If you think that being an SLP where you live in the United States is interesting and has challenges, then you will love listening to this episode. My guest, Amanda Blackwell, is here with me to give us a fresh perspective about what it is like to be a speech language pathologist abroad. After serving for a year as a volunteer speech language pathologist at an orphanage in Guatemala in 2013, Amanda Blackwell lived and worked full-time in the country for over 7 years. Amanda completed a clinical ...
Dec 14, 2020•34 min•Ep. 46
I’ve been anxiously awaiting this special episode and it’s finally here! December 7th is my 37th birthday. To celebrate, I wanted to do something different for this special episode. We’ve worked hard to gather the best tips, advice and strategies from a great group of SLPs and special education bloggers and educators. Since the format of this episode is a bit different, so are the notes to go along with it. We’ve included the full list of guests from this episode along with their best advice for...
Dec 07, 2020•20 min•Ep. 45
Is it ever too early to start addressing speech issues such as stuttering? Can you see success and make progress with students as young as preschool age? There are treatments that are effective with early intervention age students that you can consider and tools that parents can use at home. On this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m so excited to talk about this with two guests - Claire Barbao and Rachael Hendzell - to talk about preschool fluency. Whether you are a parent working to support your ...
Nov 30, 2020•37 min•Ep. 44
As SLPs, it is our primary goal to support our students and help facilitate their growth and success. One important way that we can do that which is especially relevant today is by being culturally responsive. It is important that we see, appreciate, and support the cultural differences of our students in a positive way. Today, I’m so thrilled to chat with Jordyn Carroll who is an SLP that specializes in cultural responsiveness. Jordyn is a school-based speech-language pathologist in Washington,...
Nov 23, 2020•26 min•Ep. 43
I remember the days when I was applying for graduate school as an SLP. The process can feel a bit overwhelming - especially when you are applying for the first time. That’s why, in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I thought we would pay it forward to the people who are thinking about graduate school for Speech-Language Pathology. Listen in to my interview with special guest Shannon Briggs from SLP Corner who is an expert in SLP graduate school application and prep. If you are getting ready to ap...
Nov 16, 2020•23 min•Ep. 42
Whenever you have a new speech student, it’s always a guess to know what speech sounds you will need to work on and the approach that will work best for each person. That’s why it can be so critical to have a large amount of techniques and approaches in your speech sound toolbox. Today, we’re going to have a fun conversation that will help you build your speech sound toolbox. Listen in for my interview with Rebecca Reinking from Adventures in Speech Pathology. In today’s episode we will find out...
Nov 09, 2020•48 min•Ep. 41
This year has been such a rollercoaster ride in the field of education and speech pathology. Many are still doing virtual sessions and haven’t gone back to in-office visits yet. One particular sub-set group that has been impacted by virtual learning is students on the autism spectrum. In today’s episode, I am chatting with my guest Nikki Robertson about how we can best support students with autism virtually. Nikki is the creator of Teaching Autism and has 10 years of experience working within th...
Nov 02, 2020•46 min•Ep. 40
Have you ever seen another SLP that looks like they are so calm and confident, and you think to yourself, why can’t I be like that? Yes, you can love your job again! In this episode, our guest, Jessi Andricks, focuses on helping SLPs reduce burnout and stress through evidence-based stress management tools and techniques. Several years into her SLP career, Jessi became so burnt out that she decided to leave the field completely. Her life changed dramatically when she became a yoga instructor and ...
Oct 26, 2020•41 min•Ep. 39
In school, we focus so much on the academic learning part of the process for our students. However, an important piece that we should also remember is social thinking. As SLPs, how can you support your students with their social skills and behaviors? In this episode, I am so excited to bring you solutions for just that through my interview with Ryan Hendrix. Ryan is a senior therapist at Social Thinking Stevens Creek in San Jose and a private therapist in San Francisco. Her diverse clinical expe...
Oct 19, 2020•50 min•Ep. 38
In our field, it's natural for Occupational Therapists (OT) and SLPs to overlap each other in the goal to help our kids. But how can we initiate collaboration in a fun and effective way? Cait spent most of her career as a social worker but has since found her calling as a COTA five years ago. She takes pride and loves every minute of play with her students as she helps them with their visual, fine motor skills, and writing challenges. Listen in as she answers questions about the need for collabo...
