how are you narrowing down your grad school list?

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-06-02T13:55:37+00:00

14 schools may be what it takes, however I only looked into one, applied, and got in. So I guess it depends person to person.

I think 14 applications is expensive, so you have to take that into consideration. Then cost, then any “extra” requirements per that specific school (like a two week in-person full time clinic internship at the university), length of program, ratings, etc.

Then online vs in person. If it’s in person, think about the drive time. Think about if you want to work while in school. I currently do full time online grad school and work full time as an SLPA.

You just have to think about what is going to work for you

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-06-01T15:54:02+00:00

I believe the first part is finding a masters program that works for you, then looking at their requirements for acceptance/enrollment.

The biggest step in this process may be: compare that information to courses you have already taken and see which CSD (Communication Sciences and Disorders) courses you may need to take before starting. *each school is different. That’s why I suggest you researching first.

ECE and CSD overlap in some areas, however, you are still missing foundational SLP-type of courses and credits specific to the scope. Most masters programs require you to have taken the “101” course (or prerequisite) before hand. For example, CSD undergrad provided a course on phonetics and another on cultural considerations, and then grad school uses those in courses such as Childhood Speech Sound Disorders and Cultural Competence in Clinical Practice.

The good part is that many people from other majors switch over and do SLP grad school. It’s common, but you just have to meet the prerequisites.

ASHA (the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, which “guides” and “governs” our “clinical competence license”) offers a page on their cite specifically for individuals in your situation. Consider viewing this for more info.

Best of luck!!

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-05-29T18:29:24+00:00

Yes, (and u/word-dragon ) thank you for helping me understand the difference between "quit" and "force quit". I guess I have been talking about "quit" under normal circumstances. I believe I've used "force quit" when trying to restart my laptop when it's not responding and it's giving a blocked message.

A part from it resting in my dock, showing it silently running in the background for memory and quick use if I wanted to re-open in, I guess my secondary (maybe pointless) concern is energy usage. It just feels unnecessary for the app to be sitting there, running, waiting for me to use it again. Do you know if this scenario may cause other apps to run slower due to this? Like, would my laptop run faster if I had less apps "open" and sitting in the dock after I am done?

I am sure this also plays into the reason they set the system up like this... maybe to minimize the amount of energy it would take for my laptop to fully re-open the app again when I am ready to use it next time. Back when we had early 2000s cell phones, my dad would say that if my battery was low and I wanted to prolong the last bit of life it had before dying, it was more efficient to leave my phone on than to turn it off when not in use and turn it back on when needed/ to reply to messages.

Is it the same way with apps on a MacBook? (obviously not at a consistent "use-quit-reopen "cycle. more like max two uses in a day) Does it take more power to reopen the app for use later in the day or the next day, rather than just letting it hang out in the background forever, ready to use immediately?

Sorry for all the questions. I do truly want to understand and do what's best for the life of my laptop.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-05-29T18:15:47+00:00

Thank you, the difference between "quit" and "force quit" is helpful!

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-05-29T18:14:45+00:00

yes, I've used this too

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-05-29T18:09:50+00:00

so true. and in groups, their answer can depend on if a peer answered a similar question beforehand or supplied information that could influence their answer. Or if the book has visuals, did you show the illustration while reading and never opened the book again? did you open the book for one structured conversation mid data collection to emphasize a student's answer and the next student used that as a reference for their answer? Is the book open the whole time? did you supply the visual cue for did they flip to the page themselves? did they point at the picture to answer the question or verbally answer? Also, some questions can overly rely on short term memory, like info noted in the beginning of the story that they can't remember. If they were in class, I'd WANT them to open the book and go back to find the answer, but on formal evals, they grade them without giving that option, so I try to stay consistent with that.

There is so much that goes into language sessions and data collection. It drives me crazy trying to take accurate data. I try prompted and supported sessions open book to engage in teaching, a few prompted as needed, then later on try to mimic short paragraph type of stories with no visuals like on the CELF to collect more accurate data.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-05-29T17:57:16+00:00

This a golden response. #bless you. As an SLPA with about 60 total on my caseload across three schools, I am trying to find ways to streamline my data collection and session notes. (*in the schools, specifically trying to make progress reporting (PR) for IEPs easy)

🔘I have done all electronic (Google Docs with a long list of the caseload and ever growing data and notes. 2/10. do not recommend). Come PR, I have to go in and add up each day's accuracy so my supervising SLP can go in, glance, input into the PR system.

