SLP Coffee Talk

Not sure where to start with AAC assessment? Hallie chats with Alyssa Croll, AAC the SLP, an SLP and assistive technology specialist for a very large school district. With more than 10 years of experience, Alyssa is also a public speaker and consultant who offers practical, nuanced AAC solutions grounded in the reality of school-based practice. Together they talk about why a standard starting app and grid size can work, how to tell exploring from keyboard smashing, and how a “coach-the-coach” model gets staff on board so AAC gets used all day. Plus, free apps and trainings to help you get started.

Bullet Points to Discuss:

* barriers that can affect AAC assessment

* Making AAC assessment more individualized and functional

* Practical clinical reasoning in real-world AAC assessment 

Here's what we learned:

• Barriers like unclear starting points, limited apps, and little staff buy-in can derail AAC assessment, so plan for the people, not just the device
• Individualized assessment starts with what a student already communicates, then adjusts the system to fit, since assessment is ongoing
• Practical clinical reasoning means choosing a starting point and adjusting from there, not searching for the perfect system

Learn more about Alyssa Croll:

Email Address: [email protected]

Website: aactheslp.com

Social: IG & Tik Tok @aactheslp 

Other links: 

https://preview.convertri.com/15900828-68cd-4cbf-9f4c-188cf89ea750

Freebie - include this on the docs so we don’t need to copy and paste from this document (note for podmachine editor)

https://aactheslp.myflodesk.com/abandonment 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Freebie:

https://www.slpmadness.com/shop/p/freespeechtherapydescribingprobe

https://www.slpmadness.com/iep-goal-bank 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

Do worksheets have to be boring? In this solo episode, Hallie shares four easy ways to make worksheets more engaging for older students without adding a ton of prep or turning every session into a game. She explains how to pair worksheets with simple games, choose high-interest topics that connect to students’ lives, give them more choice in how they complete the activity, and use a simple white colored pencil trick to add an element of surprise. Most importantly, she reminds SLPs that the goal isn't to make therapy look fancy—it’s to help students feel successful, take risks, and see that learning can actually be fun.

Bullet Points to Discuss:

-Why it's okay to use worksheets with older students
-How to pair a worksheet with simple games like Jenga, dice, spinners, or cards
-Why getting the answer right shouldn't be the requirement for earning a turn
-Choosing high-interest, age-respectful topics that students actually care about
-Why background knowledge and reading level matter when choosing worksheet content
-Ditching the boring pencil and giving students choices with colored pencils, gel pens, markers, or dry erase sleeves
-The white colored pencil trick for turning a regular worksheet into a more interactive activity
-Why small changes can create more autonomy, engagement, and confidence
-Helping students see the speech room as a place where they can take risks and be successful

Here's what we learned:

• A worksheet doesn't automatically mean boring, and sometimes it's exactly what you need for data collection, classroom-based tasks, or quick sessions
• Pairing a worksheet with a simple game can make the activity more engaging without changing the therapeutic target
• Students don't have to earn a game turn by getting an answer right—the goal is to teach and support them toward success
• High-interest, age-respectful topics can make difficult language tasks feel more manageable
• Background knowledge matters because unfamiliar content can add another layer of difficulty
• Giving students choices about what they use to complete a worksheet adds autonomy without requiring extra prep
• A white colored pencil can turn an ordinary worksheet into a simple reveal-and-check activity
• The goal isn't to make therapy elaborate; it's to help students feel successful, take risks, and have fun while learning

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Freebie:

https://www.slpmadness.com/shop/p/freespeechtherapydescribingprobe

https://www.slpmadness.com/iep-goal-bank 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

Are you writing following directions goals straight from a CELF subtest score? In this solo episode, Hallie makes the case for asking "why" before you write another three-step directions goal for a middle or high schooler. She explains how to use item analysis to find what's really driving the difficulty, why compensatory strategies often serve older students better than more isolated drill, and how to build self-advocacy into the activities you're already doing. She also shares low-cost, teen-friendly ways to practice when you do need a directions goal.

