Sarah Collins always knew that she wanted to be a teacher of some kind. Becoming a speech therapist allowed her to teach on an individual and small group level. “I really love the diversity of the field,” she shares. “I also enjoy that I get to make deep connections with people and really get to know them because it’s so often 1-on-1.”
Sarah’s career has taken her around the United States before bringing her back home to Pennsylvania. After getting her master’s degree in speech and language pathology at Misericordia University in Dallas, PA, she became a speech therapist working with middle and high school students. Wanting to explore different parts of the country, she then spent four years providing traveling therapy in various inpatient and outpatient medical and nursing home settings, primarily in Louisiana, Arkansas, and upstate New York. Although she saw children on occasion, she primarily worked with adults.
In 2020, she moved back to Pennsylvania to be closer to her family. “It felt like the right time for a new experience,” she says. “I really enjoyed helping the kids I had worked with while traveling and wanted to do more of that.” While searching for a job, she came upon a posting for Happy Hearts and applied. She could tell from the interview that Jess Tofany, the founder of Happy Hearts, genuinely cared about people, kids, and making a difference, and was someone she wanted to work with. Jess felt the same about her, and Sarah started as an early intervention speech therapist in December 2020.
Her job now involves everything under the field of speech therapy, from communication and understanding speech and language to the sensory components of feeding. She helps kids get used to the tastes and textures of food as well as overcome difficulties with the mechanics of eating, such as latching onto a bottle, chewing, or swallowing.
In her previous roles, Sarah was often helping adults relearn something they used to be able to do. “It’s a different feeling when someone learns something new,” she explains. “I really enjoy the looks of excitement and accomplishment when a kid does something for the first time and a parent successfully uses a strategy and sees the positive results.” Another favorite part of her job is when a family feels comfortable enough using the strategies she taught them to get creative and apply them in new ways. “It’s so fulfilling when I can tell they've learned, they understand, and they're finding opportunities to teach their kids and have those meaningful connections.”
Working with children brings out Sarah’s natural silliness and creativity. She hopes to foster that in all the families she works with–both adults and kids. “As you grow up people often try to convince you to be serious. But silliness has a lot of benefits, including helping to develop creativity and problem solving. And it’s fun! I like to help parents feel comfortable being silly with their child.”
Sarah also enjoys when families want to have their sessions outdoors, which gives children the chance to experience and explore the world around them. Although she lives in Montgomery County, she appreciates getting to drive around Berks County to visit families because the area is more scenic and less developed.
When she’s not working, Sarah loves exploring and spending time in nature, whether that’s hiking or swimming, paddleboarding, or just being near the water. She’s also interested in holistic therapies such as yoga, mediation, sound healing, and reiki.
The first three years of life are a critical time for children to start understanding their environment, expressing themselves, and forming relationships. Sarah appreciates every family who notices their child could use some extra support and takes the steps to make that happen.
Her advice to parents with children in early intervention is to trust their instincts. “Whenever I meet a family everyone is already doing great things. These services are all about you and your child, so don’t be afraid to speak up and share your thoughts or concerns at any time during the session. This will help direct things to be exactly what your family needs. Frequent communication is key to a successful partnership.”
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