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.
There are so many great SLPs out there, and I really believe different clients benefit from different strengths. 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 shows me in the moment it isn't working.
🧸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 monitoring a person's response to my activities and prompting to balance between what’s too challenging and when someone just needs a little encouragement to try something new or hard.
🧸 I’m an extroverted-introvert. One minute I might be dancing the Hokey Pokey with your child. The next, I might be sitting quietly beside them, listening and giving them space to lead.
🧸 A good test score isn’t the end goal. I teach executive functioning skills that can help with test-taking, like making a plan and checking your work. But to me, the ultimate success means a child knows their worth isn’t defined by a score. I want them to feel proud of their progress, and trust that they can keep learning.
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.