The Preschool SLP

Over 20 years ago, I moved from the "I want" sentence strip to the "Look at" one in working with children with Autism. Why? This episode explores the advantages of using a "Look at" sentence strip over an "I want" sentence strip to optimize gains in the development of communication skills in children with autism in both the short and long term. Ready to take action? Don't delay and join me at the intervention drawing board by joining the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis

We're diving into one of the most common and heart-wrenching challenges faced by parents, educators, and therapists—separation anxiety. Leave this episode with a simple, yet effective, four-step process to ease anxiety and build relationships with confidence and compassion. Make sure to set yourself up for success by understanding a child's temperament, triggers, and favorite things—before they walk in the door by downloading the tried and true, free parent input form now at kellyvess.com/parentinputform Don't delay by rolling up your sleeves and taking action today b joining the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com/sis P.S. If you loved this episode, please follow, rate, and review the show. Your support helps spread responsive, evidence-based practices around the world.

Are you working with anxious children who are exhibiting challenging behavior? What can you do to help? Check out this episode for six actionable steps you can take right now to make a difference. Don't delay and join the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis to receive educationally rich activities weekly that treat the whole child and empower you to focus on what matters most: meaningful interactions.

This week, we are diving into play. We will discuss the importance of transitioning from sensory to symbolic play levels. Ready to take action and engage in educationally rich play activities during your sessions? Don't delay and join the SIS membership today at kellyvess.com/sis

Researchers estimate that a majority of children with developmental delays have Sensory Processing Disorder. What to do? Let's dive in! Raevsky, M., Nabalta, C. A., & Atiles, J. T. (2025). Managing sensory processing disorders in an early childhood classroom: Evidence-based strategies for teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01904-z Ready to put research into practice every week? Join me at the drawing board by joining the SIS Membership at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis

We're diving into the latest scoping review of the impact of intervention focused on reducing echolalia for children with Autism. We must ask: Is echolalia something to embrace or extinguish to optimize outcomes? Learn how to improve outcomes by capitalizing on echolalia using the SIS Membership activities and treatment targets. Join at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Source: Dinello, A., & Gladfelter, A. (2025). Intervention techniques targeting echolalia: A scoping review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 34(3), 1528–1543. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_ajslp-24-00211

Are you frustrated by a lack of progress in treating children with Developmental Language Disorder? It could be your treatment target. Perhaps, you are aiming too low. Learn my favorite 'go-to' target to create optimal gains in language and literacy skills. I will share my tried and tested six-step process that builds agency and automaticity for the child. Only action can create change. Join the SIS Membership and receive complex, language paragraph targets that you can put into practice today when you https://www.kellyvess.com/sis

Does having a speech sound disorder put a preschooler at risk for persistent language and literacy delays? The latest research includes 290 effect sizes that compare children with speech sound disorders to their neurotypical peers. It indicates that the risk for children with speech sound disorders is greater for both language and literacy delays, and these delays, sadly, tend to worsen over time. Check out this episode and leave empowered with three steps you can take today to improve speech, language, and literacy outcomes when treating speech sound disorders. Ready to DSD? Don't delay. Roll up your sleeves and join the SIS membership at kellyvess.com/sis today. You can join for a month, receive powerful speech and language targets, and simply unsubscribe if it isn't for you. Walquist-Sørli, L., et al. (2025). Are speech sound difficulties risk factors for difficulties in language and reading skills? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 68(1), 164–177. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_jslhr-24-00170

Your gains in treating speech sound disorders will largely be based on your treatment targets. How to select powerful targets? This episode will empower you with five questions to ask to determine if your speech treatment targets are as optimal as they can be to create change. Ready to put these empirically-based targets into practice? Don't delay and join the SIS Membership today to immediately receive the powerful sentence and paragraph treatment targets at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis If it's not for you simply unsubscribe after a month.

SLPs often equate "R" with 'hard work'. However, "R" is your best friend in making someone of the trickiest sounds easy. In this episode, learn how to use "R" to make the most complex treatment targets easy. Hint: Get out your blender. Ready to join me in putting innovative, empirically-based strategies to work next Monday? Don't delay and join the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com/sis

If you work with elementary age children, today's episode is for you. We are diving into game-changing activities that accelerate gains across five developmental domains. Ready to receive these activities with ready-to-use activities weekly? Check out the SIS Membership at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis

How can we translate the latest neurological cerebro-cerebellar research into Monday morning practice to improve speech outcomes? Let's dive into tried and true strategies that improve speech outcomes for children with Autism today. Ready to DSD: Do Something Different? Don't delay and join the SIS membership today at https://kellyvess.com/sis

The latest research indicates that the type of activity matters in terms of outcomes. This week, we're putting the latest research into Monday morning practice. Ready to put research into practice? Don't delay and try the SIS Membership out today at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Su, W., Srinivasan, S., & Bhat, A. (2025). Effects of creative movement, general movement, or seated play interventions on motor performance in children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 119, 102501.

