By: Venessa Grandjean, SLPD, CCC-SLP, TSHA SLP/SLP Assistants Committee Co-Chair
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the role of speech-language pathology assistants (SLP Assistants) is to assist with service delivery, provide administrative support, and engage in culturally responsive practices, but have you ever considered how SLP Assistants feel about performing these tasks? After supervising more than 20 SLP Assistants over the course of my fieldwork, I thought I knew, but I set out to be sure. I personally interviewed a few of them from the school, pediatric home care, and adult clinic settings, and what I learned was a bit surprising. For those who supervise, you may find some of these reflections valuable and just as applicable.
To begin, SLP Assistants support speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with a variety of bachelor’s degrees as not all majored in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). Regardless of their background, it is past experiences and exposure to the field that brought them here. Like SLPs, many found that moment of awe that sparked their future endeavors when a family member received therapy services. Some just loved working with children and pursuing a calling that challenged their thinking, and the others with CSD bachelor’s degrees chose to work as SLP Assistants to gain real-world experience before committing to a master’s degree.
When asked which qualities SLP Assistants see most fitting in their supervisors, honesty, trustworthiness, patience, and collaboration were at the top of the list. Molly Hubbard, who has worked in both home care and school settings, indicated, “I have been fortunate to have had wonderful supervisors. I think the best supervisors put their full trust into my skills as a therapist and allow me to have creativity when it comes to therapy planning and execution.”
Being available, flexible, and having good time management were next in line. The ability to teach and explain a skill or therapy technique were also important attributes. SLP Assistants tend to like functional and productive feedback after direct supervision. SLP Assistant Gina Tamez admitted that receiving specific feedback about the evidence-based practices (EBP) techniques observed in a session helped her to grow in knowledge as a clinician. In fact, it is this additional insight that prompted Gina to start her master’s degree.
Reports of having a sense of camaraderie also were noted. Shawna Rigney mentioned that it’s nice to have a supervisor to “ask questions and bounce ideas back and forth.” She further explained that in her experiences, this teamwork has paid off. After her supervising SLP completes evaluations for speech-generated devices, she is then able to help those patients learn how to use them. Shawna added, “When you have an amazing supervisor, you work together as a team.”
My interviewees also reported a variety of positive attributes of their jobs in general. For the most part, the best task of working as an SLP Assistant is conducting therapy. The highlight for Alexis Casas is “being able to work with patients in a creative and personalized way to help them achieve success.” Since the role of an SLP Assistant has minimal paperwork, SLP Assistants can put all their focus on the students’ goals. Molly Hubbard’s current supervisor reiterated this by adding, “Assistants are vital to delivering evidence-based services, especially in the school setting. They provide valuable insight to student-specific needs, deliver quality therapy, and stay up-to-date on current research in therapeutic techniques without being bogged down with paperwork.”
On another note, there are also a few downfalls to being an SLP Assistant. Wanting to be more involved with patient care and able to do more than just therapy and material prep was noted; however, the consensus by far was that the worst thing is being underrated, even with years of experience. As Alexis pointed out, “Being undervalued is an issue I have come to find in my years of experience as an SLP Assistant. I have found that due to my degree, people may be quick to decide that my knowledge in speech and language is very limited, without being open to the idea that years of experience can at times be sufficient when providing great and effective therapy.”
Overall, the biggest downfall of this work is the title itself as it seems to carry with it some degree of a lack of respect for being “just an assistant.” As Gina pointed out, “The worst thing about being an SLP Assistant is the title. To have ‘assistant’ in the name really does a disservice to the education requirements to become a licensed SLP Assistant and to maintain that licensure.” Alexis further explained, “We love working alongside such passionate people like our SLPs and other professionals in our fields, so being able to present that same admiration should be something shown to SLP Assistants as well.”
To be fair, Webster does suggest other synonyms for the word “assistant.” Examples include auxiliary, right-hand man/woman, partner, colleague, coworker, collaborator, supporter, and associate. Perhaps we need to look at another title in the future that is a better reflection of the role SLP Assistants play; however, like many of us in the helping professions, there is not always a financial gain, promotion, or change in title or rank in appreciation of hard work and expertise.
Perhaps other types of recognition for their hard-work and dedicated attributes would go a long way. Some suggestions might be using the pronouns “we” rather than “you” or “I” when making plans, asking SLP Assistants for their input on the next set of goals, being flexible when life happens, and praising their skills to families, patients, and colleagues. SLP Assistants are well-trained and passionate about what they do. Holding SLP Assistants in a higher regard that builds self-esteem and expresses our appreciation would be a positive way to cultivate the team we are trying to build. The reality is that SLP Assistants are our teammates, and the only way to win is to work together well.
Author Venessa Grandjean, SLPD, CCC-SLP, is co-chair of the TSHA SLP/SLPA Committee. She is a professor at Baylor University and the program director for the Online CSD Graduate Program. She continues to stay in touch with the field by supervising SLP Assistants through Pathfinder Pediatric Home Care Inc. in The Woodlands, Texas.