The SLP Now Podcast

Full Show Notes: slpnow.com/234

In this episode, Marisha shares six practical, evidence-based strategies to target following directions. From pinpointing the right foundational skills to collaborating with teachers and planning for generalization, you’ll walk away with clear, actionable ideas you can use in your sessions right away.

• How to assess and identify the root causes of direction-following difficulties
• The power of recasting and corrective feedback
• Why incorporating movement boosts comprehension
• How to explicitly teach and model strategies like rehearsing and visualizing
• Ways to partner with teachers for greater carryover
• How to plan for generalization from the start

🎧 Tune in for practical tips you can apply this week!

Full Show Notes: slpnow.com/233

WH questions are foundational for language, literacy, and classroom success—but teaching them effectively can feel overwhelming. In this episode, Marisha shares six practical, evidence-backed strategies to help your students master WH questions using the Assess–Teach–Practice framework.

You’ll learn how to assess to find the right starting point, teach question words with visuals, scaffold instruction through a hierarchy, focus on one question type at a time, embed practice in meaningful contexts, and provide high-repetition practice for generalization.

Go to slpnow.com/trial to download the WH Questions Skill Pack. (It's free!)

Fall is the perfect time to bring seasonal books into your therapy room, and one of my favorites is Apple Trouble! In this episode, I’ll share how to use this story to target WH questions, narratives, vocabulary, articulation, and more.

Whether you already have the book in your library (or plan to use a YouTube read-aloud), you’ll walk away with practical therapy ideas you can use all month long.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why Apple Trouble is a versatile book for K–2 therapy sessions
• How to use literacy-based therapy steps with this story
• Examples of WH question, narrative, and vocabulary activities
• How to integrate grammar, articulation, and syntax goals
• Tips for home practice and carryover

✨ Want ready-to-go materials? Start a free trial at slpnow.com/trial and grab a set of materials to try with your students this week!

Show Notes: https://slpnow.com/blog/231-5-evidence-backed-strategies-to-teach-past-tense-verbs/

In this episode of the SLP Now Podcast, Marisha breaks down five research-backed strategies you can use to help students master past tense verbs. Many of our students have goals in this area, and if progress feels slower than expected, these strategies can give you practical tools to try in your next session.

You’ll also hear why marking tense is such an important communication skill, not just for storytelling and effective communication but also as a reliable diagnostic indicator of language impairment (Guo & Schneider, 2016).

Whether you’re looking for new ideas, reminders of tried-and-true techniques, or support in boosting student progress, this episode has you covered.

Mentioned in this episode:

5 FREE Therapy Materials

Go to 🔗 slpnow.com/pod 🔗 to download 5 evidence-backed therapy materials for FREE!

In this episode, I’m joined by returning guest Lacee Johnson—a school-based SLP. We dive into how she transformed her referral process from post-it note chaos to a streamlined, brain-friendly system using the Workload feature in SLP Now.

You’ll hear:

→ What her referral process used to look like (and why it wasn’t working)

→ How she customized a task list that actually fits her district’s workflow

→ Real talk about cognitive load, parent communication, and keeping it all straight

Whether you're a CF or a seasoned SLP, you'll walk away with ideas to make your own referral process more manageable and way less stressful.

Resources Mentioned:

David's Email: [email protected]

David's Website: SpecialEdConsultant.org

David's 504 Guide: https://slpnowblog.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Bateman+504+Accommodations+Guide.pdf

[FREE EVENT] What Every Special Education Leader Needs to Know: https://parallellearning-20474008.hs-sites.com/drbatemanfalldistrictleaders2025

In this episode, I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes tour of the three digital binders I created to save SLPs hours of prep time and reduce session stress. We’ll explore the Assessment Binder, Probe Binder, and Visuals Binder—with over 2,400 pages of ready-to-use tools. I also share practical ways to use them for instant access, better data collection, and more engaged students. Whether you’re planning therapy, writing IEPs, or tracking progress, these binders make it easy to work smarter, not harder as an SLP!

Need these binders? Head to slpnow.com/summit to find out more! Or email [email protected].

Register Here! slpsummit.com

Are you tired of getting referral lists that include half the class? Or notes that just say a student "isn’t talking much"? You’re not alone. In this episode, we explore why vague or inappropriate referrals happen and how to respond with compassion and strategy.

You’ll learn 4 practical ways to guide teachers toward more effective referrals, including:

• What makes a strong referral
• How to share referral-friendly tools
• Low-lift ways to support overwhelmed teachers
• Tips for gathering meaningful classroom input

Register Here! slpsummit.com

In this quick recap, we'll chat about communication strategies, legal aspects of referrals, and real data from 400+ SLPs on referral trends. Get a sneak peek of what’s coming next! Replays available at slpsummit.com until August 15th!

Register Here! slpsummit.com

Feeling overwhelmed by referrals? You’re not alone, and I’ve got you covered! In this short and sweet episode, I’m sharing a sneak peek of my upcoming session at the SLP Summit:

“Referrals Made Easy: The Low-Stress System Every School-Based SLP Needs.”

I’ll walk you through what you can expect in the session, including a practical system for handling referrals with clarity and confidence—plus free handouts that’ll make communicating with teachers so much easier. If you’ve ever struggled to navigate teacher concerns, manage paperwork, or make evaluation decisions, this is for you!

• Why referrals are such a common pain point (and what to do about it)
• How to streamline your referral process from start to finish
• The exact tools I use—like checklists and workflows—to simplify your day
• How to get your hands on a free bundle of referral handouts