Bullet Points to Discuss:

-Why a standardized test should give us information, not our therapy curriculum

-Item analysis - looking past the scaled score to find the pattern

-Asking "why" - language, working memory, attention, vocabulary, or the environment?

When more of the same isn't working - the same goal from 3rd grade to 7th grade

Compensatory strategies - teaching what to do when they miss it or can't remember

-Metacognition - recognizing "I didn't understand" is the first step to self-advocacy

-Teacher supports & accommodations - it's an access-to-instruction skill, not just a speech room skill

-Easy, low-cost activities: drawing tutorial videos, a DIY file folder barrier game & Edpuzzle's rewatch button

Here's what we learned:

• A standardized test gives you information, not a therapy curriculum, so use item analysis to find the pattern behind a low score
• The "why" matters: language, working memory, attention, vocabulary, and environment each call for a different goal
• Repeating the same directions goal year after year isn't working, so it's time to change the approach
• For older students, teach compensatory strategies like keywords, chunking, repeating back, and asking for one step at a time
• Recognizing "I missed something" is the first step to self-advocacy
• Following directions is an access-to-instruction skill, so share accommodations with teachers
• Drawing videos, a file folder barrier game, and Edpuzzle's rewatch button make strategy practice low-cost and teen-friendly

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Freebie:

https://www.slpmadness.com/shop/p/freespeechtherapydescribingprobe

https://www.slpmadness.com/iep-goal-bank 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

Tired of reaching for the same generic drills no matter what speech sound error walks through your door? In this episode, Hallie chats with Laura Rinella, MA, CCC-SLP, creator of Laura Teaches Speech and a pediatric specialist in speech sound disorders. Laura breaks down how she builds targeted, individualized treatment plans that move the needle on intelligibility, offers her take on telling articulation and phonological disorders apart in real sessions, and explains why she sees every kid's progress as a step toward letting their voice come through.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

- Why principles of motor learning belong in articulation therapy

- how manipulating practice & feedback results in independence

- When more isn't always better - high trials aren't enough

- The performance trap -  why success during practice doesn't equal learning

- The power of mistakes - update & refine the motor plan

- Variation - the secret sauce/game changer/the closer

Here’s what we learned: 

• Motor learning principles matter for every kid with a speech sound error, not just those with residual/lingering errors
• Mastering a sound in the therapy room isn't the same as mastering it in real life — that's the performance trap
• Variation in rate, intonation, and loudness is what drives carryover to real conversation
• Speech motor chaining builds from syllables to self-generated sentences, leveling up as accuracy improves
• Buy-in matters as much as biomechanics — kids need to believe change is possible before the movement work sticks
  
  
  

Learn more about Laura Rinella

Website

https://substack.com/@laurateachesspeech                        https://www.archspeechtherapy.com/courses-resources/

Social

https://www.instagram.com/laurateachesspeech/ 

Other links: 

https://substack.com/@laurateachesspeech               

https://www.archspeechtherapy.com/courses-resources/

Freebie - include this on the docs so we don’t need to copy and paste from this document (note for podmachine editor)

https://substack.com/@laurateachesspeech/note/p-188451575?r=7jc6eu&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Freebie:

https://www.slpmadness.com/shop/p/freespeechtherapydescribingprobe

https://www.slpmadness.com/iep-goal-bank 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

Struggling to know what "good" data collection actually looks like, especially with older students on your caseload? In this episode, Hallie sits down with Kayla Obenour, an SLP with over a decade of experience across schools, outpatient, home health, and private practice, to chat all about what real, useful data collection can look like. Kayla shares why she's always aimed to "practice what she preaches" as a clinician, how she helps new clinicians cut through the overwhelm of tracking everything at once, and why qualitative data deserves just as much credit as a percentage on a page.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Why data collection creates such heavy cognitive load for new clinicians 
• Probe data versus continuous data, and what makes data reliable and valid 
• Rethinking the 80% accuracy standard and other ways to measure meaningful progress 
• The role parents, teachers, and work samples play in painting a fuller picture 
• Breaking annual goals into smaller, more achievable objectives 
• Why starting from a student's strengths builds buy-in and confidence

