SLP Coffee Talk

Sometimes push-in therapy makes me feel like a teaching assistant. How about you? What roadblocks do you experience when doing push-in therapy? Is it really worth trying?   In this episode, I get to chat with my “push-in therapy go-to person” Felice Clark.  Felice, aka The Dabbling Speechie, has a Master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology and has been an SLP for 13 years.   Felice sheds li...

The last six months of COVID have been a real rollercoaster ride, right? Most of us have needed to adapt our lives and work to fit the requirements of a school shutdown or remote work. We quickly learned how to use teletherapy to meet with our speech students and still be as effective as possible.    So, what does the industry research say about teletherapy and the trends we have seen because of C...

Are you interested in the field of speech pathology and the options of becoming a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant or a traveling SLP? Have you ever wanted to write a book but aren’t sure how to fit that goal into your already busy career as an SLP?   If you are looking into either area, then you will really enjoy my conversation with my guest in this episode - Jayah Washington. Jayah has a wea...

It can feel completely intimidating to start out a new career as an SLP after graduation. Since it’s been quite a while since I was a brand-new SLP,  I thought it would be great to hear from a group of ladies who are just getting started in their journey.    Join us for a group chat wit h Erin Hurst, Bianca Rego, Shelby Ford, and Emily Cobun and learn how each lady navigated the transition from gr...

Do you ever feel like you are struggling to find ways to motivate your students? We all have our “go-to” reward systems, such as the treasure chest or token bag. But, what if you could find ways to intrinsically motivate your speech students - especially students who are on the autism spectrum?   I'm so excited to chat with my guest in this episode - Jessie Ginsburg.  Jessie inspires a new wa...

Many of your SLP students will struggle with auditory challenges and hearing loss that impact their ability to communicate.    For these students, you will need to make accommodations in your therapy sessions for those challenges to help them make progress.    Luckily my guest in this episode, Fara Augustover, has a specialty in auditory oral therapy for individuals with hearing loss, auditory pro...

There’s SO MUCH curriculum for students to master in class, and it is imperative that speech sessions continue that learning when possible.  When I was introduced to the work of Cathy Alexander, I was blown away by her knowledge of grade-level curriculum, and I’m sure you will be too.    Cathy Alexander has been a speech pathologist for over 25 years working in public schools and private pediatric...

In a time when we are all doing fewer in-person therapy sessions and more virtual visits online, it can be difficult to find fun ways to work with our students. One great resource that I have enjoyed are FREE virtual field trips.    In this quick episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m excited to be your guide through the world of virtual field trips. I share with you some of my personal favorites and how...

Do you feel like your therapy sessions need a little more fun? Do you struggle to find ways to interact with your students with more complex communication concerns? If so, you may want to consider how to incorporate the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication in your therapy sessions.    In today’s episode, I chat with Rachel Madel - a Los Angeles-based speech-language pathologist who is...

Often, we think that we always need to be adapting our therapy sessions to use the latest and most innovative techniques. However, there is definitely a place for tried-and-true approaches that have been working well for many years. One of those approaches is the Cycles approach.    If you aren’t familiar with this approach, then you will love my conversation today with Dr. Dawn Moore.    Dawn is...

Do you wonder how you can simplify your speech therapy sessions and minimize the tools and materials you need to have?    Our guest in this episode, Ashley Rossi, is here to show us how she keeps things simple by using books as her main therapy material. Ashley is the creator of the blog Sweet Southern Speech where she shares ideas for literacy-based therapy along with so many other great resource...

When your students are exposed to new language and come across a word they don't know, that's when you need to employ strategies. You've tried context clues, synonyms, and antonyms. Picking random words to drill won't help either. What other strategies can you teach them? What else can you do?   In this episode, let's focus on prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Learn how...

