Marisha

SLP Summit Recap: Literacy-Based Therapy Q&A Part 1

January 11, 2018 by Marisha Leave a Comment

Jeannie and I had so. much. fun. chatting with you about literacy-based therapy at the SLP Summit this week! We loved your enthusiasm and were blown away by your dedication. (I mean… What other professional would work all day and come home for more professional development?!)

Wait? What is the SLP Summit? Sarah and Lisa from SLP Toolkit and I hosted a FREE online conference for SLPs, featuring practical tips and resources for SLPs to start the new year off right.

Now back to business… 🙂

Let’s take some time to answer the live viewers’ questions!

Step 1: Prestory Knowledge

What is a book walk?

A book walk is a great pre-reading activity!

“Book or picture walks are shared reading activities that are done prior to reading new or unfamiliar text and involve the teacher “walking” through the text along with students. During this time, text and graphic features are identified and discussed. Picture walks involve pointing out photographs or illustrations in a story as a way to preview or introduce it prior to reading. Book walks involve studying the front and back covers, table of contents, sample of pages, headings or bolded information, and illustrations in a text” (IRIS Center, 2015).

What is a virtual field trip?

Discovery Education offers free virtual field trips. It gives students the opportunity to “visit” places through video. There are plenty of other options on the internet (e.g., YouTube, Mystery Doug, etc.)!

What was the material you used in the Snowmen at Night video to build the snowman? I think you said it melted throughout the session.

Yes! A Melting Snowman [Affiliate Link]

Step 2: Read Aloud

How do you determine how often to stop and discuss the content of the literature? Especially with Kindergarten?

I follow the students’ leads! For example, if they’re struggling to stay engaged, I will stop more often in attempt to draw them into the story. If I see they’re not understanding, I will also stop to support comprehension.

Do you ever have the student read the article for middle and high schoolers during Step 2?

Absolutely! I read for the student if I think they need that additional support, but I always give them the opportunity to read.

Step 3: Comprehension

Where can I find the visual question cards?

They are included in every SLP Now book activity pack! You can print, laminate, and cut. You can also use print in black and white (low prep) and pull up on the iPad using Notability (no prep).

Step 4: Skill Practice

How does this work when you have a group of 3-4 students (all with different goals)?

It starts with a system! Having a structure/routine for your session is key! Check out my last SLP Summit presentation for some tips.

One of my favorite “hacks” is my therapy tote! Having quick access to visuals makes it easy to keep track of your students’ goals while providing them with great supports.

This also got a lot easier when I changed my mindset. Mixed groups aren’t a bad thing! It is incredibly powerful being able to see the students in the group scaffold and provide models for each other.

Do you stress about asking enough of the target goal, for example stating one similarity and one difference given two objects/items/pictures in 8/10 opportunities over 2 sessions?

You can collect quick probe data at the beginning the session for those types of goals. There are also plenty of pictures in books! It’d be pretty easy to create multiple opportunities within the context of the book.

Step 5: Parallel Story

How can I modify this for more impaired students?
The SLP Now core vocabulary packs include visuals that make it easy to scaffold story creation.

Resources

What was the name of the textbook you suggested?

Contextualized Language Intervention – Teresa Ukrainetz [Affiliate Link]

What is the name of the iPad app that you use to write on PDFs?

Notability

About SLP Now

Are the SLP Now materials appropriate for older students?
Yes! The SLP Now skill packs are perfect for older students. We are also adding new article units, geared specifically towards older students.

Would the books in the SLP Now Membership be appropriate for preschool?
Yes! You can easily search for books that would be appropriate for preschool.

We also have core vocabulary units with visuals and sentences that are perfect for earlier learners.

Would the books in the SLP Now Membership be appropriate for teletherapy?
The books are not included in the membership, but we do recommend apps like Epic. You can also borrow digital books (for free) from your local library!

Can you print all the materials from SLP Now or do you need to access them from an iPad or computer?

Yes! You can print!

Does SLP Now have data tracking?

Yes! You can use our tools to set up your schedule, add students to your sessions, enter data, and track goal progress. (The system automatically makes graphs for you!)

Click here for Part 2 of the SLP Summit Q&A! We chat more about student engagement, session logistics, goals, and more!

A Day in the Life: How a School-Based SLP Plans a Month of Therapy

January 9, 2018 by Marisha 4 Comments

I am so excited to have Martha Coller on the blog today! She has been an SLP Now member for about 18 months and graciously offered to share her experiences with YOU! She’s going to tell us all about how we can plan a month of therapy!

Now, let’s take a peek at what an SLP Now planning session looks like for Martha…

Before SLP Now

Before I became an SLP Now member, my planning consisted of pulling worksheets from files, binders, and SLP books, as well as printing off related documents I could find on Teachers Pay Teachers or a random Google search.

Did I meet the goals of my students? Yes, but it felt choppy, and it never flowed from one session to the next.

