The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP - podcast cover

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP

Kelly Vess, MA, CCC-SLPwww.kellyvess.com
Get ready for all things speech pathology: AAC, ADHD, Apraxia, Articulation Therapy, Autism, Behavior, Early Intervention, Executive Function, Evidence-Based Practice, Gestalt Language, Literacy Intervention, Movement, Multi-Modal Cueing, Narratives, Partnerships, Phonological Awareness, Sensory, Speech Strategies, Target Selection, Technology, Telehealth, and Self-care. Be better. Do better. Create better. Make the world a better place, one person at a time. You're first. Join Kelly every Thursday and at the drawing board. Do better with easy step-by-step 'how-to's' with ready-for-use printables and over 100 video clips of best practices, check out Kelly's book "Speech Sound Disorders: Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment." It is available at Amazon and major booksellers internationally. If you learn from doing and work with children with special needs, join Kelly's Sparkle in School Membership. Make intervention EASY with weekly ready-for-use materials and Google Slides Decks sent to your inbox. Check it out today at kellyvess.com. Thoughts to share? Email: Kelly@KellyVess.com
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

179. Five Healthy Hacks So You Can Be Your Best

Take your recovery as seriously as the work. In this episode, I share my five current favorite health hacks for achieving optimal health and well-being, both mentally and physically. P.S. Prevent burnout by becoming a SIS member and receiving educationally rich, ready-for-use materials in your inbox weekly. Don't delay and join the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis

Jul 03, 202519 min

178. Use the "Look at" to Develop Joint Attention

Over 20 years ago, I moved from the "I want" sentence strip to the "Look at" one in working with children with Autism. Why? This episode explores the advantages of using a "Look at" sentence strip over an "I want" sentence strip to optimize gains in the development of communication skills in children with autism in both the short and long term. Ready to take action? Don't delay and join me at the intervention drawing board by joining the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis...

Jun 26, 202518 min

177. Stop Separation Anxiety Before it Starts: 4 Key Steps

We're diving into one of the most common and heart-wrenching challenges faced by parents, educators, and therapists—separation anxiety. Leave this episode with a simple, yet effective, four-step process to ease anxiety and build relationships with confidence and compassion. Make sure to set yourself up for success by understanding a child’s temperament, triggers, and favorite things—before they walk in the door by downloading the tried and true, free parent input form now at kellyvess.com/parent...

Jun 19, 202521 min

176. Challenging Behaviors Related to Childhood Anxiety? Do THIS

Are you working with anxious children who are exhibiting challenging behavior? What can you do to help? Check out this episode for six actionable steps you can take right now to make a difference. Don't delay and join the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis to receive educationally rich activities weekly that treat the whole child and empower you to focus on what matters most: meaningful interactions.

Jun 12, 202529 min

174. Sensory Processing Disorder: What to Do?

Researchers estimate that a majority of children with developmental delays have Sensory Processing Disorder. What to do? Let's dive in! Raevsky, M., Nabalta, C. A., & Atiles, J. T. (2025). Managing sensory processing disorders in an early childhood classroom: Evidence-based strategies for teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01904-z Ready to put research into practice every week? Join me at the drawing board by joining the SIS Membership at https://...

May 29, 202522 min

173. Is Intervention that Reduces Echolalia Bad Practice?

We're diving into the latest scoping review of the impact of intervention focused on reducing echolalia for children with Autism. We must ask: Is echolalia something to embrace or extinguish to optimize outcomes? Learn how to improve outcomes by capitalizing on echolalia using the SIS Membership activities and treatment targets. Join at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Source: Dinello, A., & Gladfelter, A. (2025). Intervention techniques targeting echolalia: A scoping review. American Journal o...

May 22, 202520 min

172. Do THIS with Developmental Language Disorders

Are you frustrated by a lack of progress in treating children with Developmental Language Disorder? It could be your treatment target. Perhaps, you are aiming too low. Learn my favorite 'go-to' target to create optimal gains in language and literacy skills. I will share my tried and tested six-step process that builds agency and automaticity for the child. Only action can create change. Join the SIS Membership and receive complex, language paragraph targets that you can put into practice today w...

