The ABA Speech Podcast- Easy Strategies for Speech Therapists, BCBAs, and RBTs

“Rose speaks through the lens of the SLP and BCBA which is incredibly helpful in bridging the communication between the two fields. Rose keeps students' individual needs at the forefront of decisions on therapy targets and she incorporates autistic voices and has worked hard to keep therapy and training relevant to autistic learners. I appreciated her practical therapy ideas and sharing of ma...

“Rose, I’m not sure how to plan a session. I have 5 autistic students that I need to see for group therapy to work on social language instruction and I am not sure what activities to plan to help them remain engaged and work on their individual and social language goals.” I received this question in an email from one of my listeners! So today’s episode I am sharing my customizable framework for pl...

What is it that develops speech production in our learners? Today, Tamara Kasper, BCBA and SLP, is sharing some really great and specific information on how speech production and reinforcement differs between typical developing children versus children with autism. Speech Sound Production In typically developing children, speech sounds are reinforced differentially and automatically when making so...

Nothing can cause more stress than an IEP meeting looming in the future. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Stephanie DeLussey, IEP coach and veteran special education teacher, joined me on the podcast today to share some tips and suggestions for making IEPs not only painless but more productive. Goal Setting SMART goals are a big buzzword in the education community, but what does it mean? Stepha...

When it comes to parents advocating for their child’s education there can be so much to navigate, many times parents don’t even know their legal rights. Amanda Selogie and Vicki Brett are attorneys and founders of The Inclusive Education Project, a non-profit organization that educates families on special education rights. If you have a child receiving in school therapy or you're a school bas...

There is so much opportunity for communication in our students' natural environments. But how can we use this intentionally and build our therapy plan around it? Dr. Cindy Gevarter, BCBA-D and assistant professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of New Mexico, joins me to discuss real world applications for naturalistic communication training in your therapy...

I always joke that it is my mission to meet all the unicorns out there, the dually certified SLP and BCBAs, as there are less than 500 in the world. Today I am talking with Dr. Teresa Cardon and Dr. Lina Slim both SLPs and BCBA-Ds. We are focusing on a subject that it a hot topic but near and dear to my heart, collaboration.  Too often I see and hear problems between SLPs and BCBAs in therapy, IEP...

Starting preschool for both typically and non typically developing students is a big step, and there are a lot of important factors to consider. Dr. Katie Walton of Ohio State University oversees the Nisonger Center, an Inclusive Preschool Program. This center works with students with and without disabilities from birth to age 5. What is Inclusive Preschool Programming? Inclusive in short means th...

The social setting of our world is ever-changing and developing, for autistic individuals it can be hard to understand and keep up with the skills to navigate it! Dr. Ali Arena is an SLP, BCBA who specializes in social skills. While Dr. Arena works primarily with autistic adults, she shares some great tips that can be applied across the lifespan.  As a provider, working on Social Skills requires a...

Have you ever felt like an assessment didn’t truly tell the story of your child? Shellie Bader is an SLP with a really incredible and valuable career. Today she is sharing all about Dynamic Assessment and how we as Speech Therapists can use this to enrich and drive speech therapy. Oftentimes, formal and informal assessments are not comprehensive enough to determine the “story of the child”. Dynami...

Happy Summer!! I am excited to announce that we are hosting a SALE for the month of July on our courses, Start Communicating Today and Help Me Find My Voice. These are CEU courses with ASHA and ACE approval for SLPs and BCBAs. Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of your free time and get the tools to help your autistic learners from toddlers, preschool, and school age. Start Communicating...

Is your learner difficult to engage? Are you not sure where to start? Is your learner not communicating? Knowing where to start can be stressful!!! I am here to help with my top 5 strategies to get your autistic learner communicating today! Strategy 1: Create a Fun Atmosphere Present a toy the child will enjoy. Play with the toy and use simple language. (play dough, cars, musical toys, mini object...

