SLP because of the practical, helping people aspect (like you said) but I'm worried about the scientific/clinical/medical aspect of it. I've never been what your call a "science person" and the idea of med school doesn't appeal to me. How important are advanced medical and biology classes in high school and college?

I think the easiest way to answer this question is to give you a run-down of the science-based topics that I was required to show proficiency in before I could graduate:

Anatomy and Physiology

You will have to know the different parts of the brain, how the brain functions, how it communicates with other parts of the body, etc. You will, to an extent, need to know the muscular & skeletal structure of most of the boy so you can understand how respiration, swallowing, and phonation work. You will need to have a very detailed understanding of pretty much everything from the diaphragm up. This includes: lungs, larynx/pharynx/esophagus/epiglottis, mouth/tongue/teeth/cheeks, nose, velum/nasopharynx, and ears.

Motor Speech Disorders and Neurological Disorders

You will need to know medical conditions that affect the anatomy and physiology you’ve learned about. This includes things like strokes, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy, ALS, etc.

Swallowing

You will need to be COMPLETELY proficient in knowing all the different stages of swallowing, how they can go wrong, and what you can do to improve or manage difficulties with swallowing.

Acoustics/Speech Science

You will need to have basic knowledge of how your ear/hearing works, how to read audiograms, distinguish between frequencies/volume/intensity/etc. as well as measurements used for thee acoustic features. You will also need to have some awareness of quantitative and qualitative ways to distinguish between speech and non-speech sounds.

You need a general knowledge of biological and chemical concepts, but it is usually very specified to what you need to know for your specific field.

There is math/statistics involved, especially when you get around to research methods and interpreting evaluation results. 

I will say that having a background in chemistry definitely made my graduate experience easier.

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Hey! So I'm a new speechie entering my last semester of undergrad and am so scared about grad school admissions. My desired grad school has a mean GPA of 3.7 and I am between 3.3 & 3.4. I'm studying for the GRE and about to start volunteering at Children's Healthcare of ATL as a bilingual pediatric nurses assistant. I have so much experience with children 3+ years & solid references. I went to the hardest school in the area, so can my GPA suffice? Any suggestions for a strong application pls💟

Is there a required GPA for the school you want to attend? Some grad programs will list minimum requirements.

Also, what is your undergraduate degree in? They are going to look at a 3.4 GPA in Biochemistry from a private school a lot differently than they are going to look at a 3.4 GPA in Early Childhood Education from a state school.

This is where your GRE is going to come in handy because even if your undergrad program was very rigorous and difficult to make high grades, your GRE will give them an idea of your aptitude for graduate-level work.

GPA isn’t everything, and GPAs from different areas of study aren’t always comparable. That’s why graduate programs look at multiple areas to decide if you can handle their program.

Your GPA is pretty set in stone unless you plan on taking more classes to raise it, so focus on the things you can do in the meantime to level up your application.

Packing it full of volunteer opportunities, glowing references, and jaw-dropping personal statements is a great start. If you have an area of your application that you know is below average, blow them out of the water with the rest of your application.

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About how much can a CF expect to make during that first year? i live in Texas but i know it varies state by state!

This really, really, REALLY depends on several factors:1. Your state

2. Your county/city

3. What setting you plan on working in

4. When & how often you get paid

IN GENERAL, being directly hired by a school district pays the least, but you get better benefits. Medical settings are going to pay you the most. The more specialized they are, the more money. Rural areas are going to pay less than cities, primarily due to the cost of living.

MAKE SURE YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR PAY SCHEDULE! If you’re working in a school especially, your pay schedule can vary WIDELY. Some districts will only pay you during the months you are physically working in the school. Some districts will divide your pay up on a 12-month schedule, which means you will get paid less each month, but you will get paid every month, even if you are on your summer vacation.

Your pay is going to be more negotiable in private clinic/contract settings and medical settings. Pay in the schools is is usually pretty fixed. That being said, If working in the schools is your dream, you can typically find the pay scale for school districts in your area online. Sometimes schools have a separate pay scale for SLP/OT/PT and other times, you will get paid on the same pay scale as a teacher with a Master’s degree.

I don’t even feel comfortable giving you an estimate, but do some research online and see what people in your area are being paid!

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Hi! I just recently decided that I want to be a SLP. I'm a junior in college, majoring in chemistry with a 3.49 GPA. What do you think is the best way to get experience to build my resume?

