Isabella Garza

Sarah Czerlinsky and Empowering Voices as a Speech Language Pathologist

February 5, 2024
Staff Feature

At IDEA Public Schools, we believe that every child can and will succeed if given the opportunity.

Nearly one in twelve students in the United States from the ages of 3-17 have had a disorder related to speech, voice, language, or swallowing in the past year, according to research from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

For many of these students, school can be a challenging environment to navigate through. Activities such as reading aloud in the classroom, understanding vocabulary words, daily conversations, and problem solving can all be difficult for them. This is where the work of our amazing Speech Language Pathologists comes into play.

Meet Sarah Czerlinsky, a Speech Language Pathologist based out of our Austin region. For the past three years while working with IDEA Public Schools, she has been able to help students with speech and language disorders. At our Austin region campuses, she provides the structure and support for her students and tracks their progress alongside their families.

A Safe Place and Space for All

Described as kind, loving, and energetic by her students, Ms. Sarah’s favorite time of her workday, of course, is her time she gets with her students. When they come into her office, she starts off with a check-in.

“I always ask them how they’re doing. I ask what I can do for them and if there is something they need from me,” she said.

Ms. Sarah finds it important to let her students take the floor at the beginning of their sessions, so they feel at ease and able to open up. She reassures to her students and all the students on campus that her space is a safe place for every child that comes through her door. Her sessions usually involving activities such as language board games, reading discussions, or other projects that can help with their specific needs. Ms. Sarah finds it helpful for her activities to tie into related themes such as the seasons, holidays, and concepts they are learning in their classrooms.

Life as a Speech Language Pathologist at IDEA

Speech language pathologists can work in a variety of settings such as clinics, private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and schools. One of the benefits of being a SLP here at IDEA is the caseloads. Smaller caseloads create room for more personalized treatment and care. In collaboration with teachers and helpful team members, you get to be alongside the families of the children and cheer them on every step of the way.

Impact That Will Last a Lifetime

Every career path has parts of the job that are less glamorous. In the case of many Speech Language Pathologists, there is a lot of paperwork, which can be daunting. From progress level notes, treatment plans, and evaluation logs, Ms. Sarah believes this is the main thing that scares people from the profession. This doesn’t stop her from her love and passion for helping her students and being able to spend time with them. She always reminds herself, “the paperwork will always get done.”

Speech Language Pathologists, like Ms. Sarah, are able to create such a high level of impact each and every day that will last their students a lifetime. From gaining the confidence to order their own meals at restaurants, take on customer service jobs, and write college essays, the importance of our SLPs is unmatched.