I was always trying to remember what we did last time and then figuring out what to do next. I was never quite sure if I was doing enough teaching versus obtaining enough trials. I’d hop between goals more than I wanted to because, quite honestly, finding materials was time-consuming and elaborate.

Planning with SLP Now

My planning sessions look very different today. I’ve been a member of the SLP Now membership site for about 18 months, and it has brought a breath of fresh air into my therapy room.

Today, I’m actually working on lesson plans for my students (something I believe in doing but had rarely found time to do before I found this site).

Let me walk you through what my planning sessions look like now.

Step 1: Pick a Theme

I pick a theme. January is going to be all about DRAGONS in the AO Elementary Speech Room! Marisha’s site offers theme suggestions, and I’m thinking we will address presidents next month.

Once inside a theme, I find book suggestions related to the theme. For example, the dragon theme includes the books Dragons Love Tacos and Duncan the Story Dragon.

I did a little bit of work before school started this year and applied for some grant money on the Donors Choose website following Marisha’s suggestions. I picked all the themes I wanted to cover this year and then chose two books per theme so I would have all the books on hand at the start of each month. To my surprise, my project was fully funded by parents, grandparents, and local businesses.

I also picked up some props and manipulatives to match themes at local dollar stores and yard sales. I think I’m most proud of my pirate theme box, which is complete with a treasure chest, gold necklaces, eye patches, pirate games, and a pirate flag. These boxes help me stay organized and make my lessons more interactive than ever before!

Step 2: Select Materials

After I pick my theme and books, I then print out the book guides and activity guides. They guide me in selecting targets quickly!

I’ll also print (or grab) any skill packs or teaching visuals I may need for new goals I will be working on this week. As I repeat these themes and goals over time, I won’t need to reprint these items, as they’ll already be in my theme box or organized in my skill-based binders.

Step 3: The Planning

I sit down with my weekly schedule/data log/planning guide (it’s all-in-one for me) and start entering targets.

For example, “Joe” is first. (I actually don’t have a “Joe” on my caseload, but we are going to pretend here for the sake of confidentiality.) Joe has goals for spatial concepts, antonyms, and categories.

I see that the Dragons Love Tacos vocabulary resource lists five antonym pairs. We can focus on these five during today’s read-aloud!

“Jane” is also in this first group of the day, and she has goals for adjectives and past tense verbs. The grammar resource page lists nine targets for each of those goals, but since Jane hasn’t been instructed on adjectives yet, I’m definitely going to start her off with an introduction to adjectives via the grammar teaching visuals in the membership. I want her to learn that we can describe pictures in our dragon book by category, size, color, feel, and function. I plan to identify those descriptive words for her today and then have her help me determine which type of descriptive word it is using the Description Language Strip I’ve printed out in color and laminated. (It’s so nice to be able to grab-and-go and finally have resources that I can use again and again.)

Step 4: Getting Organized

I make a list of all the items I may need for therapy this month.

For example, I need to make copies of the Roll-A-Dragon sheet Marisha provided in this lesson. It will be perfect for those drill-based articulation sessions while keeping us focused on our theme.

I’m also going to pick up some taco toppings for some taste-testing we will do later in the week. Talk about a great opportunity to describe, compare, and share opinions!

I’m also going to look and see if this book is available on the FREE Epic website (where you can find FREE digital books!) so I can present it on my SMART Board (I do realize I’m super lucky) as another means of presentation or reference next week.

I’ll need to grab my colored construction paper from the office for the dragon craft included in the activity guide.

Maybe I’ll even pick up some tomatoes, cilantro, and onions so my students working on following multi-step directions can make a salsa recipe. (This is where my mind races, and I fall back in love with my career!)

Wrapping Up

Each book typically gets me through about two weeks of therapy but could be shortened or lengthened based on your needs! I’ll then repeat this process for the second book, and voila!

A month of therapy planning is complete, and I sat down once. A little bit of planning, printing, and prepping makes me feel organized and focused for four weeks of treatment! Scattered, disorganized, and panicked are feelings of the past!

Why Literacy-Based Therapy?

I believe in literacy-based therapy as much as possible! I’ve seen an increase in engagement and carryover since transitioning to the use of more books in my lessons. I use most of the site’s book resources when selecting targets for lessons, in addition to any creativity that pops into my head based on these resources (insert Pin-the-Eye-Patch-on-the-Pirate game here, wink)!

In addition to the literacy-based resources, SLP Now also gives me access to the materials that I need to TEACH THE SKILLS! I think this was one of the biggest hurdles I struggled with in my therapy over the past 11 years. It felt arduous to create my own materials for each and every skill I needed to cover. I’d start so many and then inevitably never finish creating the materials because there are SO many other things to do as a school SLP! But now here it is, at my fingertips. I just click, print, maybe laminate (if I have time!), and GO!

