Surviving the Longest Month: The Challenges of Being a High School SLP

SLPs and teachers alike dread the month of October and count the days until November.

I'm not sure who had the bright idea to put absolutely no school breaks in October... This is what makes October the worst month of the school year. So, in honor of the worst month coming to a close, I thought I would finally talk about the challenges of being a high school SLP. This year has definitely been different compared to last year, which was my first year in the schools. While I still enjoy this setting, it does have its share of challenges.

1. High Caseloads

Managing high caseloads is almost inevitable at this point for most SLPs in the school setting. There is such a shortage of SLPs in most settings, but especially in schools. My caseload has fluctuated between 55 and 61 over the past few months. Even though California has a statewide caseload cap of 55, it doesn't always work out to be 55 or less. Now, keep in mind, that this is high school. That overall number includes students who receive services 30 mins/month and my consult-only students. Not everyone is seen weekly for 30 minutes! The most difficult part is having a caseload spread across 3 schools, which can make the caseload feel even bigger at times.

2. Scheduling & Time Constraints

With higher caseloads comes increased scheduling needs and time constraints. The first 2 weeks back to school are considered 'non-therapy' weeks. This gives the SLPs time to analyze every student's schedule and figure out when to see them and how (push in vs. pull out). If only it were that easy... I am still moving my schedule around to accommodate student's new schedules and new students added to my caseload. October has been a crazy month for new transfers at two of my schools and more students added to the caseload. I like to think of my therapy schedule as a big game of Tetris that I get paid to play. This year, I am not having as much 'downtime', which is good and bad. It's good because it makes the day go by faster; it's bad because I have less time to observe, plan, and bill.

3. Evaluations & IEPs

Okay... I have to be honest... I actually don't mind all the evaluations and IEPs! I'm a diagnostics girlie at heart thanks to my years as a research specialist. I know a lot of SLPs dread evaluations and IEP meetings, though. My reason for listing this as a challenge is because of the time they take away from therapy time. I have already had around 10 triennial re-evaluations and attended 32 IEPs... we've only been in school for 52 days! That's a lot of time rearranged on my schedule to accommodate my other students during the therapy week.

4. Lack of Professional Support

If you read my blog post from last year, then you probably already know that I've had my credentials and clinical judgment questioned by a school psychologist (along with breaking into my office and stealing my therapy chair). Not much has changed with her, but rather I realize what actual professional support should look like thanks to my other school. I've noticed that the school psychologists are essentially the leaders of the special ed department, and if they respect you, the teachers do as well. Now, if the school psych does not respect you or value your profession, the teachers follow suit. At one of my schools, I feel very unsupported by my department professionally. It is very opposite to my other school. The school psychs respect and value me, which shines through the whole department. I have psychs and teachers requesting my professional opinion and collaborating with me to support students. It's a dream come true! But, knowing what it's actually like to be professionally respected makes it even harder to work at a school that doesn't. Thankfully, I have a lot of good general education teachers who support me and appreciate my profession!

5. SOAP Notes

I think this one is self-explanatory. If you've written a SOAP note, then you already know how draining it would be to write 50 each week. Some weeks, it's nearly impossible to finish them during contract hours with all the extra IEPs, evaluations, observations, phone calls, and emails needed to get done.

As we bid farewell to the chaos that October brings, the challenges we face will continue on. From navigating high caseloads and busy schedules to contending with the demands of evaluations, IEPs, and never-ending SOAP notes, the life of an SLP is an intricate balancing act. I have faced more challenges in this month of October than most of my time last year in the schools, so I welcome November with open arms. This month will bring more breaks and (hopefully) fewer tears. But remember: if you can make it through the month of October in the schools, there's nothing you can't do.

Also, I'm really excited to be designing and making my own SLP shirts! Check out SLP shirts for sale!