Capturing a Moment in Time: A Survey of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists' Experiences in the Immediate Aftermath of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Abstract

Purpose Data collected by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in the spring of 2020 showed that most speech-language pathologists (SLPs) experienced a moderate to major impact on their work practices as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. This study focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences of school-based SLPs at this unique moment in time. Method This study involved a survey of 280 school-based SLPs working across the United States in May 2020. The results of the survey were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively to identify key themes and trends related to participants' confidence levels, workload changes, and personal challenges. Results Results indicated that SLPs faced variation in the guidance, communication, and resources they were provided by employers and variations regarding the timelines and expectations for the pivot from traditional face-to-face school services to remote services. Few SLPs had previous experience with teletherapy, and many reported low levels of self-confidence and large increases in their workload. Additionally, SLPs faced high levels of stress in their personal lives. Conclusions Despite the challenges faced, participants largely reported they were able to adapt with the support of the SLP community. Participants reported concerns regarding the relative success of their students under new service delivery models, especially for students from disadvantaged groups, and worries regarding future legal challenges. This study identifies key issues to consider with respect to speech-language services in schools as the COVID-19 public health emergency continues to unfold.

Speech-Language Teletherapy Services for School-Aged Children in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…As pandemic conditions continue, it is critical to examine how SLPs addressed the challenge of swift school closures to identify the types of supports SLPs may require should closures re-occur. Some recent studies of clinical practice and education services highlight the importance of examining these challenges (Garbe et al, 2020;Sylvan et al, 2020). The present study advances this work by addressing the following questions with a very large and nationally-representative sample of SLPs…”

“…Perhaps more relevant to the present study, however, is that data from Tucker's (2012) survey indicated a negative correlation between SLPs' years of experience and interest in using teletherapy, such that SLPs with 25þ years of experience were less interested in using teletherapy compared to SLPs with only 1-5 years of experience. Very recently, a study surveying school-based SLPs' challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that only 9% of respondents (n ¼ 280) had ever provided services via teletherapy prior to the pandemic (Sylvan et al, 2020). As such, in the present study, we determine whether the use of teletherapy during the COVID-19 school closures differed according to SLPs years of experience.…”

“…Indeed, in the wake of the sudden school closures, SLPs and other educational professionals had very little time to adjust and revise. Furthermore, recent survey data suggest that SLPs' stress of adjusting and adapting to a completely different therapy model was compounded by the anxiety of living through the pandemic themselves (Sylvan, Goldstein, & Crandall, 2020). Although this sudden shift was unplanned and thus not systematic, the ways in which support services were adjusted to continue to meet students' needs is important to understand for several reasons.…”

Tackling Burnout in the School Setting: Practical Tips for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists

“…More recently, SLPs have reported that lack of time to provide optimal service delivery has become an ethical challenge over the last 3 years (ASHA, 2020a). Presently, the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened many of those stressors SLPs experience when working in the schools, as well as higher levels of stress in their personal lives (Sylvan et al, 2020). It is important for school-based SLPs to be aware of what burnout symptoms look like and how they can make small changes at the work level to avoid it.…”

“…This has become particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic, with recent reports indicating that obstacles related to COVID-19 are negatively associated with job satisfaction (Farquharson et al, under review). Service delivery models are changing hastily, workload responsibilities are increasing, and concerns for one's overall well-being are heightened during this time (Sylvan et al, 2020). Since large scale changes (e.g., policy change at a national level) cannot happen instantaneously, there is a call for gradual, habitual changes in our daily work setting to help mitigate occupational stress.…”