What’s really neat for me this month is that I get to teach this method to my graduate intern, who is starting this week. (I hope she’s not scared of dragons!)

My 5-Step Process to Achieving Your Goals as a Speech Therapist

January 1, 2018 by Marisha 2 Comments

If you’re anything like me, you have a list a mile long of things you want to improve! It’s kind of overwhelming! So how can you set attainable goals to grow as a speech therapist?

Here’s my 5-step process to create smart goals and set myself up for success!

Step 1: Get all of your great ideas onto paper to help build a vision for your future!

I love a good brain dump, where I jot down all of the things I’d love to do.

Don’t hold back here! Write down even your craziest ideas!

For example, you could set goals for your students (XX% will meet their IEP goals), your work goals (get more productive and organized with reports, cut down time spent billing, implement literacy-based therapy), and your personal life (leave school by 4pm daily!)

Step 2: Narrow it down to create manageable expectations for your goals.

Set yourself up for success and pick a few things to focus on.

I put this quote on my wall as a reminder. “You can do anything, but not everything!” We’ll be much better off just setting a few goals and really smashing them (compared to setting tons of goals and not really making any progress)!

Maybe in this quarter, you want to focus on being more productive with your time and make it a goal to stop taking your work home with you at night!

Step 3: Design your goals with SMART objectives.

We’re all experts at this when it comes to writing goals for our students, but the S.M.A.R.T. framework is a great reminder!

S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Action-Oriented
R – Realistic
T – Timely

It makes it a lot easier to follow through with a goal!

So with my goal of cutting down billing time, my SMART goal was written like this: “By March 15, I will use the SLP Now Medicaid billing templates only a weekly basis to complete billing in less than 10 minutes/week.”

Step 4: Write your goal and place it somewhere visible!

We can have super fabulous goals, but they’re kind of meaningless if we can’t remember them!

I like writing my top three goals on sticky notes and putting them on my computer as a reminder.

Step 5: Ask for help from other speech therapists.

If you’re struggling with any of the steps, reach out to other SLPs! You never know what you’ll find!

Goal Inspiration

We posted on social media asking SLPs what their goals are. (Check out the post linked below to read some of their awesome ideas!)

A post shared by SLP Now® (@slpnow) on Dec 27, 2017 at 5:31am PST

We made a list of the most common goals and picked some resources to help you get started.

Note: These are broad categories! Don’t forget to set S.M.A.R.T. goals for yourself. 🙂

1. Get Organized

If this is your goal, then you’re in luck! I love organization and shared all of my favorite ideas here!

2. Streamline Data Collection/Medicaid Billing

Here’s a whole blog post about streamlining your data collection.

3. Increase Student Goal Awareness

Nicole Allison (Speech Peeps) shares how she set up her goal bulletin board! Love all of her functional decoration!

4. Implement Literacy-Based Therapy

I love using children’s books and stories to help students make more meaningful progress in speech therapy! Be sure to check out our blog posts for some ideas/inspiration. Don’t forget to join us at the SLP Summit for a practical presentation with tips to help you implement literacy-based therapy with your caseload, too!

5. Improve Therapy for Students using AAC

Anne Page (Beautiful Speech Life) wrote a great blog post on 5 free AAC resources. She’s an amazing resource if you’re looking to step up your AAC game!

6. Improve Fluency Therapy

Lauren LaCour (Busy Bee Speech) is your “go to” for easy-to-implement fluency therapy. She has some fabulous fluency binders in her Teachers Pay Teachers store. She also did a great presentation on fluency. I love how she combines the research (she really knows her stuff!) with her practical experience. Lots of practical ideas that you can use in your speech room today!

7. Provide Better Explanations to Parents

Scheduling time to practice explaining evaluation results/IEP goals before a meeting is a great first step.

If you want a little support, Natalie Snyders also offers handouts to make this easy! Parents are so overwhelmed at these meetings, and Natalie’s visuals are a great comprehension booster.

8. Spend Less Time Writing IEPs

I love SLP Toolkit’s Present Levels Assessments! They are a huge time-saver when it comes to writing IEPs!

9. Be an Awesome Supervisor

Maureen Wilson (The Speech Bubble SLP) has a fabulous binder to keep you organized!

10. Self-Care

Shannon from Speechy Musings offers some great support and advice when it comes to self-care. This blog post is a great place to start!

Let us know in the comments! Did you set any SLP goals? Do you have any resources that we need to know about?

Best of 2017

December 27, 2017 by Marisha 268 Comments

How is it the end of the year already?! Anyone else’s mind blown?

Since we are gearing up for 2018, we took a look at SLP Now’s most popular posts from 2017.

Let the countdown begin!

