School of Speech

Guests: Melissa Neece, MA, CCC-SLP & Rachel Grinnell, MCD, CCC-SLP

In this episode, we explore the unique challenges of providing speech therapy for students with low-incidence disabilities, cognitive delays, and complex medical needs. Together, we will discover the steps to making meaningful goals achievable in classroom settings. We will learn what research reveals about best practices, explore effective therapy activities, and discover useful assessments tailored to this population.

Guest: Anne Reed, MS, CCC-SLP

In this episode, we tackle students' challenges with speech-language and reading difficulties. We’ll explore the red flags that signal the need for intervention and outline the key components of a comprehensive evaluation. Join us for insights into identifying at-risk students, best practices, and targeted interventions.

Guest: Raul Prezas, PhD, CCC-SLP

In this episode, we equip monolingual school-based SLPs with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate multilingual speech sound disorders. Discover how to conduct assessments differentiating speech sound differences and disorders, utilize well-trained interpreters, and implement evidence-based intervention strategies. Join us to enhance your practice and provide culturally competent support for your multilingual students. This is a vital resource for the monolingual SLP in a multilingual world.

Guest: Laura J. Mattie, PhD, CCC-SLP

Join us for the latest research on children with Down Syndrome's communications and language profiles. We’ll explore the current evidence available, discussing its strengths and limitations in understanding language development in this population. Gain valuable insights to support school-based clinical decision-making when working with children with Down syndrome. This episode is geared to enhance your approach to supporting the communication needs of children with Down syndrome on your caseload.

Guest: Angie Neal MS, CCC-SLP

This episode will provide information to SLPs about key terminology considered when a child is suspected of ASD. Clarity about these key terms is critical to accurate classification and appropriate intervention and support. Angie Neal will also discuss key facets of impaired social communication that are important to consider regarding adverse educational impact.

Guest: Emily R. Laracy, MA, MS, CCC-SLP - Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder in which children can communicate appropriately in at least one context but struggle in other settings or with other communication partners. SM profoundly affects social/pragmatic language skills, as well as academic and social-emotional skills, and treatment of this disorder falls under the speech-language pathologist’s scope of practice. This episode will discuss the characteristics of SM and the role of the SLP in working with students with SM, review evidence-based treatment approaches and techniques, provide guidance regarding how to progress through therapy for children with varying severity levels of SM and provide examples of specific activities that can be utilized in therapy.

Guest: Chris Wenger, MS, CCC-SLP - Key strategies to make the shift towards neuroaffirming IEPs will be explored in this one-hour conversational course podcast. This session is designed to equip school-based SLPs with practical strategies to create inclusive and effective IEPs that honor each autistic student's unique strengths and needs. Participants will learn foundational concepts of neurodiversity, explore key strengths-based approaches, and gain valuable insights into shifting from a deficit-focused perspective to a strengths-based approach. This course aims to ensure all students thrive in their educational journeys, providing clinicians with the tools to foster a supportive and empowering learning environment.

Guest: Karen Dudek-Brannan, EdD, CCC-SLP - School SLPs are subject matter experts in language, cognition, and other essential areas that impact students' function in school and beyond. This session will show them how to position themselves as experts on their school teams so they can impact their direct therapy sessions and district-wide programming. Listeners will leave with recommendations for a 90-day action plan.

Guest: Erin Wallace, PhD, CCC-SLP - Join Carolyn and Dr. Erin Wallace for this episode, where we explore low-effort, evidence-supported strategies to minimize challenging behaviors and maximize language potential when providing services to students with developmental language disorder (DLD) in individual and group settings. We’ll learn the definitions, explanation, and implementation of key strategies like behavior-specific praise, error correction and performance feedback, group contingencies, modeling, wh-questions, scaffolding, and expansion to promote language development and positive behaviors. Discover how these simple yet powerful methods can transform your approach and support student success.

Guest: Nina Reeves, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-F - In this episode, we welcome Nina Reeves back and shift our focus to stuttering support for our early childhood population. Join us as we discuss practical plans and resources for supporting young children and their families. From determining appropriate treatment approaches to developing attainable goals, we’ll uncover innovative strategies that enhance communication skills, ensuring our youngest learners have comfortable communication environments that increase their confidence.