SLP Coffee Talk

Wondering how you can help your students master their tier 3 vocabulary words? 

If you have been following me for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of working with tier 2 vocabulary words, but in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m sharing my best tips for teaching tier 3 vocabulary words to your speech students. 

For so many students, we work with them and their parents work with them, and they seem to have these words down… but then they go to take their test and struggle. Maybe the word was used differently or it was put in a different order so it was more challenging for them to remember. 

If you want to help your students be more successful with tier 3 words, there are ways that you can do it in a more meaningful way rather than just drill and kill or memorization. 

These tips will help your students find more success with these words. Tune in to learn more about my best tips, tricks, resources, and strategies for helping students master their tier 3 vocabulary words. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/145

Resources Mentioned: 

Check out my Which Definition is Best resource: https://bit.ly/STF-whichdef

Join us in SLP Elevate: www.slpelevate.com

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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

Many SLPs were taught the medical model of working with autistic children where we found the deficit and worked to fill it. However, we know now that autistic children develop differently, and we need to focus on helping them become the most successful version of themselves, not more like their neurotypical peers. 

There’s a lot of unlearning to do here, so in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Cari Ebert to talk about becoming a relationship-based therapist, the best methods for working with autistic children, and more. 

Cari Ebert, MS, CCC-SLP, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist in private practice in the Kansas City, Missouri area. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1993 and her master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1995. 

Cari is a therapist, consultant, author, and nationally recognized speaker who gets paid to do what she loves most…TALK! She has dedicated her career to helping young children achieve their maximum potential with speech, language, and social-emotional development. Cari has an autistic son, allowing her to engage audiences both as a professional and as a parent of a neurodivergent child.

With our autistic students, we need to look at what they love most and use it to support and facilitate their development. Tune in to learn more from Cari about neurodiversity-affirming therapy and autistic play. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/144

Resources Mentioned: 

Visit Cari’s website: https://www.cariebertseminars.com/

Follow Cari on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cari.ebert.seminars/

Follow Cari on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cariebertseminars/

Interests and Preferences Inventory: https://www.cariebertseminars.com/store/p96/Interests_and_Preferences_Inventory.html

Listen to the SLP Talk Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-talk-show/id1616911064

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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

Even after graduate school is over, SLPs are continuously learning. We are constantly being given new research and information that could change how we do therapy. 

No matter how long we may have been doing things one way, it’s important to adapt. We live in a time where we have easy access to new information that can improve our therapy skills and make us the best SLPs we can be as long as we lean into it. 

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Jess Teixeira to talk about unlearning what you learned in graduate school and learning new ways of doing things for your students that put their needs first. 

Jessica is a licensed speech-language pathologist in the state of Massachusetts and has been practicing for two years. She is a pediatric private practice owner working mainly with neurodivergent children and specializing in gestalt language processing. 

She has a mission to provide neurodiversity-affirming therapy to all of her clients. She runs an SLP Instagram that mainly focuses on educating parents and other SLPs and professionals on how they can support their neurodivergent children and students. 

Tune in as we chat about Gestalt language processing, child-led therapy, neurodiversity-affirming approaches to therapy, learning new things, and so much more! 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/143

Resources Mentioned: 

Check out Jess’s website: https://www.playhavenpediatrics.com/

Follow Jess on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gemmajuneslp/

Follow Jess on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GemmaJuneSLP

Follow Play Haven Pediatrics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playhavenpediatrics

Join SLP Elevate: https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/slp-elevate-aug

Learn more about Gestalt language processing: https://speechtimefun.com/what-is-gestalt-language-processing-and-how-does-it-look-for-the-older-students-with-alexandria-zachos/


Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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

Looking for tips for working on fluency with your older speech students? 

On this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Lori Melnitsky to answer all of your questions about working with older speech students that stutter. 

It can be challenging working with these students because sometimes, they just don’t want the help, or they aren’t getting enough help for it to be effective. If this sounds familiar, there are things you can do.

Lori is a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist and ADHD Life Coach with over 25 years of experience treating stuttering, speech, and executive function skills. She specializes in stuttering therapy and owns All Island Speech and Stuttering Therapy.

She has proudly helped hundreds of children, teens, and adults to stutter less and communicate with confidence. She personally stuttered severely until her early 20s, struggling to participate in class, call friends on the phone, and say her own name. But here’s what she really wants you to know: stuttering did not stop her, and it won’t stop you either

Lori knows that students who stutter can be successful, they just need confidence! Tune in to learn more about working with students that stutter and helping build up their confidence in and out of the speech room. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/142

Resources Mentioned: 

Visit Lori’s website: https://www.allislandspeech.com/

Join the Stuttering DeMystified for SLPs Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stutteringdemystify

Listen to Lori’s podcast: https://www.allislandspeech.com/projects-3

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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

As SLPs, one of the biggest things we work on with our students is reading. Whether they have an AAC or not, there are things we can do to help them reach their literacy goals at their own pace. 

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Megan Stewart, who is passionate about both literacy and AAC! Megan is here to share her top tips for maximizing your reading time with your students.

Megan Stewart, MS CCC-SLP is a Speech/Language Pathologist with over 19 years of experience, most of which have been spent serving students with complex communication needs, within a variety of settings, including early intervention, home health, hippotherapy, and elementary school level. 

Megan received her Master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and now resides in Jacksonville, FL. With extensive knowledge regarding various forms of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) from low to high tech, Megan’s passion is to help guide students, parents, and professionals alike in their journey to find the AAC system(s) that will help them become the most independent and autonomous communicators possible. 