#5 – 7 Tools to Organize Speech Therapy Materials

This was one of my first posts, and I dive some of my favorite tools to organize some of those odds and ends. Perfect for SLPs who might have a few too many materials! 🙂

#4 – Organizing Speech Therapy Materials On the Go

This post reviews my very favorite way to organize my materials. I’ve traveled/moved quite a bit over the past few years, and this tote has become my “go to.” I know that I can use this rolling tote no matter where I end up (and I know I won’t break my neck getting materials from classroom to classroom–or from building to building–in the process!).

Here’s a sneak peek:

(Hint: Scroll to the bottom of this for a chance to win one of these guys!)

#3 – Planning Essentials: Speech Therapy Cart

Well, that’s 3 for 3! I do love some good organization posts!

I wrote this post after I started using a therapy cart to organize my most-used therapy materials. I parked this guy right next to my therapy table and used it to organize writing utensils, books, student folders, and more!

#2 – Speech Therapy Data Collection Solutions

Ah, data! Everyone’s favorite, right?

This was written a few years ago, but it was still really popular this year!

The post includes a massive review of different data collection options. This is the post for you if you’re struggling with data collection but aren’t sure what to change. I walk through everything from traditional paper data to digital data. Lots of free resources are included in this post, too!

#1 – Themed Book Lists

The most visited post of the year… The SLP Now Themed Book Lists!

If you’re looking to get started with literacy-based therapy, this is a great starting point! It includes lists of my favorite books (organized by theme/season).

Professional Development for SLPs

December 26, 2017 by Marisha 5 Comments

I love a good professional development session! Being able to leave with ideas that I can use to provide better therapy for my students is so rewarding! That said, it’s not always easy to come by great professional development for SLPs on a budget.

Signing up for professional development is kind of like sampling a box of chocolates, isn’t it? You never know what you’re going to get!

Luckily, I have three “go to’s” for professional development that make the process a little bit easier!

1. The SLP Summit

This is 100% FREE! I host this online conference with SLP Toolkit every January and July.

We are always blown away by our speakers. They volunteer to present and truly deliver every single time. I definitely walk away from each conference feeling energized and ready to tackle some new projects!

2. SpeechPathology.com

This site got me through my CF year! I loved being to log on a view a webinar whenever I was feeling unsure of something (which was pretty much all the time!). I just love the convenience and was always able to find at least one course to help answer a question I had. It was a huge confidence booster for me! It does cost $99 a year, but you can earn unlimited CEUs, too.

3. State/National Conferences

These conferences are generally pretty affordable, and districts will often reimburse!

I appreciate being able to access courses on a variety of topics all in one go. I’m not going to lie! I probably wouldn’t have enough self-control to watch that many hours of PD on my own!

I also love getting to connect with other SLPs at a real, live conference! 🙂 It’s really nice to get out of my therapy room and meet people who “speak my language.”

Those are my three favorite CEU options! What about you? Comment below to share!

Other Resources

Looking for an easy and FREE way to track your CEUs? Check out this blog post!

Looking for more free CEUs? Check out my friend Sarah’s posts! She has a round-up of FREE CEU options.

3 Tips to Find the Best Books for Literacy-Based Therapy

December 20, 2017 by Marisha 4 Comments

So you’re trying to implement literacy-based therapy… Where do you start?!

It makes sense to start with a book, right?

Here are my top three criteria when selecting books to use in therapy.

Criteria 1: Able to Read in 10 Minutes (Or Less)

In order to really dive into a book, we want to have enough time to, well…dive into the book! If we spend 30+ minutes reading the story, that gives us a lot less time to really dive into the text. This is part of what sets us apart from teachers or other specialists in the schools!

Bonus Tip: This can also apply to other types of literature (not just picture books!). I select articles, chapters, sections of textbooks, etc. based on this criteria.

Criteria 2: Multiple Demonstrations of Targets

If a student is working on irregular plural nouns, we want to make sure we have multiple exemplars in the book! The same goes for any other goal we might target–from grammar to vocabulary!

Part of being therapeutic in context involves giving students repeated opportunities to practice their targets (Ukrainetz, 2006). Selecting books while keeping targets in mind helps to set us up for success.

Yeah, I know. The elephant in the room…

I don’t have time to analyze all those books!

The SLP Now Membership includes book guides that pull out all of the targets for you.

Criteria 3: Align with the Curriculum

If you don’t already know, I love contextualized language intervention!

It can be overwhelming to think about tackling this with your caseload, but it can really be quite simple!

If your kindergartners are reading The Gingerbread Man in class, then it makes sense to use that book for your literacy-based therapy.

If your 2nd graders are learning about the solar system, then pick a book about space.

If your 7th graders are reading Walk Two Moons, then pull a passage from the book.

It’ll make our therapy that much more relevant, and it can help increase our students’ abilities to participate in the general education classroom. Win, win!

Want to hear more?

Check out this post to help you find books on a budget!

Check out all of our literacy-based posts for practical tips and strategies. More coming soon!

Enter your name and e-mail below to get access to a list of my favorite books.

