It’s back to school time. I see all my Instagram SLP buddies posting pictures of their new therapy rooms. Teacher friends are posting their last farewells to the summer. But me? Nope. Since I am in private practice, I don’t take the summers off. I take a few days off here and there to spend with my kids or take a vacation. The whole summer off…not a chance! With kids out in the summer, parents don’t want to risk any regression of skills so they often use a private therapist in that time (insert me!) It’s also an added bonus to my early childhood clients who benefit from having therapy year round.
All that being said, I still like the back to school rush of an SLP. The organizing, setting up themes, the organizing, stocking up supplies and the organizing is all part of getting back in the swing of things. Did I mention organizing? My day runs smoother if I am organized. Back to school time is great time to get set up and ready to go. I take the first day of school off to get myself set up. It’s a perfect time because my kids are gone. Most of my daycares are hectic with their changing schedules as well as my school age kids. So rather than have an entire day of “hot mess,” I just stay home in my own hot mess.
Here’s some things I take care of at the beginning of the school year:
- Organize/clean out daily therapy folders
- Organize current client records folders
- Find the top of my desk (You laugh but you know it happens)
- Set up a schedule for marketing to my local daycares, private schools and doctor offices
- Set up themes for September and October
- Check supply of glue, construction paper, and crayons (Now’s the time to #buyallthethings!)
- Clean out my therapy backpack
And most importantly, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TARGET DOLLAR BINS!!!!!!!
Not that much different from a school SLP, right? If you are a home health/private practice therapist, don’t feel left out. We can take joy in the “back to school” movement too! What do you do to get ready for back to school?
Need some ideas for back to school shopping for SLPs? Or maybe you need a fun back to school book for your sessions?
