We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tiffany Mason a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tiffany, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I’ve learned to be effective/successful when I’m the only one in the room that looks like me through values instilled in me by my parents. My family is from an urban area and during the 80s my parents had careers (law enforcement and education) in which they were underrepresented; however, both of them were amazing at what they did and instilled in me to go beyond the basic requirements in all of my endeavors. Those talks saw me through consistent honor roll and honors classes in public school…but that was my normal in classes and environments where all things were equal except talent/work ethic/etc. It was when I went to college that I met people from all walks taking the same classes as me but had had tutors or internships or legacy opportunities that I knew I was individually successful. That’s not to say they too didn’t deserve their success, because there are many that I view as brilliant no matter what. My thinking is that if I had managed to make it into the same spaces (both collegiate and professionally) that these other “brilliant” minds had, then I absolutely know that what I came to say/do is destined for success.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is a person that evaluates, diagnoses, and treats individuals with problems with: articulation(speech sound production), language, social communication, voice, fluency (stuttering/cluttering), and feeding and swallowing.
On a daily basis the majority of my focus areas tend to be articulation, language, and social communication deficits in the pediatric population with Autism. I see clients via telehealth, in office, and through home-based services to support families and caregivers in finding common ground to form meaningful and functional communicative connections with their child. My favorite part of the job is supporting families and caregivers through the process of acknowledging that their child is different but not less than. I try to be a mindful advocate for seeing the humanity and required dignity in every person as a communicator, no matter their age, gender, or diagnosis.
I am a Hanen More Than Words certified instructor and Summer 2024 will be offering group opportunities for families to connect with one another to 1. find community and 2. recognize the intentionality and connection in ALL communication (not just verbal).
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three key areas of knowledge that are most impactful to me are:
1. Always be teachable. I have degrees and certifications and hands-on experience, but I’ll never be finished learning. Theories change and evolve, techniques become either refined or obsolete, and at the end of the day, imparting knowledge is a two-way street because we interact with humans that are not programmed…there’s humility and beauty in that.
2. Exercise the self-reflection muscle. While I am a professional in my arena everything is a variable, and I can only control myself. I am constantly looking inward to determine if the impact of whatever my intentions are is positive…and if not, “How can I do better next time?”
3. Try the “no” at least once. Prior to entering the field, I used to say, “Oh, I’m never going to work in X setting/population/etc.” Some of my most personally rewarding experiences have been on my “No” list and I wouldn’t change a thing about the experiences now.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
SLPs are stereotypically known for being Type A and high-strung workers, but the burn-out is real. While children don’t have a huge amount of societal power, they have some of the best methods for life fulfillment. To explain, children tend to do things that are playful/pleasurable and it’s how the most impactful learning shows up. When something is no longer fun, they stop doing it until such time as they feel up to it again. I put this in personal practice by setting my own professional expectations then promptly “putting the toy/work down” if you will and finding what else is pleasing in life. One of the foundational linguistic skills we develop is object permanence (items continue to exist even when we can’t see them) …work will be there when I return.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.toptierslp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tt.theslp?igsh=emd6aDd6bXdraXNp
- Facebook: @top.tier.speech.language.pllc
Image Credits
Personal photos only