Why I Tossed My Decks of Cards

December 12, 2017 by Marisha 5 Comments

Don’t worry. I didn’t throw out hundreds of dollars of therapy materials. 🙂

Here’s what actually happened…

My first therapy room was brimming with materials. I felt like I had every therapy material out of every catalog I ever looked at! I had shelves filled with therapy decks.

When I moved out of state, I was given a completely fresh slate. My therapy room was empty (with the exception of a few games).

First, I started to panic…

How am I going to do therapy without all of my stuff?!

But then I realized… I don’t need all that!

After some trial and error at my previous job, I started implementing curriculum- and literacy-based (i.e., contextualized) therapy.

I wasn’t using those materials anyway.

I no longer had a lot of materials on my shelves, and it ended up being a good thing!

• Students were no longer distracted by piles of materials floating around my room.
• I felt less overwhelmed.
• It was easier to plan for therapy.
• My students were making more progress!

Therapy Without Materials?!

Okay, okay. I did have some materials.

The best part about contextualized therapy is that it’s really easy to find free materials!

The library was filled with picture books (which I paired to match what my students’ were learning in the classroom).

I was also able to pull curriculum-based activities (e.g., a reading passage, a research paper, etc.) from the classroom.

That’s pretty much all I needed to plan my therapy sessions! *

How is that Therapy?

Great question.

If we’re just using the curriculum, aren’t we teachers (not speech/language pathologists)?

The good news is that we can use our therapy toolbox (the one we worked so hard to build in graduate school) in just about any context.

It can be a little uncomfortable to step away from what we’ve always known.

After all, a therapy deck and board game reinforcer were definitely not uncommon therapy choices as I went through my training!

Sidenote: There is a time and a place for this kind of therapy. (I know, right?! If only things could be black and white.) This is where clinical judgment comes in–that mushy skill we worked so hard to build!

I found that I was able to make a more significant impact on my students’ when I stepped out of my “card deck/board game” therapy box.

The best part? It doesn’t have to be hard!

That said, I know it can be overwhelming to think about making that shift.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way (and learned a lot, too!). I’m so excited to share what I’ve found with you. We can do this together!

* More on this soon! Stay tuned! 🙂

The Two Biggest Mistakes I Made as an SLP Clinical Fellow

December 5, 2017 by Marisha Leave a Comment

So, there I am…walking into Johnny’s IEP meeting ready to celebrate all of the progress he’s made. He met all of his goals this year!

I make my way towards my usual seat when I overhear the general education teacher chatting with the resource room specialist…

“Johnny’s doing okay, but he just can’t seem to follow directions.”

“I agree. He needs so much support in the area.”

I quickly glance at Johnny’s IEP.

Johnny will follow two-step directions with 80% accuracy. Goal met.

via GIPHY

And then I panic…

What am I going to say?

What do I do?

Will they think I’m a fraud?

I’m really not the anxious type. 😉

In all seriousness, I just wanted to run and hide at this point!

Have you ever been in my shoes?

This happened when I was a CF.

I was so embarrassed.

I never wanted to be in that situation again.

So, I took action…

After the meeting, I called my clinical supervisor to debrief. We talked about what happened and did some brainstorming.

My Mistakes

I knew I should have checked in with the teachers ahead of time. That was Mistake #1.

I did chat with the teachers prior to the IEP meeting, but I should have checked in with them on a regular basis. I also should have asked for input on Johnny’s specific goals. (It turns out she didn’t even realize Johnny was working on following directions, so I had some work to do there, too!)

But then we started talking about the bigger issue… Mistake #2.

What I was doing in therapy was not relevant.

We were playing really cute games and having fun. However, what happened in the speech room, stayed in the speech room… And that’s not what we want!

It didn’t matter if Johnny could follow 38-step directions in my room. He needed to be able to follow directions in the classroom!

And Johnny wasn’t the exception…

I wasn’t doing enough to help my students connect the skills we were targeting in therapy to the “real world.”

And let’s be real… I was totally and completely overwhelmed.

How in the world was I supposed to help my 60+ students generalize what they were learning?

What I Found

I did some research and kept reading this phrase: Contextualized Language Intervention.

I started implementing some of the ideas and strategies that I found in the research, and I was hooked.

My students were just as engaged (if not more!), and we were making real progress.

I saw it. The student saw it. The teachers saw it.

It was amazing!

Contextualized Intervention?

Okay… Let’s back up a second.

What is contextualized intervention? It is when we “provide explicit skill instruction in ways that are meaningful and purposeful to the student” (Ukrainetz, 2007).

We can make sure that what we are doing is meaningful and purposeful by communicating with those around us! I started communicating with teachers to find out what students are working on in the classroom.

The context is clearly very different depending on the age of the student!

Preschool is filled with games, music, and crafts. Early elementary students are reading picture books and doing science projects. Secondary students are diving into textbooks and writing papers.

