I decided to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist during high school. One day at Walgreens, I witnessed a deaf individual struggling to communicate with a store employee. That evening, I asked my mother, "What career helps people with hearing loss?" She suggested speech-language pathology, which set me on the path to my current profession.
I enrolled at St. Louis University as a Communication Sciences and Disorders major and maintained this focus throughout college. Declaring my major early allowed me to double minor in psychology and education. I was certain I wanted to work with children and knew I wanted a career that offered flexibility for when I eventually started my own family. From the very first course, Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders, I was hooked. I was amazed by the diverse opportunities within the field. Speech-language pathologists work in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, home health, nursing homes, and clinics. Our work encompasses speech, language, swallowing, fluency, voice, cognition, and hearing, with clients ranging from infants to the elderly. I knew that if I ever felt stagnant in my career, I could pivot and explore new areas.
During graduate school, my passion for early childhood development became clear. I thoroughly enjoyed my placements at the Early Childhood Language/Literacy Center at SLU and the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic. It became evident that working with young children was the right choice for me. After graduation, I spent two years at The Belle Center, a contract company. This role was intense, offering me a wide range of experiences, from working with children through Missouri First Steps and those with IEPs at St. Louis Language Immersion School to providing therapy in homes and daycares. However, when I learned about an opening at Walker Scottish Rite Clinic, I knew I had to apply. My time there during graduate school had been so rewarding. I spent a decade at WSRC, where I grew as a therapist, supervisor, and professor. I co-led the KidTalk Language Group, taught "It Takes Two to Talk" to parents, created the KidTalk Phono Group, presented at conferences, taught Speech Sound Disorders, and deepened my passion for working with families, late talkers, and children with apraxia. My career at WSRC helped me become the clinician I had always aspired to be, for which I am profoundly grateful.
Eventually, I learned about a contract position at Orchard Farm Early Learning Center. A friend recommended I apply for the part-time SLP role. Feeling ready for a change, I interviewed, received an offer on the spot, and established an LLC. Despite my initial apprehension about starting my own business, I took the leap, and Word Play Speech Therapy was born. I spent two years contracting at Orchard Farm ELC, during which I gained invaluable experience and grew as a therapist, thanks to the collaboration with SLPs, OTs, PTs, teachers, and paraprofessionals. However, I missed working closely with families and desired more flexibility for my family. The time came for me to truly be the entrepreneur that has always been a part of me (I created a temporary tattoo business when I was in grade school, had my own vinyl shirt business, created speech and language kits...).
So here I am, owner and SLP of Word Play Speech Therapy. I love getting to work with families closely again and helping parents feel empowered to improve their child's speech and language. I live for the "YES!" moments when a new skill just *clicks* with a client. I love to walk into a child's daycare and establish relationships with their teachers. I get excited when parents share that their child said a new word. One of my favorite parts of being an SLP is that I am constantly learning. Every child brings a new puzzle to solve. I am extremely lucky to have found my passion. If I won the lottery I would still want to be an SLP. I truly love my job and I cannot wait to see how Word Play Speech Therapy grows.
- Ms. Ali
