Today we’d like to introduce you to Miranda Flores.
Hi Miranda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the owner and SLP of Off Script Speech Therapy. My private practice was established in 2021, and my clinic is expected to open by the end of 2022 in Murphy, TX. At my core, I am a helper. I am someone who wants to see others succeed. As an undergraduate, I discovered speech-language pathology and found it to be a very specific way to foster success in others. I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UNT in speech-language pathology. Since starting my career in 2007, I have been able to gain experience in many areas of speech-language pathology; adults in long-term care working to regain language and swallowing skills, students in private and public schools working to improve language and articulation skills, pediatric home health working with children and families build language and feeding skills, and now in private practice specializing in augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) and feeding therapy.
Since working in the public-school setting and in my most recent home health position, my understanding and passion for improving communication and community access/inclusion for non-speaking communication device users have grown. There are so many individuals who require AAC to communicate effectively, but so few SLPs who are confident in this area of our field. I’ve been able to mentor speech-language pathology graduate students and interns over the last several years and increase their knowledge, comfort, and confidence with AAC. Additionally, I will begin the speech-language pathology doctoral program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in the summer of 2023. Through my doctoral work and my private practice, I plan to dive deeper into increasing community awareness, acceptance, and inclusion for non-speaking communication device users. I’m hoping the takeaway is: that AAC is not an inferior form of communication; it’s just a different way of communicating. My other specialization in feeding therapy was more spurred by the need I started seeing within home health. Families struggle at meal times with children who they think are just “picky” but in reality, have feeding problems beyond that. I became a trained therapist in the SOS Approach to Feeding, and the whole perspective shift of responsive feeding and observing a child’s sensory regulation cues has changed my entire therapy practice. I’m now working with children on decreasing their sensory reactions to certain foods, increasing their food repertoires as they are ready, and educating families on a new way of viewing meal times. My ultimate goal is to lower stress for everyone while increasing accepted foods.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say that I have struggled in my career, but I have faced challenges. Those challenges have typically been working through obstacles in order to help my clients or students get what they need.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Off Script Speech Therapy?
I’m a speech-language pathologist specializing in augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) and feeding therapy. My purpose is to help build and support communication skills for people who are speaking, partially speaking, and non-speaking. I’m also here to help children and families build positive feeding and mealtime experiences. I am not here to “fix” a child. I support neurodivergent affirming practices and community inclusion for communication device users. I’m here to support a child’s progress and to help them meet their own potential. Growing up neurodivergent and having ADHD, it seemed like everyone else knew their role, what to say, and what came next, but I didn’t get the same script. I chose the name “Off Script” because I want children and families to know that though their language, communication, and/or feeding may not follow the same path as others, they can still achieve similar success. The road may look different, but we can get to the destination together.
What were you like growing up?
Early in school, I was often in trouble or moved for “excessive talking.” Now I think this is funny, given what I went into for a career! I loved reading and spending time with my close friends. I enjoyed school and did very well in my classes. I was (and still am) constantly dancing, but unfortunately, my clumsiness didn’t allow me to go further than my house. I was a witty kid and loved to sneak up and scare my family! I struggled to understand a lot of the social nuances and was often a daydreamer. I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. Once diagnosed, my experiences as a child and adolescent made so much sense!
Contact Info:
- Website: offscriptspeechtherapy.com
- Instagram: off_script_speech_therapy
- Facebook: Off Script Speech Therapy
