Official Review: P.S.S.T.- Public School Speech Therapist

[Lisa A Rayburn]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "P.S.S.T.- Public School Speech Therapist" by W. Ray.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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P.S.S.T. Public School Speech Therapist: (The Best Kept Secret in the Public Schools), by W. Ray, is a relatively short, non-fiction book. A professional speech-language pathologist, W. Ray uses the experiences (positive, negative, humorous, or bizarre) she encountered while working in several states for over sixteen years to take us on an enlightening and sometimes amusing journey through the life of a speech therapist in a public-school setting.

Through the years, she found the position to be a highly stressful job that was often underappreciated by both teachers and administration. This proved to be the case regardless of the location or stated policies of the school systems in which she worked. Because of this widespread tendency by school faculty, staff, and administration to discount the merit of the position, Ray felt a need to raise awareness about public-school speech therapists' value and importance. Her goal is to engender more recognition and support for these therapists and what they do every day, both with and for students.

Among the issues addressed in the book are the challenges faced by speech therapists working in several schools when they have no permanent office. She also discusses the loneliness the position can bring in the absence of the much-needed respect from and camaraderie with fellow teachers. A similar lack of respect and understanding originates with the administration when the speech therapist, regarded as ‘supplementary’ personnel, is assigned paperwork or duties having nothing to do with their position. These are only a few of the issues the author addresses.

My favorite thing about the book was the thread of humor woven throughout the narrative, regardless of the subject being discussed. Ray includes amusing stories related to these issues and easily conveys her love of the job and the work she does with children. Her style of writing is clear, uncomplicated, and engaging. Having worked for twenty-plus years in several public-school systems, I found this book quite interesting. When I taught Special Education, my position was also considered ‘supplementary’ by some principals and teachers. This allowed me to empathize with Ray’s experiences more easily.

There was nothing I truly disliked about the book, and if I could score it solely on its clarity and relevance, as well as my enjoyment of it, I would award it a solid four stars. However, the many punctuation errors found in the text prevent me from doing this. Although these mistakes affected my enjoyment of the book very little, they numbered far more than ten. Therefore, I must reluctantly drop a star and score the book at 3 out of 4 stars.

Though targeted at public school educators and administrators, as well as public-school speech therapists, the book might also interest those looking to enter the profession as it discusses situations unique to the speech-therapist position. Those who have not worked in the education sector may not find it engaging. I strongly encourage all public-school educators and administrators who work in any capacity with an in-school speech therapist to read the book. It will be very enlightening.

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P.S.S.T.- Public School Speech Therapist
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[CharlieMax1516]

Good job on the review! I find it odd that a speech-language pathologist would publish with so many errors. I wonder what happened when editing? This sounds like an entertaining book with a good purpose. All school professionals can be undervalued at times, but I know that SLPs can get lost in the shuffle frequently. Thanks for the review!

[Hailey_duchess]

Sounds like an interesting book with an unusual background! Since I myself have gone to speech therapy, I am able to empathize with and appreciate the work these terapists do on their daily basis and how invaluable they are for children with speech problems.

[Saint Bruno]

I love books with good humor! Thanks a lot for the great review and recommendation.

[Lisa A Rayburn]

Good job on the review! I find it odd that a speech-language pathologist would publish with so many errors. I wonder what happened when editing? This sounds like an entertaining book with a good purpose. All school professionals can be undervalued at times, but I know that SLPs can get lost in the shuffle frequently. Thanks for the review!

Not every writer is great at punctuation, but that's one thing proofreaders are supposed to catch. It looks like maybe she should try a different proofreader if she gives it another edit. It's sad that a professional who is just as essential as the teachers would be shuffled around the way she was. Thanks so much for dropping by and commenting!

[Lisa A Rayburn]

Sounds like an interesting book with an unusual background! Since I myself have gone to speech therapy, I am able to empathize with and appreciate the work these terapists do on their daily basis and how invaluable they are for children with speech problems.

I found it quite interesting, having a background in education myself. I hope all those who have worked with a speech therapist have your sense of empathy! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Lisa A Rayburn]

I love books with good humor! Thanks a lot for the great review and recommendation.

You're welcome! She did a great job of interspersing humor throughout the book. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!

[Honest-reviewer]

This book seems quite informative. I’m sure I’ll like this book. Thanks for your insightful review!

[Lisa A Rayburn]

This book seems quite informative. I’m sure I’ll like this book. Thanks for your insightful review!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment!

[Eutoc]

In this book it's speech therapy. I hope to see other underappreciated professionals speak up and enlighten society about their jobs. I enjoyed reading your review.

[Pearl Akpan]

This background is quite unique because it is not very common. It must be frustrating to be undervalued even when you know how majorly threaded the subject of your career is in every human life even that of those that undervalue it. I’m curious to see how the element of humor was woven into this book.

Thank you for a comprehensive and wonderful review!

[Lisa A Rayburn]

In this book it's speech therapy. I hope to see other underappreciated professionals speak up and enlighten society about their jobs. I enjoyed reading your review.

Exactly, there are professions, including that of speech therapists, that are undervalued by those they work with. Some are undervalued by almost everyone (janitorial work comes to mind). I'm glad you enjoyed the review, and thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Lisa A Rayburn]

This background is quite unique because it is not very common. It must be frustrating to be undervalued even when you know how majorly threaded the subject of your career is in every human life even that of those that undervalue it. I’m curious to see how the element of humor was woven into this book.

Thank you for a comprehensive and wonderful review!

I'm glad you enjoyed the review! Yes, as the author communicated in the book, having yourself (through your career) undervalued is difficult in the extreme, especially when you know the worth of what you're doing. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[NetMassimo]

An overlook profession rightly advocated in a book that can be useful to all the people who work in school. Thank you for your great review!

[Sanju Lali]

This book looks like an amusing and enlightening journey of the author in the field of speech therapist. Thanks for your honest review.