I first found Calonda Henry on TikTok, where she shares tons of great tips and information for parents and professionals. Calonda is a Florida based SLP where she owns a certified Woman and Minority owned practice, Broad Horizons Speech Therapy. With summer here, many learners are not receiving their school based speech and language services and parents may want to know how to help.  As parents, w...

Dr. Trina Spencer has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst for the last 21 years and is currently a Fulbright Scholar at the Center for Augmentative and Alternative Communication in South Africa. Today, she shares about her career journey, and all of the incredible and inspiring work she is doing in the field. Dr. Spencer's goal is to encourage research-practitioner partnerships, interprof...

With the traditional school year coming to an end, SLPs and parents may be wondering how you can support your learners' communication throughout the summer months. I was so excited when I happened upon Bridget’s, from Speech Therapy Talk, blog post all about summer speech activities! She is on today’s episode to share 11 fun, easy, and affordable ways to get outside, enjoy the summer, AND pra...

It can often be intimidating to get started and understand working with students with complex communication needs. Dr. David Rehfeld is a dual certified, SLP and BCBA and an assistant professor who joins me today to discuss the importance of support to students using AAC and their caregivers. The individuals who spend the most time with a client need to have the most buy-in when it comes to effect...

Many times, assessments and standardized tests don’t tell the whole story of the learner. So, what do you do when you’re overwhelmed with where to start with a younger nonspeaking or autistic learner. When I first started my career I remember being discouraged at times and with a lack of the resources available unlike what we have today, I had to find the information myself and blaze that trail. T...

I think it’s so important to think outside of the box when engaging our students in therapy. Today I am talking with Kim and Amy from Talk Yoga, two SLP friends who met at work and combined their passion for speech and yoga to help their clients grow. Not only is Yoga a fun, engaging activity in itself but as a trained yoga instructor, Amy has adapted poses for her clients into what she calls Arti...

In my 20 years of experience, I have divided my time between school-based and private setting therapy. I have dedicated my career to autistic learners and today I want to share my TOP TEN tips on developing an IEP and conducting a successful smooth IEP meeting. These tips will ensure you are prepared, remain calm, and work to the benefit of the student, especially when working on more difficult ca...

Are you feeling stressed? Are you feeling like you just can’t achieve that work-life balance? May tends to be a tough time for many providers, educators, and even parents. Today I talk with Marie Muratalla, SLP, Podcaster, Mindset Coach, and creator of the Say Thanks More Gratitude Journal. Like many of us, in 2020 when the COVID shutdown began, Marie struggled to bear the weight of her job. In a...

I have been following Theresa Richard’s business journey for a while and when I recently learned about her son’s autism diagnosis, I had to learn more about her. Theresa is an SLP, Board Certified Specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders, Business owner, Podcaster, Author,  and creator of the MedSLP Collective. She started her business in 2013, began blogging in 2014, and moved into the p...

I am always interested in learning more about the variety of students I can help. Today I am interviewing Annie DiVello, an SLP who specializes in Selective Mutism. At the time Annie was in grad school, it was believed that selective mutism was more of a mental health disorder and that SLPs were not involved, but even now there is still a real lack of information or resources both in school and in...

I love any opportunity to chat with adults with autism who can share their insight on diagnosis, support, and living life with autism. Billy Mayfair is a top professional golfer in the United States, who found his diagnosis late in life in 2019. Today he shares his journey in early life and the concerns that led to his evaluation, and how those answers have helped him find the support he needed. G...

On today's podcast, I had the opportunity to learn from Haley Moss. Haley is an author, lawyer, educator, speaker, and is also autistic. In this episode, she shares her perspective on important issues in the autism and neurodivergent community, as we have a conversation surrounding inclusivity in therapy and society.    "Be yourself, but not like that".  It can be extremely exhausti...

SLPs have such a broad scope. We get so much training in graduate school but creating specializations based on your passions really happens through your own research and work out in the field. So there are many areas that fall under the scope of speech therapy that not all SLPs understand completely or feel comfortable with. As my listeners know, Autism has become my area of focus, so I really did...