Leah S

What got you interested in working as a speech therapist?

After a very long career as a nanny, I was looking for a career that would allow me to continue working with kids and families while also allowing room for growth and helping in more meaningful ways. Long story short, one of the moms whose kids I nannied worked in an SLP adjacent field and recommended I look into SLP. The rest is history!

What is your favorite memory of being an SLP?

I love coming up with creative ways for kids to have fun with speech! I have so many great memories from internships. One of my favorites was when I was working with an autistic student whose goal was to initiate conversation with his classmates. I would hang out with him everyday at recess for 10 minutes and push him on the swings while asking him weird “would you rather” questions that made him laugh. Eventually, his classmates started hanging around the swings to see what we were up to and I’d ask them the questions, too. One day, the student answered the question and then asked his classmate the same one without any prompting. (I still remember it was–“Would you rather wear sneakers filled with mashed potatoes or gloves filled with maple syrup?”) It was such an amazing moment to watch him connect with a friend.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I’m always up for trying a new coffee shop, restaurant, or thrift store. I enjoy crafts and home improvement/organization projects (or at least starting them!). Big fan of errand days with friends, game nights, live music, reading thrillers, and hanging out at home watching movies with my husband and our cats.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I’m a scary movie connoisseur 🙂

What is your favorite activity to encourage learning and growth with kids?

Hide and seek with toys and making pretend soup.