The SLP Now Podcast

Show Notes: slpnow.com/275 You can plan a whole month of therapy in just a few clicks. In this episode, I walk you through what my monthly planning routine looks like inside SLP Now. You'll hear how the Therapy Plan Assistant suggests caseload segments and the top three units for each one. Every unit is already analyzed for common targets, with activities linked to each step of the literacy-based...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/274 Planning for every student or every group can eat up your whole week. In this episode, I walk through the caseload segmentation strategy. You split your caseload into a few segments, and each segment gets one unit. You plan it once and use it with every group in that segment for the whole month. I share what this looks like for a preschool through 5th grade caseload and...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/273 Therapy planning can take over nights and weekends when every session starts from scratch. In this episode, Marisha explains how large caseloads, session by session planning, and missing systems can lead to inconsistent sessions, decision fatigue, and reactive therapy. She shares a better approach: plan by units that cover a full month. For most SLPs, three to four units...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/272 How do I make literacy-based therapy work with expository text for older students? In this episode, I walk through the simple swaps I make to keep the framework relevant for upper elementary and secondary students. I share how I adapt the five steps of Dr. Ukrainetz's framework, and how I use structure-matched graphic organizers to help students organize what they read....

Show Notes: slpnow.com/271 In this episode, I break down how I use one book or article to target every goal in a mixed group. Every activity in a literacy-based therapy framework is language-rich, so I do not need a different activity for every student. One activity can work for everyone. I walk through a real example of using WH question cards to target articulation, past tense verbs, and categor...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/270 What does literacy-based therapy actually look like in a real session? In this episode, I walk through Dr. Ukrainetz's five-step framework and share how I use it across about a month of therapy. We cover Pre-Story Knowledge Activation, Shared Reading, Post-Story Comprehension, Focused Skill Activities, and the Parallel Story. I also share a real example from my work with...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/269 In this episode, I break down what literacy-based therapy actually is. I share how I use one text, like a picture book, article, or reading passage, to anchor a full unit of therapy. That gives students meaningful, language-rich practice instead of isolated drills. I also talk about why this approach works. We look at Dr. Ukrainetz's framework, repeated exposure, backgro...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/268 When a session goes sideways, I do not assume I did something wrong. In this episode, I walk through how I use my five-step session structure, Check-in, Assess, Teach, Practice, and Wrap Up, as a flexible guide and a reflection tool. I share how to spot where a session got stuck, what to adjust next time, and why backtracking is a normal part of clinical decision-making....

Show Notes: slpnow.com/267 In this episode, I break down why I collect probe data at the start of the session, not the end. A quick, clean baseline helps me see exactly where each student is, how much support they need, and how to use our time wisely. I also share how I use goal cards to keep students engaged while I gather probes, plus how this routine makes planning, data collection, billing, pr...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/266 In this episode, I walk through the 5-step session framework I use to plan speech therapy that is simple, flexible, and easy to adapt for any group. We talk about Check-in, Assess, Teach, Practice, and Wrap Up, plus why it does not have to be perfectly linear. I also share how quick probes, goal cards, and a simple wrap-up routine help me make better clinical decisions i...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/265 If you feel like you're reinventing the wheel every session, this episode is for you. I'm sharing why that happens, what it costs us, and the simple fix that made a huge difference for me. A lot of the stress comes from not having a repeatable routine. When we're making a million decisions on the spot, sessions feel harder than they need to. In this episode, I give a sne...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/264 If progress report season always sneaks up on you, this episode is for you. I’m sharing what defensible data actually means, and why it does not have to be fancy or overwhelming. The goal is simple. Collect clear, usable data that helps you explain progress, make clinical decisions, and support your notes, billing, and parent conversations. I also walk through the four q...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/263 If you have ever found yourself scrambling for the right therapy materials right before a session, you are not alone. In this episode, I share why the real issue usually is not a lack of materials. It is a lack of a system. We walk through the four parts of a simple workflow: planning, materials, data, and follow through. I also share a story from my own career, plus exa...

This is a short and sweet Summit week episode! If you have been feeling stretched thin, this is your reminder that support can make a big difference. The Summit is a simple way to get practical ideas and head into the school year with a better plan. Working smarter, not harder. Sign up at slpsummit.com!

It is my favorite time of year! The SLP Summit is almost here! In this episode, I share a quick preview of the July 2026 lineup, including six live courses and two on-demand sessions you can watch through August 15. We talk about AAC, motor learning, stuttering, health literacy, organization, executive functioning, and evidence-based therapy planning. Register at slpsummit.com !

Show Notes: slpnow.com/260 A lot of us think being prepared for back to school means having every lesson planned and every material printed. In this episode, I share a simpler way to think about it. Prepared means being clear on your caseload, clear on your priorities, and clear on your next few steps. I also walk through my 4 step framework to help you get the lay of the land, segment your caselo...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/259 A caseload number can look tidy on paper, but it never tells the whole story. In this episode, I break down why caseload does not equal workload, what the 2024 ASHA survey tells us, and why so many school based SLPs feel stretched thin even when the numbers look manageable. I also walk through a simple way to make invisible work visible, so you can use data and clear lan...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/258 What if it actually felt doable to leave work at work? In this episode, I’m sharing five things I’ve seen school based SLPs do to leave on time more consistently. It is not about caring less. It is about building systems that make the job more manageable. I talk about planning ahead, giving every part of the job a home, documenting as you go, and protecting your energy....

Show Notes: slpnow.com/257 Mixed groups are a reality for most school-based SLPs, and managing them well takes the right tools. In this episode, Marisha walks through how the SLP Now Visuals Binder makes it work, covering how to use it digitally in a pinch, how to test what works for your students, and why eventually printing and laminating your go-to visuals changes everything about session flow....

Show Notes: slpnow.com/256 Ever finish writing a goal and then realize you have no clear way to measure it at progress report time? You're not alone, and this episode has a fix. I'm walking you through the Digital Probe Binder (nearly 2,300 pages of goal-aligned probes) and showing you exactly how I pair it with goal cards to collect solid data for every student in a group in under five minutes. T...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/255 Evals coming up and you're still digging through folders looking for the right screener? This episode is for you. In this episode, I'm walking you through the SLP Now Assessment Binder, a 70-page digital resource that lives right on your iPad. No printing. No hunting. Just everything you need, right at your fingertips. I'll show you how this binder covers articulation, p...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/254 The vast majority of school-based SLPs don’t have perfectly matched groups, and that doesn’t mean therapy has to be less effective. With the right structure and planning strategy, mixed groups can actually become a powerful way to target multiple goals, support peer learning, and simplify your workload. In this episode, we walk through a practical framework for running s...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/253 If you had five extra hours this week (completely protected from meetings, paperwork, and emails), how would you use them? Many school-based SLPs say they’d spend that time collaborating with teachers, analyzing student progress, planning more intentional therapy, or simply taking a real lunch break. In this episode, we explore why those meaningful parts of the job often...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/252 School-based SLPs don’t struggle with planning because they’re disorganized; they struggle because their workload is overflowing. And when something has to give, therapy planning is often the first thing sacrificed. But thoughtful, structured planning is what actually makes therapy more efficient and effective. In this episode, you’ll learn: A simple 5-step session struc...

Show Notes: slpnow.com/251 A caseload of 63 students doesn’t tell the full story of your job. School-based SLPs juggle therapy, evaluations, IEP meetings, Medicaid billing, AAC programming, travel time, and more — yet capacity is often measured by one number. In this episode, we unpack the difference between caseload and workload, why “the math isn’t mathing,” and how to shift the conversation wit...