How to Choose a Speech Therapist: Finding the Right Fit
There are many wonderful speech therapists! We each bring different experiences, strengths, and personalities to our work. I believe finding the right fit means finding someone whose expertise matches your needs and who you feel comfortable working with.
Here are a few considerations that can help you get to know a therapist and decide whether their approach feels right for you or your family.
Interview questions to ask your SLP
You don’t need to ask everything at once. Choose the questions that would help you feel more comfortable making a decision:
What experience do you have with my or my child’s communication needs?
What might a typical session look like?
How would we choose goals and recognize progress?
What do you do when someone is frustrated or an activity isn’t working?
How do you balance structure with flexibility?
How do you involve clients and families in decisions?
How do you support our family’s bilingual or multilingual background?
How do you help people use their skills outside sessions?
What are your fees, payment options, availability, and cancellation policies?
Notice whether the answers help you understand the therapist’s thinking. You should have room to ask follow-up questions and explain what matters to you. Before starting, also confirm that the location, schedule, and payment arrangements work for you.
Can you ask for adjustments in therapy?
One thing that might not be noticeable right away, but you may discover once you meet in person is whether you feel comfortable saying, “Could we try something different?”
Maybe you want more explanation about a goal, activities that better reflect your interests, or home practice that fits your family’s routine. Although these are never easy conversations, a therapist should respect your family’s goals.
I bring clinical knowledge and recommendations, my clients and their families bring their priorities and experience of their own everyday life. In my practice, I want clients and families to feel comfortable asking questions, sharing priorities, and telling me when something needs to change.
Getting to know my approach
I work with children, teens, and adults, with a particular focus on autism, stuttering, early language development, and bilingual and multilingual communication. I offer speech therapy in English, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese, with in-home services in Leander, Cedar Park, and North Austin and teletherapy throughout Texas.
Here are a few things about me and what you can expect if we work together:
🧸I’m Neurodivergent and Type B. I come in with ideas and a plan, but I’m very willing to throw it all away and change that plan when someone isn’t motivated.
🧸Worksheets and drills aren’t really my style. I’d much rather work on communication through play, conversation, and movement. Drills are very important for certain types of speech sound disorder though! I know great SLPS to refer you to for that!
🧸I don’t really care about sitting at a table. Table work has its place, but I’ll probably switch positions a bunch of times during a session, unless I observe your child does better without so many transitions.
🧸I’m not afraid to get messy. I love bubble guns, foam, and sand! But because I’m working in your home, I’ll always check with you first. And don’t worry, I always disinfect everything between sessions!
🧸I might let your child take lots of brain breaks. I’m constantly trying to find that balance between what’s too challenging and when someone just needs a little encouragement to try something new or hard.
🧸 I’m an ambivert. I can be still and quiet or super chatty. One minute I might be dancing the Hokey Pokey with your child, and the next I might sit back and observe if that’s what they need.
🧸A good test score isn’t my end goal. Of course I care about how your child is doing at school. But my clinical interests are more in social emotional learning and functional communication, like how to talk to a friend, advocate for themselves, solve a problem, or share about their day. Check out my local resources page to see other professionals that focus more on academic success.
If you’re considering working with me, you can read about my relationship-first approach and learn what to expect at a first evaluation.
You don’t have to be certain I’m the right fit before reaching out. A free 15-minute consultation is a chance to share what you’re looking for, ask questions, and learn about my approach. If another provider’s expertise or services would better match your needs, I’ll be honest about that and help point you toward other options the best I can.