By: Jennifer Schwind, MS, CCC-SLP, SLP Assistants/SLP Assistants’ Supervisors Committee Member; Samantha Oliver, BS, SLP Assistant, SLP Assistants/SLP Assistants’ Supervisors Committee Member; and Gillien B. Oliver, MS, CCC-SLP, SLP Assistants/SLP Assistants’ Supervisors Committee Co-Chair
The Q&A Corner is a dedicated space in our newsletter designed to support Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLP Assistants) and supervising SLPs across Texas. In each issue, we answer real questions submitted by professionals working in the fields with a focus on practical guidance, current regulations, and best practices. Our goal is to provide clear, relevant information while promoting ethical and effective service delivery. Guidance is informed by resources such as the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA).
Question
I’m an SLP Assistant in a school, and I sometimes run into challenging behaviors during speech sessions. What are some strategies you’ve found that work well, and how do you usually decide when it’s time to loop in your supervising SLP?Sincerely, An SLP Assistant Working to Support Challenging Students
Answer from Samantha Oliver, BS, SLP Assistant
Challenging behaviors may occasionally arise during sessions, and I have experienced this as well. It is important to keep a running dialog with the Supervising SLP and keep track of patterns of behavior, whether minor or major. This ensures the supervisor is not caught off guard and allows for early intervention. Sharing this information provides valuable insight into the student’s behavior and helps address concerns before they escalate. Your supervisor also may have helpful insights regarding factors at home or outside of school. Additionally, consider discussing these behaviors with your teachers to see if they are also observing similar issues.
There are several steps you can take. First, identify the specific behavior being exhibited, such as elopement, attention-seeking, defiance, reluctance to complete work, or boredom. Once you’ve identified the behavior, you can begin to determine appropriate strategies to address the behavior.
Reflect on your session timing. When do you see the student? Is it first thing in the morning when they may not be fully alert? Are you pulling them during a preferred activity? Are the sessions scheduled just before or after lunch or recess? Adjusting the timing might help reduce or eliminate problematic behaviors.
Observe the student's behavior carefully. Are they distracted throughout the session? Can they focus on the task? Does the student have a language or hearing deficit? Do they interrupt others or show resistance to participating? Does the student have a (Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)?
Keep track of these patterns within your daily notes to help monitor progression or regression of behaviors within speech.
For students who exhibit challenging behaviors like reluctance to attend speech or sudden anxiety, I find it helpful to use a visual schedule and timers. Clearly outlining how the session will progress can make a significant difference. For example: “For x amount of time, we will work on y goal. After the timer goes off, we will have x minutes for a game of your choice. Then, we will get ready to go back to class.”
Providing a clear timeline helps students understand what to expect, creating a sense of predictability. Offering them a choice of activity, like selecting a game, empowers them and helps them feel more in control. These strategies can help reduce anxiety and resistance when coming to speech sessions.
Finally, the most common behaviors I personally observe are boredom and attention-seeking. Providing an activity for students to engage in while working with a peer can help reduce these behaviors. However, the activity should be one you are comfortable allowing the student to have. Examples include a pop-it, writing or drawing on the table with an Expo marker, speech putty that they can flatten and shape, or workstations and crafts they can work on while you address a goal with another student.
Providing students with clear rules and expectations can be very beneficial. Displaying these rules in your classroom can assist students in understanding what is expected of them. Consider this approach for the upcoming year: At the start of the year, create a rules and expectations poster with your students. Encourage them to contribute ideas and suggest rules they believe should be followed in your classroom. Once the poster is finalized, have the students sign it as a commitment to adhere to those rules and expectations. This process promotes a sense of ownership and responsibility for the classroom environment. Make it an engaging and interactive activity for your groups, allowing students to discuss, compare, and build upon each other's ideas. Additionally, schedule a day to review and re-explain the expectations of the speech classroom, especially after long breaks such as spring break, winter holidays, or extended weekends.
Question
Caseload caps for assistants—is there a way TSHA can encourage a healthy workload versus caseload? In my district, the assistants are drowning in numbers and all the work while the supervisors are busy with Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARDs)/evaluations. If everyone's busy and we can't get help, we need some change. Sincerely, One of Many Overwhelmed Assistants
Answer from Samantha Oliver, BS, SLP Assistant, and Gillien B. Oliver, MS, CCC-SLP
Beth Darbe, EdD, CCC-SLP, of Region 4 presented an amazing session at our last Convention that discussed not only dismissal from speech services in our schools but also talked about the caseloads currently maintained by most of our state. The Texas Association of School Boards recommends a caseload of 45 to 50 students per SLP or SLP Assistant; however, we are usually managing a caseload of around 65 students or in many cases much higher. Texas speech-language pathology professionals have the second highest caseloads on average, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
We are all aiming to avoid burnout, especially around testing days or toward the end of the school year. It may be time to look at your caseload and make sure the students are getting what they need to be successful rather than what we want to provide, such as giving children speech homework for carry-over outside of the speech room. Another topic to consider is dismissal. Are you serving children longer than they need to be academically successful?