We are diving into five needle-moving strategies that support children with Autism. Make sure to listen to this episode to the end because each one will produce game-changing results. Ready to roll up your sleeves and change lives today? Check out the SIS Membership for ready-to-use, effective, and educationally rich activities to be delivered to your inbox weekly at kellyvess.com/sis

If you work with children with communication delays, this episode is for you. I am sharing a simple, yet powerful, four-step process to improve executive function in speech therapy. Ready to roll up your sleeves and put research into practice every week? Try the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis

This episode will challenge you to DSD (Do Something Different) when treating speech sound disorders to improve outcomes. Learn how you can create optimal change by placing your targets in paragraph form. Doing so will result in gains across developmental domains. See for yourself. If not now, then when? Don't wait another day and join the SIS Membership today to receive the treatment target library that includes multiple paragraphs in speech and language. Get the revised targets for 2025 with video clips that show you how to cue each target. Join SiS for a month to receive both the original and newly revised treatment targets at www.kellyvess.com/sis

Join me for five therapy takeaways from the popular Telepathy Tapes Podcast. Looking to incorporate Task-Oriented Movement Activities in your therapy? Check out the SIS Membership for educationally-rich activities: https://www. kellyvess.com/sis

Feeling stressed lately? Learn an evidence-based, 100% natural way to lower your stress levels through thalamus tapping and positive affirmations. Ready to roll up your sleeves and join me at the SIS drawing board? Check out the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com/sis Blacher, S. (2023). Emotional freedom technique (EFT): Tap to relieve stress and burnout. Journal of Interprofessional Education Practice, 30, 100599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2023.100599: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36687311/ John Diamond's Positive Affirmations: https://www.polishukwellness.com/2015-3-22-dailyaffirmations/

Dive into the episode for three actionable steps to being culturally competent. Being culturally competent is pivotal to being effective in working with families, colleagues, and children with communication impairments. Enough talk already. Ready to take action? Join the SIS Membership and let's roll up our sleeves together at https://kellyvess.com/sis Check out the article by Jennifer Lansford in Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parenting-and-culture/202201/can-parents-be-both-individualist-and-collectivist You can access 'The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down' by Anne Fadiman on Audible or any major bookstore.

This episode dives into five common mistakes professionals make with high-tech AAC devices. Check out this episode to learn how we can DSD (Do Something Different) by knowing better and doing better. Make sure to check out the SIS Membership and receive our updated 2025 speech and language targets with digital clips to illustrate cues at www.kellyvess.com/sis Join the SIS Membership for a month, have a library of powerful treatment targets, and unsubscribe if you and your kiddos don't love the SIS Membership.

Join me behind the scenes to review this recent article on AAC for children with Autism. You can access the article at ASHA.org: Lund, S. K., Quach, W., Weissling, K., & McKelvey, M. (2025). Augmentative and alternative communication assessment for children on the autism spectrum: Protocol development and content validation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 56(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_lshss-23-00127 To download a free, Step-by-Step "How-to" Support Children Using AAC Devices using the M.O.D.E.L. Approach digital workshop, go to www.kellyvess.com/aac

If you work with or have a child with Autism, this episode is for you. We are diving into three strategies that support regulation for children with sensory challenges. Put these strategies into use today, and don't delay and join SIS today. Receive the updated speech and language treatment library, complete with video illustrations at kellyvess.com/sis

Let's talk data! In this episode, I share my empirically-based method to monitor gains when treating speech sound disorders effectively. Ready to cut your number of speech errors in half three months into the school year? Don't delay and check out the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis Receive newly updated speech and language targets the week you join and optimize your speech and language gains today..

Putting research into real-world practice can be challenging in the real world, where ineffective practices are commonplace. However, don't let these obstacles deter you from going against the grain in providing empirically-based practices. This episode will give you four strategies to create lifelong change for your clients in less-than-ideal environments. You've got this! Ready to roll up your sleeves and put research into practice? Don't delay and check out the SIS Membership today at kellyvess.com/sis

When you are healthier and happier, you perform better inside and outside of therapy. I am sharing my five favorite self-care splurges in this episode. These brands, for which I have no affiliations, are primarily pure.com and cruchi.com. If you are ready to uplevel your therapy in 2025, don't delay and check out SIS today with the free "3 Intervention Secrets Workshop" at kellyvess.com:

Here come the holidays! Unfortunately, they can be exceptionally challenging for our kiddos who stutter and tend to become dysfluent during this time. Check out this episode for eight strategies today that support fluency for children who stutter by building resiliency while removing holiday stressors. Looking for 100% done-for-you weekly activities? Make sure to check out the Free 3 Intervention Secrets Workshop.

