From boredom to a newfound passion

About Jennifer K., MS, CCC-SLP

• Education:
  • B.A., University of Florida
  • Masters of Science, Nova Southeastern University
  • Speech-language pathology
• Lives in Los Angeles, California
• Presence provider since December 2020

Fun Fact

I’ve worked a lot in entertainment both in front of and behind the camera in Los Angeles. I was a voice-over agent for many years. One day, the agency that represented me asked if I would be interested in starting and heading a VO division. I accepted the challenge and ended up with a successful department for many years. I was often asked to give seminars or be part of panels on voice, accent and vocal hygiene, etc. So, it’s a fun and interesting example of the versatility in the field of speech-language pathology.

What inspired you to become an SLP?

When I was in college I was really not sure what I wanted to major in. I took the LSAT and was considering law school. My older sister is a speech pathologist and she kept saying what a great career it was. I realized that I could merge both medical and educational, I could work with children or adults, have my own private practice, work in schools, and hospitals. The opportunities are so vast. I was president of my sorority and a lot of my sorority sisters also didn’t know what to major in. Some were thinking education, some were thinking pre-med, and I said “You guys, we should all do speech pathology.” So literally, my entire pledge class went to graduate school together for speech pathology!

What was your catalyst for becoming a teletherapist with Presence?

I was resistant to teletherapy because I’d been a speech pathologist for so long. And then, when the pandemic happened, as stressful and crazy as that was, it was the one thing that really led me to teletherapy. I researched opportunities and it was immediately evident that Presence was far superior! I love it so much that it was really a blessing. So sometimes those hard changes push you to explore things.

What surprised you about your transition to teletherapy?

• It reinvigorated my passion and excitement.

I’ve been an SLP for 20 years and it was getting a bit monotonous. Teletherapy with Presence is not only fun for my students, it is fun for me. I no longer need to carry around a trunk full of activities that the students and I could get bored with easily. I literally have thousands of engaging options now.

• I can provide high quality assessments via the platform.

I’ve been able to provide extremely high quality assessments via the platform which has been amazing. The flexibility is superior—I can schedule when it fits both my schedule and the school or parent as needed. I can do a detailed record review to select the best assessment protocol. The benefits of having preset virtual files versus hauling around a suitcase with test manuals and protocols from school to school are immense!

• I discovered a sense of community.

We’re really isolated out in the field. We’re often that one person in a school traveling to different schools and it’s just us and the students. I have a community now with other Presence clinicians—speech pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists. It’s exciting to have peers all over the country for community, collaboration, and inspiration.

• I have great communication with the schools and the students now.

Even though I’m working from a home office, I have better communication with the school teams which makes my day and week feel very enjoyable, worthwhile, and inspired. I have a lot more collaboration with the SPED team—when I was onsite, I would barely see them. And I am relating to the students now even more than I did in person, which I didn’t think was possible.