Rockwood Celebrates National Speech-Language Pathologists Day

On May 18, Rockwood joins school districts across the country to celebrate speech-language pathologists (SLPs). SLPs study all aspects of speech, including verbal communication and language.

School SLPs work with students on language development, vocal ability, fluency, articulation, pragmatics, swallowing and augmentative communication.

Our SLPs also collaborate with teachers, parents and other professionals to create comprehensive plans that promote academic success and social integration for students.

Thank you to our SLPs for the role they play in students' education. We appreciate their creativity, compassion and commitment to making a difference in our students' lives.

Learn about two of our speech-language pathologists, Lisa Finder and Jen Rozier, below. 

Lisa Finder
School: Kellison Elementary
Number of Years in Rockwood: 19 

Q: What do you do as a speech-language pathologist?

A: So many things! One of the coolest parts of my job is that there are so many areas that I address. I help students who have autism learn to communicate and find their voices. I help students learn to say their speech sounds correctly so they can be understood, sound out words and/or spell accurately or decrease their stuttering. Other areas I focus on are pragmatic language skills, problem-solving, perspective-taking, vocabulary, comprehension, following directions, understanding concepts and much more. I also support students with behavioral needs. I also try to be a positive adult for every student in our building, not just the ones I work with.

Q: What is an average day like for you? Who do you get to work with and provide support daily?

A: Every day is a new adventure. Currently, I have around 40 students on my caseload and see students anywhere from 30 to 150 minutes per week. I begin seeing my groups at 8:45 and the groups change every 30 minutes, all day long. We do our own speech and language testing for most students we evaluate, so a typical day can include: duty, speech and language therapy, paperwork, testing, eligibility and IEP meetings. There is usually a little plan time as well, to make sure I'm prepared for each student to work towards their goals. We also always make sure to work a few laughs in there too. Having fun at work and letting your students see that learning is fun is important. 

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job? 

A: I love that no day is ever the same, even if the schedule says it should be. I love the people I work with. We have such a strong team, we work closely together, and everyone is focused on what is best for our students. It's also pretty amazing that I get to spend my day helping children reach their goals. It feels like what we do makes a difference. If I won the lottery today, I'd still show up tomorrow. I love it that much.

Q: Why did you decide to become a speech-language pathologist? How did you get to where you are now? 

A: From the time I was 6 years old until my senior year of high school, I dreamed of being a pediatrician. However, an assignment during my senior year was to shadow a profession that interested me from a list of choices changed all of that. I was able to spend a day with an Early Childhood SLP and from that day forward I knew I was meant to be a speech-language pathologist. I've been blessed to work with so many smart, knowledgeable and child-focused SLPs and teachers. I have learned so much from each of them and still do to this day.

Q: How does it feel when the students you are working with complete a goal (or goals)?

A: Oh man! I'm not sure there is any better feeling than watching your students finally reach the goal they've been working towards. Happy tears happen for sure.

Jen Rozier
School: Pond Elementary
Number of Years in Rockwood: 3

Q: What do you do as a speech-language pathologist?

A: At Pond, I provide direct speech and language therapy, provide support with multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and evaluate students in the areas of speech and language.

Q: What is an average day like for you? Who do you get to work with and provide support daily?

A: An average day consists of seeing students directly for speech and language therapy, working with students who utilize augmentative communication, communicating with classroom teachers and working on IEP paperwork.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job? 

A: I enjoy seeing the progress my students make. Helping them find their voice and reach their potential with their communication skills is the best part!

Q: Why did you decide to become a speech-language pathologist? How did you get to where you are now? 

A: I know I wanted to be in a helping profession and took classes related to nursing, teaching and speech pathology. When I eventually took an intro class to Speech Pathology, I was hooked. After completing undergrad and grad school at Saint Louis University, I started working in the Rockwood School District.

Q: How does it feel when the students you are working with complete a goal (or goals)?

A: Seeing the confidence and sense of accomplishment my students have when they reach their goal is extremely rewarding.