Speech and Language Kids Podcast

Redeem your $200 Credit for the SLK Curriculum -- Promo Code: SURVIVE https://hub.speechandlanguagekids.com/ Offer Ends April 15th! If you're an SLP or SLPA who works in the schools, you know that this time of year is pure chaos! Behaviors are amping up. Progress reports are due. And your groups are out of control. There's no time to reheat your coffee, let alone get everything done! So this year, I'm throwing you a lifeline! Listen to this recording of our End-of-Year Survival Event with plans, tools, and shortcuts to help you survive the end of your school year! We'll be showing you exactly how to… Make quick and easy plans for the rest of your school year Reduce those "end-of-the-year" behaviors and boost engagement (without spending extra time planning and prepping) Use shortcuts for all of your year-end admin tasks like data collection, progress notes, and homework packets Don't spend the rest of this year stressed out and overwhelmed. Grab the tools that thousands of SLPs and SLPAs are already using to find more joy and fulfillment in the work they do: Hub.SpeechAndLanguageKids.com

What if your therapy session had a opening chime, a themed activity waiting on the table, a magical d20 for turn-taking, an AI that generates custom word lists and social scenarios on the spot, and a fireworks celebration at the end? That's exactly what I built — and in this episode, I'm taking you inside your brand-new Virtual Therapy Table dashboard, a one-stop interactive hub designed to make every session feel intentional, engaging, and a little bit magical. Whether you're prepping back-to-back sessions with no time to breathe or just tired of hunting down the same kinds of materials week after week, this episode will show you what's possible when you stop building therapy tools from scratch and start letting smart systems do the heavy lifting. In this episode, you'll hear: What the Virtual Therapy Table actually is (and why kids love it) How each element — the chime, worksheet, dice, prompt generator, and finale — serves a therapeutic purpose How I built it and how SLK members can access it What this means for the future of SLP session prep If you've ever wished your therapy room could just... set itself up, this episode is for you.

It's almost April… The kids are feral. The paperwork is multiplying. And somehow this part of the year feels harder than all the rest. So instead of pretending it's fine… let's call it what it is—and make a plan to survive it. In this episode, I'm kicking off our End-of-the-Year Survival Extravaganza and showing you exactly what support is available (and how to choose what you actually need right now). Because here's the truth: Not all SLPs need the same thing. Some of you are just trying to get through your next session without crying in your car. Some of you are looking for tools you can trust. And some of you are ready for community, growth, and something more. In this episode, you'll: Get a full behind-the-scenes look at all of the upcoming events, games, and support happening this month Learn how to identify where YOU are in your survival journey (and what to do next) Discover how to plug into the exact level of support you need—without overwhelm From free live trainings to weekly events, challenges, and community experiences… there is something here for you. You don't have to figure this out alone. You just have to pick your next step. Let's get you to summer.

If you feel like you're constantly just spinning your wheels or constantly stuck on the struggle bus as a speech-language pathologist…. Well… You're not alone. The struggle is real. And there's no shortage of others who feel the same way. But today…I'm gonna get real with you. Cause I've been struggling. And I think I finally figured out why. And my revelation may just help you as well. I'm sharing a personal update about why I'm stepping into "builder mode" and pausing new podcast episodes for a short time — because I've realized something big: I've been afraid to finish the SLK Curriculum. Yep. Afraid of success. Afraid of being judged. Afraid that once it's "done," I won't have the excuse of "it's still a work in progress." And as I unpacked that fear, I started to see how many of us as SLPs are doing the exact same thing in our own work. When we're overwhelmed, exhausted, and deep in survival mode, our nervous systems try to keep us safe by keeping us small. They feed us very logical, very convincing excuses: What if I try something new and it doesn't work? What if it does work? What will my coworkers think? What if I spend the money and don't follow through? What if people judge me? In this episode, we're talking about: Why your nervous system may be keeping you in the struggle How a mindset of lack keeps you from seeing viable options The sneaky beliefs that stop you from trying a simpler, more effective way How to become a detective of your own thoughts And how to rewrite the script — just like we teach our fluency kids to do If you've ever: Felt stuck on the struggle bus Overhauled your system every few months instead of finishing something Been afraid to rock the boat Worried what others would think if you tried something different Or quietly wondered, "What if I'm not good enough?" This episode is for you. I'm finishing the darn curriculum. And I'm inviting you to examine what you might need to finish, change, or finally commit to in your own practice. Let's step out of survival mode and into something bigger. I'll see you on the other side.

