The SLP Now Podcast

What does it look like to practice self-care as an SLP, and what does self-kindness have to do with it?As school-based SLPs, there are a LOT of activities that we're pouring our energy into. It's super important that we take care of ourselves in between all that giving, otherwise we'll find ourselves on the fast track to burnout.That's why this conversation about self-care for SLPs matters so much. The only way you can show up for others is by showing up for yourself; you have to fill that bucket of energy before it's empty, and that's what we're talking about in this episode!In this episode, Marisha and Laura discuss:Why self-kindness and self-care are individual journeysHow you can pour into your self-care bucket throughout the dayWays that Marisha and Laura practice self-careWhy getting curious is an important part of the self-care processGetting off the hamster wheel of ineffective self-care (that actually make you feel worse!)Resources Mentioned:Fill a Bucket: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Young ChildrenFull show notes at slpnow.com/221

Show Notes: slpnow.com/220Jessi Andricks, M.S., CCC-SLP shares her story of SLP burnout, leaving the field, and eventually finding her way back. With a focus on practical tips and resources, speech-language pathologists will walk away from this episode with strategies to better manage their stress.Mentioned in this episode:5 FREE Therapy MaterialsGo to

Show Notes: slpnow.com/219Angie Merced leads a thoughtful discussion of SLP burnout. She discusses the symptoms and causes of burnout and shares practical strategies that SLPs can use when overcoming their own burnout.

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We've reached the final episode in our series about therapy planning across your school-aged caseload here on the SLP Now podcast!So far, we've used Dr. Ukrainetz's literacy-based therapy framework to work through a month of therapy planning for five units: a play-based early language unit (slpnow.com/183), a picture book (slpnow.com/184), a fiction article (slpnow.com/185), a non-fiction article (slpnow.com/186), and a science experiment (slpnow.com/187).Today, we're going to talk about therapy planning for a vocational unit!This unit is ideal for students who are working on functional communication skills, and using language in “real world” situations versus a classroom environment.For these episode, we're going to use a unit from the SLP Now membership that's about ordering fast food. We chose this unit because it's something students are very motivated by, and it's a lot of fun to work with.This unit includes a video and script to use, or you can write your own. There are so many ways to get creative and target language skills in a super practical way!In the episode, Marisha talks about therapy plans that target:Functional communication skillsSequencing and perspective takingComparing and contrastingGrammar and syntaxVocabulary…and more!All of the activities in this unit are language rich, and they provide the perfect context to target almost any goal in your speech therapy sessions—even if you're working on multiple goals with mixed groups.SHOW NOTESFull show notes at slpnow.com/188

We're nearing the end of our six-week series about therapy planning across your school-aged caseload here on the SLP Now podcast!So far, we've created a month of therapy plan for four units: a play-based early language unit (slpnow.com/183), a picture book (slpnow.com/184), a fiction article (slpnow.com/185), and a non-fiction article (slpnow.com/186).Today, we're going to talk about therapy planning journey for a science experiment!This unit is ideal for or students who need a high quality contextualized activity, but may be resistant to using a text. It's also great for students who are working on social language or problem solving skills because the activities mimic a classroom environment.The five steps we're going to follow for a science experiment unit are a little different than literacy-based therapy because we aren't using a text. Our new checklist looks like this:Plan and PrepareWatch and DoReflect and TroubleshootDiscussion, andFocused Skill ActivitiesLike the literacy-based units we've talked about in the past, these activities are incredibly language rich. They can be used to target goals for vocabulary, grammar, syntax, following directions, asking questions, collaborating with peers, and more—even if you're working with mixed groups.SHOW NOTESFull show notes at slpnow.com/187

We've reached the next episode in our six-week series about therapy planning across your school-aged caseload here on the SLP Now podcast!For the last three weeks, we've used Dr. Ukrainetz's five step literacy-based therapy framework to work through a month of therapy planning for three units: a play-based early language unit (slpnow.com/183), a picture book (slpnow.com/184), and a fiction article (slpnow.com/185).Today, we're going to take the next step on our therapy planning journey and dig into a non-fiction article, “Wild Calls in the Springtime Sky.”This unit is ideal for students in third grade and up, or if they have a good mastery of narrative language. It's a great way to target more expository language!In the episode, Marisha talks about using literacy-based therapy to target:Grammar and syntaxVocabulary goalsAsking and answering questionsProducing compound and complex sentences…and more!Remember: all of the activities in this unit are language rich, and they provide the perfect context to target almost any goal in your speech therapy sessions—even if you're working on multiple goals with mixed groups.SHOW NOTESFull show notes at slpnow.com/186

Welcome to another episode of the SLP Now podcast!In the last couple episodes, we've been exploring literacy-based therapy plans that will help you target your students' goals across multiple ages, group sizes, and skill levels.We covered therapy planning for an early language unit in episode 183, plans for a picture book unit in episode 184, and today we're going to dig into the third part of this six week series with a fiction article: Miss Johnson's Plant Experiment.This unit is specifically designed for older students who still benefit from narrative support, but are capable of reading longer and more complex texts. There is a lot of research showing us that targeting narratives through high school has a positive impact on learning, and so many activities we can use to embed those skills.In the episode, we discuss Dr. Ukrainetz's five step literacy-based therapy framework, using it to target goals like:ArticulationGrammar and syntaxAnswering questionsVocabulary targetsDescribing activities…and more!All of the activities in this unit are language rich, and they provide the perfect context to target almost any goal in your speech therapy sessions—even if you're targeting multiple goals with mixed groups.Let's get this therapy planning party started!SHOW NOTESFull show notes at slpnow.com/185

