SLP Coffee Talk

Do you struggle to figure out where to go with your older speech students? 

If you’ve been following me for a while, you may have heard me talk about how language comprehension is such an integral part of learning and reading. In order to be successful readers, our students need good decoding skills. 

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m sharing why I use Bloom’s Taxonomy to determine what to do with my older speech therapy students. They have to be able to engage with the text, think about it, and answer questions, and we as SLPs can help them get there. 

It’s so important that we determine a goal that is appropriate for our students, not just what they’re working on in the classroom. Thinking differently about how we determine the goal we're working on with our students can really help us feel confident about what we are working on and know that we can make a true difference.

Tune in to learn more about how I use Bloom’s Taxonomy to determine what my students need help with so that I can meet them where they are at and help them achieve their goals. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/135

Resources Mentioned: 

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

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 familiar with neurodiversity-affirming teaching methods? 

Every day, I see so many questions from other SLPs on this topic, so today on SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Katja Piscitelli to talk about these methods so that you can get all of your questions answered and start the year off confident with autistic students on your caseload. 

Katja Piscitelli is a speech therapist, dog mom, and Disney lover. She supports autistic students and their families through neurodiversity-affirming, child-led therapy. She also specializes in supporting gestalt language development (echolalia). 

Katja believes in listening to the communities we serve to guide our practice, and she loves sharing what she learns from the Autistic community and her experiences with students with all of you!

There is a shift happening in the way we teach autistic students in speech therapy. Instead of teaching them to be more like us, we are learning to teach them differently in a way that affirms who they are and how their brains work. 

Katja has a wealth of knowledge and tips to share on this topic. Tune in to learn more about why listening to autistic voices is so important, tips for teaching self-advocacy and perspective taking, the top tips and tools for working with autistic students, and so much more. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/134

Resources Mentioned: 

Visit Katja’s website: https://www.totalspectrumtherapy.org/

Follow Katja on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bohospeechie/

Follow Katja on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Boho-Speechie/100064823717157/

Check out Katja’s Teachers Pay Teachers store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Boho-Speechie

Visit the NeuroClastic website: https://neuroclastic.com/its-a-spectrum-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/

Join the NeuroClastic Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheAspergian/

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 ready to cut your planning time down drastically? 

In this week’s episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I am sharing how you can plan your speech therapy sessions in minutes. Yes, you read that right! Not weeks, not hours—minutes. This is my framework for planning my speech therapy sessions in minutes, and sometimes even seconds. 

Planning for each individual student on your caseload would take hours, which no one wants to do. If you have been following me for a while, you know that no matter what goal I am working on in the classroom, I like to plan my lessons around a theme or concept to make planning easier. 

We only have so much time to get our lesson planning done for our students. We have to work smarter and not harder when it comes to lesson planning for all of those kids. Using themes is just one of the ways I do that. 

Tune in to this episode to learn how to get your time back and get your lesson planning done in a few minutes, no matter the size of your caseload. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/133

Resources Mentioned: 

Grab the Planning Freebie: https://speechtimefun.com/planningfreebie

Register for my FREE 30-minute live workshop: https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/slp-webinar-registration

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 ready for a brand new school year? 

I know many of us are still in summer mode right now but there are also many that are headed back to school, so in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m sharing my best tips for setting yourself up for success this year. 

I hope that you had some time to relax and reenergize this summer. It is so important that you are able to rest so that you can start refreshed and ready to go come fall.

I have found that the more I do during the first week of school, the more successful the year is. I feel less overwhelmed and more prepared when things get chaotic. 

There are some things that I do every year that help me get going and be more prepared. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate to be effective. It’s about using your time wisely now while things are calm so that you can prepare yourself for when you don’t have the extra time. 

Tune in to hear how I organize my data binder, spreadsheets, and calendar for a more successful school year. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/132

Resources Mentioned: 

FREE 30-minute live workshop: https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/slp-webinar-registration

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

How do you decide what goals to work on during therapy sessions? 

I am often asked about what goals to work on based on the results of the standardized tests that we are given. However, I actually don’t like to base my goals on those results. 

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I am sharing how I actually decide on goals for my speech therapy students. 

We all know that we have to generate an IEP and deal with the higher-ups and funding so we do need those standardized tests to justify our services. However, if we make our goals based on what they did wrong on the tests, we will be working on the same things for years and years. 

We are here to work on tasks that are similar to those assessments, but we need to work on more than just those tasks. The things they do on those tests are not what they are going to need to do in society. 

When determining goals, the best thing you can do is get as much information on the student as possible. Tune in to learn how I conduct assessments in my speech therapy practice and how I use them to pick the right goals for my students. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/131

Resources Mentioned: 

Get the History of Legos Baseline inside the SLP Elevate Membership: http://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

Selective mutism is a topic that I know many SLPs have lots of questions about, and I haven’t had the right answers. Luckily, in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I have special guest Joleen Fernald on to talk about everything you need to know about selective mutism. 

Joleen R. Fernald, Ph.D., CCC-SLP was awarded Board Specialty Recognition in Child Language from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dr. Fernald follows Greenspan and Wieder’s model, DIRFloortime®, when working with children and families. 

She has a special interest in the social-emotional development of young children and its impact on their speech and language skills. As a speech-language pathologist, Dr. Fernald works with children who have a variety of communication disorders. 

