Supportiveness of SLP programs

[SashaB]

Ok, time for the moment of truth...

Before I began considering SLP, I was in a master's program for education.  I had an extremely negative experience where I was told I failed a placement during its last week, then kicked out of my grad program during my 2nd placement after my first observation.  I looked into SLP initially because I think I do a lot better one-on-one (I work as a SPED aide to one kid, and this is my 2nd school year in this type of role) and in a more structured type of environment.  But I am really, REALLY afraid of going back to school and failing again, and particularly of not getting the support I need to improve in my clinical as I go.  TO CLARIFY: I did not get failed because I did some one-time horrible thing, just general poor performance.

Are speech pathology programs generally supportive and direct with you in terms of feedback?  Do they help you improve rather than just telling you what are doing poorly?  I'm considering U of I, Edinboro, Radford, and Longwood right now.  And like I said, I'm very reluctant to go back to being in debt if it means I may fail out unexpectantly; I'm very seriously considering taking another year off to work.

 

[lexical_gap]

It completely depends on your instructor / clinical supervisor, his/her management style, and your learning style.  Some instructors use the "throw you into the metaphorical pool and you'll learn to swim on your own or sink" method of teaching.  Others give you feedback about every detail you use in clinic, down to the size and color of the font you choose for stimulus words.  If you're worried, ask your supervisor how they like to teach their students.

Most of the supervisors I've had ask for feedback as to how they are doing as your supervisor.  They give out paper surveys and schedule in-person meetings to discuss not only your case management,  but how they are doing as your mentor.  It's up to you to speak up if you want more guidance or supervision.  They want you to succeed.  If you fail out, it reflects poorly on them as your supervisor.

 

That said, the responsibility still lays on you as the clinician to learn the techniques, read the research, read test manuals, ask questions, and come to each session prepared.  If you do the homework and make a mistake with a client, the supervisors are usually a little bit more forgiving.  If you don't do the work required to prepare, they'll come down on you harder.

It also depends on the severity of the mistake.  If you give the wrong hand signal for an articulatory tactile cue, you'll get a gentle correction (the first time).  If you violate HIPAA, hoo boy, hold on to your hat.

In general, do your best and show up prepared.  Ask plenty of questions if you don't understand something.  Advocate for yourself.  It's your education and future career on the line.

[sayjo]

I'm sure the supportiveness of the program depends on the school; however, I think it's important to clarify to yourself what "general poor performance" in teaching means.  Teaching is obviously very different from SLP, but it does have some similarities.  I think you need to figure out exactly what you struggled with in the past and determine if that is going to hold you back as an SLP.  For example, if you struggled with classroom management, that probably won't be a huge issue in SLP, since you're not dealing with 30 kids at a time.  However, if you struggled planning lessons, that might be an issue.

 

In general, I don't think most people realize how demanding teaching is.  It's an EXTREMELY difficult profession.  I personally got out of it because after five years, I couldn't handle the huge demands on my time and was sick of working 12+ hours a day and weekends.  Obviously, I'm not an SLP yet, but I do think that "failing" out of a teaching program does not necessarily mean that you'll have a difficult time with SLP.  You need to know yourself and know what your limitations are in order to determine if you'll be successful as a clinician or not.  

[sayjo]

Oops - double post. 

Edited March 15, 2014 by sayjo

[lexical_gap]

To give some context, I too, am a former teacher, headed to SLP-land.  I substitute taught for 5 years (couldn't land a full-time contract job) and switched fields.  I love teaching, but 30 on 1 is now how I taught best.  I am now able to do what attracted me to teaching in the first place: really get to know my students / clients, understand their learning needs, and design individualized intervention to help them.  It's a lot of work, but I couldn't be happier.

Hold on to the skills you learned as an educator.  They will serve you well.