Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
DRAPER — Summer Price says the best part of owning a speech pathology clinic is working with kids one on one, rather than in a crowded classroom.
Because of speech impairments or other disabilities, her clients often don't have the confidence to talk about any of their needs or concerns. But since Middle Hill Speech and Voice Clinic opened in 2021, Price and her two co-workers have helped students learn how to better communicate their thoughts — something that a child with any speech disabilities may only dream of doing, Price said.
Many students, after meeting with Price and the two other pathologists, will gain enough confidence to speak up in class or order a Chick-Fil-A meal, Price added, noting that it was "just the little things ... that, to some people, may sound insignificant, but to the child really, really mean a lot."
However, it's difficult for speech-language pathologists to work in the public sector, Price said. Often, classroom settings may not be as helpful for kids with disabilities to learn and for pathologists to teach.
To better help students one on one — and, at the same time, work with a flexible schedule to take care of her infant son — Price decided to open her own speech pathology clinic.
In July of 2021, Price was driving to go boating with her husband when she came up with the idea to open up a clinic. After a few hours, she said they were brainstorming logos, names and business strategies.
Just a few weeks later, her dream would come to fruition as she founded Middle Hill Speech Therapy and began seeing clients.
With two other speech pathologists, the company has seen over 80 kids since opening in Draper, she said.
Both employees came from the public sector, having worked in public schools, and noticed the lack of privatized, individual care for those with speech impairments or disabilities.
"I think that there's not a lot of speech clinics in the Salt Lake area, so I think there's definitely a need for more speech pathologists that can work privately — but it is a challenge to kind of get your name out there," said Becky Bruso, a speech pathologist who began working with Price in July of this year.
After moving to Utah from Texas, Bruso said she noticed that there were so many kids in public schools that weren't helped by the special education system, but that they were "in the middle" and "delayed or behind."
Emily Pittam agreed, having started working as a speech pathologist at Middle Hill in June after spending a few years working in public schools.
"Unfortunately, just due to staffing and everything, there just isn't enough time to see as many kids or do as good of a job as we always want to in the schools," Pittam said.
When Bruso realized how the kids would progress much more quickly one on one than in the large classroom setting, she decided she would try her hand in the private sector.
And since starting her work last month, Bruso noted that she and her coworkers can teach the kids and "get them in and out a lot faster than they can in the school system."
"I just love to see the kids catch on when the light bulb pops on, and they're able to do something new that they weren't able to do before," Bruso said.
As she's seen more clients filling her and her co-workers' time slots, Price said she's excited to continue expanding her clinic — hopefully renting other offices in their suite, hiring more pathologists and seeing more kids.
"There are definitely plans for growth for Middle Hill in the hopefully very near future," Price said. "We're really, really excited about that growth."
And yet, Price noted, starting her own clinic was no simple task.
"When I was thinking about leaving my very comfortable, full-time position, it just seemed so scary. There was so much unknown — but you just have to take those first few steps and just look into it," Price said. "I think people would be surprised with one, how much you can do on your own, but two, how much support there is around you."
In fact, she said that when she had their first official staff meeting, with "just the three of us in the clinic room," she was emotional from all the support she had from her fellow speech pathologists.
"I was just so overwhelmed and proud of the three of us for being there and just being these working professional women," Price said, adding that especially as she and Bruso are working moms, "it can be hard but it's really impressive."
Bruso continued that while she and Price are away from their kids, they have supportive husbands, "and share the load when it comes to taking care of our own families."
"It is fun to be in a woman's world and be a professional," Bruso said. "It's just fun to have people in the profession that understand and you can chat with and vent to."
Pittam added that working with two supportive women has helped her see some of the effective strategies and games the speech pathologists use and has also boosted her confidence as a working woman.
"I feel like we're seeing lots and lots of increase in women-owned businesses, and I think that it's a fantastic thing," Pittam said. "I think that we are getting more and more accepting as a society that women can do both things — you can be a mom and you can be a businesswoman."
