Rural speech language pathologist "Ms. Yolie" on the benefits of rural education

On school day mornings, roving rural speech language pathologist Yolie Bodie Jandreau hops into a car well stocked with a colorful array of games, toys, picture books and craft supplies and, depending on the day of the week, motors off to either Swan Valley Elementary School in Condon, Seeley Lake Elementary School, Greenough's Sunset School, or Potomac Elementary School.

Depending on the weather and destination, the journey can take upwards of an hour, or a mere five minutes. (As a Potomac resident, Bodie Jandreau can see the belltower and triangular eaves of Potomac's 111-year-old community schoolhouse from her home.)

Within each of her four offices in the four schools she works in, Bodie Jandreau can be found playing with and talking to kids, using everything from everyday objects, like clocks and chore charts, to classic board games. Every therapy session is different as Bodie Jandreau helps students work toward a broad range of objectives - some involve overcoming challenges related to articulation, resonance, or language, i.e., what they can express and understand linguistically, or issues like stutters.

Many other students are on the autism spectrum or contend with executive function conditions such as ADHD. Others have behavioral challenges. "Ms. Yolie," as Bodie Jandreau is known to her students, is in her fourth year as a speech language pathologist employed through the Missoula Area Special Education Cooperative.

Her journey in speech pathology hatched during a previous career as a Missoula Montessori preschool teacher. Bodie Jandreau said she'd been thinking about going back to school for social work when she crossed paths with a speech language pathologist contracted to address some of her preschoolers' behavioral challenges. The transformation she witnessed was personally transformational, too.

"Prior to that, these kids couldn't be understood by their peers or teachers, and frustrations of their issues had been so intensified by those communication issues, which had led to frequent communication breakdowns and challenging behaviors," Bodie Jandreau recalled. "Once people can communicate more easily, so many aspects of their lives become easier, and once I saw that play out, I wanted to be a part of that journey."

A former camp counselor and environmental educator - and the proud daughter of a pediatric occupational therapist mother - Bodie Jandreau knew early on that she wanted to work one-on-one with young students. But she hadn't necessarily expected to find herself drawn to the dynamic work environment offered by rural schools.

"What's unique about the smaller school setting is just how resourceful staff has to be," she said. "They might have only one teacher for a few different grades, so everyone has to get comfortable wearing so many different hats. It takes a special person to work in rural education because they have to be so creative and collaborative - beyond what you might find in a larger school district. I also get to witness a special level of familiarity and investment in the kids - especially when it comes to the teachers and staffers who live within those communities. They're educating their neighbors' kids; i.e., the future of their own communities, so they're extra motivated and invested in students being happy and healthy and well-educated. It's a special kind of growth mindset."

In addition to working directly with kids, a day in the life sees Bodie Jandreau evaluating students, writing eligibility and evaluation reports, collaborating with teachers, attending meetings with families, planning therapy sessions, writing individualized education plans and, if she's lucky, "trying to eat lunch!"

Outside of work, readers can find Ms. Yolie hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, floating the rivers, gardening, reading, and, most recently, raising a newborn daughter. (She and her husband Clancy Jandreau, water steward with the Blackfoot Challenge, welcomed Emmaline Rae in August; Bodie Jandreau returns to work from maternity leave in November.) Ms. Yolie said she's grateful everyday to have the opportunity to live and now raise a family in the Blackfoot, which she describes as "heaven on Earth."

Because she knows so many kids and families across the Potomac and Seeley-Swan valleys, Bodie Jandreau sees plenty of familiar faces when she's out recreating and running errands.

"I get to see the impact of the work we do in action, and that's so enlivening and provides a lot of joy," she said.

The con, however, is that all this friendly familiarity requires careful navigation when it comes to privacy policies specifically, federal HIPAA mandates, which are designed to safeguard personally identifiable health information.

"It can be hard to feel like I'm truly 'off' when a family wants to talk about therapy progress at the grocery store or local bar," she explained, showcasing the sunny laugh her students and colleagues know so well.

Bodie Jandreau is passionate about access to special education.

"A lot of families tend to think, 'Oh, we'll have to drive into Missoula for special services.' I think it's really important to know that rurality shouldn't be any barrier. If your kids have special needs, then the public schools are mandated to provide those services," Bodie Jandreau said. This is ensured by the IDEA, or federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Another hope she harbors? That Montana continues to place value and emphasis on rural education.

"I think it's pretty special for kids across the state to be able to access these smaller schools," she said. "There's so much value in maintaining and resourcing these special institutions."