Want to save hours every week without sacrificing therapy quality? In this episode, I'm sharing 5 practical ways speech-language pathologists can use ChatGPT to streamline planning, generate materials faster, and reduce the time spent staring at a blank screen. You'll hear real examples of prompts you can copy, paste, and customize—whether you need quick session ideas, therapy materials, goal writing help, classroom accommodations, or progress report wording. I'm also sharing important cautions (because yes—AI can be wildly helpful, but it still needs a clinician brain behind it). If you're an SLP who feels buried under planning, paperwork, and decision fatigue, this episode will give you an easy starting point to use AI in a way that's ethical, safe, and actually useful. And a special thanks to my co-host: ChatGPT! She'll make an appearance on this podcast as well!

A new study out of Canada found that higher screen time in elementary school is linked to lower reading and math scores. And the more researchers dig, the more concerning the pattern becomes. In this episode, we break down what the research is saying about screens in schools, including: why even "educational" technology may not improve outcomes how digital reading compares to print reading for comprehension what brain studies are revealing about learning on screens vs. paper why handwriting still matters more than we think And most importantly… What does this mean for speech/language therapy? For our struggling learners, it may be possible that simply switching your therapy activities from screen-based to paper-based could give them a major advantage. This episode will help you understand the research and give you a simple, practical way to test it in your own speech room, starting tomorrow.

Are you collecting way too much data in speech therapy? If you've ever tried to take detailed data while also running a great session… you already know it's basically impossible. It's like trying to parallel park while writing down how many times you turned the steering wheel. 😅 In this episode, I'm breaking down a super simple data collection system that helps you: Track progress clearly Make confident therapy decisions Write progress notes faster Reduce your workload (a LOT) And still meet school or insurance requirements You'll learn my easy "monthly data + quick session rating" approach that gives you the information you actually need—without turning therapy into paperwork.

Imagine being a child who knows what they want to say… but has no way to say it. No words. No voice. No control. In this episode, I'm sharing my favorite AAC app that helps nonspeaking children communicate, connect, and feel safer in their world: Grid by Smartbox. We'll break down: What AAC actually is (and who it's for) The question I always get: Does AAC prevent kids from talking? Why Grid is such a powerful option (and what makes it different) The simplest, most effective ways to start teaching AAC (without feeling overwhelmed) How AAC can be especially supportive for Gestalt Language Processors (GLPs) And if AAC feels intimidating, I want you to hear this loud and clear: There is no "perfect" way to start AAC. There is only starting. Join me today to find out how a simple AAC app can be the missing key for a non-speaking child.

Grab the Fast Track to Dismissal Toolkit Now at www.SpeechAndLanguageKids.com/Fast Are you spending a huge chunk of your time on students who are technically "still on your caseload"… but honestly should be transitioning out of direct services? In this episode, we're talking about one of the biggest drains on SLP time: students who linger in direct services longer than necessary — even after they've learned the skills they needed from us. And here's the thing: fast-tracking dismissal isn't selfish. It's actually: better for the student, better for the classroom, better for the SLP, and more aligned with what school-based services are supposed to be. I'm walking you through a clear, step-by-step process for moving students through the final phase of therapy, including: ✅ progress monitoring with the team ✅ how to explain the therapy process to families and teachers ✅ how to decide what "phase" the student is truly in ✅ what to do when the student needs generalization support (not more therapy) ✅ and how to shift the work to the adults who are with them all day — where generalization actually happens If you're ready to reclaim your time, reduce your caseload load, and help students get what they truly need (without keeping them in speech forever), this episode is for you.

If you've ever had a client who just cannot get the /r/ sound no matter how many times you model it, you are not alone. The /r/ is one of the trickiest sounds in speech therapy… and it's also one of the most common reasons kids stay on caseloads way longer than they should. In this episode, I'm sharing 15 practical, therapist-tested strategies for teaching the /r/ sound (especially for those kids who aren't responding to the usual cues). You'll hear a variety of approaches, including shaping from other sounds, tongue tension tricks, tactile and visual cues, auditory discrimination strategies, and even a few "reset" options for when nothing is working. Whether you're working with bunched /r/, retroflex /r/, vocalic /r/, or you're just desperate for fresh ideas, this episode will give you a toolbox full of options to try immediately in your next session. (Psst! Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast, we have something awesome coming next week!)

Every effective SLP has it…even if they don't realize it. There's a hidden decision tree guiding their therapy choices: what areas to target, what skills to teach, what to do next, and when to move on. It's not something you're explicitly taught in grad school. It's something you slowly build over years of experience. In this episode, I'm making that invisible decision tree visible. We'll walk through the exact mental process strong clinicians use when they get that first call: "Something feels off." "They have a speech delay." "It's probably a processing issue…" I'll share with you my decision tree that helps me quickly narrow concerns into the right therapy area (speech, language, fluency, voice, social communication, or functional communication), and then how to follow a choose-your-own-adventure style path to identify what actually needs to be taught. You'll learn: How experienced SLPs move from vague concerns to clear therapy targets How to sort challenges into the right buckets (and avoid chasing the wrong goals) Why beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels matter and how they guide your next steps How having a clear decision tree reduces decision fatigue and speeds up planning If you've ever felt overwhelmed by too many options, unsure which skill to tackle next, or stuck second-guessing your therapy decisions… this episode will feel like someone finally handed you the map. Listen today or simply grab our decision tree inside the SLK Curriculum today: https://hub.speechandlanguagekids.com/