Here’s what we learned: 

• Ten solid probe data points can be just as valid as tracking data throughout an entire session. 
• Qualitative data, like the type and amount of support a student needed, is still meaningful data. 
• Percent accuracy alone doesn't reveal whether a skill functions for a student outside of therapy. 
• Parents and teachers often notice things in other settings that never show up in session data. 
• Starting with a student's smallest achievable step builds momentum faster than jumping straight to the end goal.

Learn more about Kayla Obenour: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Rooted-in-Connection-Therapy/61577409999013/ 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this solo episode, Hallie breaks down how to stop drowning in back-to-back groups with completely different goals. She covers why you don't need a separate activity for every student, how one resource — a video, book, article, or even a game — can hit multiple goals at once, and why mixed-goal groups can actually work in your favor instead of against you. If planning has been eating into time you don't have and you're tired of scrambling between sessions, this episode is for you.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Why "one activity per student" is a planning trap, not a requirement 
• The case for letting mixed-goal groups work side by side 
• Keeping students in the loop on their own goals and why it matters
• Turning any YouTube video into a multi-goal lesson with Edpuzzle 
• Wordless picture books: the ultimate no-prep, any-goal resource 
• Squeezing more mileage out of articles, storybooks, and games than "intended" 
• Making one resource stretch across grade levels without extra work

Here’s what we learned: 

• You don't need a new activity for every student — one resource can carry the whole group. 
• Mixed-goal groups pick up extra language just from hearing each other get prompted. 
• Edpuzzle lets you drop goal-specific questions right into any video. 
• Nobody's handing out a trophy for asking the exact question printed on the card. 
• The same resource can flex across grade levels — just adjust the difficulty, not the material.

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

Feeling stuck when it comes to that pesky vocalic R? In this episode, Hallie sits down with Karen Krogg of The Pedi Speechie, a school-based SLP with a serious R obsession, to talk through everything from tongue shape to carryover. Karen breaks down her hand gesture analogies, favorite tools, and how she keeps kids motivated through the long haul of R therapy.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Determining when R work is warranted for older students in schools
• Retroflex R vs. bunched R, and how to tell the difference
• Hand gesture analogies and tools like the typodont and Sketchfab
• Making practice fun without turning it into straight drilling
• Carryover strategies that actually get used at home
• Advice for SLPs and CFs new to treating vocalic R 

Here’s what we learned: 

• Progress often comes down to problem-solving, not repetition — no single method works for every student
• The quicker a student masters R in isolation, the more predictable the rest of therapy tends to go
• A baseline screener at the start of the year makes progress easier to track
• Patience is part of the clinical skill set — R therapy can take well over a year
• New SLPs don’t need to have it all figured out — CEU courses and online resources help fill the gaps

Learn more about Karen Krogg: 

Website: https://thepedispeechie.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepedispeechie/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepedispeechie_slp 

Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-pedi-speechie

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thepedispeechie4227 

Speech Therapy Tools

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Freebie:

https://thepedispeechie.com/speech-therapy-tools 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

Feeling like data collection is eating up all your therapy time? In this episode, Hallie sits down with Michele Rothstein of SLP Madness, a 26-year elementary school-based SLP, to talk all about how to make data collection clean, efficient, and legally defensible. Michele shares her 3:1 treatment-to-probe ratio, how she handles Medicaid billing without sacrificing real therapy time, and why she believes data is her favorite four-letter word.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• The difference between therapy charting and true data collection 
• Why testing your students every session isn't the same as teaching them 
• Using a 3:1 ratio: three weeks of treatment, one week of progress monitoring 
• How to report Medicaid billing data on non-probe weeks 
• Building and organizing probes so they're ready for IEP season 
• Handling inherited IEP goals you don't agree with or understand 

