School based "clinicians"

[mr479]

Is there really such a thing as school based clinicians? What makes us SLPs working or interning in the schools a "clinician" and not just a tutor? At my site, where I've been for almost 11 weeks now, I do not feel like I'm doing anything clinical. I feel like a tutor. A tutor who just takes data on every single thing my "student" does. Maybe we're just teachers masquerading as therapists? Or maybe I'm at an unusual site (it is a private practice after all that contracts me out to schools, mostly private ones.) Or maybe I went into the wrong profession? I like kids, but I did not want to be a tutor, and I definitely don't want to help kids with reading and writing ever again. LOL. 

Edited October 26, 2016 by mr479

[mr479]

In fact, there is an engineering student at one of my schools doing a work study helping kids read, and he's basically doing the exact same thing as me. Only he's not being observed 100% of the time or working for free!

[Crimson Wife]

You're not working on oral language and articulation goals? SLP's working with school-age clients often do work on literacy goals but that should only be part of what the SLP does.

My daughter is 2nd grade and her SLP does target literacy goals but also articulation, syntax, listening comprehension, and pragmatic language goals. So in a 50 minute session there might be 10 minutes spent on each area. 

[jpiccolo]

I'm externing at a middle school right now and definitely not doing reading or writing. At least not traditionally. I am working on story comprehension though plus verbal practice on main idea, description, etc. I also do artic, fluency, and communication modalities. I don't know how you received a caseload but perhaps someone is misinformed on the work you should be doing. If you have a master's I would be clear with the school on what your field entails. 

[CBG321]

On 10/25/2016 at 9:55 PM, mr479 said:

Is there really such a thing as school based clinicians? What makes us SLPs working or interning in the schools a "clinician" and not just a tutor? At my site, where I've been for almost 11 weeks now, I do not feel like I'm doing anything clinical. I feel like a tutor. A tutor who just takes data on every single thing my "student" does. Maybe we're just teachers masquerading as therapists? Or maybe I'm at an unusual site (it is a private practice after all that contracts me out to schools, mostly private ones.) Or maybe I went into the wrong profession? I like kids, but I did not want to be a tutor, and I definitely don't want to help kids with reading and writing ever again. LOL. 

Yes there definitely are school based clinicians.  It sounds like you are working as a resource specialist because what you are describing is their job description and duties.  Are you a certified SLP?  Most school therapists work on articulation, pragmatics with ASD populations, AAC with special needs populations, language skills etc.  What you are describing is not typical nor is it what any public school based SLP's I have shadowed have done.  

Oh wait just saw the private school note, that is why you aren't getting typical therapy a lot of private schools are smaller and have no set rules on who you see and haven't had much experience with SLPs.  I have worked with an SLP at a private school and she kind of made up her job as she went.  Go work at a public school if you want to experience real speech therapy in schools.  That being said maybe it is the wrong field if you are as unsatisfied as you sound and didn't get a good look at what the job was about during school...only taking the tone of this question you don't sound very excited to be in this field.  Maybe making a change of employers will turn that around!

Good luck!