You are pretty much describing my direct path to becoming an SLP, so you’re in luck!

If you are looking to shadow/volunteer in the school district, see if you can find the name of the lead SLP online on the school website. Email or call and see if they are accepting students to observe. Most districts will be happy to accommodate you.

If you would like to shadow/volunteer in a medical setting, contact the rehabilitation department of the hospital/nursing home/etc. They can pass your information along to an SLP, and they can help you set up a schedule to come observe.

If you would like to shadow/volunteer in an out-patient clinical setting, just find their contact information online and ask if they are taking students to shadow.

You may have to fill out some paperwork, but most places are more than happy to have students around!

Any sort of volunteering or work you can do in speech-related population is going to be great. At my university in grad school, we have a specific program for students with disabilities where they could take college classes and a participate in school activities for a certificate. Lots of undergrad students would volunteer or work in that program before moving on to grad school.

Personally, I was a writing tutor in college and tried really hard to work with all the students that had learning accommodations/supports and students with ESL backgrounds. I even had an opportunity to do some tutoring in a middle school, which looked great.

I also to an Autism seminar class for my psychology minor and had the chance to observe a self-contained autism classroom in an elementary school for 15 hours.

Don’t be afraid to ask around. Many programs in your school are probably desperately searching for volunteers like you!

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@innify Omg the Georgia system is a HOT MESS. I had a hard time with it too.

I’m not sure if it changes by district, but I can definitely explain the process I had to follow in my district. My lead SLP and my CF supervisor both helped me out with it. I had a hard time getting everything approved before I began working, but they let me start working as my application was processing, thank goodness. GA schools are a lot more lax than what I was used to in NC. They don’t even require you to have your C’s in most cases.

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission certification is the main thing you need to work in the schools. 

Register at this website:

https://mypsc.gapsc.org/Home.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f

The “applications” tab should walk you through the process.I will warn you, the website said there was a document that I still needed to be approved. I think it was the Approved Program Recommendation form. I scrambled around getting my department head to sign it last minute and then, when my application was still pending for quite some time, I emailed them and was told that it was signed by the wrong person. I finally called them and was told that I didn’t actually need the form in the first place, and my application was processed and accepted within the next 24 hours. I will say that they refunded my application fee for my trouble, which was nice. But it was still frustrating. Just call them if you have any problems.

You can also get a temporary GA SLP license from the GEORGIA BOARD OF SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY & AUDIOLOGY. I was told I didn’t need one to work in my school district, but some others might require it. Not sure. You’ll want to use the Application for Paid Clinical Experience (PCE) found here:

http://sos.ga.gov/PLB/acrobat/Forms/10%20Application%20for%20Paid%20Clinical%20Experience%20(PCE)%20or%20Required%20Professional%20Experience%20(RPE)%20Temporary%20License.pdf

You mail it to the board along with your payment and all the other documents they list at the beginning of the application.

And, of course, for your ASHA certification, you don’t have to submit any paperwork to them until your CFY is completed, but you can submit paperwork at any time after you graduate.

Hope that’s helpful! Let me know if you have any more questions! :)

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Super Speedy Update

Hey, hey!

I am about to head out for some Christmas shopping on this cold, dreary day, but I just wanted to check in and post a quick update.

My CFY ends next week, and all my supervisory visits were completed as of Wednesday! All that’s left is to finish up the paperwork and send it to ASHA.

Work is as crazy as ever. For some reason the county has been experiencing an influx of referrals for special education evals. The psychologist and I have just been trying to keep our heads above water with all the testing/eligibility meetings. I also got FOUR TRANSFER STUDENTS in the span of a week. My caseload started out at 43 this year, and I’m already up to 51. YIKESYIKESYIKES. The good thing is I have several students that are ready or almost ready to exit as well as some that I feel are ready for reduced services. Maybe I’ll get a handle on everything just before IEP season in Feb/March. If anyone wants to send some buckets of coffee my way, I would gladly accept. ;)

I just had a kind of fun idea. Would any of you be interested in an SLP gift guide for the holidays?

I have some other fun posts coming up, so stay tuned. :) And, as always, feel free to message me any time. I think all my grad school applications were due around this time of year, so I’m sending good vibes to all of you sending in your grad school applications right now! Also, good luck to those of you finishing up the semester and taking finals!

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Hey jo!Love your blog,it's so helpful.I'm studying SLP(with audiology) and I was hoping you could suggest some universities for post graduate studies.I currently study in India and I'd like to study abroad and get a job too!Thanks so much!