May 15, 202521 min

171. Do Speech Sound Disorders Indicate Increased Risk for Language and Literacy Delays? Yes!

Does having a speech sound disorder put a preschooler at risk for persistent language and literacy delays? The latest research includes 290 effect sizes that compare children with speech sound disorders to their neurotypical peers. It indicates that the risk for children with speech sound disorders is greater for both language and literacy delays, and these delays, sadly, tend to worsen over time. Check out this episode and leave empowered with three steps you can take today to improve speech, l...

May 08, 202534 min

170. Ask These 5 Questions to Select Powerful Speech Targets

Your success in addressing speech sound disorders will largely depend on your treatment targets. How do you choose effective targets? This episode will provide you with five essential questions to determine whether your speech treatment targets are optimized for creating change. Are you ready to implement these evidence-based targets? Don't wait; join the SIS Membership today to instantly receive powerful sentence and paragraph treatment targets at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis. If it's not a go...

May 01, 202516 min

169. How to Make Speech Therapy Easy with "R"

SLPs often equate "R" with 'hard work'. However, "R" is your best friend in making someone of the trickiest sounds easy. In this episode, learn how to use "R" to make the most complex treatment targets easy. Hint: Get out your blender. Ready to join me in putting innovative, empirically-based strategies to work next Monday? Don't delay and join the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com/sis

Apr 24, 202533 min

167. The ABC's to Improve Autistic Speech Development

How can we translate the latest neurological cerebro-cerebellar research into Monday morning practice to improve speech outcomes? Let's dive into tried and true strategies that improve speech outcomes for children with Autism today. Ready to DSD: Do Something Different? Don't delay and join the SIS membership today at https://kellyvess.com/sis

Apr 10, 202529 min

166. Pay Attention to This When it Comes to Movement Activities

The latest research indicates that the type of activity matters in terms of outcomes. This week, we're putting the latest research into Monday morning practice. Ready to put research into practice? Don't delay and try the SIS Membership out today at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Su, W., Srinivasan, S., & Bhat, A. (2025). Effects of creative movement, general movement, or seated play interventions on motor performance in children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot randomized controlled tr...

Apr 03, 202536 min

165. 5 Success Strategies to Support Autism

We are diving into five needle-moving strategies that support children with Autism. Make sure to listen to this episode to the end because each one will produce game-changing results. Ready to roll up your sleeves and change lives today? Check out the SIS Membership for ready-to-use, effective, and educationally rich activities to be delivered to your inbox weekly at kellyvess.com/sis

Mar 27, 202518 min

164. Try This 4-Step Process to Improve Executive Function Today

If you work with children with communication delays, this episode is for you. I am sharing a simple, yet powerful, four-step process to improve executive function in speech therapy. Ready to roll up your sleeves and put research into practice every week? Try the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis

Mar 13, 202513 min

163. Stop Doing Speech Therapy at the Word, Phrase, and Sentence Level

This episode will challenge you to DSD (Do Something Different) when treating speech sound disorders to improve outcomes. Learn how you can create optimal change by placing your targets in paragraph form. Doing so will result in gains across developmental domains. See for yourself. If not now, then when? Don't wait another day and join the SIS Membership today to receive the treatment target library that includes multiple paragraphs in speech and language. Get the revised targets for 2025 with v...

Mar 06, 202523 min

162. 5 Therapy Takeaways From the Telepathy Tapes Podcast

Join me for five therapy takeaways from the popular Telepathy Tapes Podcast. Looking to incorporate Task-Oriented Movement Activities in your therapy? Check out the SIS Membership for educationally-rich activities: https://www. kellyvess.com/sis

Feb 27, 202531 min

161. Tap That! Do THIS to De-Stress

Feeling stressed lately? Learn an evidence-based, 100% natural way to lower your stress levels through thalamus tapping and positive affirmations. Ready to roll up your sleeves and join me at the SIS drawing board? Check out the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com/sis Blacher, S. (2023). Emotional freedom technique (EFT): Tap to relieve stress and burnout. Journal of Interprofessional Education Practice, 30, 100599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2023.100599: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36687311...

Feb 19, 202512 min

160. 3 Step to Become a Culturally Competent SLP

Dive into the episode for three actionable steps to being culturally competent. Being culturally competent is pivotal to being effective in working with families, colleagues, and children with communication impairments. Enough talk already. Ready to take action? Join the SIS Membership and let's roll up our sleeves together at https://kellyvess.com/sis Check out the article by Jennifer Lansford in Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parenting-and-culture/202201/can-parents-...