Oct 12, 2020•23 min•Ep. 37
Have you ever wanted to get the view from a general education teacher on how SLPs and other special service providers in the school can support them? Me too. It’s always a good idea to bring the two groups together so you can work as a team. In this episode, we are lucky enough to get a fresh perspective from my first guest that is NOT an SLP or special educator, Gretchen Bridgers from Always a Lesson. Gretchen is a general education teacher of 8 years and was a Teacher of the Year runner-up two...
Oct 05, 2020•24 min•Ep. 36
We are now in the heart of the 2020-2021 school year. While some schools are back in session in person, many of you are still doing virtual sessions with your speech students. Either way, it can be helpful to have a full arsenal of resources that you can use face to face or virtually. In today’s solo episode, I share a few of my favorite websites to use with my students in both distance learning and in person. I hope that you will listen in and add these great options to your list of resources f...
Sep 28, 2020•15 min•Ep. 35
I have been lucky enough to work as an SLP with older elementary age (grades 5 and 6) students for many years now. Much of the work I have done with speechtimefun.com was developed while working with these amazing older students. In this episode that is a part of the 2nd Annual SLP Connect Podconference, we chat about older speech students, unique challenges that they face, and strategies you can use to work with them in the classroom and virtually. The more you can get your older students to “b...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 34
Do you get intimidated by working with speech sound disorder (SSD) clients? Don’t worry! Speech sound disorders don’t have to be scary. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m happy to chat with Amy Graham who has loads of strategies and tools to share for working with your students with speech sound disorders. Amy Graham is a speech-language pathologist and owner of Graham Speech Therapy, a private practice in Colorado Springs that specializes in pediatric speech sound disorders. Amy is the cre...
Sep 14, 2020•31 min•Ep. 33
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 light on lesson preps, co-working with different teachers, and making the experience creative and unique fo...
Sep 07, 2020•29 min•Ep. 32
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 COVID? In this episode, I’m excited to dive into the research with Meredith Harold from The Informed SLP...
Aug 31, 2020•32 min•Ep. 31
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 wealth of knowledge to share with us about her journey as a traveling SLP-A and as a children’s book auth...
Aug 24, 2020•30 min•Ep. 30
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 with Erin Hurst, Bianca Rego, Shelby Ford, and Emily Cobun and learn how each lady navigated the transition from graduate studies to working in the field. You’re sure to pick up some great advice and tips that could make...
Aug 17, 2020•49 min•Ep. 29
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 way of thinking about the SLP's role in working with young children with autism through her national publicati...
Aug 10, 2020•29 min•Ep. 28
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 processing disorder, and other listening challenges. Fara is a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and the f...
Aug 03, 2020•50 min•Ep. 27
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 clinics. She is an international speaker on the subject of vocabulary and the author of Core Curriculum...
Jul 27, 2020•58 min•Ep. 26
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 I use them to encourage language learning with my students. After giving this episode a listen, you wi...
Jul 20, 2020•12 min•Ep. 25
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 dedicated to coaching parents and professionals on how to incorporate technology to best support speec...
Jul 13, 2020•38 min•Ep. 24
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 the founder of Expression Speech, Language, and Myofunctional Center in Burlington, North Carolina. Dr. Mo...
Jul 06, 2020•45 min•Ep. 23
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 resources. She will explain why it is so beneficial for students to use reading and stories to help develop the...
Jun 29, 2020•29 min•Ep. 22
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 these parts of speech can do so much to augment their reading comprehension. You will see that knowledge carry-over and help bu...
Jun 22, 2020•19 min•Ep. 21
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 behavior analyst and former special education teacher. She travels internationally as a speaker and consulta...
Jun 15, 2020•29 min•Ep. 20
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 private pediatric clinic. She is also the creator of SpeechyThings - a resource site for SLPs with an entire...
Jun 08, 2020•28 min•Ep. 19
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 pediatric SLPs transform their language therapy systems so they can help their clients make meaningful, co...
Jun 01, 2020•31 min•Ep. 18
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 about and feeling challenged by this age group. Gabby shares that you can still have fun and build connec...
May 25, 2020•26 min•Ep. 17
