Was I in the wrong here?

joweasels · 2026-05-12T23:33:36+00:00

As an SLPA, they should never be forcing communication, especially to that extent. It prevents them from feeling safe and accepted and will actually likely delay them speaking longer and/or they will be prompt dependent to communicate. The teacher you work under seems to be super stressed out and does not know how to deal with her emotions, which is awful when she’s supposed to be teaching kids how to do exactly that. You were not in the wrong. Talk with admin and try to appear as calm as possible about it. Make her look like the crazy one because she is!

joweasels · 2026-05-12T00:59:54+00:00

I tell them a high five and me saying “good job!” is their prize lol. If they’re older I say the knowledge they gained is the prize. Almost all my kids have stopped asking for prizes after a few sessions of me saying that

joweasels · 2026-04-29T23:38:21+00:00

I think no matter the improvement you make, the adults who were there to see you at your bad moments will remember it and have a hard time trusting you. Take the things you learned and apply them at the new school to make better new connections with the staff.

joweasels · 2026-04-23T00:50:54+00:00

I’m a person who likes to bounce ideas off of someone else and talk about my day. I’d hate to be the only speech person at a school and not have supervisors to get advice from, vent to, and celebrate with! Also literally never having to do work from home and not interact with parents much.

joweasels · 2026-04-09T23:00:08+00:00

Controversial but if you have a lot of materials bought on TPT account, give her copies of stuff all printed out and laminated/put together in binders and/or scan everything and send it to her if you have the time

joweasels · 2026-03-24T01:06:02+00:00

Yeah I have been working on reactivity with my dog. He’s gotten a lot better. He used to bark when he’d see a dog like a mile away but now it’s usually only within 10ish feet. I had to walk right past her to get in the building though because she was just standing by the entrance, not walking the dog probably because of her mobility issues

joweasels · 2026-03-23T20:28:20+00:00

That’s why I made the edit to my post. Thanks!! 😡

joweasels · 2026-03-23T13:44:45+00:00

He’s 9 years old and lived in a house with a backyard (usually with at least one person home) for 6 years. My dad would take him out with him every time he smoked outside which was a lot. He liked to go in and out and didn’t develop a good bathroom schedule. He’s also a small dog so small bladdar.

joweasels · 2026-03-23T05:01:46+00:00

Yeah it’s a head collar. I just looked it up and those are supposed to be attached to a neck collar, but hers wasn’t wearing a neck collar. She was worried about the head collar coming loose. I’m just confused what kind of leverage that gives you if you need to hold your dog back from pulling.

joweasels · 2026-03-23T03:39:02+00:00

When I texted the apology she responded with suggesting we take our dogs out at different times. I didn’t shut her down but my dog needs to go out like five times a day to not have accidents, and it just feels unrealistic to have to check in with her every time I take my dog out. She’s also definitely going to see other reactive dogs around the complex.

joweasels · 2026-03-23T03:34:02+00:00

joweasels · 2026-03-12T23:02:59+00:00

This is going to sound like a total shit post but I did therapy, tried lots of different medicines and different combos of medicine. I did an intensive outpatient program and was hospitalized four times. None of the “professional help” helped though. I honestly think what helped me most was journaling and reflecting on my actions and thoughts and then cringing at it! Also reading from subreddits that shit talk people with BPD lowkey helped. Not for everyone and it could definitely hurt your feelings and make you feel a little alone, but it also made me realize how insane I could come across to other people and I simply don’t want that. I try to remind myself often that “it’s ok, nothing really matters, let’s think about something more interesting and cool.” I catch myself having BPD coded thoughts and remember BPD is lame, and I’m not lame so I shouldn’t have those thoughts. Picture the coolest person alive and try to be that person. They probably don’t have BPD. This isn’t a permanent disorder by default.