Do you struggle to create lessons for your students with more challenging behaviors? It can be hard to follow a typical plan when the needs of each student are unique. What works for one might not work for the other.  In this episode, I’m excited to chat with Sasha Long of The Autism Helper to learn why we should embrace a level of uncertainty in our instruction. Sasha is a sport certified behavio...

If you are an SLP, then you know ALLLLL about the letter R. It is typically one of the last sounds to be mastered by children, and it is a common reason that students are referred for sessions with an SLP.    So, if you feel like you know everything there is to know about teaching this letter sound, then this is the episode for you. My guest, Lindsey Hockel, is a licensed SLP practicing in a priva...

As an SLP working in a public school, we often see students who are struggling with language processing disorders. It’s common to feel like you need to jump into an intervention plan and work to fix every skill that the student is struggling with. However, this may not be the best course of action for helping the student.  In this episode, I am chatting with Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan who helps pedia...

Do you find handling older speech students challenging? How do you utilize their textbooks and how do you get them to buy-in? In this episode, we are going to answer questions about working with older speech students with my guest, Gabby Schecter from Language & Lattes.  Since graduating in 2011, Gabby has spent her career working with students in 6th-8th grade.  She is constantly learning abo...

Kids these days face a myriad of problems that rob them of their happiness. We see students on the spectrum with anger issues or suicide ideation. How do you exactly get in their head, see the world in their perspective, and bring them joy?   In this episode, I am chatting with a very special guest whose books I love, Julia Cook. With approximately two million books in print, Julia Cook is a forme...

What materials do you use for older students that function at a first-grade level or ones that have social skill challenges?  In this area, especially during this crisis time, boom cards, stickers, and cartoons won't work.  So what are you going to do?    In today's episode, I have Speech Dude, Chris Wenger on the show to talk about what motivates older students. Chris is an enthusiastic...

Are you running out of ideas for your teletherapy sessions? Do you have multiple goals but don't have a ton of time to prepare? You're in for a treat today!   In this episode, I'm sharing with you my favorite online resources for free books and articles. These are resources you can easily incorporate with Google Classroom. They are super relevant today while we are dealing with the...

Tough times call for tough measures, and SLPs are no exception. With all students at home these days due to COVID-19, how do you face the challenge of continuing your therapy sessions or, at least, progressing your students towards their goal? Enter Google Classroom.   In this episode, I'll share tips on how SLPs can utilize Google Classroom effectively. If you're new to Google Classroom...

With quarantine still going on, are you stressed as to how to take on the challenge of delivering quality lessons remotely, providing students a level of normalcy, and adjusting to life being stuck at home?   In this episode, I have something different for you. I was recently a guest on Be The Exception Podcast with Dawn Ellis, creator of Cultivating Exceptional Minds. Dawn is a qualified educatio...

Some SLPs like change, others don't - how about you? Have you been trying the same strategies with your students year after year? Are these strategies giving you amazing results?   In this episode, let’s talk about why doing the same thing, again and again, is INSANITY. We will identify the underlying reasons why our students are not making progress when it comes to vocabulary, inferencing or...

We've all been guilty of this: Setting a bunch of goals at the beginning of a school year for several students and then forgetting about them or running out of time to actually complete them.  Forgive yourself, it happens!    In this special episode, I'm having my very first guest on the show and she is incredible.  Maureen Wilson has been a school-based SLP for 10 years. She's the...

In this critical time of quarantine and lockdowns, more and more schools are using technology to bring education to students outside of school. SLPs are no exception to this. Question is: Are you up for the challenge of doing teletherapy?   To give us the confidence and tech know-how, I've compiled tried and tested tips from 5 teletherapy bloggers who've been doing it for years and have...

Do you love using YouTube in your speech therapy? You know I do! But using videos can take a ton of time to prepare since you have to take note of cues, think of what questions to ask and so forth.   This episode is very special to me because I'm finally sharing my all-time favorite free tool that will cut down your prep time for videos, help you achieve your speech goals, and engage your stu...