When I was picking grad schools, I honestly was looking for schools near my geographic location, mostly for economic reasons. I wanted a good education, but I wasn’t set on going to a “top” schools.

If you’re looking to attend a top university, here are two rankings for schools in the U.S.:

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/pathology-rankings

http://learn.org/articles/What_Are_the_Top_Schools_and_Programs_for_Speech_Pathology.html

If you want to look more broadly than that or have a specific state in mind, ASHA keeps a list of all CAA accredited schools here:

http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/CAAAccreditedPrograms.pdf

New Zealand & Australia also have some great CCSD programs, and I think Canada does as well. 

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THE SLP JOB MARKET; HOW HARD IS IT TO GET HIRED?

This one is just for my American speechies, but if any international friends would like to add input, I would be happy to post that too. :)

I’m not going to start throwing statistics at you. There are plenty of them out there on the internet, and I’m going to assume you’ve done your homework. (A quick Google search will do the trick if not.)

 Here’s the tl;dr version: The American job market SUCKS, but SLPs, fortunately, have it easier than many others. Yes, employers will throw job offers at your feet and beg to hire you in some cases. HOWEVER, the more specific your job “wishlist” is, the harder you’re going to have to work to get a job. Here are some general guidelines.

 Things are going to be easier when you have your C’s. If you’re in your CFY, finding a job is going to be a little more difficult that if you had your C’s. This is because there’s the added necessity of finding a CF supervisor for you. You’re also a bigger liability to them as a brand new grad. When I was looking for jobs, I did see several “NO CFs” or “CCC-SLP ONLY” on job postings. Don’t get discouraged, though. Every single one of my classmates found a job if they wanted one. You may have to make compromises and cross out some things on your wishlist, but you certainly won’t be jobless if you really want to be employed.

 You’re going to have an easier time if you’re willing to commute or move. There are plenty of companies out there who desperately need SLPs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re scattered evenly throughout the country. Certain areas have more need than others and, thus, are easier to get jobs in. For example, I was always told that rural areas typically have a higher need that urban and suburban area. PLEASE DON’T catastrophize that, though. I work in the suburbs and found a job relatively quickly after graduation. My classmates and I got plenty of offers from contract company head hunters across the country: Florida, Alaska, Nevada, etc. If you’re looking for new adventures, you’re in luck.

 You’re going to have a harder time in more SLP-saturated areas, such as university centers. Think about your grad school experience. Your program probably had a speech & hearing clinic, and all the students probably got rotated throughout the immediate area at different schools, hospitals, etc. for clinical placements. There’s probably around 60 or 70ish SLPs and CSD students in that area at any time. People also really like the university atmosphere and might hope to stay in that area. I know this was true of many of my friends in both undergrad and grad school. The simple fact of the matter is higher density of SLPs means less jobs. Again, if you’re willing to move a little further or commute, you’re going to have an easier time. If you are dead set on staying in the university area, you unfortunately can’t be very picky about the job offers that come your way.

 Finding jobs in adult populations is going to be more difficult. This goes back to having experience and your C’s. There isn’t much of a risk of permanently hurting a child doing language or artic treatment. However, you can certainly injure or even kill someone doing bad dysphagia eval/treatment. It’s a liability issue.  Hospitals, SNFs, ALFs, etc. don’t want to hire newbies or people with minimal experience because they don’t want to get sued if you mess up. It definitely doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a job in this population. You’re just going to have to work harder for it, and your interviewing process is probably going to be a little more rigorous.  With good clinical experiences and recommendations, you’ll have an easier time.

 Don’t expect schools to drop everything to hire you. True, you’re going to have an easier time finding a school job, be it direct hire or contract. However, don’t expect them to go out of their way to hire you immediately at any school your heart desires. I talked about this before in my job application timelines. Schools hire at particular times throughout the year, and they usually have a set amount/ratio of direct hires and contract workers. Schools are usually desperate for SLPs, and for the most part, if you get an interview, you have a good chance of being hired. HOWEVER, patience is key.

 It doesn’t hurt to ask. Just because there aren’t any vacancies listed on the school website or there aren’t any hospital jobs posted on Indeed doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. See if you can get in contact with other SLPs, special education directors, rehab directors, lead SLPs, etc. Let them know about your situation and start a conversation about jobs that are open or might be open in the future. It never hurts to put your name out there.

Again, THESE ARE GUIDELINES. Please don’t take this post as all or nothing.