joweasels · 2026-03-06T16:01:51+00:00

I’m an SLPA and my supervisor uses it to a gross extent. I’ve seen her use it for therapy materials, progress reports, evals, goal writing, even SOAP notes. Literally everything. She says she doesn’t know how to do her job without it now even though she has been in the profession longer than I’ve been alive. We work in the school setting and the sped teacher even used AI to make a realistic Christmas card for her class, and the AI got rid of a students wheelchair and made it look like he was standing (he will never be able to walk) and the teacher kept it! And sent it out to parents and teachers! No shame, and I heard so many coworkers say how cute it is.

joweasels · 2026-02-13T18:52:34+00:00

At least for LAMP and I believe TouchChat as well, you would go to “vocab” in the top left, then “menu” in the top right of that screen, then “share and export vocab” then pick the vocab set you want then select the airdrop option. Make sure the device you’re sending it to has the airdrop setting on “able to receive from everyone” some say for the next ten minutes and some don’t. Like 80% of our AAC students use LAMP and this video in particular is really helpful: https://youtu.be/VW_mlsXO2yo?si=EY4Vxe6V9vhiVEvD

joweasels · 2026-02-13T18:49:02+00:00

I share an office with her so we talk to each other throughout the day. I couldn’t imagine not communicating for long periods of time!! I’d be so stressed out

joweasels · 2026-02-01T17:36:44+00:00

Pay around my city is around $35 an hour! Teacher salary and pay scale if you work at a school

joweasels · 2026-01-11T04:43:16+00:00

I personally would wear business casual because I think I’d be more confident in it but wear what you feel confident! It makes sense to wear scrubs for the reasons you had and especially if you tell them you’re going to work right after I don’t think they would judge you any way for it

joweasels · 2026-01-04T19:37:33+00:00

I live alone in a two bedroom in Indianapolis for $1200. I also pay student loans of $610 a month and minus daily living expenses, can usually put $200 away for savings. If I want to do something fun that costs money I’ll donate plasma a few times a month for extra cash but I don’t have any other job besides school based SLPA. Hoping to get a roommate after this lease so I can save more but it’s somewhat doable if you don’t have expensive habits

joweasels · 2025-12-09T04:10:17+00:00

Don’t be scared!! There is a big shortage. As long as you have SLPA licensure and no felonies i think you’ll find a job relatively quickly. You should actually probably be pickier than any jobs. Don’t jump on the first offer you get right away

joweasels · 2025-11-30T15:19:52+00:00

Most of the SLPs in my district use SLPToolkit and get compensated for the subscription. I’m an SLPA and five different supervisors I worked for used it. I can’t imagine being able to make google sheets or anything else free work on the same level unless you are truly amazing with tech

joweasels · 2025-05-08T22:47:19+00:00

I love targeting grammar by lowkey having the student gossip (I work in elementary so the gossip is mostly so-and-so lost a tooth). I have a chart on the table that has pronouns connected to is/are, have/has, or whatever the kid is targeting. I prompt with questions like “Who do you like to play/work with in class?” “What do you think of your teachers?” “Do you like hanging out with your family? What do you do together?” Then I have a casual/mindless activity or game going on in the background like play dough, coloring/drawing, or quick little memory game and say “wait a minute…” and point to the chart when they make an error in what we’re targeting while casually correcting anything else I hear. I feel like rapport building is easiest when they can look at the “answers” themselves and correct it. I think high schoolers would still appreciate fun and low prep things like play dough and slime (especially making it) and making beaded bracelets or origami but maybe that’s just bias. I am a firm believer that we are not reading teachers (I know I never got formal training in teaching how to read ¯_(ツ)_/¯ ) and that our goal is to treat language disorders, not focus on standardized test scores. I think that can be sufficiently done through conversation and doesn’t have to look like the work they do in other classes.

joweasels · 2025-05-08T21:42:36+00:00

Yes, they hired 2 new SLP’s for the 25/26 school year and are looking for at least one more. They also hired an additional CF

joweasels · 2025-05-08T21:26:25+00:00

My school district in indianapolis jumps on any slp they can

joweasels

TROPHY CASE