The context can also vary by classroom and by teacher, which is why it’s so important to communicate.

Being relevant is key!

We need to consider our students’ context when writing goals and developing treatment plans.

Don’t Just Take My Word for It

Here’s what others have to say about this approach…

“I have been advocating that SLPs engage in ‘curriculum-relevant therapy’… that they use curriculum as context for language therapy but not try to teach curriculum per se. In this approach, an SLP would focus on language processes, or ‘underpinnings'” (Ehren, 2009).

“Gillam, Gillam, and Reece (2012) provided small-group intervention three times a week over 6 weeks. The intent of the research study was to evaluate narrative intervention that is contextualized (literacy based) versus decontextualized commercially available games and drill cards designed to increase vocabulary, sentence complexity, and social language. The contextualized intervention used explicit and implicit questions, vocabulary, and syntax thematically tied to literature. The results indicated that students’ comprehension and story retelling/generation skills improved more with the contextualized intervention as compared to decontextualized intervention” (Brandel, 2014).

ASHA has something to say about it, too…

“Individualized programs always relate to the school work. Therefore, materials for treatment are taken from or are directly related to content from classes.” (ASHA Guidelines)

But…

Yeah, I know.

There’s a big “but” there.

This sounds amazing, but how do I find the time to implement this with my caseload of 100 students?

It sounds like a lot of work.

It definitely was not an overnight win for me, but it is totally do-able. We can do this together!

If you’re on board, stay tuned! I’m going to be sharing tips, tricks, and resources to help you make this happen.

3 Tips for Easy Data Collection

November 28, 2017 by Marisha 2 Comments

Does data collection make you feel… frustrated? overwhelmed?

via GIPHY

Especially when you’re working with mixed groups, it can be overwhelming to think about taking data for four students who each have three different goals. That’s a lot of data, right?!

Here are my top three tips to reduce overwhelm when taking data…

Tip 1: Start with One Goal

If the process is entirely too overwhelming, pull out a quick probe at the beginning of session. Spend 5 minutes collecting data for all students in the group (one goal each). Rotate through the goals every week. (This is a great time for all of the students to review their goals and “check in” to speech.)

This way you don’t have to worry about taking perfect data during the session. You can focus on what matters–the students!

Over time, you’ll find it easier to track data while juggling all the other tasks involved with running therapy for a mixed group, and you’ll be able to collect more data during the session.

What do the probes look like?

For articulation goals, I have my students jot down a list of words on their goal card. This makes it possible to quickly run through the words (at the appropriate level).

For vocabulary and grammar goals, I pull targets from the book or reading passage that we’re reading. The book guides in the SLP Now membership make this really easy! Alternatively, you can use premade probes. Nicole Allison has a great data binder that can be used for this purpose!

For social skills goals, I tend to make observations during the session.

NOTE: This is different than quarterly progress monitoring! Especially with vocabulary and grammar goals, the complexity of targets will vary. Criterion-referenced tests are a great tool to use for a more consistent measure of progress.

Tip 2: Use a Rubric

If you are a fan of contextualized intervention, then you will be scaffolding your students throughout the session. You do not have to collect the probe data every session (especially if you have a good system in place).

I created this Level of Support Rubric so that I can consistently describe the level of support that I provide. When I’m reviewing my students’ progress, their accuracy may not change a lot, but I know they’re making progress if I’m able to fade my scaffolding (e.g., from maximal tactile cues to minimal visual cues).

Occasional probes (see step 1) are a good support measure. 🙂

Tip 3: Stick with a System

This is what I struggled with most! I always felt like there was a better way to take data. I was constantly making changes to my system throughout the year. (Mostly because I picked some horrible systems!)

Check out these blog posts so that you don’t make the same mistake!

• Here is a review of 10+ data collection options! I chat about the pros and cons of each so that you can decide which system will work best for you.
• I also wrote about the data collection system that I’m currently using.

You got this! Conquer that data! 🙂

Want to start taking Digital Data? Join our free Digital Data Bootcamp today and get started!

via GIPHY

Leave a comment below if you have any questions (or tips of your own to share)!

Data-Based Therapy Planning for SLPs

November 22, 2017 by Marisha 12 Comments

Why do you collect data?

Is it because it’s required?

Because you need it for Medicaid billing?

Because you know progress reports will be a pain if you don’t?

Or because it helps you provide better therapy?

Especially as a CF, I didn’t always know if I was being an effective therapist. I had a lot of doubts…

Data was the main thing I relied on to give myself a little boost of confidence. I was eager to get feedback from students, teachers, parents, my principal, and other SLPs, but there wasn’t a whole lot of that! Data was the only thing I could consistently use to evaluate how I was doing.

The only problem was that it was so incredibly time-consuming!

