A Missouri native, Paige Blodget earned her undergraduate degree at Fontbonne University in St. Louis. During the summers, she worked at Yosemite National Park selling tours and living in a tent cabin.
“I fell in love with the West! I loved the mountains and beaches, and the variety of outdoor wonders,” adds Blodget.
After graduating from Fontbonne, Paige moved back to Yosemite to spend time in the park. From California, she moved to Oregon where she explored Portland for a few years. When she felt ready, she applied to Portland State University, completed a post-baccalaureate year and then earned a graduate degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Her reasons for becoming an SLP were both personal and practical. As a young undergraduate trying to find her path in life, her mother guided her to think about her strengths, long-term goals and dreams for the future.
“It can be hard for an 18-year-old to imagine a 5-, 10-, or 15-year plan! I felt deeply about communication as a human right and had a strong desire for equality. She encouraged me to pursue speech-language pathology.”
When it came time to apply to graduate school, she knew she needed training that would guarantee a job at the end. The evidence for the continued need for SLPs in the market guided her practical decision.
“My mother passed away recently, and I received lovely insight from a woman I know (If you’re reading this, you know who you are). She told me that my mother’s guidance towards this career is a gift that continues to give. And it’s true, I’m thankful for that gift of guidance, and truly honored to have a career where I share a skill that helps others,” adds Blodget.
A Day in the Life of an SLP
Paige started working for Care Options for Kids/The Hello Foundation in the fall of 2023. She works remotely for the Corbett School District in Oregon, traveling to the campus 2-3 times a month. She also works with SLPA Autumn Burtram, serving students in the elementary school, middle school, high school (including a life skills classroom), and a K-8 charter school.
“There’s a lot of variety! My position is mostly supervision and all aspects of case management, including writing and reviewing the IEP, new evaluations and re-evaluations. But I also do a lot of consultation with teachers, the special education teams and regional specialists.”
The days Paige works on campus are much different from the days she works remotely. A typical day on campus includes meeting and consulting with a regional AAC specialist, a classroom special education teacher, and a paraeducator about a student’s AAC device.
After that, it’s typically a few group observations with Autumn and the caseload; an assessment at another school on campus to evaluate a student; preparing visuals for another student; and participating in an IEP. If she is working remotely, a day might include group observation, caseload debriefs with Autumn, report writing, meetings and checking email.
“Honestly, I love working with Autumn. I’ve never worked with an SLPA before and growing my consultation skills has been a great experience. I like discussing students and cases with her, collaborating on lesson plans, and problem solving. She has a lot to teach me too! I feel like this SLP/SLPA relationship has been a really powerful way to affect change and growth for our students,” adds Paige.
Ongoing Support and Trust from Leadership Team
Even with the quick and continued growth of Care Options for Kids, Paige likes the fact that school-based services encourage connection through events, continuing education opportunities, the message board, and gift giving.
“It feels like a relationship-based employer. Starting with the new employee orientation, I’ve felt the message has been: ‘We trust you to do good things, and we’ve got your back.’ I’ve felt really supported by my clinical supervisor. She’s been a quick email (or the occasional text) away. She helped me navigate through a bump earlier in the school year, and I felt really supported.”
In her spare time, Paige loves to swim. She was competitive in her youth and also swims with master’s teams. Now she enjoys laps in the pool and being in open water rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
“I also enjoy the violin and recently played with the Columbia Gorge Sinfonietta. I also love exploring with my kids, walking my husky, Hilda, and laying on my couch with a book.”
Paige’s husband is her rock and inspiration. She tends to be very serious and practical, and he likes to dream and try new things. He encourages her to let things go, laugh, take risks, try hard things, adventure with their kids, and follow her passions. They make a great team!
California Native Enjoying Benefits of Speech Therapy
Originally from Humboldt County, CA, 24-year-old Autumn Burtram moved to Oregon six years ago. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders at Portland State University, and is attending Pacific University to pursue her master’s degree.
“I decided when I was an education assistant at an elementary school in a special education classroom that I wanted to one day be a SLP. I loved sitting in on individual speech sessions and fell in love with the practice,” adds Burtram.
As an SLPA at Corbett School District, Autumn works with a caseload of 47 K-12 students at four different buildings. She provides direct service to the students while Paige handles evaluations, paperwork and IEPs. A typical day for Autumn consists of a group or individual session, and working on specific goals for the student.
“The favorite part of my job is the bonds I get to make with each student. Watching them learn and get excited is unmatched. Care Options for Kids has been an amazing experience and they have been helpful and supportive in my SLP journey.”
Autumn’s proudest accomplishment was being selected out of 150+ students to join the graduate cohort of 35 in her Master’s program.
In her spare time, Autumn likes to spend time with her one-year-old daughter. Some of their favorite things to do together is going to the park, zoo and trying new foods.
“My biggest inspiration is my mom. I have always looked up to her and wanted to succeed in a career. She is smart, kind and very driven. Growing up, I knew I wanted to be a teacher because of her.”
Paige and Autumn’s Tips for New Clinicians
- It gets better! Trial by fire is pretty common. You will learn so much in the first few years, and it gets easier along the way. Paige
- Ask for help. It does not mean that you don’t know what you’re doing! Paige
- Have fun! Throwing some fun in will reduce stress, and kids know whether or not you’re having a good time. Paige
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get support with things you need help on. Autumn
- Being creative makes sessions much more fun! Autumn
- Have fun, get to know the students and don’t worry about mistakes. We are all learning every day. Autumn
Join Our Team
At Care Options for Kids, we partner with school districts to provide seamless support for students, integrating into the school setting to deliver speech and occupational therapy and enhancing their social, emotional, and behavioral growth so they can better access the curriculum.
We are committed to making a difference for our people through empowerment and encouragement to be there for themselves and their own families. We provide the choices and opportunities our people need to enhance their lives and grow their careers so they can provide better care for others. We believe in making a difference in every way, every day.
We hire speech-language pathologists, speech-language pathology assistants, school psychologists, and occupational therapists. Our community of professionals fosters growth for one another and for the kids we serve. Join our team!