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What are some of the unpleasant parts of working as a school Speech Language Pathologist?
It is a big decision to become a speech pathologist at the beginning of college and was wondering what are the not as fun parts of being a speech pathologist.
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Rinki’s Answer
Being a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in a school setting can be demanding, with high caseloads, a mountain of paperwork, administrative duties, and occasionally scarce therapy resources. You may also face challenges such as low pay, managing difficult behaviors, coordinating with others, and the pressure of time constraints and meeting goals. Despite these hurdles, many school SLPs find immense satisfaction in their work. The chance to significantly impact students' lives, foster their communication skills, and positively influence their overall well-being makes this career profoundly gratifying and rewarding.
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Gopi Kishore’s Answer
Hi Anna,
I am speech language pathologist (SLP) working in public elementary school and I love my job. While SLPs work in various setups including hospitals, senior nursing homes, universities, working in a school setup fun considering working with young kids and numerous holidays (usually 184 working days per year). Although university based jobs have similar working days and more flexibility, compensation for school based SLPs are much higher than them (in CA it’s ~ 80k to 130k).
Challenges / unpleasant things about school based slp jobs depends on specific school districts you work for.
1. Caseloads: While some school districts confine your caseloads to 55-60 most of them go way beyond 70s and in worst case up to 80 or 90!! Although with this high caseloads you will get slp assistants as help, handling those many IEPs is not fun either.
2. Attorneys and Court cases: It’s unpleasant to deal with attorneys and law firms for depositions or court hearings. Having a couple of kids on your caseload with these issues is manageable, however, multiple IEP meetings with attorney becomes too stressful.
3. Stress of keeping up with timelines, scheduling IEPs, billing is a part of the job.
Having a good team, a smart understanding Sped Director, and the Principal, goes along way to cope up with most of these challenges. I suggest that It is essential for an slp to find out information on district’s policies about caseload numbers, SLPA support, etc before taking up the position.
More information may be found in this article.
http://slptoolkit.com/blog/dear-asha-what-school-slps-want-you-to-know/
Hope that helps!!
I am speech language pathologist (SLP) working in public elementary school and I love my job. While SLPs work in various setups including hospitals, senior nursing homes, universities, working in a school setup fun considering working with young kids and numerous holidays (usually 184 working days per year). Although university based jobs have similar working days and more flexibility, compensation for school based SLPs are much higher than them (in CA it’s ~ 80k to 130k).
Challenges / unpleasant things about school based slp jobs depends on specific school districts you work for.
1. Caseloads: While some school districts confine your caseloads to 55-60 most of them go way beyond 70s and in worst case up to 80 or 90!! Although with this high caseloads you will get slp assistants as help, handling those many IEPs is not fun either.
2. Attorneys and Court cases: It’s unpleasant to deal with attorneys and law firms for depositions or court hearings. Having a couple of kids on your caseload with these issues is manageable, however, multiple IEP meetings with attorney becomes too stressful.
3. Stress of keeping up with timelines, scheduling IEPs, billing is a part of the job.
Having a good team, a smart understanding Sped Director, and the Principal, goes along way to cope up with most of these challenges. I suggest that It is essential for an slp to find out information on district’s policies about caseload numbers, SLPA support, etc before taking up the position.
More information may be found in this article.
http://slptoolkit.com/blog/dear-asha-what-school-slps-want-you-to-know/
Hope that helps!!
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Anna !
I am not a Speech Pathologist but I want to start the ball rolling for responses and advice. Speech Pathology is, in my opinion, one of the most admirable careers a person can have. There are so many arenas in which one could work, too, such as in schools, hospitals and nursing homes. It offers some variety like that so I always see people in that career as being very cheerful and loving their jobs.
