Medical versus Educational Language

We challenge the medical-style language that keeps school-based SLPs stuck in isolation and overload, and we replace it with an educational, MTSS-aligned way of thinking. We lay out concrete language swaps and service design choices that help us build teacher capacity, reduce overwhelm, and create clear, doable work. • medical terms that shape unrealistic expectations, including client, wait list, referral, therapy, discharged • why medical-style prioritisation happens in isolation and misses school context • MTSS framing where the school is the client and teacher support is the goal • using a family-centred mindset to clarify teacher goals and classroom needs • shifting from referral to request for service as an active, shared process • defining a piece of work with a clear aim and conclusion across Tier 1 to Tier 3 • examples of Tier 1 and Tier 2 support, including UDL, inclusion, neurodiversity, professional development • documentation options for collaboration and how responsibility stays with the school team • planning a gradual change versus a total service revamp with administrators and colleagues If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Share your experiments, your questions, your aha moments, because your experience matters and may be exactly what another SLP needs to hear. https://sarahdowlingschoolslpcoaching.comMusic: Daniel Chui