Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Elliott Ehrhardt, M.Ed., CCC-SLP.
Hi Jen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always loved words and always loved children. Connection, play, and growth have been priorities in my interaction with the children I’ve known and loved all my life. I spent every summer babysitting to earn spending money. I worked at summer camps, daycare centers and kept children in their homes. Wherever I went, I brought along my favorite books and toys. I loved how those resources could be utilized to engage a child’s imagination and encourage learning.
After working for Babies Can’t Wait on the multidisciplinary evaluation team, I began my private practice in 1999. I wanted a career that would give me the freedom to stay home with my children when they arrived in 2000, 2002, and 2004. I kept up with my license and certification and relished every continuing education course because it kept my professional brain stimulated during the “diaper years.” Because I had three kids, three and under, I only had a client or two until my kids all started preschool.
In 2009 I began my WordPlay program in local preschools. I wanted a more affordable service delivery model so I could reach more children. I held small classes after the preschool day ended and encouraged communication through social interaction and play. The prevalence of screens has prevented children from engaging with others and has dampened their creativity and imagination. WordPlay is a screen-free context for children to develop problem-solving, cooperation, and social-emotional self-regulation. These are not academic skills, yet they’re the necessary foundation for success in and out of school.
During the pandemic, I converted my practice and my WordPlay classes to Zoom. Keeping children interested through a medium that I had never allowed in my treatment space was complicated and confusing. Sometimes my clients got upset when they saw their favorite toys behind me and unavailable to them. For me, the isolation of the pandemic was so depressing. So I started to consider our Zoom sessions as opportunities to stay connected to the children I loved while keeping them safe.
Fortunately, I’ve always had a steady stream of speech-therapy interns from Georgia State University. My previous intern Bri, who is now my assistant, helped to convert my children’s library into Google files. During virtual speech therapy and WordPlay classes, we would “take walks” through the books and find a new place to learn together. Even though Zoom sessions couldn’t replace in-person sessions, they were better than disconnection.
My practice has grown to 50 children now, but the emphasis on connection and play as the channel for growth is still the same.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The hardest part of my job is when I notice developmental challenges extending beyond communication skills. After working closely with hundreds of children, I recognize the red flags related to autism spectrum disorder, for example, very quickly. When parents ask me directly to share my concerns, they are not always ready to hear my answer. As a parent, I understand their apprehension and fear. But I can’t ignore my gut. And I have seen children flourish once they receive the diagnosis that helps put all the right professionals into place to help.
Because the outcomes of children improve drastically when they receive early intervention, I encourage parents to utilize the educational opportunities and the therapies that have proven most effective. A developmental pediatrician or developmental psychologist has the background knowledge and experience to pull together all the concerning behaviors into a diagnosis. And with this diagnosis, families can develop a customized treatment program.
But earlier is always, always, ALWAYS better. Capitalizing on the neuroplasticity of preschoolers’ brains makes all the difference in maximizing the outcomes in every area of development. When I tell parents my concerns, they may leave my practice to find a new speech therapist because they disagree with my observations. This breaks my heart because of course I’m attached to my little people and truly want the best for them. And I also hate that the children aren’t getting the resources they need to help unlock their potential.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My practice has grown and changed over the years, but prioritizing connection through play remains at the heart of my time with the children I serve. The “toys” look different for a toddler versus a middle-schooler. But in a safe space, kids continue to play much longer than you might expect. I have a huge box of interesting objects, like magnets and pop-its and other manipulatives. When teenagers get their hands busy, they relax and begin to share. And that’s when the magic happens!
Wherever I go, I always find the children and the dogs – they are my people. I love to sit down on the floor and get to know the little ones, whomever they are. Once at a high school swim meet, I was approached by a very tall senior I saw for speech therapy when he was only two years old. His mom recognized the name of my swimmer, and together with her son, they found me. Unlocking the words and ideas inside a precious child is a life-changing gift for families, and I find it incredibly enriching and fulfilling.
I tell every family that they are always my client, whether or not they’re paying for services. Families can always reach out to me years later and I will remember their child and help them however I can. My relationships with families and children set me apart. I consider my intimate role to be a privilege I’m grateful to have.
I thoroughly enjoy investigating new strategies or research and learning new skills. But I also have decades of experience to draw upon, along with a gentle, playful, curious nature with children. I create a safe space for them to explore and learn. I know how to utilize the toys that will motivate them to talk to me. Every word is precious to me, just like every child.
Loving, raising, and launching my own three children has had the greatest impact on me as a therapist. I have learned from my kids, and I’ve also learned lessons from my clients that I’ve applied in my parenting. I make mistakes both personally and professionally, but I forgive myself, I learn, and I grow. I believe demonstrating grace to myself gives children an example of healthy self-care. I relish the opportunities to extend compassion, empathy, and generous forgiveness to children when they make a mistake.
Since the pandemic, I’ve observed an increased irritability among our societies large and small and that saddens me. Through my interactions with my clients, I believe I can resist this negative energy by replacing it with a more gracious attitude. While I don’t always do it perfectly, I always try.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I enjoyed a happy childhood full of books, imagination, and play. We didn’t live in a neighborhood, so playdates were a rare treat. I was a fearless tree climber and playground swinger, but I was most content to play in my room with my dolls and stuffed animals. I read constantly, and when I was ten my mom bought me a used typewriter. I spent every summer banging out novels.
My house was full of books and readers, and anything I could find was mine to explore. All summer, my mom brought home stacks of library books, which I devoured. Though I didn’t consider it at the time, I’m grateful my parents never censored my reading material. I was always free to cultivate my own tastes and opinions.
And this extended to music. From early childhood, I used my own record player and eventually stereo. I listened to read-along stories, turning the pages when I heard the chime! Having a safe unique space that I created and cultivated with my toys, books, and music shaped the person that I am. And that freedom profoundly influences my parenting.
We had dozens of beloved pets over the years, and I grew up with tremendous respect for animals and nature. I had the freedom and space to explore the woods and creeks and my grandparents’ farm. I spent many, many hours held high in the branches of trees. My parents found the ideal balance between support and freedom.
Pricing:
- $60 per 30″ private session
- $90 per 45″ private session
- $120 per 60″ private session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.storyofwordplay.com
- Instagram: @jenniferleighelliott
- Facebook: facebook.com/jenelliott.ehrhardt
