May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month and we want to highlight some of our speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Meet Laine Herman, M.S. CCC-SLP, who works at Century High School. Laine has been working with RPS for nine years.
What do you do as an SLP?
The scope of speech-language pathology is actually quite broad. Most people think we just work on the /s/ sound, but we can do so much more than that. For example, at Century, I have students working on improving the following: articulation, receptive/expressive language skills (e.g., grammar, reasoning, sentence structure, figurative language, etc.,) stuttering, and social communication. Additionally, I help students who are nonverbal or have difficulty with verbal speech learn to use communication devices.
Something that’s also a little different about working in a high school is I also help students learn communication skills that they will need to use on the job.
When I’m not seeing students, I work on evaluations, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), planning therapy sessions, or troubleshooting issues with communication devices.
What made you choose this career path?
I always knew I wanted to go into a helping profession, but I really didn’t know which field interested me. When I went for my freshman year orientation at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, one of the presentations I sat through was delivered by a student majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I had never heard of speech-language pathology before, but her presentation piqued my interest, and I decided to take the Intro course in my first semester. Needless to say, it was a serendipitous moment in my life, and I went on to complete my Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Minot State University in 2015.
What’s the most rewarding part about your job?
I love those “aha” moments that my students have when they first demonstrate independence in a skill we are targeting. It makes the hard moments totally worth it!
What’s the most difficult part about your job?
Scheduling! I cannot pull students from their core classes, like math or science, which really creates a challenge and forces me to get creative, especially when students only have one class period per day that I can pull from.
What words of advice do you have for future SLPs?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I have learned so much over the years from my incredibly talented SLP colleagues. I would not be where I am today without them!
