EP 140 - How to Thrive as a Preschool SLP

The Speech Space Podcast

This episode is about how to thrive as a preschool SLP. The episode opens with an acknowledgement that working as an SLP will probably never be easy, but it asserts that thriving is possible. It then moves into a brief recognition of the uniquely challenging and exhausting work that preschool SLPs do each day. The episode then goes on to offer three strategies to thrive as a preschool SLP. The first strategy is embracing authenticity. There’s a common idea that preschool SLPs are bubbly all the time, but students value authenticity more than a specific personality type. The episode also notes the importance of encouraging our students to be authentic as well, and this may mean adjusting some of our behavioral expectations. The second strategy involves being willing to seek out preschool experts, especially because preschool intervention can be a niche area. It’s difficult to thrive when we believe that we have to figure everything out on our own! The third strategy is about simplifying our therapy and focusing on activities that are backed by research and can target multiple skills at once.