Since selective mutism is an anxiety-based disorder, it can be confusing for SLPs to understand our role in helping students, but it's important to remember that this affects their social communication and we are the experts in that. 

Tune in to learn more about what selective mutism is, what causes it, and how we can best support and help our students with this condition. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/130

Resources Mentioned: 

Get the Free Data Collection Sheet: https://www.dropbox.com/s/i4dsfddkjdc1whc/DIR-SM%20Data%20Collection.pdf?dl=0

Visit Joleen’s website: https://joleenfernald.com/

Follow Joleen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoleenRFernaldPediatricTherapyServices

Join the DIR-Selective Mutism Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/778874929466312

Follow Joleen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.jo_selectivemutism_slp/

Check out the Selective Mutism website: https://www.selectivemutism.org/

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

Wondering what you need for your CFY? 

With back-to-school time quickly approaching for some, I wanted to chat on this episode of SLP Coffee Talk about some things that you need as a brand new CF. 

Now, if you aren’t a CF, don’t skip this episode! All of the things I’m sharing with you could apply to you too. These things have been essential in my time as an SLP and I want you to go into your first day fully prepared and ready for whatever comes. 

There are so many things I wish I knew back when I was completing my CFY. I know it can be overwhelming, but these are some of the top things that I think you will need as a CF. I am still learning even now so it’s my goal to help you get a head start. 

Tune in to hear my top five essentials that you’ll want to have ready to go so that you can begin your CF ready and prepared for whatever comes your way! 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/129

Resources Mentioned: 

Free Group Therapy Data Forms: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Group-Therapy-Data-Forms-FREEBIE-2032236

Sign up for SLP Elevate: https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/slp-elevate-aug

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

Have you heard of Gestalt Language Processing? 

This is something that many SLPs don’t actually know a lot about but understanding it can make a huge impact on your students.  We have always been told to redirect echolalia, but kids that communicate that way are gestalt language processors, and it’s important to understand how to help them. 

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Alexandria Zachos to talk about gestalt language processing and how you can incorporate this knowledge into your therapy practice. 

Alexandria is a licensed speech-language pathologist in the state of Illinois and has been practicing since 2003.  Over the past eighteen years, she has provided therapy for all ages in a variety of clinical settings, including public schools, home therapy, acute care, rehabilitation hospitals, and outpatient clinics. 

Tune in to learn more about what gestalt language processing is, therapy activities you can do with these students, how to collect data during these types of lessons, and so much more! 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/128

Resources Mentioned: 

Check out Alexandria’s course and get the FREE handout: https://www.meaningfulspeech.com/

Follow Meaningful Speech on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meaningfulspeech/?hl=en

Follow Meaningful Speech on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meaningfulspeech/

Register for the Virtual Speech Retreat: https://speechtimefunpd.mykajabi.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

Have you ever struggled to diagnose an English language learner because you aren’t sure if it’s a difference or a disorder? 

Many SLPs struggle with this because we don’t want to be wrong about a diagnosis just because our student is learning the English language. The most effective way for us to really understand our ELLs is to use dynamic assessments and language sampling instead of standardized tests. 

In today’s episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Nia Thomas to talk about how you can use dynamic assessments to determine if your students really have a speech disorder or if it’s just a difference. 

Nia Thomas is a school-based bilingual speech-language pathologist, educator, and storyteller from NYC. She graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Disorders and Black Studies. She went on to obtain her Master’s in Science from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. 

A two-time Writing Our Lives alumni, Nia has written for Bustle, Remezcla, Fierce by Mitú, ASHA Leader Live, and other online publications. She is also the founder and editor of Bilingual Speech Resources. 

Tune in to learn about why dynamic assessments and language samples are so much more effective with ELL students, tools and resources you can use, and so much more. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/127

Resources Mentioned: 

Visit Nia’s website: https://www.bilingualspeechresources.com/

Follow Nia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bilingualspeechresources/

Check out The Bilingual Speech Resources TpT store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bilingual-Speech-Resources

Leaders Project free CEU: https://www.leadersproject.org/ceu-courses-2/evidence-based-practice-in-disability-evaluations-asha-0-6-ceu-self-study-course/

Leaders Project Slam Cards: https://www.leadersproject.org/?s=slam+cards

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

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 a lot of students with communication difficulties? 

It can be so hard to watch a child struggle to tell you what they need. We have strategies in place to help them learn, but it takes time and it can be frustrating for children in those situations. In this week’s episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Natashia Kletter to talk about how she created books that help children with communication challenges tell you what they want to say. 

Natashia is the mother of an autistic boy who also has a rare genetic disorder and a daughter who has ADHD. She developed an assistive communication system for nonspeaking children, using her Mechanical Engineering degree and what she learned from her own son. She's now helping children around the world communicate in their own homes with more efficiency and fun.

Natashia’s books are being used in homes and classrooms with children that have difficulty communicating and the feedback she gets from teachers and parents has been inspiring. The kids are able to express themselves easily and feel heard for the first time.

These books are a great addition to any speech therapy classroom. They can be a valuable tool for working with students with autism or other disorders that make speaking a challenge in a way that is fun and easy to understand. 

To learn more about Natashia and how her books are changing the way nonverbal children are communicating with their parents, caregivers, and teachers, make sure to tune in. 

Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/126

Resources Mentioned: 

Check out the I Want To Tell You Books website: https://iwanttotellyoubooks.com/

Follow I Want To Tell You Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iwanttotellyoubooks/

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