It took a lot of trial and error to streamline the process. (You don’t want to know how many data collection systems I’ve tried…!) After several years, I feel like I finally found a good routine. I finally feel (mostly) confident* about how I’m doing as a therapist.

* Let’s be real! We see so many students with a wide range of diagnoses. There’s no way we can know it all. There’s always something to keep me on my toes. Luckily, I can connect with colleagues, read research articles, and complete CEUs to figure things out. I use the data to “course correct” as needed.

It’s quite the overwhelming process, isn’t it?

We have anywhere from 30 to 100s of students… All of whom have multiple therapy goals.

How are we supposed to keep up with all of those goals?

I’m going to share how I keep up with the data using SLP Now, but I encourage you to find whatever system will work best for you.

Step 1: Gather Your Caseload Data

One of the biggest steps for me was getting all of my caseload data organized. Once I knew who was on my caseload and what each student’s goals were, I immediately felt more confident.

No more nightmares about completely forgetting a student’s goals (or a student altogether…!). 🙂

Step 2: Set Up Your Therapy Schedule

In order to plan for therapy, we need to know who we’re seeing and when. The SLP Now planner makes it really easy to do that! You can set up your schedule for the year in just a few clicks.

Step 3: Get Some Materials

Now, we need to figure out what we’re going to be doing in therapy. SLP Now includes a library of materials incorporating evidence-based strategies. We are incredibly busy as SLPs, but the low prep, engaging materials make it possible to plan effective therapy without spending hours every week.

Best part? You can easily add the materials to your session.

I got into a routine of reviewing my students’ progress and planning the next week of activities on Friday afternoons. Once I got into a routine, it only took me 10 minutes to plan the activities for the following week.

Especially during the crazy weeks filled with paperwork and meetings, it felt really good knowing that I had a plan for my students. No more running around like a headless chicken trying to gather materials!

Step 4: Collect the Data

The fun part… Collecting data!

I said goodbye to massive binders and folders taking over my speech room and started to take all of my data digitally.

I love it because I enter the data in one convenient place, and SLP Now organizes it for me. It makes it really easy to bill Medicaid, write progress reports, and fill in present levels for the IEP.

Want to start taking Digital Data? Join our free Digital Data Bootcamp today and get started!

Step 5: Adjust as Needed

When I’m doing my planning at the end of the week, I can quickly glance at a student’s graphs. Are they making adequate progress? Did I forget to target any goals?

This makes it really easy to be proactive! If a student isn’t making progress, I can do some troubleshooting. I can try a new technique or reach out to the IEP team. Being proactive has significantly reduced the number of awkward IEP meetings, and my students are making better progress!

So there you have it!

Leave us a comment and let us know how you plan for therapy!

Want to start taking Digital Data? Join our free Digital Data Bootcamp today and get started!

Easy Therapy for Preschool SLPs

November 18, 2017 by Marisha 2 Comments

Many of you have asked… Is SLP Now appropriate for preschool SLPs?

Now you don’t have to take my word for it! Kayla from Kayla SLP is guest blogging today to share how she uses SLP Now materials with her preschool caseload.

My caseload is made up of one-third preschoolers. This means, at any given time, I am planning speech and language activities for 20 three-to-four-year-olds. It can be a little overwhelming! Preschool requires a very different style of activities than my older students.

As you may already know, I am an SLP Now subscriber. I use materials from the site with almost every single student on my caseload, preschool included.

I’m here to tell you my favorite ways to use the SLP Now membership with my preschoolers.

1. Books and Companions

I often use books with my preschool students. SLP Now has tons of book suggestions appropriate for preschool, along with book guides and activities.

Let’s say you’re using themed therapy, and your current theme is bugs.

SLP Now has a book guide and activity pack for In the Tall, Tall Grass.

I typically spend one session just reading the book and talking about it with my students. We look at the pictures together, talk about the vocabulary, make our own sentences (“I see the ___ in the grass”), and describe the characters. Oftentimes, I will have the students take turns retelling the book by flipping through the pages and looking at the pictures. (I love hearing their storytelling abilities, and they love getting to “read” the book back to their peers.)

During the next session, I will bring out the comprehension activities in the book guide – answering wh- questions, sequencing the story, and doing a craft (as time allows). Sometimes I carry the craft over into a third session.

Speaking of crafts…

2. Crafts

In my opinion, the best preschool therapy is hands-on. One easy way to make therapy hands-on is to use crafts. The crafts on the website are themed to match the books and other activities, so you can build your therapy around a topic.

For example, let’s continue with the bugs theme. You can use In the Tall, Tall Grass craft alone or in conjunction with the book activities. If you read the book first, you can carry over the craft into the next session and send the finished product home as extra practice. The students are able to keep their hands busy while working on sequencing, vocabulary, articulation, and more! This makes the session more engaging for everyone!

3. Extension Activities

Finally, I tend to also use the extension activities with my preschool students. These activities are also hands-on and are a good way to continue building upon your theme.

