De Facto Leaders

This week, I’m sharing an interview I did with another host on the BE podcast network because I think it’s something you’ll really enjoy. The episode is going live in the De Facto Leaders podcast feed.  Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. His experience in the classroom ranged from 8th – 11th grade working in an urban setting. A portion of this was spent opening a h...

In light of the mass amount of misinformation about ADHD, particularly regarding medication, I thought it was time to do a re-release of this past episode. *Disclaimer, although I have “Dr.” in front of my name, I’m not an MD and do not have the credentials to prescribe medication. This episode is meant for general information only and is not intended to be medical advice.  As a licensed speech pa...

I remember the first time I “Marie Kondoed” my therapy room and got rid of materials that were published before I was born.  There were shelves of things I never used, and having so many options created unnecessary decision fatigue every time I sat down to plan my week ahead.  Over time, I started investing in knowledge instead of flashcards and games. I found my students did better when I kept it...

In this episode, we dive into the often-overlooked art of writing clear, measurable goals for executive functioning.  Unlike other academic or functional goals, executive functioning focuses on internal processes—making it harder to quantify and observe.  Whether you're a teacher, therapist, or part of a school team, this episode will give you actionable tools to create meaningful IEP and therapy...

This session is a Q & A I did in the Language Therapy Advance Foundations member’s group relating to how to support students through semantic study and working on complex syntax.  I addressed the following FAQs: “How do I help students who struggle to define and describe words without making them prompt-dependent?” “How do I make semantic study more contextualized?” “What’s the difference betw...

Having someone observe your therapy room or classroom can feel awkward; whether it’s your boss doing your evaluation, or whether it’s a special service provider who’s supporting students in your class. When I’ve talked with administrators and service providers about classroom observations, they say it can be a learning curve for the person coming into the classroom as well.  Yet having another set...

Many young adults enter their post-high school years without the executive functioning skills needed to thrive.  This is often because the people supporting them underestimate the amount of support they’re getting, and there’s no plan in place to fade that prompting.  When young adults enter college, they have to manage sleep hygiene, long-term projects, and manage screen time.  This is why I talk...

For episode 206 of De Facto Leaders, I share a Q & A session where I discuss Reading Recovery and cueing strategies for decoding , and I make some recommendations for additional information that will give you more information on this topic. I also share what you can do if you're in a district that uses Fountas and Pinnell reading levels, which often don't give detailed or consistent informatio...

Today I’m sharing an interview I did with Amy Baugh, a member of Language Therapy Advance Foundations.  Amy Baugh is an experienced SLP, a life-long learner and truly enjoys listening to podcasts, joining SLP groups on social media and collaborating with her besties about all things’ speech, language and being a business owner. She is the proud mother of two college aged daughters and enjoys learn...

Finding the right amount of therapy materials is a struggle for many clinicians. It’s hard to find the balance between having enough options, without having so many choices it feels overwhelming. Now that we have access to digital resources, we also have to think about how to use technology responsibly and effectively.  That’s why I invited Dr. Karen Rose to episode 204 of the De Facto Leaders pod...

In this episode, I’m answering FAQs from the School of Clinical Leadership members about supporting students’ executive functioning. I answer the following questions: What is frontloading, and why is it useful for students experiencing executive dysfunction and anxiety? When is it best to use structured, explicit instruction, and when is it best to let students figure things out on their own? How...

A good school leader knows how to protect their staff from initiatives and fires they may need to put out on a regular basis. In many cases if you’re unaware of everything your school administrator is dealing with, it means they’re doing their job well.  This lack of awareness of what happens behind-the-scenes may mean little appreciation for everything administrators are dealing with. While negat...

Many people classify swallowing and feeding intervention as a “medical” service that shouldn’t be addressed in the schools.   This is a very black and white (and inaccurate) way of thinking.  Children with complex medical needs have a right to FAPE.  Measuring whether or not students are accessing their curriculum can’t be solely based on grades; which is unfortunately what many teams default to w...

Helping families feel involved in their child’s school experience is a challenge; and underrepresented populations may often feel like their voices aren’t being heard. While it can help if school staff buy in to the idea of family engagement, it’s difficult for schools to make it happen without the right systems in place.  That’s why I invited Ari Gerzon-Kessler to episode 200 of De Facto Leaders...

Finding the resources and funding for learning tools and enriching events is a consistent challenge for many districts.  The PTO is often a largely underutilized resource, but most people cringe at the thought of having to attend one more committee meeting, especially in the evenings.  Yet a well-run PTO can help take some of the load off of school staff and leverage resources in the community. Th...

Teachers and school leaders often feel like they have to be “everything to everyone”.   Not only are educators expected to deliver high-quality instruction in traditional academic areas, they’re also expected to provide social-emotional support, vocational training, and everything in between. When it comes to supporting mental health, this can be a tricky ethical line to walk when you’re trained a...

“Scaffolding” has become a buzzword when it comes to helping kids become more independent with academic and functional tasks, but it's only useful if people know what it means.  Watching students or your own children struggle to transition or complete daily tasks can be uncomfortable for both the adults and children.  As a result, it can be easy to get pulled in to a situation where kids become pr...

For episode 196 of De Facto Leaders , I share a Q & A session where I talk through how to write language therapy goals that are both trackable and functional. This is just one of many Q & A sessions I’m planning on sharing where I talk through how to find the balance between focusing on external behaviors that allow us to document progress and internal cognitive processes. I also talk abou...

For episode 195 of De Facto Leaders, I share a Q & A session where I talk through ways to navigate evaluations; including considering a test's psychometric properties, how detailed it gets, and how to supplement with non-standardized protocols.  In the second half, I talked about SLP career transitions and things to think about if you want to explore other ways to use your clinical credentials...

Many therapists feel as though they have limited upward mobility in their careers.  Graduate programs understandably focus on direct clinical practice and understanding evidence-based practices. Unfortunately, this leaves many clinicians unprepared to navigate policy work , salary negotiations, or running a business .  This makes many therapists less confident in advocating for reasonable caseload...

Most people agree that the “online learning” that happened during COVID was a challenge for many students; especially those with disabilities. However, what happened during the pandemic wasn’t a true version of what “distance learning” or “telehealth” should be.  There’s a difference between leveraging technology to enhance in-person experiences vs. using it as a temporary solution in an emergency...

The writing process comes with internal resistance, even for strong writers. Most people who say they enjoy writing don’t enjoy the entire process; particularly the “getting started” part.  This is why writing is a common challenge when executive functioning is impacted.  Layer on issues with background knowledge, language, and decoding, and it becomes even more complex.  Kids need support with th...

High-impact tutoring has a wide body of evidence to support its efficacy, but how do you know what is and isn’t “high-impact”? Is it better to brand yourself as an academic coach or an executive functioning coach? Should “executive functioning” be a class in school, or should it be embedded into all the classes? I invited my colleague David Schipper to episode 191 of De Facto Leaders to ponder som...

Many of my colleagues working in the public sector are skeptical of companies selling products to school districts.  I’ve felt some of this skepticism myself as I’ve seen certain approaches gain traction because they’re well-marketed (yet not evidence-based).  So it’s understandable to me that people would question the motives of companies selling products; especially in the for-profit space. The...

Many people treat social skills groups as if they’re the complete package, when in fact they’re just one part of a bigger service plan.  When we “lesson plan” we can’t think of our intervention as something that starts and ends with a 20-minute therapy session. Instead, we should think of it as a “planning” or a “priming” session.  That’s why one of the very first things I teach clinicians in the...