Consider that the work is superb, however where you work may or may not present issues. Find out how often Speech Pathologists work. Also find out if they work part time and make great pay, because that's my impression of speech pathology. That is, it's a lot of consulting work for when places need you and how often. You may see if you could get full time in a hospital, though. You may be required to be present for specific medical exams that are diagnostic and involve swallowing challenges. You will also be doing some testing of patients and working as part of a very important interdisciplinary team with medical doctors and nurses. This is all good.
You will also have the special privilege of working with the deaf community which will provide you much satisfaction. You will work with them on their verbalization and decades ago, Speech Pathologists used to teach deaf individuals how to read lips but I think that is no longer a thing, it may be for those who prefer it, but most know sign language.
It is a very satisfying career from what I observe and the only problems that I could even think of are issues that may arise at the company you work for such as policies, cut backs, etc., and those are always hard to predict. I don't think there's much to worry about with this career. Hopefully you will find out your strong points and which skills you need to work on while you are in college.
I hope that this is a help and I wish you all the best !
I am not a Speech Pathologist but I want to start the ball rolling for responses and advice. Speech Pathology is, in my opinion, one of the most admirable careers a person can have. There are so many arenas in which one could work, too, such as in schools, hospitals and nursing homes. It offers some variety like that so I always see people in that career as being very cheerful and loving their jobs.
Consider that the work is superb, however where you work may or may not present issues. Find out how often Speech Pathologists work. Also find out if they work part time and make great pay, because that's my impression of speech pathology. That is, it's a lot of consulting work for when places need you and how often. You may see if you could get full time in a hospital, though. You may be required to be present for specific medical exams that are diagnostic and involve swallowing challenges. You will also be doing some testing of patients and working as part of a very important interdisciplinary team with medical doctors and nurses. This is all good.
You will also have the special privilege of working with the deaf community which will provide you much satisfaction. You will work with them on their verbalization and decades ago, Speech Pathologists used to teach deaf individuals how to read lips but I think that is no longer a thing, it may be for those who prefer it, but most know sign language.
It is a very satisfying career from what I observe and the only problems that I could even think of are issues that may arise at the company you work for such as policies, cut backs, etc., and those are always hard to predict. I don't think there's much to worry about with this career. Hopefully you will find out your strong points and which skills you need to work on while you are in college.
I hope that this is a help and I wish you all the best !
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
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James Constantine’s Answer
Dear Anna,
Challenges Encountered in the Role of a School Speech Language Pathologist:
The role of a school Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) can be fulfilling, yet it is not without its hurdles. Here's a rundown of some of the challenges that you may face as a school SLP:
1. Managing Large Caseloads: A significant hurdle for school SLPs is dealing with large caseloads. Some schools may have manageable caseload limits, but many SLPs often find themselves juggling caseloads of 70 to 80 students. This can result in increased stress and difficulty in giving each student personalized attention.
2. Legal Obligations: Handling legal issues, such as attending court hearings or depositions related to students, can be a taxing part of the job. Frequent Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings involving legal matters can add to the workload and pressure.
3. Administrative Duties: School SLPs often grapple with the stress of meeting deadlines, scheduling IEP meetings, and taking care of billing responsibilities. The administrative tasks involved in managing caseloads and ensuring compliance with regulations can sometimes be overwhelming.
4. Limited Resources: In certain schools, SLPs may face challenges due to scarce resources, including a lack of support staff or access to necessary materials and tools for therapy sessions. This can affect the quality of services provided to students.
5. Emotional Strain: Working with students who have communication disorders can be emotionally draining for school SLPs. Seeing the struggles of students and their families, especially when progress is slow, can be emotionally challenging.
6. Professional Isolation: School SLPs may sometimes feel isolated if they are the only SLP on staff. This lack of professional collaboration and support from colleagues in similar roles can lead to feelings of isolation and burnout.
7. Continuing Education Requirements: Like many healthcare professions, SLPs need to pursue ongoing professional development and continuing education to maintain licensure and certifications. Balancing these requirements with a demanding workload can be tough.