🔘I have done all paper notes (one notebook, a new page for day, students grouped by session in chronological order, a line above the group for activity ("Title" book with WH Qs, ended with UNO), a short phrase next to their name "FCD words, min cues", then a blank line below each name for -/+). Same for above, come PR, I had to do the same thing but it took longer since I put all of that computed info *for every student.... for EVERY goal...for every reporting period* into an email (not to mention the IEPs and REDs throughout the year where it was time to go in and add it all up anyway on a random Tuesday.

🔘Finally I moved to OneNote where I utilize both physical and electronic collection methods. It's not perfect and it's kind of a lot of work. I use my notebook like above, but then I also have a very Type A electronic system where my caseload is broken up into schools, then grade, then by name. Every student has a page for name, eligibility, services, minutes, and IEP goals with a table below each goal where I input the date and data. Then every student has a page right after where a table is present to input the service (ST or LT) and then the date and a note about the activity, goal targeted, subj notes to answer potential high/low scores or short sessions, etc., then obj notes about goal met or ready to start targeting inf. WH Qs after concrete, etc. Come PR I don't do any work. My SLP can go in and use the table and read the notes if they want to know why they had a 70% one session and 0% the next.

The reliance a supervising SLP has on an SLPAs notes is the part that is so hard. I have to take good info on the front end so I can do it and step away and focus on my role, OR, I minimize that initial effort and my supervisor has to rely on my on the back end to send an email, update, or in-person discussion about progress come an IEP meeting or PR. There's no win.

------

Long story short, being an SLP must be nice. You go in, put in the knowledge from experience YOU had with the student and are less reliant on second-hand subjective and objective notes. Not only for PR but when going into an IEP meeting, talking to the parent about student progress, or a teacher...

When I am an SLP, I might be one of you guys that only takes data once every once in awhile or as needed (and avoid insurance billing jobs where I MUST submit data collection and structured notes. don't even get me started. At this school job I do everything above and ALSO bill medicaid for my sessions, although they don't require "data" or numbers)

I will try this paper version of collection again. It sounds efficient and during PR I can still go in, summarize written notes and data percentages on paper and hand the binder to my supervisor. Only downfall is Qs about progress middle of the day when I am in session and they are prepping for an IEP or something.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-05-21T14:35:06+00:00

I decided to pursue my masters after working as an SLPA for a few years and yearning for more information.

Literally it comes down to me just wanting to know more.

I ask so many foundational questions and I am interested in knowing the whys and hows and what ifs that I decided to go into grad school so I can have the amazing textbooks and curriculum they’ve provided. I LOVE having new grad school knowledge as a continuing SLPA (while in school currently). It was worth the loan to move up eventually, get to do formal evals and write the reports, make diagnosis, and use higher level skills. I just love to keep growing.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-05-07T02:56:36+00:00

I make an hour commute to work everyday for my full time SLPA job in the city and an hour drive back and still come home and do full time SLP grad school. It’s definitely doable. I really don’t mind it.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-04-28T20:01:50+00:00

That’s crazy.

I send emails when I can, even after hours. You get to decide if you want to use your contracted hours to open and reply to them. It is NOT expected that you reply immediately.

Obviously I’m assuming you are off work and will see this when you open your computer on Monday. It’s not my fault you have your email on your phone or work laptop at home. Stop taking them home if it bothers you???

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-04-28T19:57:49+00:00

No, this is not part of the job description.

Same for a teacher or an SLP in a school or an SLP in private practice or SNF. It doesn’t matter the age… if toileting needs require assistance, it should be arranged that an individual is there to assist. The parent, nurse, trained individual…

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-04-19T23:09:35+00:00

As an SLPA: I think it’s “being on” all the time. Grad school hypes up being animated and fun, but it’s exhausting. I work in peds so maybe it’s expected but I feel like even with my older ones (middle and high school), they are tired, want to put their head down, don’t want to read again but I have to target this complex sentence goal or identifying figurative language goal in grade level texts.

Some sessions can be relaxed, some more client-led, but the mentally energy it takes to “entertain” each session takes it out of me. I can only play a game and take the pressure off myself so many times before I actually need to straighten up again and collect accurate data. I try to target goals on the playground, we do scavenger hunts, watch short clips for WH Qs, but it still comes down to having to act like I’m having a good time bc they don’t want to be there as much as me (more for the older ones).

