Lingering in Therapy? When and How to Dismiss from Speech/Language Services

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/