Feb 13, 202524 min

159. What NOT to Do: Five Common Mistakes with High-Tech AAC + Autism

This episode dives into five common mistakes professionals make with high-tech AAC devices. Check out this episode to learn how we can DSD (Do Something Different) by knowing better and doing better. Make sure to check out the SIS Membership and receive our updated 2025 speech and language targets with digital clips to illustrate cues at www.kellyvess.com/sis Join the SIS Membership for a month, have a library of powerful treatment targets, and unsubscribe if you and your kiddos don't love the S...

Feb 06, 202530 min

158. Autism & AAC: Putting the Latest Research into Practice

Join me behind the scenes to review this recent article on AAC for children with Autism. You can access the article at ASHA.org: Lund, S. K., Quach, W., Weissling, K., & McKelvey, M. (2025). Augmentative and alternative communication assessment for children on the autism spectrum: Protocol development and content validation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 56(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_lshss-23-00127 To download a free, Step-by-Step "How-to" Support Children Us...

Jan 30, 202537 min

157. Help! Try These 3 Strategies with Dysregulated Children

If you work with or have a child with Autism, this episode is for you. We are diving into three strategies that support regulation for children with sensory challenges. Put these strategies into use today, and don't delay and join SIS today. Receive the updated speech and language treatment library, complete with video illustrations at kellyvess.com/sis

Jan 23, 202523 min

156. Do THIS to Monitor Your Clients' Progress in Speech Therapy

Let's talk data! In this episode, I share my empirically-based method to monitor gains when treating speech sound disorders effectively. Ready to cut your number of speech errors in half three months into the school year? Don't delay and check out the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis Receive newly updated speech and language targets the week you join and optimize your speech and language gains today..

Jan 16, 202532 min

155. How SLPs Can Go Against the Grain Without Getting Splinters

Putting research into real-world practice can be challenging in the real world, where ineffective practices are commonplace. However, don't let these obstacles deter you from going against the grain in providing empirically-based practices. This episode will give you four strategies to create lifelong change for your clients in less-than-ideal environments. You've got this! Ready to roll up your sleeves and put research into practice? Don't delay and check out the SIS Membership today at kellyve...

Jan 09, 202528 min

154. Five Favorite Self-Care Splurges You Need to Try!

When you are healthier and happier, you perform better inside and outside of therapy. I am sharing my five favorite self-care splurges in this episode. These brands, for which I have no affiliations, are primarily pure.com and cruchi.com. If you are ready to uplevel your therapy in 2025, don't delay and check out SIS today with the free " 3 Intervention Secrets Workshop " at kellyvess.com:

Jan 02, 202520 min

153. Strategies to Support Students Who Stutter Over the Holidays

Here come the holidays! Unfortunately, they can be exceptionally challenging for our kiddos who stutter and tend to become dysfluent during this time. Check out this episode for eight strategies today that support fluency for children who stutter by building resiliency while removing holiday stressors. Looking for 100% done-for-you weekly activities? Make sure to check out the Free 3 Intervention Secrets Workshop....

Dec 19, 202414 min

152. Selective Mutism: 8 Strategies that Work in the Classroom

SLPs in the field are reporting an increase in students with selective mutism since COVID. What to do? Check out this episode for eight empirically-based strategies for teachers and SLPs to implement today to support children with selective mutism. Ready to put research into practice today? Learn about the SIS Membership by watching this free 3 Intervention Secrets Workshop .

Dec 12, 202435 min

151. Focus on these 5 Strategies to Establish Rapport for Children with Sensitive Temperaments

Rapport is everything when it comes to success in speech therapy. How do you build it? Check out this episode for five empirically based strategies. Click here to download the parent input form . P.S. Don't go right into speech with situationally mute children. Begin with them participating through movement. I start with my educationally rich SIS Movement Activities. Don't delay and check out the membership today at https://kellyvess.com/sis...

Dec 05, 202419 min

150. TEN Must-Learn Gestalts for Gestalt Language Processors

Gestalt language learners tend to learn language initially as whole chunks and break them into individual parts over time. How can we capitalize on a gestalt learning style? Emphasize sentences that will provide great social and practical coverage. In this episode, I'm sharing my top ten gestalts to emphasize for early gestalt language processors. Ready to provide engaging, effective, and empirically-based activities? Check out the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com Marge Blanc's NLA Website: https...

Nov 21, 202423 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android