Preparing Students for Life After High School: The Critical Role of SLPs in Transition Planning

07/07/2025 40 min Episodio 284
Preparing Students for Life After High School: The Critical Role of SLPs in Transition Planning

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Episode Synopsis

 Hallie and guest Nathalie Lebrun chat about preparing students for life after high school.In this honest and energizing episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Nathalie Lebrun—SLP, speaker, co-host of LeadSpeak Podcast and the voice behind LifeSpeak—about working with transition-age students. Nathalie shares how she went from post-acute rehab dreams to leading a massive school-based SLP team, and how she discovered the often-overlooked role SLPs can play in helping students ages 18–22 build real-world communication skills. From Uber training to poker lessons to letting go of perfect data, Nathalie keeps it real about what it means to be a communication coach, not just a therapist. If you’ve ever felt stuck with your older caseload or unsure how to prep students for life beyond school, this conversation will leave you inspired—and ready to rethink your approach.Bullet Points to Discuss: Nathalie’s unexpected path to becoming an SLP and transition expertWhat “transition services” really look like in public school settingsThe SLP’s evolving role as a communication coach beyond the therapy roomFunctional therapy ideas that connect directly to real-life independenceWhy transition planning should start way earlier than we thinkHere’s what we learned: SLPs are essential in supporting students beyond academicsReal-world communication skills should be a therapy focus, especially for older studentsFunctional progress > perfect data collection—especially in transition workCollaboration and creativity are key to meaningful outcomesStart thinking transition early—even in elementary schoolLearn more about Nathalie Lebrun: Email: [email protected] Website: www.lifespeakllc.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielebrun/Podcast: https://www.lifespeakllc.org/leadspeak-podcastLearn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signupSubscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets