Preparing Students for Life After High School: The Critical Role of SLPs in Transition Planning

 Hallie and guest Nathalie Lebrun chat about preparing students for life after high school.

In this honest and energizing episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Nathalie Lebrun—SLP, speaker, co-host of LeadSpeak Podcast and the voice behind LifeSpeak—about working with transition-age students. Nathalie shares how she went from post-acute rehab dreams to leading a massive school-based SLP team, and how she discovered the often-overlooked role SLPs can play in helping students ages 18–22 build real-world communication skills. From Uber training to poker lessons to letting go of perfect data, Nathalie keeps it real about what it means to be a communication coach, not just a therapist. If you’ve ever felt stuck with your older caseload or unsure how to prep students for life beyond school, this conversation will leave you inspired—and ready to rethink your approach.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Nathalie’s unexpected path to becoming an SLP and transition expert
• What “transition services” really look like in public school settings
• The SLP’s evolving role as a communication coach beyond the therapy room
• Functional therapy ideas that connect directly to real-life independence
• Why transition planning should start way earlier than we think

Here’s what we learned: 

• SLPs are essential in supporting students beyond academics
• Real-world communication skills should be a therapy focus, especially for older students
• Functional progress > perfect data collection—especially in transition work
• Collaboration and creativity are key to meaningful outcomes
• Start thinking transition early—even in elementary school

Learn more about Nathalie Lebrun: 

Email: [e-mail] 

Website: www.lifespeakllc.org 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielebrun/

Podcast: https://www.lifespeakllc.org/leadspeak-podcast

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets