Language Therapy and Leadership for Pediatric Clinicians
I remember one of the first times I had a student who used a high-tech voice output device. Getting the district to pay for the device was a huge hurdle, and I’d managed to overcome it. Little did I know I had a huge roadblock still ahead. By the time the shiny new device had…
If you’re an SLP working with school-age kids, students with language disorders might take up a good portion of your caseload. That’s why one of the most common questions that pops up in the groups of SLPs that I mentor is how to do a good language screening. Common questions include things like: “What language…
We’ve all been there. You get that student who has an AAC device. Maybe you watch some videos or participate in an in-service so you know how to work the app or program on your student’s AAC device. But then you put the device in front of your student, and they throw it across the…
“I’m spending 2 hours every evening on paperwork!” “I’m sick of being stuck behind my laptop all weekend!” “There’s just not enough time to plan my sessions, keep up on the research, figure out what materials to use, or have time to pee and shove my lunch down my throat!” We’ve all been there. And…
When it came to working with students who needed AAC, I was in a state of panic for the first few years of my career. I used to walk out of sessions drenched in sweat because I found them so stressful. I remember one particular kiddo who really threw me for a loop. I thought…
Figuring out how to build listening and reading comprehension in students with language issues is a tall order. There always seems to be a million skills they’re struggling with and not enough hours in the day to get to them all. Let’s face it, there are a lot of articles, studies, presentations, materials (and so…
I’ve been hearing some crazy stories from SLPs lately. The other day, an SLP shared that one of her private clients decided to stop coming because her mom couldn’t afford speech AND dance classes. So she decided to do JUST the dance classes and drop the speech therapy. Ouch. Then there was the SLP in…
“Never start a sentence with a conjunction!” Have you ever heard this mantra? Or have you ever said it yourself? I confess I’m guilty as charged. There were times I’d try ANYTHING to get my students to understand something in the moment. But…the problem with that little conjunctions jingle I just mentioned is that it’s about…
Everyone loves an epic grammar or syntax fail. There’s this one that shows how a simple comma can be the difference between life and death: “Let’s eat Grandpa.” Or this one that’s been floating around the internet (which shows how important it is to know what is and isn’t a coordinating conjunction): “Everyone’s got a right to…
SLPs are in a position to make a huge impact on our students’ language skills. But here’s the challenge a lot of us face when it comes to helping our students: Most of us are so good at using language, we use it without thinking. Over time we lose the ability to explain HOW we…