Another Moment in Time: A Follow-Up Survey on Speech-Language Pathologists' Experiences With the COVID-19 Pandemic During the Fall of 2020

Abstract

Purpose Although the COVID-19 pandemic had been impacting K–12 education since spring 2020, educational professionals working in schools faced unique challenges at the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year. This study focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) during the first half of the 2020–2021 school year and comparing these experiences to the previous spring. Method This study involved a survey of 333 school-based SLPs working across the United States. The results of the survey were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively to identify key themes and trends related to communication, service delivery models, changes in job requirements, confidence levels, and personal challenges. Results Results indicated that SLPs' experiences in fall 2020 differed from spring 2020 and varied in multiple ways. In the fall of 2020, participants indicated a higher level of confidence and felt communication with their districts improved overall. However, SLPs faced new challenges related to varying service delivery models (i.e., in person, virtual, and hybrid) and continued to face some challenges that remained from the spring of 2020, such as lack of resources. Conclusions There is much to learn from school-based SLPs' experiences during the fall of 2020, which varied in key ways from their experiences in the spring of 2020. It is important to document SLPs' resilience, hard work, and continued impact while supporting students during the COVID-19 pandemic.