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TIMELINES FOR EMPLOYMENT

I’m going to level with you here. When my cohort and I graduated from our CSD program in December, none of us knew what the hell we were doing. When should we start applying for jobs? Does it even matter? Does it depend on the setting? I had classmates who started inquiring about and applying to jobs in the first week of the semester and some who didn’t even start applying until they had their degree in their hand. 

Now that I’ve lived through it, I feel (semi)qualified to give some advice on the subject. 

If you want to be employed by a school district, your timeline is going to be a little different that it is in other settings simply because there’s another factor at work: the school calendar. 

That being said, simply click on the statement below that applies to you.

I WANT TO WORK FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND...

I graduate in the SPRING semester.

I graduated in the FALL semester.

I graduate in the SUMMER semester.

I would rather work for a contract agency.

I don’t want to work in a school. 

Please remember that none of these timelines are set in stone. There are just general guidelines I’ve come up with based on my experience and my friends’ experiences with finding employment in this field.

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TIMELINES FOR EMPLOYMENT- SUMMER GRADS LOOKING FOR SCHOOL JOBS

Because summer grads are typically just a few months shy of a spring graduation, summer grads can typically follow the guidelines for spring graduates. 

Most of the summer grad friends I had were able to go ahead and start licensure paperwork and apply to jobs around the same time (mid-March/April) as the spring grads. 

It’s important to start early because school districts typically like to at least have a general idea of school placements and allotments before the end of the school year.

Please remember that none of these timelines are set in stone. These are just general guidelines I’ve come up with based on my experience and my friends’ experiences with finding employment in this field.

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TIMELINES FOR EMPLOYMENT- FALL GRADS LOOKING FOR SCHOOL JOBS

Being a December grad can be kind of tricky in terms of employment, but it’s definitely not impossible. I got a job. All of my classmates got a job. It will be OK. 

The thing about graduating in December is that there’s a lot going on. It’s the holiday season, so everyone’s schedules are usually really wonky and different. It’s hard to have set timelines for December grads because vacations and holidays can impact the time it takes to process applications, licensure/certification paperwork, etc. 

My best advice it just to be patient. Things will work out. 

Start looking in September. You are welcome to start looking earlier, but don’t stress yourself out needlessly. If you have a specific school district or a few districts in mind, get an idea of where the vacancies are at. By this time, the fall semester should be starting, so the districts will have an idea of where they still need SLPs. Not a lot of people are applying to school SLP jobs at this point in time, so if the district has vacancies listed, there’s a good chance they will still be listed when it’s time for you to start applying. You don’t have to commit to anything too serious. See if you can find specific schools or geographic areas that need SLPs so you can start making a “wish list” for what you want out of your job.

Contact lead SLPs/special ed directors around October. Get your foot in the door and start asking around about vacancies in the district. Let them know that you’re graduating soon and that you’re trying to get some ideas about what’s currently available. They may tell you some areas or specific schools that have vacancies, and they will likely encourage you to complete an application. 

Have backups ready. You may think that districts will be happy to get rid of contract employees in favor of direct hire employees whenever they can. That’s not necessarily false, but districts also don’t like shaking things up in the middle of the year. It’s a lot of time, effort, and adjusting. Some districts may not have vacancies listed during this time of year because they have figured out how to manage the school placements & allotments for the year, and they don’t want to make any drastic changes to it to accommodate new employees in the middle of the year. Be patient. There are definitely jobs out there, and you will find them. Just be prepared for the fact that you may not get your #1 pick. 

Start your paperwork at the beginning of November. Some of your paperwork can’t be completed until your degree is conferred, but do as much as you can as soon as you can so that you’re ready to send everything off when it’s time to graduate and start work. You will save yourself a lot of stressing and worrying, believe me. 

Submit applications early/mid-November. You know that Hell Week right before Thanksgiving break where you have a midterms and a million projects due? Yeah, just go ahead and submit your applications then too. Get it all done at once, and then you can relax during Thanksgiving break knowing that you’re prepared for the final push of the semester. 

Like I’ve said before, every experience is different, but following this timeline, you will likely start having interview and job offers right after Thanksgiving. The district might want you to do some training and/or shadowing right before the winter break, but you will be ready to go to work at the beginning of the spring semester in January!

Please remember that none of these timelines are set in stone. These are just general guidelines I’ve come up with based on my experience and my friends’ experiences with finding employment in this field.