Further, think of yourself by creating personal guidelines and expectations that may include setting specific days to complete a certain number of progress reports and then allowing yourself breaks to relax, take a walk, have lunch with a friend, or spend time with your own child. It also could involve establishing an earlier deadline than the actual due date to help reduce stress in case of last-minute issues requiring your preparation and input. Above all, it may be time to have a rational conversation, while difficult, with district leaders regarding the need for caseload management.
Organizations like TSHA and ASHA offer guidelines on what constitutes a healthy caseload. It is a need for all of us, definitely in the school settings but also in clinical settings too. I think this topic would make an excellent subject for a future TSHA discussion, focusing on strategies to prevent burnout. Especially in challenging times when support may feel limited and caseloads for supervisors are also high.
Question
I’m a school-based speech-language pathologist, and as the new school year approaches, I’m already feeling overwhelmed. My caseload is large—and growing—and I work closely with an SLP Assistant who is just as dedicated as I am. We both care deeply about our students, but we’re worried about burning out before the year even really begins. We love what we do; we just don’t want to lose that passion under the weight of the workload. Sincerely, Already Feeling the Pressure
Answer from Jennifer Schwind, MS, CCC-SLP
First things first, let’s acknowledge the obvious but unfortunate truth: If you’re feeling overwhelmed and a little panicky about the upcoming school year, you are definitely not alone. Luckily, a strong SLP and SLP Assistant team is one of the best antidotes to burnout. You’ve already done the hard part by choosing to work together toward a better year. Now it’s about making a few small, intentional changes to support real and sustainable collaboration.
This is the ideal time to discuss roles and divide responsibilities. Yes, scope-of-practice guidelines give the SLP specific duties, but plenty of tasks can be shared or delegated. Being specific helps everyone speak up about what they enjoy doing and how to fairly tackle the more tedious tasks. Clear roles mean fewer surprises, less confusion, and way fewer “Wait… I thought you were doing that” moments.
Speaking of delegation, trust your SLP assistant’s skills and expertise. Delegation isn’t a weakness or a shortcut; it’s a smart way to work. Letting each person truly own their responsibilities makes the whole team more efficient and keeps workloads more realistic.
Getting organized at the beginning of the year matters, but keeping those habits going is where the real change happens. Even when schedules are tight and the to‑do list feels impossible, carving out protected collaboration time is essential. Fifteen minutes may not sound like much, but it can go a long way toward coordinating services, solving problems, and reminding each other that you’re on the same team.
Finally, remember that teamwork isn’t just about efficiency and checklists. It’s about having someone who gets it—the highs, the lows, the amazing breakthroughs, and the sessions you’d rather forget. Celebrate the wins together. Laugh about the chaos. Support each other through the tough days. The best SLP and SLP Assistant partnerships are built on trust, humor, and the comfort of knowing you’re not doing this big, important job alone. This year really can be different. With intention, communication, and shared responsibility, it can feel more manageable and still deeply meaningful.
Question
I’m a school-based speech-language pathologist, and I’m struggling with something that feels both small and incredibly frustrating at the same time. I work with a dedicated SLP Assistant, and together we run a strong therapy program. The problem isn’t our teamwork; it’s how others see it. Some staff members treat us as interchangeable, assuming my assistant can do everything I do. Others go in the opposite direction and view the SLP Assistant as more of a paraprofessional, someone with minimal training who just “helps out.” Neither perception is accurate, and both create real problems. I don’t think this misunderstanding is intentional; it feels more like a lack of awareness. But I’m not sure how to address it without sounding defensive or making it a bigger issue than it needs to be. Sincerely, Not Interchangeable
Answer from Jennifer Schwind, MS, CCC-SLP
This is a common but fixable problem. You are right—when people misunderstand roles, it’s rarely malicious, but it does signal a need for greater clarity and visibility. The goal isn’t to spend your year gently correcting people one awkward conversation at a time but to make your roles so clear and consistent that there is no room for confusion.
Be direct and keep it simple. Create a quick, one‑page visual that clearly shows what an SLP does, what an SLP Assistant does, and what you do together. Share it at the beginning‑of‑the‑year staff meeting, post it on a bulletin board, or even sneak it into your email signature. Use this document as your official introduction as a team and a way to set the tone for the year. Keep it practical and focused on what school staff actually need to know, even better if you can add in TSHA or ASHA standards. This helps everyone understand that your setup isn’t a personal preference or a quirky system but a legally defined model with a purpose.
It’s not enough to tell staff members what you do; you need to reinforce your message through your actions. Treat your SLP Assistant like the professional partner they are, and let others see your collaboration in action. That might mean doing push‑in sessions together, briefly clarifying roles when you introduce yourselves, or giving consistent answers to questions.
Finally, remember that this kind of advocacy goes beyond job title mix‑ups. When you model mutual respect and strong collaboration, you’re protecting the integrity of the SLP Assistant role. Stay consistent and proactive, and over time those misunderstandings will fade.
Important Reminder
These responses are for general informational purposes only and should not replace official guidance or legal requirements. Always refer to state regulations and your supervising SLP when making decisions.
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