SLPs in the field are reporting an increase in students with selective mutism since COVID. What to do? Check out this episode for eight empirically-based strategies for teachers and SLPs to implement today to support children with selective mutism. Ready to put research into practice today? Learn about the SIS Membership by watching this free 3 Intervention Secrets Workshop.

Rapport is everything when it comes to success in speech therapy. How do you build it? Check out this episode for five empirically based strategies. Click here to download the parent input form.

Gestalt language learners tend to learn language initially as whole chunks and break them into individual parts over time. How can we capitalize on a gestalt learning style? Emphasize sentences that will provide great social and practical coverage. In this episode, I'm sharing my top ten gestalts to emphasize for early gestalt language processors. Ready to provide engaging, effective, and empirically-based activities? Check out the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com Marge Blanc's NLA Website: https://communicationdevelopmentcenter.com/

Check out this episode and learn how making this one simple change in treating speech sound disorders will produce significant results in speech, language, literacy, and executive function. Try implementing complex speech target paragraphs in your practice by joining SIS today. When you join, you'll receive a library of speech targets to download and immediately use. To learn more about SIS, check out this free, 30-minute workshop by clicking here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15nbJ0ocJqIDUiLOTgKAotiM6fB2nY1hW/view

Meta-analytic research indicates that speech-language therapists do not improve language comprehension for students with developmental language disorders. However, multiple studies have indicated that explicit narrative, story-retelling interventions can produce robust gains in language comprehension and expression. Put empirically-based strategies into practice this week by joining the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com Watch a free, 3-intervention secret workshop by clicking here. References: Law, J., Garrett, Z., & Nye, C. (2004). The efficacy of treatment for children with developmental speech and language delay/disorder. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47(4), 924–943. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2004/069)Pico, D. L., Hessling Prahl, A., Biel, C. H., Peterson, A. K., Biel, E. J., Woods, C., & Contesse, V. A. (2021). Interventions designed to improve narrative language in school-age children: A systematic review with Meta-analyses. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 52(4), 1109–1126. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_lshss-20-00160Rinaldi, S., Caselli, M. C., Cofelice, V., D'Amico, S., De Cagno, A. G., Della Corte, G., Di Martino, M. V., Di Costanzo, B., Levorato, M. C., Penge, R., Rossetto, T., Sansavini, A., Vecchi, S., & Zoccolotti, P. (2021). Efficacy of the treatment of developmental language disorder: A systematic review. Brain Sciences, 11(3), 407. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11030407

Why isn't 'Mama' a first word for many children with Autism, yet it is for their neurotypical peers? There are four underlying physiological causes for this difference? Let's dive in to explore these four reasons why 'Mama' is not just naturally developing and what we need to do differently to encourage the development of this pivotally important word. Ready to work more effectively with children with autism by treating the whole child with done-for-you, ready-to-use activities delivered weekly in your inbox? Don't delay and learn about the SIS Membership with this free 30-minute, 3-intervention secret workshop. Looking forward to seeing you at the SIS drawing board,

Check out this episode and learn ten simple ways you can modify educationally-rich activities for diverse groups of children on your caseload. Focus on what matters by having done-for-you, ready-to-use, educationally-rich activities delivered to your inbox every week. Learn about the SIS Membership in this free, 3 Intervention Secrets workshop.

How can you help children with Developmental Language Delays? Check out this episode, in which I share three powerful, empirically based strategies that you can put into practice today. If you are ready to put these strategies into practice with ready-for-use, done-for-you activities delivered to your inbox weekly, check out the SIS Membership at kellyvess.com. To learn more about SIS, check out this free, 30 minute, 3-intervention secrets workshop. Ruston, H. P., & Schwanenflugel, P. J. (2010). Effects of a conversation intervention on the expressive vocabulary development of prekindergarten children. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 41(3), 303–313. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2009/08-0100)

SLPs can understandably get uncomfortable when it comes to holidays. Cultural bias is an obvious concern. However, this doesn't mean that they should be written off. Research indicates that discussing near holiday events positively impacts language, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Trick or treat? Halloween treats the whole child.Ready to put research into practice today? Check out the SIS Membership with this free 30-minute, 3-intervention secrets workshop: Reference:Chernyak, N., Leech, K. A., & Rowe, M. L. (2017). Training preschoolers' prospective abilities through conversations about the extended self. Developmental Psychology, 53(4), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000283

Join me with Afton Clark, mother, autism advocate, and creator of Alchemizing Autism. She shares cutting-edge ways to holistically support children with Autism's minds, hearts, and bodies. Connect with her on Instagram @alchemizingautism or email aftonclark@alchemizingautism.com Book referenced in this interview: "Cracking the Autism Code" by Dr. Kyle Daigel

If you work with minimally speaking children, this episode is for you. Kelly Vess is sharing how to develop consistent speech using books. Ready to put research into practice with Done-for-You weekly, educationally-rich activities? Check out the SIS Membership and begin creating massive change today. Learn more about the SIS Membership at KellyVess.com Check out my free three intervention secrets workshop.