Speech-language pathologists are quitting left and right. And some are leaving the profession all together. When we talk about SLP turnover, the conversation usually turns to caseload size, pay, or work-life balance. And yes, those things matter. But they're symptoms, not the root problem. In this episode, we zoom out and look at what's actually driving burnout and turnover in speech-language pathology: too many high-stakes decisions without a clear system to support clinical decision-making. SLPs are expected to: Diagnose what's wrong Decide what to work on Write defensible goals Create therapy plans from scratch Manage behavior Justify services across tiers And do it all for dozens (sometimes hundreds) of students Every. Single. Day. Meanwhile, other professionals are handed evidence-based curricula and clear workflows. SLPs are handed complexity and told to figure it out on their own. In this episode, we'll talk about: Why "more support" and more PD often increase overwhelm The hidden cognitive load that leads even passionate, well-paid SLPs to quit Why the lowest-turnover programs don't rely on hero clinicians, they rely on systems How a structured therapy framework reduces burnout without removing clinical judgment What leaders can do right now to improve retention, confidence, and consistency across their teams If you're an SLP who's exhausted from constantly second-guessing yourself, or a leader trying to figure out why good clinicians keep leaving, this conversation reframes the problem and points to a solution that actually works. Because retention doesn't come from asking SLPs to care more. Or see more clients. It comes from giving them clarity, structure, and a shared way to make decisions. Sign up your team for our SLK Curriculum and get all of the systems and supports you need: https://www.speechandlanguagekids.com/slk-hub-teams-program-support-your-speech-team-elevate-your-outcomes/

Children aren't meant to linger in speech and language therapy for years, but many do. In this episode, we're breaking down why that happens and exactly how to move students efficiently toward dismissal without abandoning support. You'll learn a clear, tiered workflow for speech-language services that helps teams: Teach missing skills directly (without over-servicing) Reduce pull-out time as soon as skills are learned Support carryover and generalization in the classroom Transition students thoughtfully from direct therapy → consult → dismissal We'll walk through: Why the current "qualify or don't" model keeps students stuck How Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 supports should work together What dismissal actually looks like when done well (hint: it's a process, not a cliff) How to explain service changes clearly to parents and teachers How this approach frees up SLP time and prevents future over-referrals You'll also hear how to use simple visuals and handouts during IEP meetings and conferences to get everyone on the same page, and reduce pushback when it's time to decrease minutes or dismiss. If you've ever wondered: "How do I know when they're ready?" "How do I explain this without parents panicking?" "Why do kids stay on my caseload forever?" This episode gives you a practical, defensible roadmap. All of the visuals, workflows, screening tools, data probes, and therapy packets discussed are available inside the SLK Curriculum Curriculum: https://hub.speechandlanguagekids.com/

An increasing number of SLPs are noticing something new: word-final repetitions, breathing or pauses in the middle of words, and extra sounds popping up between words. These atypical disfluencies don't always look like "classic" stuttering and the research on what to do about them is…messy. In this episode, I walk through a real-world case review of word-final stuttering and other atypical disfluencies, including what the research actually says (and where it falls apart). We'll unpack the different types of atypical disfluencies (mid-word breaks, sound insertions, final sound repetitions) and why they're showing up more often in children with autism and ADHD. Most importantly, we talk about the question that really matters: Do these disfluencies actually need to be treated? If fluency is a difference and not a disorder, when does intervention help, and when might it do more harm than good? You'll hear a practical, detective-style framework for figuring out what's driving the disfluency, how to collaborate with parents and teachers when the answers aren't clear, and which strategies are worth trying (and which ones deserve caution). Join us for a deep dive into this atypical (but increasing) problem. And if you'd like to submit a case review for us to feature on the podcast, click here: https://www.speechandlanguagekids.com/submit/

Teletherapy doesn't have to feel chaotic, complicated, or exhausting. In today's episode, we're breaking down a simple, no-fluff system for running effective and engaging speech-language teletherapy sessions, whether you're supporting speech, language, fluency, social skills, or functional communication. You'll learn how to confidently define your role, identify exactly which skills to target, and select materials that actually move the needle. I'll walk you through what to do during sessions, how to keep kids motivated without reinventing the wheel every week, and how to make parent/teacher training easier (and more effective). If you're a school-based or private-practice SLP who wants teletherapy sessions that are structured, fun, and backed by a clear functional outcome…this episode is for you.