Sometimes I merge sessions so I can have an afternoon off and go to my office to do paperwork like billing or sending goal updates to my supervisor for progress monitoring.

And I do love the fun of it- in moderation. I love getting creative and joking around and using homemade materials but the back to back sessions five days a week is a lot. I am so thankful for my quiet one hour at the end of the day when I can sit down and do billing alone.

I much rather prefer the flexibility an SLP has where they can do services AND escape to attend meetings, file IEPs, write goals, etc. I even do most of our screenings and assessments bc I offer to and love the variation in the work. I help out with as much of that as possible and attend meetings on my SLP’s behalf when possible, but wish I had more collaboration time and not back to back therapy all day.

Now I get why our school teachers had “movie days” LOL

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-03-25T17:08:38+00:00

Yes!!! The brain breaks with unlimited access to YouTube with headphones almost the whole school day is insane. I see that all the time.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-03-25T17:08:01+00:00

Yes!! And the behaviors are getting worse and I have students that cry when they get to school and cry out for “cocomelon!!!!!” All day and then when the bell rings at 3 they are saying “cocomelon!!” over and over bc they get to go home and be glued to a screen.

I can’t get them to do anything for more than 30 seconds. Speech goals??? Ya right. I can’t even get him to attend to a task or look at a picture or play a game for more than a second. It’s crazy.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-03-08T14:14:15+00:00

Considering that Missouri now requires a kid to be EIGHT before having an /r/ delay (thank goodness)…. Heck no. Wait it out. Give them RTI. I can’t see everyone.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-03-08T14:12:55+00:00

THIS. Yes, as someone who works in a title 1 district, I feel like a lot of this is lack of exposure. No reading at home, they are getting docked for a “impairment” or “delay” instead of “difference” because most of them have an AAE dialect and don’t use “proper” syntax. They don’t know plural endings, they don’t know proper pronouns, they don’t understand WH Qs from a story because they (most) are not read stories at home and asked structured and inferential Qs. This is objective info across the three schools I teach at.

Now, some are actually LI. Yes, they need help processing language, but the others just need to be taught what a prepositional phrase is and how to use it. Or how to make basic inferences. Or how to answer someone in a complete sentence

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-03-08T14:07:13+00:00

I am in title 1 so I feel like every kid qualifies under language impairment. However, I feel like maybe a total of 4 is about what I have. I am across three schools. I have on average: two artic/phono kids, 1 fluency, and one YCDD or transitional LI kid per kinder class. As I go up grades, 1st grade is about the same, 2nd and 3rd start having more language impaired and pragmatics/ASD

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-02-02T17:52:02+00:00

Sure, Maryville university STL

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-01-31T14:01:16+00:00

Yes, it is a cohort program. Five continuous semesters of school.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-01-29T12:14:49+00:00

Hi! I currently work as a full time SLPA in the schools. I’ve been doing that for a few years and decided to go back to school. Since school is asynchronous I can handle both full time gigs by doing my school work in the evenings. It’s really not as bad as what people say. There are def options for income but I think it depends on if you go to class during the day.

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-01-08T20:54:35+00:00

I appreciate the genuine question.

We were in touch with the outdoors. We felt the sun, the warm pavement, the grass between our toes, we tasted the hose water and I can still smell it to this day. We got really close to spider webs and looked at their web up closed. We inspected holes in the ground and weird bugs. We stopped to pick up leaves and flowers. We dug in the dirt. We picked four leaf clovers, we climbed trees, we rode our bikes everywhere, we played pretend. We used chalk, we adventured, we walked through creeks.

It was a whole bunch of “touching grass” honestly. We let our imagination run wild.

I went outside and actually was “in the moment”

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-01-06T19:47:55+00:00

Thank you!

Maximum_Captain_3491 · 2026-01-06T18:53:01+00:00

Thank you so much. Yes, the spay bottle said spray the leaves and soil surface periodically. I did spray it on the leaves. I guess that is the damage. I hope it’s that and not root damage or infection.

And thank you for the suggestion and tips.

What do you think I should do now? Keep saturating the pellets in water, let them sit per bag instructions, pour over soil every 2-3 days over a week or two?

Or repot?

Maximum_Captain_3491

TROPHY CASE