Megan has so many great ideas that she shares in this episode, so make sure to tune in so you don’t miss them! 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/141

Resources Mentioned: 

Check out Megan’s website: https://senseableliteracy.com/

Follow Megan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/senseableliteracy

Follow Megan on Instagram: www.instagram.com/senseableliteracy

Subscribe to Megan's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SENSEableLiteracy

Follow Megan on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@senseableliteracy

Check out Tar Heel Reader: https://tarheelreader.org

Register for the Speech Retreat: speechretreat.com

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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

Looking for some tips on working with high school speech students?

If you know me, you know that AAC is not my jam, but in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Ashley Larisey to chat all about AAC and working with high school speech therapy students. 

Ashley Larisey is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and clinical educator. Ashley’s work experiences include public and private therapeutic day schools, speech/language clinics, and early intervention. Ashley also serves as an adjunct clinical supervisor at Saint Xavier University and teaches a module specific to the use of technology in the field of Speech/Language Pathology. 

Ashley has extensive experience working with children and adults who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems, and has presented at local and national conferences on AAC and literacy.

Tune in to learn more from Ashley about tips for working with older speech students, transition planning, AR activities, working on literacy with nonverbal students, AAC, and so much more! 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/140

Resources Mentioned: 

Follow Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrs.larisey/

Check out Comprehensive Literacy for All: https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Literacy-All-Significant-Disabilities/dp/1598576577/

Sign up for the Speech Retreat: https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/speech-retreat-recharge

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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 you work with the school psychologist? 

In this episode, I’m switching things up and talking with a bilingual school psychologist, Briana Wagner. She’s here to chat about how SLPs can collaborate with the school psychologist, social skills, and so much more! 

Briana Wagner is a bilingual school psychologist and the founder of @EducationallyPsyched, a community dedicated to easy-to-understand information about special education, school psychology, and supporting students with diverse needs. 

I have always said that when you start at a new school, the school psychologist is one of the most important people you need to develop a close working relationship with. There are so many important ways we can collaborate together to help our students get the best possible outcome when it comes to speech. 

Looking at things that the school psychologist looks at regularly might not be our domain, but it can help us greatly inside our therapy rooms to understand what type of help our students need and how we can set them up for more success in their regular classrooms as well.

Tune in to hear more about how to make the most of your relationship with the school psychologist and how you can work together to help your students succeed. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/139

Resources Mentioned: 

Follow Briana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educationallypsyched/

Get my FREE Critical Thinking Probes: https://speechtimefunpd.mykajabi.com/critical-thinking-probes

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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

I do not take data during the entire session, and I’m sharing why in this episode. I know there are some exceptions to the rules because administrations or districts require one thing or another, but I want to convince you to think about data a little bit differently. 

I’m not saying not to take data, just not to take it the entire session. Imagine that as you’re working, someone came and observed you and jotted down notes the entire time. You would be pretty nervous right? Imagine how our students feel. If they are constantly being assessed, they’re going to have some anxiety and it could affect their ability to perform optimally.

If we are constantly evaluating our students, when will we have time to teach them? With things like articulation, studies show that the more drilling, the better. But you can’t do that if you’re evaluating them all the time. 

The more you focus on the child in front of you and the anecdotal data versus the data marks, the more they will be engaged. They are going to be more willing to take risks and have a better understanding of what it takes to be successful. That itself is so much more valuable than the data marks. 

Tune in to learn more about why I don’t take data the entire session and how you can start focusing on the child more for better outcomes. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/138

Resources Mentioned: 

Get my free group therapy data forms: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Group-Therapy-Data-Forms-FREEBIE-2032236

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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

What prizes and reward systems do you use with your older students? 

This is a question I get asked pretty often, especially at the beginning of the year. I have had many different reward systems in my career, but as of now, I don’t actually have a reward system in place for my older speech therapy students. 

In today’s episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m sharing the systems I have used in the past, why they didn’t work, and why I stopped using them altogether. While I don’t use reward systems, there are other ways I like to motivate my students that work amazingly well without being a distraction. 

Speech can be fun and engaging without using prizes. Time is precious in the speech room, and we need to use it wisely. If we can motivate students in other ways while they’re there, we can build their confidence without giving them another sticker. 

Sometimes just giving students that verbal praise that they might not get throughout the day otherwise is enough motivation. Showing them that you’re listening and that you care about how they’re doing is enough. 

Tune in to learn more about how I keep my students motivated without stickers and prizes and how you can start intrinsically motivating your students to learn today. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/137

Resources Mentioned: 

Grab my free visuals: https://speechtimefun.com/must-have-visual-aids-for-working-on-critical-thinking-skills-in-speech-therapy/

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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 using visuals in your speech therapy classroom?

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, we are breaking away from only talking about older speech therapy students to talk about something that can be used with any age: visual supports! 

Visual supports are things like pictures, lists, or drawings that help students with autism communicate. They can make a huge difference in your students’ speech therapy outcomes. I sat down with Tara Tuchel from Autism Little Learners to dive into the topic of visuals and how she uses them to help her autistic students reach their goals. 

Tara is a speech/language pathologist who has been teaching young autistic children for over 2 decades. She has the unique position to run her own communication-based classroom and team-teach with a special education teacher. She started Autism Little Learners in March of 2019.

Tara now has a monthly product membership and an online course (Visual Schedules Made Easy) where she shares resources and activities for educators and parents of young autistic children.

Tune in to hear all of Tara’s top tips for using visual supports in speech therapy! 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/136

Resources Mentioned: 

Check out Tara’s website: https://autismlittlelearners.com/

Get the free Visual Support Starter Set: https://mailchi.mp/af7297575815/visualsupportstarterset

Follow Tara on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autismlittlelearners/

Follow Tara on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@autismlittlelearners?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Check out her TpT shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Autism-Little-Learners

Get on the waitlist for Tara’s membership: https://autism-little-learners.mykajabi.com/membershippopup

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007

Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefun

Follow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/

Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/

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