Continuing with the bug theme, there is an extension activity for a scavenger hunt. Depending on your preferences, you can go on an actual bug hunt outside, hide printed bugs around the room, or hide plastic bugs in a sensory bin.

The extension activities are what I use for carryover. Students are able to use what they learned during previous lessons during a less structured activity, and we all know how important carryover is!

In summary, there are tons of ways to use the SLP Now materials with your preschool students. You can use the themes as a whole, or use bits and pieces of each theme, depending on your students and their needs. Either way, there’s plenty of activities that both you AND your preschool students will love!

How to Keep Track of ASHA CEUs

November 15, 2017 by Marisha 2 Comments

So, it’s New Year’s Eve, and you’re rushing to submit your ASHA dues.

But wait… You realize you need to submit your hours, too.

Oh man! You start racking your brain to figure out which CEUs you’ve completed.

You know you have some certificates in your desk at work… And some must be in the pile of papers in the kitchen.

What a mess, right?!

The good news is that ASHA doesn’t require you to submit your certificates when you enter your hours.

“You must keep documentation of these activities. You do not need to send your documentation to ASHA unless you are notified that you have been selected for an audit.” – ASHA

Yeah! That’s good news! No need to sneak into our speech rooms on New Year’s Eve.

However, we do need a way keep track of our hours in case we are audited.

ASHA gives us a handy record keeping form.

You could print the form and keep it in a special CEU folder. Just fill in the required information and attach your certificates. Easy enough, right?!

If you’re like me and will do anything to cut down on the paper clutter, you might be interested in the paperless system I set up for myself.

I made a Google Form, and you can use it, too.

Here’s how to set it up!

1. Click the link. (This will copy the form to your Google Drive.)
2. Bookmark the link. (BONUS: You can add the form to your iPhone home screen.)
3. Fill out the form whenever you complete a course.

Optional: Upload the certificate for the course. (You can even snap a picture of a certificate if you’re using the form on your phone/tablet.)

Just fill out the form every time you complete a course, and it’ll make a log for you!

If you’re taking courses in the SLP Now Academy, we will email you all of your course details and a certificate. You can easily copy and paste into your Google form!

Here’s how to view your log!

Click the “Response” link, and then click the little green icon (“View Responses in Sheets”).

This matches ASHA’s form, so it’ll be really easy to copy and paste the information if you are audited (or if you’re submitting hours to other organizations). You’ll also have easy access to all of your certificates (if you choose to upload them). Win, win!

You might be wondering…

How do I actually submit the hours I tracked myself?

If you signed up for the ASHA Registry, certain courses will automatically appear on your transcript. (Be sure to check with the CEU provider. Not all courses will appear on the Registry.)

If you are logging your own hours, ASHA gives us some helpful instructions. All you have to do is submit the compliance form at the end of your interval. You don’t have to enter your hours or share your log unless you are audited.

What hours actually count?

ASHA outlines the requirements for professional development and acceptable activities that can count toward your 3-year interval.

Marisha

Step 1: Prestory Knowledge

Step 2: Read Aloud

Step 3: Comprehension

Step 4: Skill Practice

Step 5: Parallel Story

Resources

About SLP Now

Before SLP Now

Planning with SLP Now

Step 1: Pick a Theme

Step 2: Select Materials

Step 3: The Planning

Step 4: Getting Organized

Wrapping Up

Why Literacy-Based Therapy?

Step 1: Get all of your great ideas onto paper to help build a vision for your future!

Step 2: Narrow it down to create manageable expectations for your goals.

Step 3: Design your goals with SMART objectives.

Step 4: Write your goal and place it somewhere visible!

Step 5: Ask for help from other speech therapists.

Goal Inspiration

#5 – 7 Tools to Organize Speech Therapy Materials

#4 – Organizing Speech Therapy Materials On the Go

#3 – Planning Essentials: Speech Therapy Cart

#2 – Speech Therapy Data Collection Solutions

#1 – Themed Book Lists

1. The SLP Summit

2. SpeechPathology.com

3. State/National Conferences

Other Resources

Criteria 1: Able to Read in 10 Minutes (Or Less)

Criteria 2: Multiple Demonstrations of Targets

Criteria 3: Align with the Curriculum

Want to hear more?

Therapy Without Materials?!

How is that Therapy?

Have you ever been in my shoes?

So, I took action…

My Mistakes

What I Found

Contextualized Intervention?

Don’t Just Take My Word for It

But…

Tip 1: Start with One Goal

Tip 2: Use a Rubric

Tip 3: Stick with a System

Step 1: Gather Your Caseload Data

Step 2: Set Up Your Therapy Schedule

Step 3: Get Some Materials

Step 4: Collect the Data

Step 5: Adjust as Needed

1. Books and Companions

2. Crafts

3. Extension Activities

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Policies

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