Success Story: Grow Your Own (GYO) SLP and SLPA Programs

ASHA held a virtual focus group with seven professionals who have established successful GYO programs for SLPs) and SLPAs in Arizona, Maryland, and Texas.

These GYO programs have existed for 10–30 years. Most began their program in response to a need for more SLPs and SLPAs in schools by creating partnerships between school districts, their state’s department of education, and/or nearby universities.

ASHA asked these professionals about the following three things:

benefits
challenges
advice

Here are their answers to ASHA’s questions.

What were the benefits?

Common benefits for GYO program participants include

receiving pay as a school district employee while attending university courses in the afternoon, in the evening, and/or on weekends;
receiving tuition assistance; and
securing an immediate job in their location after completing the program and graduating.

GYO participants received the following types of incentives:

prioritizing bilingual applicants (some programs)
providing bilingual SLP supervisors for their graduate extern experiences (some programs)
post-graduation requirement to work in the county or school district for a certain period of time in return for completing their education with that institution

What were the greatest challenges?

The greatest challenges to implementing a GYO program were

securing funding to sustain the GYO program;
building and maintaining relationships with school-based leaders, departments of education, and universities;
navigating staff transitions as staff members leave for other opportunities and as relationships with new staff are formed; and
remaining flexible and adaptable.

What advice was shared?

The focus group participants shared the following two critical elements of success in building a GYO program that will survive and thrive for years to come: