Ep. 20 – Transitioning Students With Special Needs to Post-Grad Life – Allison Larson MS, CCC-SLP
Join us for this week’s episode as we sit down with a very special guest, Allison Larson MS, CCC-SLP, to explore the world of high school and post-secondary SLP therapy. Reflecting on her practice in Michigan, Allison takes us through the many challenges faced and successes shared through transitioning students with special needs to the real world. We discuss unique examples of functional activities to help prepare students for post-grad life, the impact of state-by-state regulation, the importance of parental involvement in student progress, and much more.
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We Discuss
- Allison’s experience as an SLP and her career journey (2:54);
- State limitations on special education and its impact on services (9:14);
- A snapshot of an SLP caseload (13:08);
- Student life after school (24:41);
- Parent and community involvement (34:14);
- Allison’s favorite aspects of working as a post-secondary SLP (38:33);
- Advice for future SLPs (39:57);
About Allison Larson MS, CCC-SLP
Allison Larson MS, CCC-SLP, received her undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University and went on to Northern Arizona University for her master’s degree. She has worked in public schools, private clinics, and a skilled nursing facility.
Her passion is working with adolescents and young adults and helping them transition to the workforce and adult life. She has worked in a high school setting for 15 years and a post-secondary setting for six years. She loves working on real-world skills, pushing her students to be independent and productive citizens with a good quality of life. She believes that there is dignity in risk and that we need to push our students to let them fly, not hold them back because of our fears. In her view, there should be no readiness model for life. Just go out and try things.
She loves her job but firmly believes in maintaining a healthy balance between work, family, and time for playing and adventure. She loves traveling with friends and family—her family’s goal being to visit every National Park. They are 57% of the way there. She has visited 34 of the 59 National Parks!
About the Show
Produced by Jonathan Cary
Music and Editing by Aidan Dykes
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