Scheduling Clients and Tips

Scheduling clients is one of the most difficult aspects of an SLPs job, no matter what the setting is. Everyone knows the nightmare! You spend so much time putting all the pieces together and inevitably once you have it all figured out, something else pops up.

In Schools

SLPs know this saga- Parents don’t want their kids pulled from P.E. because they ‘need physical activity.’ Kids cry when they are pulled from recess. Teachers say they can’t be pulled from their class because they will miss important content. Case managers say you can’t pull them from lunch either. So, when are you supposed to see them?

In Private Practice

You’re excited to have more control over your schedule and have chosen the days and time bands you will be seeing clients. You’re hoping everything will fall into place! Then the first caregiver you call says they are only available on days that you aren’t. The child probably has other important things on your workdays such as napping or playdates (o.k. the child probably has more pressing matters but sometimes it feels that we are asked to schedule around some pretty minor things).

In Hospitals

You’ve got to work around doctors, nurses, and other therapies. How many times have you gone to the patient’s room and had OT or PT in there, even though that is your designated time?

Scheduling Tips

We are all busy! Although, it does often feel like others assume you are sitting around waiting for something to do.

Therapists, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals all have schedules that they have to work around as well. Below are tips for staying sane while scheduling.

Stay calm– As I mentioned above, it does feel like everyone assumes you have ample time in your schedule to move things around. That is not the case! Take a deep breath and remember it isn’t personal. They do value your time. Stay grounded as you proceed with the dialogue around scheduling (or rescheduling yet again).

Share your schedule– Not visually! There is no need to have a caregiver see your entire schedule (although I have had some ask for it). However, let them know your availability as well as the times you are booked. If a teacher or parent asks you to see a kid at a certain time, let them know that you have another group with 2 students at that time. They need to understand just how busy you are!

Negotiate– Sometimes there is room to negotiate. You may not be able to see a kiddo from 1:00-1:30 during their ‘only ideal’ time to be pulled from class, but maybe you can see them from 12:40-1:10, which means pulling them from the last 10 minutes of recess, seeing them over the 10-minute transition time, and the first 10 minutes of another class.

Offer to try and see how it goes– Sometimes a caregiver is convinced that a specific time will be bad for the child (e.g., they will be too tired, miss P.E., etc.). Offer to give the proposed schedule a try and see how it goes. They may be pleasantly surprised! I have had kids complain about missing P.E. until the curriculum changes to dance and suddenly they beg to be pulled at that time.

Put your foot down– If a caregiver or professional just isn’t having it and you don’t have any other availability, you have no choice. You have to put your foot down and say this is it. Sometimes that’s what they really need to hear before they get it. It’s like buying a new car, they want to be sure they negotiated all that they could.

One more note- It’s my understanding that in the schools, you can pull a child from any class except for math and reading. This may vary by state but be sure that you understand exactly what you can do. Everything else is just a negotiation.

For tips on an attendance policy, check out my blog post Having an Attendance Policy.

How do you deal with scheduling? Share your tips in the comments below!