What speech errors should you pay attention to? Speech errors can indicate whether or not a child is at risk for concurrent language delay. Dive into this episode about six errors that you want to pay attention to when assessing speech. To learn more, check out my clinical textbook, Speech Sound Disorders: Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment

Have you ever been in a rut where you find yourself stuck in a toy box filled with cause-effect sensory toys? I've been there, done that and have three effective strategies to support an increase in diverse play experiences in working with preschoolers with Autism. To learn more about how you can uplevel your therapy with the SIS Membership, check out this free 30 minute video (click here).

Autism is a multifaceted condition that requires a multi-faceted approach. For this, collaborative group interventions can be highly effective. Check out this episode for strategies that set your groups up for success. Ready to put research into action with your kiddos? Learn more about the SIS Membership by clicking here.

Where to begin on the first days of therapy? What do you do on days one, two, three, and four of therapy? It's time to build relationships. How? Check out this episode for a simple 3-step process to pave the way for success. Ready to put research into practice with ready-to-use, educationally-rich materials? Check out the SIS Membership. Learn more about the membership with this free, 30-minute workshop.

Research indicates routine home practice improves outcomes. What can we do to make home practice a habit? Learn three ways to make home practice engaging and effective in this episode. Join the SIS Membership to put these home practice strategies into practice today. Click here to learn more about the SIS Membership.

High-tech AAC devices are becoming more readily available. However, many SLPs and families are uncomfortable using these devices. This episode shares the M.O.D.E.L. strategy to help parents and professionals effectively implement high-tech AAC devices throughout the child's day.Ready to put research into practice? Learn about the SIS Membership and receive a 30-minute digital workshop illustrating the M.O.D.E.L. strategy when you join.

Many children with Autism learn to talk through gestalt language processing. This episode dives into how we can capitalize on this learning style to optimize gains when neuroplasticity is at its peak. Ready to 'roll up your sleeves' and put research into practice? Learn more about SIS with this free 30-minute workshop on how to make therapy easy and effective with the SIS Membership.

What metric is most important to pay attention to when language sampling children with Autism? Let's dive into the latest research on language sampling that captures progress in gestalt language processors. Ready to put research into practice? Learn more about the SIS membership here. Interested in learning more about Autism intervention? Check out my book in audible or book here. Click here to reference the article discussed in this episode.

Is 'synesthesia' part of your vernacular? If you work with children with Autism, it should be. Capitalizing on the strengths that come with synesthesia can truly accelerate gains across motor, social, speech, and language domains. Check out this episode, and let's dive into what you can do today. Capitalize on synesthesia by joining the SIS membership today. Ready to learn more? Learn more about SIS in this 30-minute free workshop. Just wanted to share a 1-minute laugh: YouTube Clip of Impersonations of Color: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aYBnTOZ1AgM

The research continues to grow, indicating multiple benefits of adding music to speech and language therapy. How can you add music to your speech therapy sessions today to improve? Let's dive in! Put research into practice today by joining the SIS Membership. Learn more about SIS here with this free, 30-minute workshop.

How should you schedule your therapy to make the most out of limited time in the face of high caseloads? Let's dive into the research on sessions ranging from 5 minutes to one hour. How often should therapy be scheduled every week? What is optimal in terms of both session duration and frequency in treating speech sound disorders? Let's look at variables to consider before creating your schedule. Ready to put research into practice this week and create optimal change early on? Join the SIS membership at kellyvess.com/sis

How can you use family photos to improve conversational speaking skills for preschoolers with autism? In this episode, we're diving into evidence-based strategies to educate parents on how to use family pictures to improve communication skills. Learn evidence-based strategies that you can adopt into your practice today.Ready to put research into in-person therapy or telepractice? Check out the SIS membership and join me at the intervention drawing board today.Citation: Bhana, N., Raulston, T. J., Ousley, C., & Bagawan, A. (2023). Photographs and parent training to support conversations about past events between caregivers and children with autism. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(2), 311–323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00333-6

Unfortunately, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines are rarely discussed in Speech-Language Pathology. However, they are absolute game-changers in engaging children and optimizing outcomes. Check out this episode to learn about UDLs and how to incorporate them into your practice today. Download the UDL Guidelines here. Learn about the SIS Membership and uplevel your practice with UDLs today.

What's causes workplace burnout? What can you do to stop it? Let's roll up our sleeves and figure this out together. P.S. If you're ready to do DSD (do something different) with educationally-rich activities 100% done-for-you every week, check out the SIS Membership 3 Intervention Secrets workshop. Join today and don't miss July and August bonus "How-to-do-it" workshops at kellyvess.com