We're back at it with another episode of the SLP Now podcast!Over the next several weeks, we're going to explore various units that are designed to engage and support your students across multiple age groups and skill levels.This week, we're diving into the second of a six-week series about literacy-based therapy plans that you can use across your entire school-aged caseload. Whether you're an experienced speech-language pathologist or new to the field, we hope that these episodes will provide valuable insights and practical strategies you can put to use right away.Last week we talked about early language unit, which is perfect for preschool and kindergarten students. Today we're diving into a picture book unit, which is great for that K through grade 2 range.In the episode, we discuss Dr. Ukrainetz's five step literacy-based therapy framework, using it to target goals like:ArticulationBasic conceptsGrammar and syntaxPhonological awarenessAnswering questionsComprehension…and more!All of the activities in this unit are language rich, and they provide the perfect context to target almost any goal in your speech therapy sessions—even if you're targeting multiple goals with mixed groups.Now let's dive in!SHOW NOTESFull show notes and links to resources mentioned at slpnow.com/184

We're back at it with another episode of the SLP Now podcast! This week, we're kicking off the first of a six-week series about literacy-based units that you can use across your whole school-age caseload. This week, we're getting started with therapy plans for an early language book: Lola Plants a Garden.Early language books include simpler stories that students love. This unit type is ideal for students who might not be ready to sit through a longer story, are working on more foundational language skills, and who benefit from more of a play-based approach.In the episode, we discuss Dr. Ukrainetz's five step literacy-based therapy framework, targeting goals like:Basic vocabularyBasic conceptsGrammar goalsAnswering questionsFollowing directions…and more!Lola Plants a Garden offers a great context to target so many goals, and there are a ton of language rich activities to help you make that happen—even if you're targeting multiple goals with mixed groups.Listen to this episode as Marisha walks listeners through age-appropriate activities like book walks, virtual field trips, and ideas for play-based therapy to help students engage with the material and sessions.SHOW NOTESFull show notes and links to resources mentioned at slpnow.com/183

After covering paperwork, data collection, and progress reports, it's time to wrap up our March podcast series and dive into one of Marisha's very favorite topics… How to Use Probe Data!In this episode, Marisha talks about:What a probe is and why it's so valuableThe best time to collect probe dataHow probe data influences your session planUsing probe data in mixed groupsRemember: If we're not in that zone of proximal development (a.k.a. the space between what a student is capable of doing unsupported, and what they cannot do even with support) we risk hindering their progress because we aren't giving them the opportunity to practice the skill independently and demonstrate that mastery.Collecting probe data gives us valuable data that helps us find the sweet spot of where the student needs support. This minimizes the student's frustration if there isn't enough support — or boredom if there is too much — and sets everyone up for success.

Prepare to revolutionize your approach to data collection in therapy sessions! Marisha is here to share her top five tips to streamline this essential process.In the episode, we cover:Developing a Data Collection Routine: Marisha illustrates how she has structured her sessions for efficient data collection, highlighting the practice of using check-ins and goal cards.Utilizing Collected Data: Discover the power of data-driven sessions to determine whether to initiate a teaching phase or allow students to practice.Gathering the Right Probes: Marisha advocates for a systematic review of student goals and ensuring there is an efficient means to assess progress towards each goal.Organizing Your Probes: Marisha's favorite strategies to keep her probes organized.Practicing and Perfecting the Routine: How to start with establishing routines like and then layering on probes as therapists and students become more accustomed.SHOW NOTESCheck out the full show notes and transcript at slpnow.com/181

Let's talk about something that scares many SLPs… progress reports. ****Progress reports may make some SLPs sweat, but hopefully there are others (like Marisha!) who think of it as a fun opportunity to celebrate student progress. After all, the point of working smarter is to have more time for the fun stuff, right?!Marisha actually thinks it's kind of cool to look back at the data and realize how far her students have come. Getting to write up all the progress goodness and share it with the students' parents is just the sprinkles on the progress cake.At the same time, Marisha knows that the process can be a little bit overwhelming. That's why she wanted to share her three step process for writing progress reports and notes on this week's episode of the podcast.From collecting session data to setting up your progress note template and reviewing goal progress — at the end of this episode, you'll be just a few clicks away from a stress-free progress reporting experience!SHOW NOTESFull show notes at slpnow.com/180

For all my SLP organization aficionados out there, join me today as I dive deep into tips and resources that will streamline your paperwork processes, especially for educators and therapists. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by deadlines and data, this episode is tailor-made for you. Let's get started!In the episode, we cover:Mapping Out Due Dates: Learn how to organize your due dates, from IEPs to evaluations.Organizer & Checklists: Employing a laminated checklist system helps track and manage the progress of individual IEPs. Combined with a hanging file organizer, your paperwork is always organized and at your fingertips.TextExpander: A software that allows you to generate frequently-used texts with shortcuts. Imagine typing in a shortcut and having a full breakdown of an assessment tool appear in your document!Find & Replace Tool: Ensure personalized content like student names and pronouns are correctly inserted, ensuring every document feels tailored.SHOW NOTESCheck out the full show notes and transcript at slpnow.com/179