My Journey as a New Graduate at Wonder Words Speech Pathology
In this personal essay, Wonder Words, new graduate speech pathologist, Emma, shares her personal journey of her first year as a working speech pathologist.
New graduate speech pathologist, Emma
Embarking on a career as a new graduate in a paediatric speech pathology clinic is both an exciting and daunting experience. The transition from academic learning to clinical practice brings a mix of emotions—enthusiasm for applying newly acquired knowledge and skills, and apprehension about the responsibilities and challenges that lie ahead. Here, I share my journey, outlining my roles, responsibilities, and the areas where support has been crucial.
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Assessment and Diagnosis
One of my primary roles involves conducting comprehensive assessments to diagnose speech, language, and communication disorders in children. This includes:
Conducting standardised tests to evaluate speech and language abilities.
Observing and interacting with children to understand their communication challenges.
Gathering case histories from parents or caregivers to get a full picture of the child's developmental background.
2. Treatment Planning and Implementation
Based on the assessments, I develop individualised treatment plans tailored to each child’s unique needs. This involves:
Setting realistic and achievable goals.
Designing therapy sessions that incorporate play-based activities to engage young children.
Continuously monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on the child’s progress.
3. Collaboration with Families and Professionals
Effective communication and collaboration are vital in paediatric speech pathology. My responsibilities include:
Educating and empowering parents with strategies to support their child's communication at home.
Collaborating with other professionals such as teachers, occupational therapists, and paediatricians to ensure a holistic approach to the child’s development.
Participating in team meetings and case conferences to discuss progress and adapt intervention strategies.
4. Documentation and Reporting
Accurate and thorough documentation is essential in clinical practice. My tasks include:
Keeping detailed records of assessments, treatment plans, and progress notes.
Writing reports for schools, medical professionals, and insurance companies as needed.
Ensuring all documentation complies with legal and ethical standards.
Areas Where Support is Crucial
1. Mentorship and Supervision
At Wonder Words, all graduate and early-career speech pathologists receive clinical supervision from a senior speech pathologist on a weekly basis. This is an opportunity to discuss clients on our caseload and receive guidance and feedback on how to best support them! This can span from recommendations on how to best advocate for clients in NDIS reports, to different strategies to facilitate the /s/ sound. My weekly supervision sessions have been invaluable and instrumental in building my confidence and clinical skills, particularly when navigating more complex cases.
On top of this, graduates also receive fortnightly peer mentoring sessions with another speech pathologist on the team which allow time for non-clinical questions to improve workflow, maintain workplace wellbeing and offer peer support.
2. Continuing Education
The field of speech pathology is constantly evolving with new research and techniques. Continuous professional development is crucial to ensure clients are receiving the best therapy. Wonder Words supports new graduates by offering ample opportunities to access workshops, seminars and online courses. A reduced caseload has also meant that as a graduate, I have time to build education time into my week.
Moreover, on Friday afternoons the Wonder Words clinicians engage in a 2-hour professional development opportunity as a team. These PDs range from workshop series to presentations by allied health workers such as occupational therapists or psychologists. This year we have upskilled in several areas, including literacy intervention, working with anxious children, autism assessments, childhood apraxia of speech treatments and understanding cognitive assessments.
3. Peer Support and Team Collaboration
At Wonder Words, one of our core values is “We’re in it together”. This value is embedded into our work each and every day. Especially as a graduate, I rely on peer support and team collaboration to provide the best service for my clients. The speech pathologists at Wonder Words all meet for a weekly case conference meeting. Here, all speechies have the opportunity to discuss one of their clients and seek support on how to move forward with their therapy. This is a great opportunity to brainstorm ideas as a team, share resources, experiences and strategies.
In our team, each speechie has unique areas of expertise or interest, so bringing all of this knowledge and passion together is such an invaluable way to collaborate on challenging cases. As a graduate, I’ve learnt so much from these meetings, not to mention the countless lunchtime discussions about therapy techniques, weekly wins and challenges. These discussions have fostered a spirit of camaraderie and teamwork that makes me feel truly supported in my role.
4. Access to Resources and Tools
Having access to the right resources is essential for effective practice. At Wonder Words I have access to a variety of assessment tools and materials; therapy resources such as toys, books, and technology aids; and a well-organised system for managing caseloads and documentation. Having access to all of these resources has been a game changer in helping me to plan my sessions to cater to each individual client.
Emma, in her clinic room at our Clayton location.
The WWSP experience
Working at Wonder Words has been an ideal start to my clinical journey. I think the best way to summarise my experience is through our core values:
We respect and connect
Connecting with each of my clients and their families has been without doubt the most rewarding part of my job. Every client has unique abilities, interests and motivations. Working with families in a collaborative and supportive environment to foster these skills in their children is at the heart of what we do. Together, we acknowledge the challenges and celebrate the wins.
We find the fun
We want our clients to enjoy coming to therapy. It should be a place of exploration, wonder, giggles and excitement. Having fun with my clients and seeing them reach their goals through these activities is such an enjoyable part of working as a speech therapist. As a clinical team, we like to ‘find the fun’ together too. Quarterly team days, chatty lunchtimes and touching base about that footy game on the weekend helps keep the workplace fun, positive and motivating.
We are in it together
As a graduate, I feel supported by the whole team. I also feel valued as a team member and know that my experiences, opinions and ideas will always be heard by others. Working with my clients, their families are all important members of the therapy process and are included in goal setting, therapy and reflection. We are all in it together!
We hustle
At Wonder Words, we work hard to deliver great outcomes for our clients. As a graduate, I feel there is a great balance between a manageable workload and a feeling of satisfaction from the diligence and dedication required to perform the role. I hustle to navigate challenges, constantly reflect on and refine my practice, and enjoy the wins that come from it. Being part of a hard-working and passionate team motivates me to come to work!
For those about to start their journey as a speech pathologist…
It can be daunting to move into clinical work, but my advice is to embrace every learning opportunity, never hesitate to seek support when needed, and remember to “find the fun” in what you do. Once you start to see the impact speech pathology can have on a child’s life, it really drives you to work harder, build your skills, and set your own learning goals. It is incredibly fulfilling to work in a profession where you can help others succeed. There will always be challenges along the way, but remember to celebrate every win and share these wins with your clients and your team.
