What inspired you to become a speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist?
I discovered the field of speech language pathology while caring for a child with Down Syndrome when I was thirteen, and I wanted to be an SLP ever since. Of course, I had a desire to help others, but there is so much more that drew me to this field. I knew that becoming an SLP would allow me to have lifelong learning as this field is constantly evolving. From therapy interventions to diversity and inclusion, there is always something new to be discovered. I love how creative this profession is as being creative is a big part of who I am. Creativity allows me to express myself, problem solve, and take on different perspectives. I have always been drawn to crafty projects, and I have a background in photography, painting, and running an Etsy shop. I also love how each day and client will be different, and enjoy making therapy fun and individualized.
What populations or areas are you most passionate about working with right now?
I have a special passion for working with children birth through age five, although I also enjoy working with older children. At this time, I especially enjoy working with autistic children and gestalt language processors. I have both personal and professional experience in these areas, which allows me to connect with and understand both the children I work with and their families. I also have experience with AAC, sign language, autism, articulation, late talkers, literacy, and some fluency and feeding. For the past two school years, I have primarily worked with deaf and hard-of-hearing preschoolers in a very structured setting. While I loved that experience, I’m especially excited to lean back into a play-based, child-led approach and explore new ways to support children and families.
How would you describe your therapy style in your own words?
I love letting each child lead the session while incorporating their special interests or favorite activities to make sessions fun, meaningful, and engaging. When children feel comfortable and interested in what they are doing, they are more motivated to learn. Building genuine connections with children and their families is one of my favorite parts of being an SLP.
What do you enjoy most about working at Word Play?
One of the best things about working at Word Play is the amount of care and support we provide to our families. I love giving parents and caregivers the confidence and reassurance to play and communicate with their children through play and everyday interactions. Seeing children in their school and home environments helps create naturalistic learning opportunities and promotes generalization of skills.
What are some common misconceptions about speech or occupational therapy?
In reality, SLPs are trained to assess and treat a wide range of needs including:
- Articulation & phonology - speech sounds
- Language - understanding and using words, sentences, and stories as well as literacy and reading
- Fluency - stuttering and other fluency disorders
- Voice - vocal quality, pitch, resonance, and loudness
- Hearing - communication related to hearing and auditory access
- Swallowing - eating, drinking, and swallowing safely
- Cognition - attention, memory, problem-solving, executive functioning
- Pragmatics - social communication
- AAC - communication through signs, gestures, pictures, speech-generating devices and other modalities
The process to becoming an SLP includes:
- A bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders or a related field
- 2 year Master’s program (typically 50–60+ graduate credits)
- 400+ hours of supervised clinical experience during graduate school
- passing the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology
- Clinical Fellowship year of at least 1,260 hours
- professional certification and state licensure
What are your favorite toys, activities, or routines to support speech and motor development?
Bubbles, books, babies, and puzzles are just a few of my favorite activities to support speech and language development. I enjoy using toys or everyday objects in creative ways to target goals and make therapy fun and meaningful for each child. I also love teaching families how to promote language skills throughout everyday routines. You don’t even need special toys or planned activities to build communication. For example, when dressing a young child, you can narrate what you are doing, label body parts and clothing, make silly faces, sing songs , or even play peekaboo while putting their shirt over their head.
What’s a small win in therapy that always makes your day?
A small win in therapy is when I can make a child smile or laugh while they’re learning. Little moments of joy remind me that therapy doesn’t have to feel like work but can be something a child genuinely looks forward to.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self as a new SLP or OT, what would it be?
One piece of advice I would give to my younger self would be that it is okay for things to change. It is okay to change your mind and it is okay if things do not go to plan. Sometimes the unexpected changes can lead you to exactly where you are meant to be.
Coffee order or favorite snack during a busy day?
You can pretty much always catch me with a Dr. Pepper or an Alani in my hand! I’m also a big fan of all things pumpkin spice and peppermint around the holidays.
Do you have a favorite quote about communication, play, or working with children?
I can’t possibility narrow this down to one quote, so here are of few of my favorites that I try to live by:
♡ “All play is okay.”
♡ “Connection over compliance.”
♡ “All communication is valid.”
♡ “Speech therapy is a work of heart.”