Top 12 reasons being an SLP in Iowa will ROCK

Note: This started as a "full-length" version, which would have been extremely boring to any non-speech-language pathologists. So I'm narrowing it down to a Top 12. Who knows, maybe it's boring anyway (certainly not as exciting as edition 1 and 2)? But since you're already here...

The most important thing I have learned from my father is to find a career that I love. The field of speech-language pathology combines my love of language with my interest in health care and skill in working with children. My passion is finding a way to teach something that a child cannot understand naturally or via the traditional methods of instruction. Today, I love my career but not my job.

I've been working about 9 to 12 hours most days for 3 years while being paid for only 7.5 hours. Sadly, much of my time is spent writing "perfect" assessment reports that will be reviewed by parents with major entitlement disorders. Even more of my time is spent sitting in hostile IEP meetings, sometimes with advocates and attorneys (and often with a guy with 'roid rage who wears mesh shirts, if any shirt).

Top 12 reasons being an SLP in Iowa will ROCK:

1. Grown-up office! The SLPs all have desks in a "grown-up" office. This means a home to keep your materials and get work done. This is important because there are no children, parents, or teachers around! I would be so much more efficient without my 140+ parents popping in with the cliche, "Do you have a minute?" Having an office day is unheard of in So Cal. Plus, the clincian's computers are much nicer and newer than my circa 2002 Dell laptop that I have to prop open with a stick at work.

2. No lawsuits! This one is pretty much self-explanatory and not an exaggeration.

3. Smaller caseload! Right now I have about 68 kids with an assistant 2.5 days a week. I'm looking at 50-55 kids with an assistant 5 days a week. I am not good with math but this sounds promising.

4. Driving time! Visiting multiple schools is kind of a hassle...or is it? I am crazy in love with music and singing along in my car. I like spending time alone especially when I'm thinking about a difficult case at work. And driving takes away the issues of single-school involvement (recess duty, school politics, lunch room gossip...).

5. Not working for a school district! SLPs and other special education employees work for state Area Education Agencies instead of directly for the districts. My AEA serves 14 counties. This makes for a more consultative, professional role in my opinion. Sorry teachers, I love ya, but I am not cut out for what you do. I like my small groups in a quiet room.

6. More help! SLPs who are new to the AEA have a mentor SLP who is paid with a stipend to help the newcomer. I will also be office mates with some SLPs, and of course there is the increased assistant time (#3).

7. Advisory board position! I've been asked to serve on a panel of SLPs because I am "innovative" and "a leader" (aka young and don't know any better?). Either way, flattery gets you very far with me. Plus that is 5 half-days a year planning, researching, and collaborating with a few of my colleagues from different areas.

8. Collaboration! In the "grown-up" office there are not only SLPs, but administrators, psychologists, audiologists, audiometrists, special education consultants, special education teachers...I'm so excited to hang with all these folks and talk shop. The buildings themselves are nice and even have a hearing testing booth. I hope they let me play around with that equipment; audiology, my other secret love.

9. Double the sick days! Yes. 20 per year instead of 10. I am not making this up.

10. Make your own schedule! I will pick my work days based roughly on my schools' calendars. There is lots of flexibility for change based on personal needs, snow days, office days...

11. Free continuing education units! SLPs need quite a few continuing education units every year for our state licenses as well as American Speech-Language Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence. Right now this costs roughly $250 to $400 per year. The supervising SLP of my AEA is a continuing ed provider for ASHA, so all staff development days are CEU days.

12. Helping kids who need help! Less "new money" and fewer crazy entitled people. I will be a resource for kids who don't have so many resources. I doubt anybody is supplementing with a lot of private speech therapy like in So Cal!

So...who wants to rent my condo???

Copyright Rachel Burns 2009