In summary, while the role of a school Speech Language Pathologist is rewarding as it allows you to help students enhance their communication skills and overall quality of life, it also comes with various challenges. Overcoming these requires resilience, good time management, and effective coping strategies.
Top 3 Reliable Sources Used in Answering this Question:
ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association): ASHA is a renowned professional organization for speech-language pathologists that offers valuable resources, guidelines, and information on best practices in the field.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS provides extensive data on occupational outlooks, including job growth projections, salary information, and key trends impacting professions like speech-language pathology.
Experienced Speech-Language Pathologists: Insights from practicing speech-language pathologists who have firsthand experience working in school settings offer invaluable perspectives on the challenges faced by professionals in this field.
Stay Blessed!
James Constantine Frangos.
Challenges Encountered in the Role of a School Speech Language Pathologist:
The role of a school Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) can be fulfilling, yet it is not without its hurdles. Here's a rundown of some of the challenges that you may face as a school SLP:
1. Managing Large Caseloads: A significant hurdle for school SLPs is dealing with large caseloads. Some schools may have manageable caseload limits, but many SLPs often find themselves juggling caseloads of 70 to 80 students. This can result in increased stress and difficulty in giving each student personalized attention.
2. Legal Obligations: Handling legal issues, such as attending court hearings or depositions related to students, can be a taxing part of the job. Frequent Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings involving legal matters can add to the workload and pressure.
3. Administrative Duties: School SLPs often grapple with the stress of meeting deadlines, scheduling IEP meetings, and taking care of billing responsibilities. The administrative tasks involved in managing caseloads and ensuring compliance with regulations can sometimes be overwhelming.
4. Limited Resources: In certain schools, SLPs may face challenges due to scarce resources, including a lack of support staff or access to necessary materials and tools for therapy sessions. This can affect the quality of services provided to students.
5. Emotional Strain: Working with students who have communication disorders can be emotionally draining for school SLPs. Seeing the struggles of students and their families, especially when progress is slow, can be emotionally challenging.
6. Professional Isolation: School SLPs may sometimes feel isolated if they are the only SLP on staff. This lack of professional collaboration and support from colleagues in similar roles can lead to feelings of isolation and burnout.
7. Continuing Education Requirements: Like many healthcare professions, SLPs need to pursue ongoing professional development and continuing education to maintain licensure and certifications. Balancing these requirements with a demanding workload can be tough.
In summary, while the role of a school Speech Language Pathologist is rewarding as it allows you to help students enhance their communication skills and overall quality of life, it also comes with various challenges. Overcoming these requires resilience, good time management, and effective coping strategies.
Top 3 Reliable Sources Used in Answering this Question:
ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association): ASHA is a renowned professional organization for speech-language pathologists that offers valuable resources, guidelines, and information on best practices in the field.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS provides extensive data on occupational outlooks, including job growth projections, salary information, and key trends impacting professions like speech-language pathology.
Experienced Speech-Language Pathologists: Insights from practicing speech-language pathologists who have firsthand experience working in school settings offer invaluable perspectives on the challenges faced by professionals in this field.
Stay Blessed!
James Constantine Frangos.
Terri Powell-Brown, DHA(c), MS, CCC-SLP
Chief Executive Officer/Clinical Director PACES Therapy
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Terri’s Answer
Consider viewing it from a fresh angle. In this fluctuating job market, being a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in a school setting offers you job stability, predictable hours, and a retirement plan if you're directly employed by the school district. Your tenure can be transferred from one school district to another, provided you're hired directly by the school board. Challenges will arise regardless of the environment, but having a reliable mentor within the same school system can guide you through the specific obstacles of that system. Rest assured, there are standards in place to prevent you from being overwhelmed with work.
In a nutshell: Despite the challenges, the benefits of job security, transferable tenure across school districts, and a retirement plan far outweigh them.
In a nutshell: Despite the challenges, the benefits of job security, transferable tenure across school districts, and a retirement plan far outweigh them.