Hiya! I’m a Speech-Language Pathologist of eleven years and the writer and product creator here at The Calm SLP.
I was hired on at a middle school for my first job as an SLP. At the time, I felt a bit thrown to the wolves. Now, after eight years of middle school, high school, and college-age experience, I can honestly say I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Working with older grades has meant working primarily with neurodivergent students with language and executive function needs. It also led to my own diagnosis of ADHD at 35.
The SLP Bits
- ASHA-certified
- 9 years in a brick-and-mortar public school district working with preschool through high school
- in year 4 as a school-based teletherapist working with middle school and high school
- got into speech-language pathology because of literacy and did my honors thesis on literacy and prison rates—I haven’t changed as much as I’ve expanded my passions
- really into super simple materials that let me get in a lot of work through discussions and dialogue. materials are a data source and a jumping off point to growth.
The Non-SLP Bits
- INFJ Hufflepuff
- avid reader (the one who got in trouble for reading at the table, in the tub, in the pool…)
- my brain works best when writing
- absolutely obsessed with tea, LOTR, The Beatles, and rainy days (#anglophile)
- can’t decide between living on the coast, in the mountains, or in a London flat
- one day, a cat will adopt me
- firm believer in mermaids and faeries
- all about minimalizing and simplifying my life so there’s more space for joy
- probably dancing in my kitchen right now
What is The Calm SLP?
Well, it depends on where you’re joining me!
In my product store, The Calm SLP is about efficient, effective, and efficacious treatment options that make our speech sessions as beneficial as possible for middle and high school students. It’s a space that’s constantly evolving as I reevaluate my strategies and improve my clinical (and creative!) skills.
Here on the blog, it’s about us. It’s about the fact that we do good, important work, but that’s not all we are. Tending to the whole of ourselves means we’re able to better walk in this world as individuals and as caring clinicians. It’s also about being neurodivergent affirming and socially responsible—recognizing where the work we do intersects with the world around us and being prepared to grow our practices and advocate for systems that benefit our clients.
I have no desire to be another SLP blogger writing about how to use context clues. Many people have been there before me (and done a great job!).
Instead, this is a record and a reflection of my life as an SLP. Sure, there may be some posts about how I’m using a certain strategy… but they’ll mingle with anecdotes from my therapy sessions, things I’ve tried and failed, how I’m protecting my mental health, and more.
If we’re being honest… this blog is rewinding it back to the early 2000s. It’s an SLP blog because I’m an SLP. But it’s not just an SLP blog because I’m not just an SLP.
I’d love for you to grab a hot drink and join me!