Here’s what we learned: 

• Data collection and therapy charting are not the same thing 
• Consistent stimuli each time you probe is what makes data legally defensible 
• An IEP is a blueprint, not a complete list of everything you're targeting 
• Honesty about inherited goals builds trust with families and teams 
• Starting small with one student or goal is the key to sticking with a new system

Learn more about Michele Rothstein: 

Website: https://www.slpmadness.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slp.madness/ 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-rothstein-slpmadness 

Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/slp-madness 

How to Collect Data Without Stopping Therapy

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Freebie:

https://www.slpmadness.com/shop/p/freespeechtherapydescribingprobe

https://www.slpmadness.com/iep-goal-bank 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

Struggling with how to support a student who stutters without falling into the “fix it” trap? In this episode, Hallie sits down with Wendy Dietz, an SLP and clinic owner in Colorado who specializes in stuttering therapy, to chat all about what an acceptance-based approach really looks like. Wendy shares how a moving college essay first sparked her interest in stuttering, how the CARE model she learned at UT Austin completely shifted her perspective, and how she helps parents let go of all-or-nothing thinking about their child’s speech.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Why fluency-focused early intervention isn’t backed by research and can cause harm
• Helping parents move past “fixed” vs. “held back” thinking about their child’s stuttering
• A student’s journey from a fluency-focused approach to self-advocacy and confidence
• Why observable severity often doesn’t match a student’s internal experience of stuttering
• What stuttering assessment looks like beyond disfluency counts
• Resources for SLPs building skills and confidence in this niche 

Here’s what we learned: 

• The goal is confident communication, not reducing or curing stuttering
• A third path exists for parents beyond “fixed” or “struggling forever”
• A student’s own attitude toward stuttering matters as much as how it sounds
• Early education protects students from internalizing negative experiences later
• Confidence in this niche comes from community involvement, not just coursework

Resources Mentioned:

Stop Guessing with Stuttering Therapy – Victoria Dertouzoc: https://speechtimefun.com/334-stop-guessing-with-stuttering-therapy/ 

A Human Approach to Stuttering and Neurodiversity – Ana Hernandez Episode: https://speechtimefun.com/336-a-human-approach-to-stuttering-and-neurodiversity/ 

Learn more about Wendy Dietz: 

Website: https://www.lifetimespeech.com/about 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifetimestuttering/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-dietz-m-s-ccc-slp-5236561a9 

Email: [email protected] 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this solo episode, Hallie unpacks one of her go-to therapy strategies for grades 4-12: word webs. She covers why this simple visual tool does so much heavy lifting in mixed therapy groups, how it hits multiple goals at once, and why it beats another boring vocabulary worksheet every time. If you've been looking for a way to teach vocabulary that actually sticks (and doesn't require a Pinterest-worthy setup), this episode is for you.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• What word webs are and how they help students connect meaning to a word instead of just memorizing a definition 
• Why word webs support deeper processing and long-term carryover for vocabulary retention 
• Which students benefit most from this visual, low-prep approach 
• Ways to adapt word webs to feel age-appropriate for older, "too cool for therapy" students 
• Using word webs to build emotional vocabulary beyond happy, sad, and mad 
• How to introduce and scaffold the skill so it doesn't overwhelm students early on

Here’s what we learned: 

• Word webs give repeated, meaningful exposure to a word, which is what makes vocabulary stick. 
• No fancy prep needed. A whiteboard or sticky notes will do. 
• One word web can hit different goals for different students in the same group. 
• Start small and build complexity gradually to avoid overwhelming students. 
• Making it relevant to their world (sports, social media, career goals) is what keeps older students engaged.

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎓✨ Grab your free spot at CF Bootcamp 2026 here! https://www.speechtimefun.com/cfbootcamp2026

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets