Marisha

Understanding the IEP Components

As a school-based SLP, getting familiar with the building blocks of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is key to managing your caseload more efficiently. When you understand how all the pieces fit together, the process becomes less overwhelming — and a lot more manageable.

Overview of IEP Parts

An IEP is more than just a document — it’s a blueprint for a student’s educational support. Each section plays a specific role in making sure the student gets exactly what they need to succeed. While formats can vary slightly by district, most IEPs include:

Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP): A snapshot of where the student currently is.
Annual Goals: Specific, measurable targets the student will work toward.
Special Education Services and Supports: What the student needs to meet those goals — including time, frequency, and setting.
Accommodations and Modifications: Supports to help the student access the curriculum.
Progress Monitoring Plans: How you’ll track whether the student is on track to meet their goals.
Placement Information: Where the student will receive services.

Key IEP Components Explained

Let’s take a closer look at a few sections that SLPs often contribute to:

PLAAFP Statements: This is your opportunity to summarize the student’s current communication strengths and needs using clear, data-driven observations. It sets the stage for writing meaningful goals.
Goals: Think “EPIC” — Explicit, Purposeful, Individualized, and Contextual. These should tie directly back to the student’s needs as outlined in the PLAAFP.
Service Delivery: Be specific about the frequency, duration, and setting of speech services. Transparency here helps the entire IEP team understand the plan and stay accountable.

“SLP Now can help with all of the forms and assessments.. you plug your IEPs into the system. And then you load checklists based on your students’ needs… the checklist has all of the forms attached. It has the present levels assessments and all the important steps that you can totally streamline the process…”

– Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

The IEP Evaluation Process

Before an IEP can even begin, we need to determine whether a student qualifies for special education services — and that starts with evaluation. For SLPs, this step is crucial. It’s where we gather the data that drives the entire plan.

How to Get an IEP: Initial Steps

The process typically begins with a referral, which may come from a teacher, parent, or even an SLP during routine screenings. Once a referral is made, the team gets parent consent to begin evaluation. From there, the clock starts ticking — timelines vary by state, but staying on top of these deadlines is key.

Pro tip: Review your upcoming evaluations at the start of each month. If you’ve got 10 due in February and 30 in March, build a plan that spreads the work out. It’s all about working ahead where you can.

IEP Assessment and Testing: Methods & Examples

Once evaluations are greenlit, it’s time to collect data. This can include:

Standardized assessments
Curriculum-based measures
Language sampling
Observations
Input from parents and teachers

And don’t forget: Present levels assessments aren’t just a formality. They’re the foundation for setting realistic and measurable goals. Having a solid process (and tools to support it) ensures you don’t miss a step.

Whether you’re using your own forms or leaning on tools like SLP Now, organizing your evaluation materials and having checklists at the ready can help ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

➡️ For a deeper dive into how to streamline your assessments, check out this expert guide on SLP assessment best practices and tools.

The IEP Development Process

Once evaluations are complete and a student is found eligible, it’s time to put the plan together — and that’s where the real magic happens. Developing an IEP can feel like a heavy lift, but with the right strategies, you can make this process more streamlined and effective.

How is an IEP Developed?

The IEP team — which typically includes the SLP, classroom teacher, special education teacher, administrator, and the student’s parent or guardian — comes together to review evaluation data and determine how to support the student moving forward.

As an SLP, your input is critical when it comes to communication goals and services. This is your chance to translate assessment data into a meaningful, individualized plan.

Steps in Creating an IEP

Review the Data: This includes present levels assessments, input from the team, classroom performance, and any standardized testing.
Draft the PLAAFP: Start with clear, objective information about the student’s current strengths and challenges.
Write the Goals: These should directly stem from the PLAAFP and be specific, measurable, and relevant to the student’s educational needs.
Plan Services and Supports: Define how much therapy time the student needs, and where it will occur (e.g., in the classroom, in a pull-out session).
Progress Monitoring: Outline how you’ll track student growth, including tools, frequency, and reporting methods.

Tip: Creating Effective IEP Goals

Writing strong goals is one of the most time-consuming parts of the process — but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re using a tool like SLP Now, the system can actually recommend goals based on your assessment data. You can also build a goal bank from well-written past IEPs or collaborate with colleagues to create a shared resource.

Use templates and goal-writing frameworks to maintain consistency and ensure your goals are:

Based on objective data
Focused on functional outcomes
Easy to monitor

➡️ For more guidance, check out this expert guide on writing IEP goals for SLPs.

“If you use our present levels assessment, curriculum-based assessments, it’ll recommend goals based on how your students are performing… you can collect that baseline data, have that progress monitoring set up… and we also have evidence-backed materials for all of the goals, as well as strategies to help you target them effectively.”

– Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

IEP Process Timeline

When juggling a full caseload, staying on top of deadlines is half the battle. A clear understanding of the IEP process timeline can save you from last-minute stress and ensure compliance every step of the way.

Key Milestones in the IEP Process

While exact timelines vary by state, most IEP processes follow a similar flow. Here are the key stages SLPs should keep in mind:

Referral Received: The clock starts here. Once a referral is made, evaluations typically must begin within 30–60 days.
Evaluation Conducted: Assessments are completed and results compiled — this is where your data collection tools come in handy.
Eligibility Meeting: The team meets to determine if the student qualifies for services.
IEP Meeting Scheduled: Must occur within a specific window after the eligibility decision (often within 30 days).
Annual Review: Each IEP must be reviewed and updated at least once per year.
Triennial Re-evaluation: Required every three years to reassess the student’s needs and eligibility.

Scheduling Tips to Stay on Track

One of the best ways to manage your timeline is to plan backward from due dates. If you know you have 10 IEPs due in a given month, block out time weekly to chip away at the paperwork. Even 30-minute sessions can help prevent end-of-month scrambles.

Use a shared calendar with reminders for evaluation and meeting deadlines.
Batch similar tasks (e.g., complete all assessments in one week, write all PLAAFPs in another).
Protect your work time by setting office hours or “do not disturb” blocks.

[Template] IEP Process Timeline

Consider using a simple IEP timeline tracker with columns for:

Student name
Type of IEP (initial, annual, triennial)
Due dates
Current status
Notes

You can create one yourself or explore ready-to-use templates in tools like SLP Now.

“Look at your upcoming IEPs. How many do you have due every month? And just try to work ahead if possible… just figuring out, okay, to keep up with my IEPs, I’ll need to spend about this much time a week and then making sure that we can set aside that time.”

– Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

IEP Meetings and Communication

IEP meetings are where all the planning comes together — but they can also be a source of stress for both professionals and parents. With a little prep and the right tools, you can run smoother meetings and foster stronger collaboration.

IEP Meeting School Requirements

IEP meetings are legally mandated, and there are specific requirements that vary slightly by state and district. In general, these meetings must include:

A general education teacher
A special education teacher or provider (like you!)
A school administrator
The parent or guardian
The student, when appropriate

As the SLP, you play a critical role in communicating your evaluation results, recommending services, and helping the team understand how speech and language impact the student’s learning.

Enhancing Communication with Parents: The Role of Handouts

These meetings can be overwhelming for families — especially if they’re new to the process. Clear, well-designed handouts can go a long way in helping parents feel informed and empowered. Consider sharing:

A simple breakdown of IEP acronyms and terms
A visual of the evaluation results (e.g., bell curve graphics)
Strategies they can use at home to support the IEP goals
Contact info and next steps so they know who to follow up with

One bonus tip: Keep master copies in sheet protectors and highlight the originals so you don’t accidentally give them away — when you copy them, the highlighter doesn’t show up.

Sidebar Tip: Effective IEP Meetings

Send a meeting agenda in advance
Start with the student’s strengths
Use parent-friendly language
Have visual supports handy
End with clear next steps and contacts

➡️ For more detail, make sure to check out our episode on the IEP Meeting Process.

Streamlining Workloads with Checklists and Templates

Let’s be real: managing IEPs can easily turn into a mountain of tiny tasks — from organizing paperwork to writing detailed goals. That’s why systems matter. Checklists and templates can save hours of time, reduce decision fatigue, and help you keep track of every moving part.

Creating Checklists for Each IEP Step

A solid checklist isn’t just a productivity hack — it’s your lifeline when juggling multiple students and timelines. A well-crafted IEP checklist might include:

Confirm referral and consent
Schedule evaluations and meetings
Gather student work samples
Conduct assessments
Draft present levels
Write goals and services
Final review and submission

Tools like SLP Now allow you to load checklists based on student needs and track progress for each IEP in one place. Or, you can create a paper or digital version that matches your style.

Using Templates to Optimize Workflow

Templates are your secret weapon, especially when it comes to IEP writing. From present levels to goals, having pre-written language or frameworks can help you avoid staring at a blank screen. Here’s how to make the most of them:

Start with a doc that lists every section you write in an IEP
Gather high-quality snippets from previous reports
Save commonly used phrasing or data statements
Store templates in a searchable, organized way

Bonus tip: Use placeholders (e.g., * for names and pronouns) and a Find & Replace function to quickly customize templates.

Tip: Scheduling Strategies for Efficiency

Instead of waiting for big blocks of time that never come, build short, consistent IEP “power hours” into your week. Whether it’s before school, during a prep period, or at a coffee shop with headphones and snacks — find what works for you and protect that time like gold.

IEP Monitoring and Reevaluation

Writing the IEP is just the beginning. Consistent progress monitoring and timely reevaluation are essential to ensuring that students continue receiving the support they need — and that services evolve with their changing needs.

Ongoing IEP Assessment and Monitoring

Progress monitoring isn’t just a compliance task — it’s how we measure real student growth. To do it effectively:

Use goal-specific probes and data collection tools
Set a schedule for checking in on student progress (weekly, biweekly, monthly)
Record data consistently so you’re ready for progress reports and IEP meetings

With tools like SLP Now, you can attach probes directly to each goal, track progress over time, and stay organized with minimal effort.

Reevaluation Process: When and How

Every three years (at minimum), students receiving special education services must go through a reevaluation to determine continued eligibility and service needs. This may involve:

Repeating some formal assessments
Gathering updated classroom data
Reviewing new teacher/parent input
Reflecting on progress made toward current goals

Don’t wait until the last minute — build reevaluation prep into your monthly planning. Use templates and checklists to manage what documents and assessments you’ll need so you’re never scrambling.

“You can collect that baseline data, have that progress monitoring set up for future… like for progress reports and all of that. And we also have evidence-backed materials for all of the goals, as well as strategies to help you target them effectively.”

– Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Conclusion

IEPs don’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right systems and strategies, you can simplify the process and create more space for what matters most — supporting your students.

From mapping out timelines and using templates to gathering quality data and writing meaningful goals, small changes to your workflow can make a big impact. Whether you’re leaning on tools like SLP Now or building your own systems, the goal is the same: less stress, more confidence, and better outcomes for the students you serve.

Additional Resources

Want to take the next step in streamlining your IEP process? Check out these resources for more tips, tools, and expert insights:

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

Inside the SLP Now membership, you’ll find 400+ therapy plans and an organized library of 6,000+ (and counting!) evidence-backed speech therapy materials to help you differentiate your therapy in a matter of minutes.

How is that possible, you ask?

Because we analyzed all the books, identified the targets, and created unit plan pages that suggest activities based on the skills you’re targeting and your students’ needs. This is the one-stop shop for all your literacy-based therapy needs, including resources for virtual field trips and visuals to help those concepts stick.

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

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Transcript

Marisha (00:01.656)

Hey there, and I can't tell you how excited I am to continue the conversation on streamlining our workload. And today we are diving into all things IEPs. And the cool part is that a lot of the same things that we've been chatting about apply. So we want just to recap. Last week we talked about scheduling out our IEPs.

Last week was about evaluations, but look at your upcoming IEPs. How many do you have due every month? And just try to work ahead if possible. Like if you have 10 due in February and 30 due in March, then we'll wanna kind of strategize a little bit so we're not struggling a ton. And just figuring out, okay, to keep up with my IEPs, I'll need to spend.

about this much time and then like I'll need about this much time a week and then making sure that we can set aside that time. I know that our workloads are a little bit challenging. So like when I was and we obviously want to it's a tricky balance because

We want to have good work-life balance, but we also want to kind of keep up with our workload. And so it's up to you to decide where you want that balance to be. Like I was in a school district where we had some extenuating circumstances and my caseload got very, very large. And so I made the decision to...

kind of add some additional hours. And I worked with my administration on kind of strategizing behind that. But I worked additional hours to make sure that I could keep up with the workload. And so I scheduled time before school, because after school, I'm so done. And so you can decide if you are putting in extra hours when you want to do that. But I just came in a little bit early.

Marisha (02:26.412)

and I got to use like make copies and do printing and have access to the workroom when I needed it without having to wait in line or whatever. But then it was also a little bit quieter. And so I could just sit down and work on my paperwork. And you can bring noise canceling headphones if you're not able to do it like while it's quieter at school or bring yourself some treats. Like especially I used to

really struggle with Medicaid billing. And so I would have like M &Ms and skittles and things like that. And so for, I just like reinforce myself to help keep myself going. But whatever you need to set yourself up for success, maybe make it a little bit of a vibe, whatever you need to help get that done. And it doesn't have to be, obviously we don't want it to be outside of work hours if we can avoid that. So,

being able to just set aside time in your schedule and protecting that time, like closing your door, putting up a do not disturb sign, putting on those headphones, like whatever you need to be able to get that stuff done. Cause that is a really important part of our job. We need to make sure that we're getting paperwork done. Then the second thing that we've talked about every single episode in the series is like creating a checklist, a process list of all of the steps.

And we've also chatted about strategies to gather forms. for IEPs, we want to do some present levels assessments, present levels assessments. And I've mentioned this before too, but SLP Now can help with all of the forms and assessments. So you plug your IEPs into the system.

And then you load checklists based on your students needs. So we'll have some best practices. And then the checklist has all of the forms attached. It has the present levels assessments and like all the important steps that you can totally streamline the process and you can use our forms or you can use your own, but it just helps make it so much easier to keep track of where you're at with each student and

Marisha (04:51.342)

because you can see how many tasks have been completed, when it'll be due, and it just organizes that whole process, which is really amazing. And if you want to check it out, head to slpnow.com slash pod. You'll get access to a free trial and you can get all the tools to try. Okay. And then, so that is just in terms of...

Organizing your checklist and gathering like forms and present all those assessments. You can totally do this on your own or you can use SLP now to help streamline and have some of that work done for you. And then we inevitably have some physical papers, whether you're doing your all of your forms like using paper or if you're collecting work samples and parent consent in whatever other documents.

There will be some physical papers, so we'll want to think of a way to keep those organized. So some ways that you can do that. If you have a file cabinet, you can just create a folder for each student. And I like to have this separate from their special education records. So I just like to have a folder with all of the papers for the current IEP or evaluation.

Just so I have access, I don't have to dig through a bunch of stuff. I just have access to the things that I need. So you can use file folders. Hanging file folders or hanging file organizers are really nice too. If you just want to keep, like I used to have a hanging file organizer next to my desk so I could see like the top priority IEPs and evaluations. And anytime I sat down to do paperwork, I would just grab the first folder.

in the organizer and do what I could. And then if I got to a stopping point, I would just grab the next one. I would rinse and repeat. You can also use a binder with folders for all of your pending IEPs and evaluations. Or you can use sheet protectors. Like there's tons of options to keep, like basically any tool that helps you keep track of paper organizer or to keep track of papers and keep them sorted and organized.

Marisha (07:14.2)

can help just make it so that you're not having to spend half of your paperwork time digging around your desk trying to find the papers and just pick what feels best to you and what you'd naturally be able to use the most. so that was what we had for, so so far we talked about scheduling it out, creating checklists, gathering the resources, the forums, the present levels, assessments, and then strategies to organize the physical papers.

And last episode, I told you I would share some strategies to make it easier to actually write the IEP. So I have three tips that will make it easier to actually get to that. Like now that we have the process organized, we've collected all the information we need. We just need to plug it into the IEP. So one.

My first big tip is to create templates, especially as a newer SLP. I remember just staring at an IEP and those blank boxes were kind of overwhelming. And I was like, I don't know what to write. I would just procrastinate and waste so much time. And so when it comes to creating templates, so I would start off, just open up a blank document.

and open up a blank IEP and write down all the sections that you have to fill in. And if it's just a drop down section, don't put that unless you like need help and like wanna write tips on helping you decide how to choose the drop down. But I would just focus on adding the sections that you actually have to write information in and then just...

So the first step is to write all of those headings down. And then anytime you're working on an IEP or you're reviewing other IEPs, maybe you wanna like ask your, like just pull up a handful of IEPs that you think were well written to just quickly fill in those sections. But you'll want to like, let's say like for present levels,

Marisha (09:35.886)

the present level section, you can copy and paste present levels from past IEPs or from IEPs as you're writing them if there were sections that you really liked. And so over time, you'll be copying and pasting more great content into all of the sections of the IEP. So then next time you're stuck, you can pull up this document and kind of use some of your

previous like templates to help fill in those sections. And of course we need, we don't want to copy and paste every single IEP. We need them to be individualized, but we want to make sure that we have those core components of, we have an episode coming up about like good present levels and strategies for that and what you want to include. But there are certain

elements that we want to make sure that we include and having those templates can make it easier to get like our bases covered and then have more energy and cognitive bandwidth to really do the student justice and really explain what's going on and what we're seeing in doing that analysis. And so that can be super helpful. And this is a great activity to do with a group of SLPs if possible.

So you can write down, like I said, write down all of the sections that you have to write content in for the IEP. And then just all, you can all copy and paste your favorite snippets so that you can reference them as you're writing future IEPs. And if you have some of those snippets, you can get feedback from your administrator or if you have any like legal support or whatnot, you can get some feedback.

use that to like step up your paperwork too if you want. then so having these templates is really awesome, but the document can quickly get very very very out of hand. And so that's what I came across when I first implemented this. Like I ended up with a hundred page document with tons of things which is probably overkill. But it was a really helpful process for me to kind of

Marisha (12:01.08)

work on narrowing down what, like the most important elements of the IEP and what I want to include. But in some districts have like templates and everything built in. So just use this for the sections of the IEPs that you struggle with. might, if your district has really cool software that has a bunch of templates, you might not have to do a lot of this, but there's likely still some sections or some like little pieces of text where you're always getting stuck.

So this is where this can come in handy, where in terms of creating the templates and then using a text expander. So first, what is a text expander? A text expander is a tool that you can use. So if I type like a shortcut, so it might be like dot I L C and you can decide what the shortcut is, but you want it to be something that you don't typically type.

because if I type .ilc, I can set that up as a template or a shortcut in my text expander. And so when I type that, I can have it expand to say, I love chocolate. So instead of having to type, I love chocolate, every time I just do .ilc and then it goes bloop and then it puts in that whole snippet of text.

and so if you have like a template for a present levels for articulation or like speech sound disorders, like I can make a shortcut called like dot P L.

or dot PL SSD or whatever I want the shortcut to be and when I type that in it goes bloop and then it has like the whole template for present levels for a student with speech-tongue disorders for example. This is pretty easy to set up. I have a blog post with more details and like a little cheat sheet and all of that so I'll link that in the show notes but yeah.

Marisha (14:07.478)

So that saved me a ton of time because it helped me process my massive document and kind of simplify it a little bit. then you can search if you're not quite sure what the shortcut is. You learn it really quickly, especially if you're writing a lot of IEPs. And if you make

Like if you choose smart shortcuts, like if anything related to present level starts with dot PL, then that'll help me out. but then yeah, you can, you can always search your templates if you're like, I'm looking for a present levels one, but I don't remember what I called it. you can just look at your whole list of templates and then they're just like nice little line items and it just makes.

It makes things so much easier. saves so much time. So instead of having to open up my template document and scroll through and find the right section and copy and paste it, all I do is type like dot PLA and then it fills in the template. And then I have the cognitive bandwidth to really customize it for that student and enter their specific details. and it just speed speeds up my report writing by a ton.

One other strategy to help speed things up is to use find and replace. you might not, if you have, it depends on what software you're using, but sometimes you're not able to use this in like a web browser or certain softwares. But I know that it always works in a Word document. if you're like, especially for the bigger sections of the IEP,

Like if you're drafting the present levels, you might just want to start it in a Word document and then like put in your template, like use your text expander, put in your template and start to customize it. And in my templates, I like to use placeholders because there's nothing worse than having the wrong student's name in the present levels or the wrong pronoun. So I remove all names and pronouns from my templates.

Marisha (16:31.372)

and I use placeholders instead. So I like to use three asterisks for students' names. I use two asterisks for subjective pronouns and one asterisk for possessive pronouns. And you can use whatever placeholders you want. when I'm editing that template, will, if you're on a Mac, you'll do command F, or if you're on a PC, you'll do control F.

and then you'll type in, like you'll start with the three asterisks. So you'll type in three asterisks, then that'll search for all of the like sequences of three asterisks in that template. And then you can go to the replace option and you'll type in the student's name and then you'll hit enter and it'll replace all of the asterisks with the student's names. Then you'll do, you'll like search

you'll use the find function to look for two asterisks and replace that with the subjective pronouns and then to like search for one asterisk for the possessive pronouns, et cetera, et cetera. So you just rinse and repeat and then you have all of the correct pronouns and names with just a couple of clicks instead of having to like scroll through and scan and miss them or forget to do that. Cause it's pretty obvious that an asterisk doesn't fit.

fit in there, but if we're using names, that just gets a little messy. So find and replace is an SLP's best friend. And you might have to do that in a Word document, but it's definitely worth it. so that will help. Those three tips are helping us write our IEPs more quickly and have higher quality IEPs.

And then I guess another component related to that is writing Epic goals. So if you're using the SLP now workload feature, like it gives you the checklist of all the items you want to complete for your IEP and it helps you collect that data. but the next thing that we do, if you use our like present levels, assessment, curriculum based assessments, it'll recommend goals based on how your students are performing.

Marisha (18:57.742)

and based on their actual data on those assessments. And so it'll recommend goals. You'll have easy access to probes too for those goals. So you can like actually have accurate baseline data and those probes will always be attached to the goal so that you can have consistent progress monitoring by using SLP. Now you'll have like strategic decision making.

based on your assessments, what goals you want to target. And of course you'll want to factor in like teacher or parent input work samples, all of the things that you're observing to like make the final decisions around goals. But this will help you like go through the recommended goals and you can decide what makes sense and what doesn't. Again, you can collect that baseline data, have that progress monitoring set up for future.

like for progress reports and all of that. And we also have evidence-backed materials for all of the goals, as well as strategies, to help you target them effectively. So it's kind of like all in one solution. and if you ever have, like, if it's, if you're, if you are identifying a goal that you need a refresher on,

Like I said, we have access to courses with strategies. We have evidence sheets with specific strategies. this is super helpful if you're feeling nervous going into the IEP. You can review the evidence sheet super quick, and then you can reference the research if you want, if parents or teachers have any questions. But it's just the ultimate confidence booster and just like.

streamlining tool to make this whole process super, super easy. And then just making sure that you're able to operate at the top of your license without having to break your neck and just having easy access to everything at your fingertips. So if you want to give that a try, head to slpnow.com slash pod and you'll get access to a free trial so you can.

Marisha (21:21.528)

Take it for a whirl and try this with your upcoming IEP. Load your checklist template, go through the paperwork steps, write the easiest IEP you've ever written, and feel super confident about your goals and being ready to jump into intervention. It's just, yeah, great strategy. Okay, and then we talked about this a little bit throughout the other episodes, but I just wanted to make sure that we touched on handouts too.

those can make it really, really easy to have more effective IEP meetings and follow through from the team. So I will link to a post with some examples of my favorite handouts, but it can be really helpful because this is really overwhelming for parents. So having some handouts that just explain the process that like,

all the acronyms that we use and kind of what to expect in terms of like IEP and all of that. And then having information on kind of specific, like if you have resources for any interventions or just explaining what you're working on with a student and why those can be really helpful or like strategies that they can implement at home.

Just any kind of parent-teacher education to help the process go more efficiently can be really impactful. So yeah, if you go to the handouts blog post linked in the show notes, it's in the description, you'll see some examples of sheets that I really like to use. There's like a bell curve visual that's super helpful in explaining evaluation results as well.

And then, yeah, I really like to organize these in a binder, in sheet protectors. And then I mentioned this previously, but I love to highlight the original so I don't accidentally give away my original. And the cool thing is if you highlight a piece of paper and run it through the copier, it doesn't pick up the highlighter. So that's a really great little cheat for us to keep track of our copies and all of that. So.

Marisha (23:51.508)

That is a wrap on the streamlining strategies for IEPs. Just a quick recap, I to make sure that we schedule out our IEPs and just have an idea of how many are coming up and then having time in our calendars to actually move through the IEPs. We'll want to create checklists for our process to make it easier.

and then gather forms and resources to help us complete those checklist items. And then organizing all of the physical documents that we're gathering, whether it's like file folder or a binder or hanging file organizer. Then the last, like we had a couple of tips on actually streamlining the writing of the IEP. So creating those templates.

using a text expander, using find and replace to save yourself some time, and then just having a strategy to write epic goals and kind of thinking ahead in terms of how you're gonna monitor progress on those goals. And then we just briefly touched on having some handouts for the IEP meeting to help things run a little bit more smoothly. So that is a wrap on our...

IEP episode. We have some special guests coming up to help us with like collecting parent input, writing strength based IEPs, writing goals. So we have some more like strategic episodes coming up to help us streamline things. But yeah, that's a wrap. I hope you have a great rest of your week.

Streamlining SLP Assessment: Best Practices and Tools

March 28, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

In the ever-evolving world of school-based speech-language pathology, efficiency and clarity are more important than ever—especially when it comes to assessments. With limited time and growing caseloads, SLPs need a streamlined process that ensures accuracy, saves time, and supports confident decision-making.

In this guide, we’re diving into smart, actionable strategies for optimizing your SLP assessment workflow. From planning and checklists to templates and tech tools, you’ll learn how to build a system that works with you—not against you.

We’ll be drawing on insights from Marisha Mets, founder of SLP Now, who’s helped thousands of school-based SLPs organize their assessment processes. Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned therapist looking for a more sustainable approach, this guide will give you practical tools to transform the way you assess.

Let’s simplify, streamline, and strengthen your evaluation process—starting now.

Understanding SLP Assessments

Speech-language pathology assessments are the cornerstone of informed intervention. They help identify a student’s communication strengths and challenges, guide goal setting, and ensure compliance with educational and clinical standards. For school-based SLPs, these evaluations are essential tools for supporting students’ academic and social success.

What Is an SLP Assessment?

An SLP assessment evaluates a student’s speech, language, and communication abilities. It may include:

Oral language assessments
Speech sound evaluations
Formal standardized tests
Informal measures like observations, work samples, and language samples

These assessments provide a full picture of the student’s communication profile, ensuring that therapy is tailored to their specific needs.

The Role of SLPs in Schools

In K-12 settings, SLPs play a critical role in supporting students’ access to the curriculum. Through assessments, they:

Identify students who may benefit from services
Determine eligibility for special education
Inform the development of IEPs
Track progress over time

Whether you’re evaluating a preschooler with limited expressive language or a high schooler with social communication needs, a well-executed assessment lays the foundation for effective support.

Traditional vs. Streamlined Assessment Processes

Traditionally, assessments could feel overwhelming—scattered data, manual paperwork, and inconsistent timelines. A streamlined approach brings order to the chaos:

Pre-scheduling evaluations
Using templates and checklists
Collecting data from a variety of sources (parents, teachers, observations)
Leveraging digital tools to keep everything in one place

This guide will walk you through each of those steps, helping you build a reliable system that saves time and boosts quality.

“We want to make sure that we’re reviewing past IEPs and evaluations, session data, anything that we might have on kiddos. And we don’t have to completely reinvent the wheel… These evaluations are meant to be a team effort, a team decision.”

– Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Preparing for Effective Speech Evaluations

A smooth assessment begins long before you administer a single test. The preparation phase is where you set yourself up for success—by gathering the right information, organizing your calendar, and ensuring you have all the tools at your fingertips.

Best Practices for Scheduling Evaluations

One of the biggest stressors for SLPs? Time. That’s why scheduling your evaluations in advance is a game-changer. Most of us know months ahead which evaluations are due, so take time at the start of the school year—or each month—to review deadlines and create a plan.

Review your evaluation list regularly to see what’s coming up
Plot deadlines on your calendar, allowing buffer time for paperwork and make-ups
Block out assessment time each week to avoid last-minute scrambles

Marisha recommends looking ahead to avoid a pile-up: “Do you have one evaluation in January and then three in February and ten in March? If that’s the case, plan ahead a little bit so that you’re not majorly struggling when March comes around.”

Gathering Background Information

Before you begin testing, it’s crucial to collect background data to guide your assessment approach. This includes:

Reviewing past IEPs and session notes
Checking previous evaluations
Talking with the student’s teacher and family for updates on performance and concerns
Gathering any pertinent medical or developmental history

Create a Pre-Assessment Checklist

Use a customizable checklist for different types of evaluations (speech-only, full team, re-evaluations). This ensures you don’t miss any critical steps like:

Parent consent
Observations
Work samples
Input forms from caregivers and teachers

Organized preparation helps reduce errors and gives you more bandwidth to focus on meaningful interpretation later on.

“Make sure that you have a list of your students with all of their evaluation dates… just making sure that you have a plan to get that testing done and just being able to look at it ahead of time versus when we’re struggling in the moment can make it a lot easier to problem solve and come up with strategies to get that testing done.”

— Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Conducting Speech and Language Evaluations: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once you’ve laid the groundwork, it’s time to carry out the assessment. This phase combines formal tools with hands-on observation and collaboration to create a well-rounded picture of the student’s communication skills.

Step 1: Review Existing Data

Start by pulling together any existing information that can inform your evaluation. This might include:

Previous IEPs and assessment reports
Session data from therapy
Notes from teacher check-ins

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel—leveraging what you already have can save time and give you a strong foundation for new insights.

Step 2: Conduct Classroom Observations and Collect Work Samples

Spend time observing how the student communicates in their natural environment. Classroom observations can reveal:

Participation patterns
How they follow directions
Social interactions with peers
Potential accommodations that may support access to instruction

Work samples are also helpful in showing how language skills are applied academically.

Step 3: Gather Input from Teachers and Families

Evaluations are a collaborative process. Input from others who know the student best offers invaluable context:

Ask teachers about academic performance, attention, and communication needs
Reach out to caregivers to collect medical history, developmental milestones, and their concerns or observations

This input adds depth to your interpretation and ensures a more holistic evaluation.

Step 4: Use Formal and Informal Assessments

A comprehensive evaluation includes a mix of tools:

Formal assessments provide standardized data for eligibility and diagnosis
Informal tools (like checklists, rubrics, interviews) allow for greater flexibility and context

Step 5: Collect a Language Sample

This is a must-have. Language samples offer real-world insight into how a student uses language across multiple domains (grammar, vocabulary, organization). They’re particularly helpful when standardized tools fall short.

Step 6: Synthesize and Analyze Your Findings

Bring it all together by identifying strengths, areas of need, and patterns across your data. This sets the stage for clear recommendations and well-aligned goals.

“We want to identify the strengths, the needs across all of that information and try to draw parallels… because we only have limited time and resources, so we want to make the most of that and come up with the most effective kind of strategies possible.”

— Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Utilizing Tools and Templates for Efficient Speech Screening and Evaluation

No more starting from scratch every time. Leveraging templates, forms, and digital tools can transform your assessment workflow—saving hours and ensuring consistency across evaluations.

Use Templates to Jumpstart Documentation

Start by listing the standard sections you complete for every evaluation. Then, begin saving well-written snippets or go-to phrases that are:

Clear
Evidence-based
Aligned with your school’s expectations

This living document becomes your personal library—ready to pull from and personalize, rather than rewriting everything from the ground up.

Pro Tip: Anytime you write a section you’re proud of—or read one from a colleague that stands out—save it!

Streamline with SLP Now’s Workload Feature

SLP Now’s new workload feature takes organization to the next level. Here’s how it works:

Start a new evaluation and choose a best-practice checklist based on the student’s needs
Automated tasks and reminders walk you through the evaluation process
Attached forms and assessments are ready to send (e.g., teacher/parent input forms)
Once completed, tasks auto-mark as “done,” helping you track progress at a glance

Everything—from observations and checklists to test scores—is stored in one place, making it easy to pull together the final report and make informed recommendations.

Benefits of Using Digital Tools

By integrating tech tools like SLP Now:

You reduce cognitive load (fewer things to remember!)
Your documentation is consistent and aligned with best practices
You can spend more time analyzing data, not hunting it down

“With the SLP Now workload feature, you set up a new assessment or evaluation for a student, and then you can add your own checklist items or use one of our pre-made ones. It’ll map out the different action items—like the forms, assessments, and resources attached to each of those tasks.”

— Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Section 5: Best Practices and Strategies for SLP Assessment in K12

School-based SLPs juggle a lot—caseloads, paperwork, testing windows, and team meetings. But with the right strategies, assessments can become a streamlined and effective part of your workflow. Marisha shares a framework that blends structure with flexibility, helping SLPs work smarter without sacrificing quality.

Start with a System: Schedule → Checklist → Template

Think of this as your assessment flow:

Schedule it out
Map out evaluation due dates and block time for testing and paperwork.
Use a checklist
Tailor your process based on the type of evaluation (speech-only, full team, re-evaluation). Identify common problem spots—maybe you always forget a language sample—and adjust accordingly.
Build and use templates
Save strong documentation snippets and adapt them. You’ll avoid the blank page struggle and spend more time individualizing, not reinventing.

This structure keeps you organized and reduces decision fatigue.

Use Data to Drive Decisions

Once your evaluation is complete, analyze your data holistically:

What patterns show up across formal and informal tools?
Are classroom observations and teacher reports aligned?
Where are the student’s strengths? How do they inform goals?

By looking across all your sources, you’ll develop recommendations that are meaningful and actionable.

Keep Everything in One Place

Having all your data—from parent input forms to language samples—in one system (like the SLP Now platform) makes it easier to:

Reference information during meetings
Fill out documentation quickly
Make confident, data-based decisions

With less time spent tracking down info, you can focus more on planning quality services for students.

“We’ve worked to create best practice checklists… so when you need to collect parent input for an initial evaluation or a re-evaluation, you can just hit send… It’ll help you keep track of where you are across your evaluations. You’ll have all of your data in one piece… ready to go and organized for you so that it’s easy to make those data-based decisions.”

— Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Synthesizing SLP Assessment Data for Best Results

At the heart of every effective SLP assessment is one goal: to make confident, data-informed decisions that support student success. By streamlining your process—from scheduling and checklists to collaboration and documentation—you’ll spend less time scrambling and more time focusing on what matters: meaningful impact.

Using tools like SLP Now and strategies from Marisha Mets, you can build an assessment system that’s organized, repeatable, and responsive to your students’ needs. Every form, every observation, every snippet of input becomes part of a cohesive story—one that drives smart goals and tailored interventions.

Take these strategies and make them your own. Tweak the checklists. Customize your templates. Find what works for your setting. And remember—you don’t have to do it all from scratch.

When your assessments are efficient, your support becomes even more effective.

Additional SLP Assessment Resources

Ready to dive deeper into specific assessment topics or need a few go-to tools to make your workflow easier? Here are some hand-picked resources from Marisha and the SLP Now team to help you continue building your assessment toolkit:

🎧 SLP Now Podcast Playlist: Assessments

A curated playlist of episodes covering everything from formal vs. informal tools to narrative assessment and dynamic evaluation strategies.
Listen on Spotify

🧰 SLP Now Blog Series: Assessment 101

📘 Assessment by Topic

FAQ: Common Questions About SLP Assessments

❓ What is involved in a speech therapy assessment?

A speech therapy assessment typically includes a combination of formal and informal tools to evaluate a student’s communication abilities. This might involve standardized tests, classroom observations, teacher and family input, language samples, and a review of past IEPs or evaluations.

❓ What is the most common assessment for SLPs?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all assessment, as it depends on the student’s needs. However, commonly used tools include the CELF (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals), GFTA (Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation), and informal language samples or narrative assessments.

❓ What is an assessment protocol in speech therapy?

An assessment protocol is a structured process that outlines the steps an SLP follows to evaluate a student. This often includes gathering background information, obtaining consent, administering assessments, collecting observations and work samples, analyzing data, and writing the report.

❓ What are the 6 basic components of a speech and language diagnostic assessment?

Review of previous evaluations and IEPs
Classroom observation
Teacher and parent input
Formal testing
Informal assessments (e.g., language samples)
Synthesis of data and recommendations

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

How is that possible, you ask?

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

Join thousands of SLPs and get the support you need

Subscribe to the SLP Now podcast and stay tuned for our next series. We’re kicking off September by helping you get your data collection, paperwork, and therapy planning processes in tip-top shape!

Listen to The SLP Now Podcast on Apple ★ Spotify ★ Google ★ Stitcher ★ Castbox or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

Marisha (00:01.25)

Welcome back to the podcast. And last week we chatted about strategies and tips to streamline your referrals. And today we are diving into assessments and evaluations. So I have a handful of tips and resources. This is a, like an episode with lots of resources to back it up. So I'm excited. so first step is how we can make assessments easier.

So my number one strategy is to schedule it out. We, with the exception of like student transfers and students moving in and out, we typically know how many evaluations we have due every month. So make sure that you have a list of your students with all of their evaluation dates. This is typically in our paperwork system.

but we just want to make sure that you have access to that and then review the list and just kind of Preview what your year or the next several months are going to look like So do you have one evaluation in January and then? 3 in February and 10 in March if that's the case, we're gonna want to plan ahead a little bit so that you're not like majorly struggling in

when March comes around. So just try to work ahead as possible. And also another component of scheduling is just like if you know roughly how many evaluations you have due every month, just making sure that you have some time set aside for testing to actually get that done because that is an important part of our role. And I know

that we have a lot of scheduling constraints and all of that, but just making sure that we have a plan to get that testing done and just being able to look at it ahead of time versus when we're struggling in the moment can make it a lot easier to problem solve and come up with strategies to get that testing done. Then another component, and I talked about this last week when we talked about referrals, but

Marisha (02:25.836)

you wanna make sure that you have a clear process so that you know all of the steps required to complete that evaluation. So you have to get like parent consent and it'll vary depending on if it's speech only or if you're working with a whole SPED team. There's other service providers, but just make some checklists for the different scenarios for the types of assessments and evaluations that you do.

so that you can keep track of that process. And this is again, a great problem solving tool because if you have it all written out, it one just makes it easier to make sure that you're completing everything and you don't forget important steps. Like I always used to forget the language sample until the very last second. So yeah, just having that checklist and then you can see like, man, I am always forgetting this step or

really struggling with this step or this step takes me way more time than it should. And so you can identify those and find ways to make them easier. Then the third strategy is to make templates and make this easier for yourself. And we'll talk a lot more about templates in the next episode. So stay tuned for episode two 10.

where we dive into all of that. But yeah, so we'll talk more about templates next time, but just starting to, like a quick tip to start off is just to write all of the sections that you're required to fill in for the evaluation. And then kind of starting to build, anytime you write an evaluation, you're like, wow, I did a really great job with that. Or if you read an evaluation of like, I really like how they worded that, just keep,

keep a running document with your favorite snippets so you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time. Obviously, we want the documentation to be individualized, but having a good starting point can help us do a better job of individualizing that. And I'll share, like I said, more strategies coming next week on how to actually streamline that. And then now I wanna move on to chatting about

Marisha (04:51.798)

important elements to include in your assessment. So we want to make sure that we're reviewing like past IEPs and evaluations, session data, anything that we might have on kiddos. And we don't have to completely reinvent the wheel. We can review some of that information, especially for the case history type of stuff.

We'll obviously want to get an update, we don't need to rewrite all of that every single time. We'll also want to complete a classroom observation and or collect work samples. And so this is really helpful information in determining that academic impact and seeing how the student is performing in the classroom and.

can be a great way to see what accommodations and supports might be helpful and all of that. Another thing we'll want to look at is gathering information from the family and the teacher. So just making sure that we're up to date on pertinent medical history, educational impact, like what these evaluations are meant to be a team effort, a team decision.

And so we want to make sure that we're getting feedback and input from them. And then we'll also want formal and informal assessments. We may want to include dynamic assessment as well. Informal assessment might include a language sample. That gives us a lot of really practical, relevant data. And then once we have all of that information put together,

we'll want to identify the strengths, the needs across all of that information and trying to draw parallels and using that to come up with a game plan so that the data is a little bit organized. And so we can come up, because we only have limited time and resources, so we want to make the most of that and come up with the most effective kind of strategies possible.

Marisha (07:10.03)

So those are the things that we'll want to navigate in our assessments and in the show notes, you can find them in the description of the episode. But we have tons of episodes on specific assessment areas and specific considerations for dynamic assessment, language, narratives, phonological processes, speech sound disorders.

This episode is meant to just be like super broad strategies. But yeah, check out those, check out the show notes for links to more episodes if you're looking for strategies for specific areas. And then in terms of navigating this and keeping it organized, I mentioned this in the last episode, but we have a new workload feature in SLP Now.

that helps organize the entire process. we have, we've worked, our team has worked to create like best practice checklist. And so how it works is you set up a new assessment or evaluation for a student, and then you get to select, you can add your own checklist items, or you can use one of our pre-made ones that has like best practices.

and it'll map out the different action items that you'll want to complete. Like you'll have a list of recommended tasks based on best practices and you'll have like the forms and assessments and resources attached to each of those tasks. So when you need to collect parent input for an initial evaluation or a re-evaluation, you can just hit send.

will send that form to the parents. Once the parents complete the form, it'll mark it as complete. And that's just one example. There's also informal assessments attached based on the area that you're assessing. And yeah, it just really, really helps streamline that whole process. And you don't have to guess which steps are next. And it'll help you keep track of where you are across your

Marisha (09:36.566)

evaluations. And we also have these tools for like referrals and IEPs. So lots of good stuff. And you'll have all of your data in one piece. So that last step that I mentioned on like when you're reviewing all of your data and analyzing like the classroom observation, the teacher input, the work samples, you'll have all of this data in one place so that it's really easy to

fill in the evaluation and complete all the required components. You won't have to be digging for different pieces of data. It'll just all be in one place and you're much more likely to have everything you need. don't have to, because we have that checklist, you'll have all of those items completed and you won't have to be like, I didn't grab this language devil. need to go grab the students so I can do that. Like no, everything will be ready to go and organized.

for you so that it's easy to make those.

database decisions. that is a wrap on our episode on assessments. Next week, we'll talk about IEPs a little bit more specifically, and then it'll be jam-packed with some really cool time-saving tools to make that even easier. So can't wait to see you next week, and I hope you have a good one.

The SLP Referral Process: Streamlined Approach

March 21, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

The Importance of an Efficient SLP Referral Process

Managing speech-language pathology (SLP) referrals in a K–12 school setting can often feel like navigating a maze—especially during peak paperwork seasons. But with a streamlined approach, school-based SLPs can turn what’s typically a time-consuming and often chaotic process into a well-oiled system that saves time and leads to better outcomes for students.

An efficient referral process isn’t just about reducing paperwork. It’s about making sure the right students get the right support at the right time. From teacher referrals and parent concerns to screenings and follow-ups, every step plays a role in building a clearer, faster path to services. When communication is proactive, documentation is organized, and everyone involved knows what to expect, referrals become a powerful tool rather than a bureaucratic burden.

In this guide, we’ll walk through a simplified, step-by-step approach to handling speech therapy referrals, offering real-world strategies, templates, and expert advice from Marisha Mets, founder of SLP Now. Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your current process or starting from scratch, these strategies will help you save time, improve collaboration, and ultimately support your students more effectively.

Step 1: Understanding SLP Referrals

Before streamlining the referral process, it’s important to understand what a speech-language pathology (SLP) referral actually is—and why it matters. An SLP referral is typically the first step in identifying whether a student may benefit from speech or language support. It’s how concerns about communication challenges are formally brought to the attention of the school-based SLP.

Referrals can come from various sources—most commonly, teachers and parents. A teacher referral often happens when a student struggles with articulation, language comprehension, or social communication that impacts classroom performance. On the other hand, parent referrals may stem from observations at home or developmental concerns. In some cases, school administrators or other specialists may initiate a referral.

Each district may have its own guidelines, but generally, the referral triggers a structured process: gathering information, conducting observations or screenings, and deciding whether to move forward with a full evaluation.

Do You Need a Referral for Speech Therapy?

In school settings, yes—a formal referral is usually required to initiate services. This helps ensure that all interventions are documented, monitored, and aligned with district policies and state regulations. Outside of schools, private clinics may offer more flexibility, but even then, some insurance providers or healthcare systems require a referral from a physician.

Understanding this foundational step allows SLPs to set clear expectations with both staff and families, paving the way for a smoother, more effective process from the very beginning.

Step 2: Initiating the Referral

Once a concern has been identified, the next step is initiating the referral process—this is where things can either flow smoothly or become a source of delay. The goal is to make this step as straightforward and consistent as possible, not just for the SLP, but for teachers and parents too.

How to Get a Referral for Speech Therapy

The process typically starts with a teacher or parent filling out a referral form. In some districts, a verbal request may begin the process, but written documentation is usually required soon after. It’s critical that the referral form captures key information up front—what the concerns are, specific observations, and whether any classroom interventions have already been attempted.

Here’s a basic step-by-step guide to initiating a referral:

Referral Request: A teacher, parent, or staff member notices a concern and requests a referral.
Referral Form Completion: The referring party fills out a standardized form. This often includes checkboxes and open-ended prompts for clarity.
Parent Permission: Before moving forward, written parent/guardian consent is typically needed, especially for screenings or evaluations.
Additional Information Gathering: The SLP may reach out for more context—teacher notes, previous IEP data, or classroom samples.
Scheduling a Screening: If allowed by district policy, a brief screening or classroom observation may be scheduled.

Examples of Effective Referral Wording

When documenting a referral, clarity and specificity are key. Instead of “struggles with speech,” try:

“Student omits final consonants in multisyllabic words, impacting intelligibility.”
“Student has difficulty following multi-step directions during group instruction.”
“Student avoids speaking during classroom discussions due to articulation concerns.”

These kinds of detailed observations help the SLP understand the scope of the concern and determine appropriate next steps.

Tips for Communicating with Teachers and Parents

Clear communication at this stage can significantly reduce back-and-forth and confusion later. Consider offering:

A quick-start guide for teachers outlining when and how to make a referral
Handouts with common speech/language red flags
Email templates for confirming receipt of a referral and outlining next steps

When everyone knows what to expect, the referral process becomes a collaborative effort—not just another form to fill out.

“having a teacher referral form that helps you gather all of the information right off the bat and making it clear to the people at your school, if you have a referral, we need to fill out this form, this is all the information I need, and then that saves you a bunch of time going back and forth…”.

– Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Step 3: Documenting the Referral Process

Clear, consistent documentation is the backbone of an effective referral system. Without it, important details can fall through the cracks, leading to delays, miscommunication, or missed support for students. Creating a reliable documentation process not only keeps referrals moving but also helps SLPs stay organized and compliant.

Creating Efficient Documentation

Start by mapping out the steps of your district’s referral process. Document each phase—from when the initial request is received, to screenings, to the final decision. This step-by-step reference acts as your personal checklist, reducing the mental load and minimizing the risk of skipping critical tasks.

Here are a few forms to include in your documentation system:

Teacher Input Form: Captures classroom concerns and observations.
Parent Permission Form: Authorizes the SLP to begin screenings or observations.
Screening Results Form: Records findings and recommendations from initial assessments.
Referral Tracking Sheet: Helps monitor the status, dates, and outcomes of each referral.

Whether you prefer digital or paper systems, consistency is key. Tools like binders with sheet protectors, folder systems, or SLP Now’s digital checklist platform can streamline the process and make everything easily accessible.

Therapy Referral Form Template

Having a go-to template for referrals not only saves time but also ensures that nothing important gets missed. Ideally, your template should include:

Student info (name, grade, teacher)
Areas of concern
Examples of observed difficulties
Previous interventions or supports attempted
Date and name of the referring individual

Make a habit of keeping extra copies on hand—whether printed or saved in a digital hub—so you’re always ready to respond to a new referral without delay.

Speech Referral Example

Let’s say a third-grade teacher is concerned about a student’s articulation. On the referral form, the teacher might write:

“Student substitutes ‘w’ for ‘r’ consistently, which affects intelligibility during oral presentations. Attempts classroom strategies but minimal improvement noted.”

A well-documented concern like this provides the SLP with actionable insight and helps determine whether further steps, like a screening, are necessary.

“You may want a quick form to keep track of your results, like if you do a screening or classroom observation or whatever you might do as part of the referral process. Just having a way to document your results.”

– Marisha Mets

Step 4: Organizing Resources

Having all your referral-related resources in one place can be a game-changer. It reduces time spent searching for forms, cuts down on repeated tasks, and helps ensure no part of the process slips through the cracks—especially during busy seasons when caseloads are high.

Efficient Resource Management

Whether you prefer digital systems or paper-based setups, the key is accessibility. Resources should be easy to grab when you need them and equally easy to restock or update. Marisha recommends using either:

Binders with sheet protectors that hold multiple copies of each form
File folders with clearly labeled tabs
Digital systems with folders and shortcuts for quick access

If you’re using paper forms, consider this hack: highlight the original form using a yellow highlighter. The copier won’t pick up the mark, and it serves as a reminder to never give away your original.

Visual Aids and Tracking Tools

Visual tools can also help you stay on top of your referrals. Try using:

Referral tracking spreadsheets to monitor dates, follow-up needs, and status
Process flowcharts or checklists that outline each referral stage
Digital checklists with built-in due dates and auto-reminders (SLP Now offers these)

The goal is to create a system where everything you need—forms, student info, tracking tools—is at your fingertips. This saves time, reduces stress, and makes it easier to focus on what matters most: supporting your students.

Step 5: Communicating with Teachers

No matter how organized your referral process is, it won’t work efficiently unless teachers are on board. Effective communication is essential—not just when a referral is made, but throughout the entire process. Helping teachers understand what makes a “good” referral can dramatically reduce unnecessary paperwork and ensure students truly in need get timely support.

Proactive Communication Strategies

Start by making the process crystal clear. Share referral guidelines with your staff early in the school year and revisit them periodically. Consider creating a one-page handout or referral guide for teachers that outlines:

What types of concerns warrant a referral
Examples of classroom interventions to try first
How to complete the referral form accurately

Offering a brief in-service or mini-presentation during a staff meeting can go a long way. Walk through the referral process, highlight common pitfalls, and explain what information you need to make an informed decision.

Quick Tips for Teacher Discussions

Use plain language: Avoid jargon when explaining the process.
Offer examples: Use real-life scenarios to illustrate what a strong referral looks like.
Be available: Let teachers know when and how to reach out if they’re unsure whether a referral is appropriate.
Provide ready-to-use resources: Strategies, observation checklists, or communication visuals can be helpful classroom tools.

By educating teachers and opening lines of communication, you not only streamline your workflow—you also foster a team-based approach to supporting student success.

“So just having a handout for teachers on like what would make a good referral and things to consider. And also having some handouts with strategies that they can implement and you can trickle those throughout the year.”.

– Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Best Practices for Streamlining Referrals

Even with solid systems in place, the referral process can still become overwhelming—especially during high-volume times of the year. That’s where best practices come in. These small tweaks and strategic habits can make a big difference in managing your workload efficiently and preventing burnout.

Expert Tips from Marisha Mets

Marisha Mets, founder of SLP Now, has worked with thousands of school-based SLPs and managed caseloads in the triple digits. Her number one recommendation? Document everything—not just for compliance, but for clarity and consistency. She emphasizes the importance of writing out each step of your referral process so you don’t have to rely on memory, especially during busy seasons.

Other top tips include:

Batch tasks: Group similar tasks together—like reviewing all new referrals once a week—to save mental energy.
Use digital tools: Platforms like SLP Now offer automated checklists, built-in due dates, and pre-made forms to simplify the process.
Reflect and refine: Regularly review your referral process and identify where you’re getting stuck. Then adjust your system accordingly.

Common Challenges—and How to Solve Them

Incomplete referral forms
✅ Solution: Provide clear instructions and examples for teachers.
Missed follow-ups
✅ Solution: Use a tracking sheet with due dates and set regular check-ins.
Overwhelming volume
✅ Solution: Educate teachers about pre-referral interventions and what constitutes a strong referral.

By implementing these best practices and troubleshooting pain points before they become bigger issues, SLPs can reclaim valuable time and create a referral system that actually works.

“The biggest thing that you can do to save your time is just to document that whole process… Over time, you’ll be able to reflect and identify where you’re getting held up, what’s taking the most time, and then just streamline that whole process.”.

– Marisha Mets, Founder @ SLP Now

Additional Resources

Once your core referral process is up and running, you may want to explore advanced strategies and tools to take your system to the next level. These resources can help experienced SLPs fine-tune their workflow, better support their teams, and stay ahead of the paperwork curve.

Advanced Strategies for Experienced SLPs

If you’ve already built a streamlined system, consider:

Customizing your digital tools: Platforms like SLP Now allow you to adapt checklists and forms to fit your exact needs.
Developing mini training sessions for staff: Build quick modules or videos that explain the referral process.
Creating a referral data dashboard: Track patterns in referrals to spot trends and identify areas for targeted teacher support or school-wide interventions.
Building a resource hub: Store intervention strategies, handouts, and templates in a shared folder for easy access by your team or school staff.

Helpful Links and Tools

SLP Now Blog: Referrals – Tips and tools to improve your referral process
SLP Goal Bank – Pre-written goals aligned to referral outcomes
Referral Templates and Checklists – Forms to simplify documentation
Digital Workload Management Tools – Try a free trial of SLP Now’s tools to automate your referral process

Whether you’re just getting started or refining a mature system, these resources will help you continue streamlining your workflow and serving your students with clarity and confidence.

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

How is that possible, you ask?

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

Join thousands of SLPs and get the support you need

Subscribe to the SLP Now podcast and stay tuned for our next series. We’re kicking off September by helping you get your data collection, paperwork, and therapy planning processes in tip-top shape!

Listen to The SLP Now Podcast on Apple ★ Spotify ★ Google ★ Stitcher ★ Castbox or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

Marisha (00:01.538)

I am so ready to kick off this series where we dive into all things referrals, IEPs and evaluations. And today we are starting off with referrals. And this is, so we're heading into one of the busiest paperwork seasons, typically for school-based SLPs. And I know a lot of us get overwhelmed by

all of these components. So I'm really excited to share some of the strategies that have worked for me in managing a caseload in the triple digits and then also working with thousands of SLPs on helping them streamline and save a bunch of time with these types of tasks. So referrals is what's first step. And the first tip that I have for you around referrals,

is to document the steps so that you can kind of inventory the process and by knowing exactly what the steps are, that'll save you a ton of time because you won't be forgetting to do certain steps, which I've definitely done. So you won't be forgetting steps. You'll have like clear process. won't have to think about all the things that you need to do. You'll just have them written out and you can just run through the list.

and get them done much more efficiently. So here's just a brain dump of what some of the steps might include, but I would highly recommend checking out your district's process and checking in with other SLPs or your administrator. A lot of times they'll have a process already written out.

but just make sure that you have that and that you have easy access to it, but some steps are Like a referral is kicked off when a parent or a teacher requests that And so that will look different depending on where you are But maybe it's typically like a verbal type of thing if you don't have the form set up But either you'll get a verbal

Marisha (02:24.654)

request for a referral and you'll have to follow up or the teacher will submit a form and that'll kick off the referral. Then we may need to request additional information. We may schedule screening depending on your state if that's something that's allowed. And then you may be sharing the results with the team and or making recommendations and deciding what the next steps are.

and then we may decide like, no, this doesn't make sense for a referral. referral is cleared or maybe we need to decide to follow up or maybe we're moving them, in a different route. So those are some of the big steps when it comes to referral. And I was purposefully trying to keep it broad because obviously this varies, but hopefully this helps you. Like if you were able to.

of jot down some of your steps as you are listening. That would be super awesome. But yeah, like I said at the beginning, this is a great, like writing out the steps is a great thing to do with your team at the district level or like with other SLPs or with people in your building just so you're on the same page in terms of the process. And then you can share resources to help

streamline and make that even easier. some things that we can do to make that process easier are one, just knowing what the steps are, but then also making sure that we have all of the resources that we need so we're not reinventing the wheel every time. So having a teacher referral form that helps you gather all of the information right off the bat and making it clear to the

people at your school, if you have a referral, we need to fill out this form, this is all the information I need, and then that saves you a bunch of time going back and forth and being like, wait, I needed this and I needed this and can you tell me this? So instead, you'll capture it all on one form. You may need to gather parent permission as well, so you'll want to have a form or process for that.

Marisha (04:50.902)

You may want a quick form to keep track of your results, like if you do a screening or classroom observation or whatever you might do as part of the referral process. Just having a way to document your results. And then one thing that I really like, so you might have a handful of forms and resources. So if you're using hard copies,

I highly recommend just having a binder or like a series of folders and just make sure you have multiple copies so you can just grab and go. You don't have to go to your computer, remember where the file is, hit print, run to the printer, then go. That's a lot of extra steps. So just make sure you have copies of any hard copies that you're any papers that you're using as part of the process. And then one quick tip.

I like to, because it's easier for me to make a copy of something than to try and connect my computer to the printer and do all of those steps. So I tend to use the copy machine for additional copies. And so I like to highlight my original. And if you use a yellow highlighter, the copier doesn't pick up on the highlighting.

So I know that I can never, ever, ever give away a copy of a sheet that has highlighter on it because that's my original. So anytime I run out of copies, that highlighter is a reminder for me. And then I run to the copy machine, make a handful of copies and like replenish that. So I've had file folders with these extra copies or binders with sheet protectors with extra copies in them.

because the sheet protectors fit like a handful of sheets. So those are some ways to keep those things organized so that you have easy access to everything that you need. And then you might want to have a sheet where you can keep track of all of the referrals and like their status and their dates. And you can have this just be written. So

Marisha (07:13.664)

You just have the student's name, the date they were referred, and then the date that you want to follow up, and maybe their status or whatever. So you can have just a printed table that you use. I really like to do this digitally. And I'm super duper excited because we have a feature in SLP Now where it has pre-made checklists. So we've done like

The step one that I shared of documenting the steps, we have a checklist of the common steps that you'll need to complete a successful referral. And then we have all, like we have digital versions of all of the forms that you can send off and it helps you keep track of what you've completed. You like check off the steps, the resources are attached, whether you're using like

teacher forum or collecting information from the parents or whatever it might be. You just click to send it off and the system takes care of it. You check off the steps that you have to do manually and then you can enter in like due dates and statuses so that you can quickly sort your list of students. So it helps organize all of those pieces for you, which I think is super cool. It's saving SLPs a lot of time.

and then yeah, I, one of the things that is also super helpful is having handouts. and so kind of at the very beginning of the process, what makes an effective referral. so if you are getting a ton of referrals and you're not feeling like they're the best referrals, some, did,

episode with Lacey, a handful of episodes back where we talked about communicating with teachers and that's one of the things that we discussed. But if you didn't listen to that episode, one strategy would be to like share handouts with teachers or to do a quick in-service where you talk about what makes a good referral and give teachers some strategies that they can implement because

Marisha (09:36.622)

They really should be implementing some interventions before making a referral. And so, yeah, that's one tip. And then just having, so having a handout for teachers on like what would make a good referral and things to consider. And also having some handouts with strategies that they can implement and you can trickle those throughout the year. And then on the tail end of the referral,

or kind of in the beginning, like resources for parents as well on things that they can try and just some education on the process and all of that. so having those resources helps streamline a lot of the communication as well. And then, yeah, so I think that those are all the tips. So just a quick recap is the biggest thing that you can do to save your time.

is just to document that whole process. as you're doing that, you can look at it. You don't have to streamline everything right off the bat. But if you're seeing those steps on paper, and then you can be like, well, I always forget to do that. So what can I do to help myself? Or, my gosh, I'm getting so many referrals that don't make sense. And so you can look at that and kind of address the very beginning stages.

And over time, you'll able to reflect and identify where you're getting held up, what's taking the most time, and then just streamline that whole process. And so those are my recommendations for navigating referrals. And then, just some keeping track of the copies or managing paperwork digitally.

having a list so that you can easily keep track of who you need to follow up with, whether that's on paper or digitally. Like there's tons of options on, there's 5 million ways that you could organize this and actually implement it. But I think those are the biggest principles. yeah, and if you're wanting to check out the SLP Now workload tools to help streamline your referrals and all the other pieces of paperwork, head to slpnow.

Marisha (12:01.774)

and you'll be able to sign up for a free trial and check out all of those tools and use them as much as you want for two whole weeks. So that is a wrap and we'll see you next week when we talk about assessments and evaluations.

How to Write IEP Goals: An Expert Guide for SLPs

March 17, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

Writing effective IEP goals is a crucial skill for school-based Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs). Clear, measurable goals guide intervention, track student progress, and ensure compliance with legal requirements. However, crafting goals that are both meaningful and achievable can feel overwhelming.

In this guide, Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan shares expert strategies for writing IEP goals that truly support student success. With years of experience in special education, literacy, and executive functioning, Dr. Karen provides a structured approach to goal writing that simplifies the process while improving outcomes.

This guide will cover:

The essential framework behind effective IEP goals.
How to write clear, measurable goals using a simple syntax.
The difference between goals and accommodations (and why it matters).
Strategies for addressing language and executive functioning in goal writing.

By the end, you’ll have a step-by-step process for creating strong IEP goals with confidence.

Dr Karen’s IEP Goal Writing Resources

Before we get started, here are additional resources from Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan to support IEP goal writing:

And some more IEP Goals resources from SLP Now:

Understanding IEP Goals

What Are IEP Goals?

IEP (Individualized Education Program) goals are specific, measurable objectives designed to support a student’s unique needs. These goals outline the skills a student will develop and serve as a roadmap for intervention. For SLPs, IEP goals often target language, communication, literacy, and executive functioning skills.

IEP Goals vs. Accommodations

A common challenge when writing IEP goals is distinguishing them from accommodations. IEP goals focus on what the student will do, while accommodations describe the supports provided to help them achieve those goals.

For example:

IEP Goal: The student will define and describe words using at least three attributes in 80% of opportunities.
Accommodation: The student will have access to a vocabulary reference chart during language-based tasks.

By clearly separating goals and accommodations, SLPs can ensure students receive the necessary support while maintaining measurable objectives.

“I’ve seen people get carried away with putting what the clinician does in the goal, rather than what the child should do. I always recommend people start with what you want the child to do—that’s what the goal is.”

– Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan

Framework for Writing IEP Goals

The Essential Components of IEP Goals

Before writing an IEP goal, it’s important to understand the framework behind it. Dr. Karen emphasizes that strong goals follow a simple but effective structure:

Client will do X (observable behavior) with Y (level of accuracy).

This structure ensures that goals are clear, measurable, and focused on student outcomes. Instead of using vague terms like “demonstrate understanding,” goals should specify actions that can be observed and measured, such as “define and describe a word using two to three attributes.”

Why Your IEP Writing Framework Matters

Jumping straight into goal writing without a clear framework can lead to vague, inconsistent, or ineffective goals. Dr. Karen recommends that SLPs first identify the skill they are targeting—whether it’s language, executive functioning, or another area—before structuring the goal.

By using a structured approach, SLPs can ensure that each goal aligns with the student’s needs while maintaining clarity and compliance.

“I always start framework before we get to goals… because in order for you to understand what is meaningful and relevant and how to measure, you have to understand what you’re working on.”

– Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan

Syntax and Structure of IEP Goals

Once you have a strong framework, the next step is structuring the goal effectively. Dr. Karen recommends using a simple syntax:

Client will do X (observable behavior) with Y (level of accuracy).

For example:
✅ The student will define and describe words using at least three attributes in 80% of opportunities.
❌ The student will improve vocabulary skills. (Too vague—what does “improve” mean?)

Choosing Measurable Behaviors for IEP Goals

A well-written IEP goal should be based on behaviors that are:
✔ Observable: The skill can be seen or heard (e.g., answering a question, writing a sentence).
✔ Specific: Avoid broad terms like understand or comprehend.
✔ Measurable: The goal includes a clear accuracy level, such as a percentage or number of trials.

For complex skills, such as writing or executive functioning, using trials instead of accuracy percentages may be more effective. For instance, instead of measuring 80% accuracy, an SLP could track whether a student completes all required steps in a process.

“The basic syntax of a goal is: client will do X, which is your observable behavior, with Y, which is that level of accuracy. The place that I have people start with first after the framework is thinking about what is that observable behavior.”

– Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan

Types of IEP Goals

IEP goals can be categorized into different areas based on the student’s needs. Understanding these distinctions helps SLPs create targeted, effective goals.

1) Academic IEP Goals

These goals focus on language and literacy skills.

Example: The student will identify and define three new vocabulary words per week with 80% accuracy

2) Behavioral IEP Goals

These goals address social communication and self-regulation.

Example: The student will initiate a conversation with a peer at least once per session in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

3) Functional IEP Goals

These are goals that support life skills and executive functioning.

Example: The student will independently organize materials using a checklist in 3 out of 4 trials.

Each type of goal should be specific, observable, and measurable, ensuring that student progress can be accurately tracked.

“I think about writing goals for language and executive functioning a little bit differently… With language, we can often define those observable behaviors, but with executive functioning, we have to think beyond external behaviors to the internal processes that drive them.”

– Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan

Specialized Goals for SLPs

Speech and Language IEP Goals

For SLPs, IEP goals often focus on language development, articulation, fluency, and executive functioning. Dr. Karen highlights the importance of choosing goals that address both observable behaviors and the internal processes behind them.

Examples of specialized SLP goals:

Language Processing IEP Goals: The student will define and describe words using at least three attributes in 80% of opportunities.
Syntax & Grammar IEP Goals: The student will produce grammatically correct sentences using past-tense verbs in 4 out of 5 trials.
Executive Functioning IEP Goals: The student will use a self-questioning strategy to plan and complete multi-step classroom tasks in 3 out of 4 observed opportunities.

By focusing on both the skill and the process needed to achieve it, SLPs can create goals that lead to meaningful progress.

“When we’re thinking about executive functioning, you can’t just focus on the external behavior. You have to consider the internal processes—how the student plans, organizes, and self-monitors—because that’s what truly drives success.”

– Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan

IEP Goal Setting Best Practices

Techniques for Effective IEP Goal Writing

Crafting strong IEP goals requires more than just following a template. Dr. Karen emphasizes several best practices to make goals meaningful and achievable:

✅ Start with a Framework – Ensure goals align with the student’s needs and intervention plan.
✅ Focus on Observable Behaviors – Clearly define what the student will do, rather than vague skills like “improve comprehension.”
✅ Keep Goals Measurable – Use clear criteria (e.g., 80% accuracy, 3 out of 4 trials, independently in 2 sessions).
✅ Differentiate Goals from Accommodations – Accommodations support goal achievement but should not be included in the goal itself.
✅ Consider the Learning Process – For executive functioning, goals may need to include both strategy use and task completion.

By following these principles, SLPs can write goals that are clear, effective, and support student growth.

“I always start with simple, clear goals. You can make them more specific as you work with the student, but if the goal is too complex from the start, it becomes harder to track progress effectively.”

– Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan

Utilizing IEP Goal Tools and Generators

IEP Goal Generators as a Resource

While manually writing IEP goals ensures customization, IEP goal generators can be useful tools for inspiration and efficiency. These tools provide templates based on evidence-based frameworks, helping SLPs craft structured and measurable goals quickly.

Pros of Using IEP Goal Generators:
✔ Save time by offering pre-written goal structures.
✔ Ensure goals align with best practices for measurability.
✔ Provide examples for various speech, language, and executive functioning needs.

Cons to Consider:
⚠️ May lack personalization—goals should always be tailored to the student.
⚠️ Can lead to over-reliance if used without critical thinking about framework and intervention.

When used strategically, goal generators can enhance an SLP’s workflow while still allowing room for professional judgment and customization.

Real-World IEP Goal Writing Examples

IEP Goal Best Practices in Action

Seeing well-written IEP goals in real-world settings can help SLPs refine their approach. Dr. Karen emphasizes that strong goals should be clear, functional, and adaptable based on student progress.

Example 1: Vocabulary Development

Before (Vague Goal): The student will improve vocabulary skills.
After (Specific Goal): The student will define and describe words using at least three attributes in 80% of opportunities.

Example 2: Executive Functioning

Before (Too Broad): The student will stay organized in class.
After (Measurable Goal): The student will use a checklist to organize materials in 3 out of 4 observed trials.

By structuring goals this way, SLPs ensure that progress can be tracked effectively while keeping intervention aligned with student needs.

Monitoring and Revising IEP Goals

IEP Goal Progress Monitoring Techniques

Tracking student progress is essential for determining whether an IEP goal is effective. Dr. Karen recommends:

✔ Using Clear Data Collection Methods – Take data on observable behaviors, using trials instead of accuracy percentages when appropriate.
✔ Documenting the Level of Support – Note whether progress was made independently or with prompts.
✔ Adjusting Goals as Needed – If a student is consistently meeting or struggling with a goal, modify it rather than waiting for the next IEP meeting.

When to Revise an IEP Goal

SLPs should regularly evaluate whether a goal remains appropriate. Consider revising the goal if:

The student has mastered the skill ahead of schedule.
The goal is too challenging, even with accommodations.
The student’s needs have changed due to new assessments or interventions.

IEP goals should be flexible enough to adapt as the student progresses while still maintaining structure and accountability.

“You don’t have to panic and rewrite all your IEP goals at once. Make small adjustments based on what’s working, update as you go, and ensure your goals remain meaningful and achievable.”

– Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan

Conclusion

Writing effective IEP goals is both an art and a science. By following a structured framework, focusing on measurable behaviors, and distinguishing goals from accommodations, SLPs can create meaningful objectives that drive student progress.

Dr. Karen emphasizes the importance of flexibility in goal writing—SLPs don’t need to start from scratch every time. Instead, they should build upon existing goals, refine them as needed, and ensure they align with the student’s evolving needs.

With these expert strategies, SLPs can approach IEP goal writing with confidence, clarity, and efficiency—ultimately improving outcomes for the students they serve.

FAQ: Writing Effective IEP Goals

1. What are some examples of IEP goals?

IEP goals should be specific and measurable. For example:

The student will define and describe words using at least three attributes in 80% of opportunities.
The student will use a checklist to organize materials in 3 out of 4 observed trials.

2. What should an effective IEP goal include?

A strong IEP goal follows this structure:
Client will do X (observable behavior) with Y (level of accuracy).
Goals should focus on what the student will do rather than what the clinician will provide.

3. How do I write a new IEP goal?

Start by identifying the skill area (language, executive functioning, etc.), then use the structured syntax:

Define an observable behavior (e.g., answering questions, writing sentences).
Choose a clear measurement method (e.g., accuracy percentage, number of trials).
Avoid vague terms like “understand” or “improve”—be specific.

4. How do I write measurable IEP goals?

To make a goal measurable:

Focus on observable behaviors (e.g., stating a word definition instead of understanding vocabulary).
Use numbers to define success (e.g., 80% accuracy, 4 out of 5 trials).
Consider using trials instead of accuracy for complex tasks.

5. What’s the difference between an IEP goal and an accommodation?

IEP Goal: Describes what the student will do. (Example: The student will answer WH-questions with 80% accuracy.)
Accommodation: Describes the supports provided to help the student succeed. (Example: The student will have access to visual cues for WH-questions.)

6. How can I adjust IEP goals over time?

If a student is meeting a goal too easily or struggling significantly, modify the goal by:

Increasing difficulty (e.g., requiring more accuracy or independence).
Breaking it into smaller steps if it’s too challenging.
Shifting the focus if the student’s needs change.

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

How is that possible, you ask?

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

Join thousands of SLPs and get the support you need

Subscribe to the SLP Now podcast and stay tuned for our next series. We’re kicking off September by helping you get your data collection, paperwork, and therapy planning processes in tip-top shape!

Listen to The SLP Now Podcast on Apple ★ Spotify ★ Google ★ Stitcher ★ Castbox or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

Marisha (00:01.208)

Hey there and welcome to the SLP Now podcast. I am really excited to have Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan with us today. We are going to be talking about strategies to write effective IEP goals. And Dr. Karen is the founder and owner operator of Dr. Karen LLC and it's a...

a company focused on empowering therapists and educators to design interventions that support language literacy and executive functioning. And a little bit about her background, we're going to turn this over to Dr. Karen in just a second so she can share her story. But she has a doctorate in special education and director of special education and assistive technology credentials from Illinois State University. And she also has her

masters and bachelor's from Illinois State University in speech language pathology. And she spent 14 years in the school systems and she has filled various roles. She's also a fellow podcaster. So even that bio that had a lot in there, but I feel like it hardly does her story justice. So Dr. Karen, welcome to the podcast.

Karen (01:09.878)

Yeah.

Karen (01:15.095)

Thank you for having me.

Marisha (01:16.974)

and would you mind just telling us, so we're focusing on IEP goals today. and I'm just curious to hear a little bit more of your story, because you share so many amazing resources on your website and on your podcast and you just have a wealth of knowledge. so can you just share a little bit of, I know you might have to pick and choose the snippet, but

Karen (01:23.565)

Mm-hmm.

Karen (01:43.381)

Yeah!

Marisha (01:44.686)

Just kind of what led you to create all of these resources and a little of your joining me.

Karen (01:50.303)

Yeah, so I guess I can kind of start at the beginning. So I started off in the schools in the early 2000s and I originally thought I was going to be medical. And then of course, it was easier to get a job in the school. So I ended up there, thought, you know, I'll just finish my CF here and then move over to the hospital. But of course, I ended up staying that position for 14 years. And I really did not enjoy my language disorders course in in grad school because it was so

They threw so much information at you and it really probably should have been three or four courses. that was really, once I got into the schools, that's a huge part of your caseload is language. And then you have to think about literacy on top of that. And it seemed like some of the other areas of therapy that we treat with articulation, fluency, voice, or even some of the things that you might address in adult cognitive rehab, just being in the schools was just,

there were so many different elements that I didn't feel like I knew how to deal with. so I quickly realized that I had to figure out how to handle language therapy and really figure out what my role was on that special ed team, really in literacy, because I kind of felt like I was just grabbing random things off of my shelves. And then you get to the end of the IEP and it's like, what did we even do here when you're filling out your progress updates? I, that,

That's part of why I went back to get my doctorate in special ed. And what that really allowed me to do was kind of customize what I was studying. It's a little bit different when you compare communication sciences and disorders to special ed, because when you're thinking about special ed, you're really thinking about the whole team and all of the whole cluster of special education services and how you fit in within the team. And so that's really where I...

I focused, but my area of research was about vocabulary and metacognition and how we can put supports in place, both in the schools or just what are those language skills that we need to build in order to support comprehension. And so obviously I was focused on literacy. I was in the schools during the time that we were switching from the discrepancy model of identifying students with learning disabilities. So I was really involved on my school team with

Karen (04:13.335)

figuring out what interventions needed to be in place and then was also working on my doctoral work at the same time. And that's really where I put together the first framework that I created that was kind of the first suite of courses that I created for my business. And then I also have expanded that to focus on things like executive functioning, which is really, you're talking beyond the SLP's role, but also just how you work together on that school team.

because really when you're thinking about executive functioning, which applies to language as well, but with executive functioning, you can't not focus on other service delivery models outside of direct intervention. So yeah, that kind of, and then I also have an administrative role right now in the Department of Children and Family Services. doing some other roles in leadership with figuring out how to take, just kind of thinking beyond what do we do when we have

students or clients in front of us and how do we create change in a bigger organization.

Marisha (05:15.514)

that's amazing. You're like the ultimate SLP problem solver. You're helping us figure out how to do intervention and you're helping us figure out how to implement changes in the systems as a whole. That's so cool. I love that. What a fun story. And thank you for...

Karen (05:19.373)

Thank you.

Karen (05:31.531)

Yeah, I like to say I just get bored easily. So I always, you know, have to keep evolving and figuring out a new way to do things. So.

Marisha (05:39.47)

But that is such, like those are such amazing ways to impact the field. So we're lucky to have you. We're lucky that you get bored and that you're like looking at all these different avenues. Yeah. I love it. Okay. So now let's circle back because you have some amazing frameworks that really help reduce the overwhelm for SLPs and help us provide.

Karen (05:47.501)

Thank you. Yeah, a blessing and a curse.

Marisha (06:06.248)

more effective intervention, operate at the top of our license, all of that good stuff. And part of like one of the questions that I get all the time, and I know that there's so much that goes into this, but I wanted to talk a little bit about IEP goals and just kind of, I know you're going to share a little bit of your frameworks and everything as we go through that. But when we're thinking about IEP goals, what does an effective

Karen (06:19.648)

Right.

Karen (06:23.744)

Mm-hmm.

Marisha (06:35.598)

goal look like or what should it include? What are some of the big things that we need to be thinking about as we start, like as we're sitting down looking at an IEP, deciding what the goals are.

Karen (06:44.587)

Yeah, so that's it's I also get that question all the time. So definitely relate. get how do I write goals for this and how do I evaluate whenever I share a framework? It's like, this is different. But so how do I switch my goals? So I when when people ask me that question and I will share some specific set of questions or principles that you can think about when writing goals, because that's where I really like to start rather than a gold bank. Not that I think all gold banks are bad, but I think that if you

jump right to that before you understand the process, then sometimes it can be kind of a bandaid. So just wanted to say that. But where I always start with people before we get to goals is the framework, whether it's language, whether it's executive functioning, because in order for you to understand what is meaningful and relevant and how to measure, you have to understand what you're working on. Now, obviously, it does make sense to start with evaluations. But a lot of times people who come to me

There are clinicians, they're already practicing, so they at least have some knowledge on how to do an evaluation. So I don't feel like I need to start there. Really what we need to do is kind of zoom out and back up. So that's why I don't start with the goals and evaluations. I give the framework first and then it's like, okay, once we understand what we're working on and we can start adjusting your therapy, now we can start working on these goals and now we can start figuring out what you have and how to adjust it. So.

Whenever I teach a framework, what I do with people and how I recommend that they start making updates to their entire system is just because you're doing a new thing in therapy, you're changing the vehicle to get to the end destination, which would be your goals or your outcomes. But just because you're changing the vehicle, like your therapy technique or your framework, doesn't mean you have to change the end destination. you don't have to just...

know, panic and feel like you need to rewrite all of your IEP goals. You can make little adjustments and then update as you go. So that's what I recommend for people. What I really focus on helping people do is figure out how to write goals and just really do intervention for language and executive functioning. And I think we can, I think about writing goals for those two things a little bit differently.

Karen (09:09.213)

where I usually start with people. So I guess I can go through my questions and sort of my highlights of what I can cover today and then we can dive into each specific. So I would say things like language and some of those other things that you're addressing in therapy can be a little bit different than thinking about executive functioning. That would be the first thing. The second thing would be the actual syntax and structure of your goal. And then the other things are how you think about

what should be in the goal versus what should be in accommodations that might help you get to the goal. And then also thinking about, do I want to address a strategy or a specific task or do I want to teach the child to do a specific strategy? And so I want to come back to that last one because I think I'll have to give some more context for people to understand. So

Yeah, should we start with the syntax of goals? So syntax about goals about syntax being really meta here.

Marisha (10:11.502)

I love it. Let's do it.

Karen (10:13.973)

Okay, so, and I actually don't like to, in practice, spend a ton of time thinking about goals, but I get that it's such a headache for people. I always, my philosophy on goals and data is that you want to make sure that you're compliant. You want to make sure that you are, you know, getting enough information that you can make good decisions.

But beyond that, there can be diminishing returns. So you don't want to take away from your therapy. So that's why I like to be really efficient with the frameworks. really, can start with the basic syntax of a goal is client will do x with y. So client will do x, which is your behavior or observable behavior, with y, which is that level of accuracy.

And so I always start with that. And so when you have that basic syntax of the goal, the place that I have people start with first after the framework is thinking about what is that observable behavior. So with something like language, what I usually give people is just kind of a set of things that can go with the specific framework that I teach. It's a lot.

smaller and more condensed than a goal bank, because when you start with just maybe five or six observable behaviors, then you can kind of tweak and customize and go from there rather than having huge drop downs. for example, and I can actually link to some resources rather than getting into really specific things here, but if you're wanting to build vocabulary, one of the goals that I commonly do is just defining and describing

words. So that's something that you can physically see. We're not saying things that are vague that you can't necessarily observe, like comprehend or understand, but defining and describing words with two to three attributes. I can actually see somebody doing that. Or even, and I know this sounds super basic, something like syntax. How can you tell if someone has their syntactic skills intact? They're saying a sentence or they're writing a sentence.

Karen (12:27.755)

Like that's your base observable behavior. Now, of course you might put a specific sentence type in there, but that's what you physically want to see. Or maybe we'll answer a question about a sentence. We'll pull out a morpheme in a word or explain what different word parts mean. We'll be able to segment a word into morpheme. So again, just some basic behaviors that we want to see in order to

show those language skills. And obviously, all of those examples that I gave might make sense to people, obviously, if they're an SLP, but it would make more sense if they had the whole framework. But really, the key takeaway here is what is that observable behavior? And then we can move on to what level of accuracy makes sense here. And I think that where I tend to err is I like trials better than accuracy because

When we think about language and when we think about executive functioning, sometimes it's really hard to measure level of accuracy. So like, if you are working on writing, almost, it almost makes more sense to figure out what are the elements of, of, that I want to see in this paragraph and go and see if they've done all of those elements. And you're kind of like, well, maybe they did the introduction, but not the conclusion and their syntax.

you know, wasn't intact, they, they, cause they sometimes do some, but not all. And so it almost makes more sense to say, like, did they complete the task? Cause you can get through the whole thing maybe once, maybe twice in a therapy session, you're not going to get, you know, all these different trials where you could do 80 to 90%. So when you have those bigger, bigger chunks of things where you're only going to have maybe one, maybe two, three trials per session, it almost,

more often than not, it's easier to track if you go with trials. Now, obviously things with articulation, you can get a lot of trials and then it does make sense to do that percentage, but that's where I go with some of those bigger things where it's a process with a lot of steps. just some things to think about within that syntax.

Marisha (14:42.828)

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. So the basic goal is client will do X with Y. X is the observable behavior and then Y is the level of accuracy. And then yeah, you have lots of other great tips in there, but I won't recap all of them because we have good comprehension here. OK, so that's the syntax side of things. Are we ready to chat about?

Karen (14:51.127)

We'll see.

Karen (15:01.611)

Yes, I hope so.

Marisha (15:10.904)

what should be a goal versus an accommodation.

Karen (15:13.345)

Yes, and I think that kind of that can is a good piggyback to the syntax conversation. So what I've seen people do and get carried away with, and I'm not saying you should never do this because sometimes it's appropriate, but what people sometimes do is put what they do in the goal, like what the clinician is doing versus what the child is doing. So where I recommend people start is what do you want the child to do? That's what the goal is.

And then when people start to put things like given assistance, given a prompt, given, and then they'll start listing out the accommodations that they need. I've seen people write a goal that is a paragraph long with all these accommodations in there. And sometimes that is appropriate. Sometimes you do need to say, this client needs a phonemic cue or whatever it is. Sometimes you might have

they want, they're going to do all of these steps in the task. And the goal is that you want to have them complete the entire task and fade the prompts rather than trying to make the task progressively harder, especially with executive functioning. sometimes does make sense to have the goal be to fade the prompts rather than to work up a hierarchy, which you kind of have to toggle back and forth with some things that we're working on. But,

In those cases, it is appropriate to say with fading prompts. Where it gets really tricky is one, the goal gets really wordy and you almost can't read what the goal actually is. Two, it's kind of vague, which sometimes we do have to settle for things that are a little bit vague, but sometimes I'm like, I ask people, what are you trying to accomplish by putting that in that goal? Are you just...

Do you feel like you need to put it in there? Is it really adding something? Would another clinician pick up this goal and know what that means? Now, of course, again, we can't always guarantee that somebody's gonna pick up your paperwork and know exactly what's happening, but I always, I just encourage people to, when they feel the urge to do that, just figure out what am I trying to accomplish here? Because again, sometimes it's appropriate, but I've seen people get carried away with it.

Karen (17:30.293)

And then the other thing that happens is that people try to put in all these, their accommodations sometimes, like given visual supports, given, you know, a queue, given multiple modes of communication. And they're almost putting things in this goal that you should be just doing anyways, that almost should be more of an accommodation on the IEP that's just globally applied to the student's plan. And they're putting it in all the goals and it's just making the goals wordier. So again, not saying that you should never

link a support or a specific cue to a goal. But I always encourage people to think, hmm, should this be in the goal or should this be an accommodation? And why am I trying to put it in the goal? I think sometimes people are almost, they're putting it in the goal because they're worried that the student is not going to get all the support that they need. Which if that's the case, you don't have a goal writing issue, you have an issue with the team and the leadership and which of course is a much more challenging problem to address. But

But yeah, I always say don't try to fix an issue with your team by trying to focus on your paperwork. Again, this is where it's so, it just depends. And that's why I always encourage people to ask themselves a set of questions rather than be like, this is the way that you do it. Because I used to be more of a, this is the way that you do it person. And you always find situations when that you've got to just understand the nuance.

Marisha (18:57.876)

And there's so much gray in what we do. And then, because I use a similar approach with my goals too. I like to focus on the observable behavior. I just feel like, cause especially it's hard to clearly describe the support. And I feel like a lot of my, I've had a lot of very transient students and I want to make sure that we're having like consistency and continuity across SLPs and.

Karen (19:00.278)

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Karen (19:19.511)

Mm-hmm.

Marisha (19:27.65)

that just felt like the easiest way to accomplish that. But then I know there's a lot of, so when you're like, if you're, I'm just curious in your practice, like when you were writing these types of goals for kiddos, did you, when you're doing progress monitoring, if you have the supports and the accommodations, do you provide the accommodations when you're progress monitoring for the goal or do you do that without support?

Karen (19:30.817)

bright.

Karen (19:57.141)

It kind of depends on where I want the student to be. I mean, to be honest, in practice, you kind of toggle back and forth. It's because in your session, you're always just, you're right there and it's like, do I need to jump in? Do I need to back up? And so we do that in practice anyways. And that's another thing where it's, well, this is what you should be doing in therapy. So you don't necessarily have to explain all of it in your goal. The goal should be something that is a meaningful.

Marisha (20:16.355)

Mm-hmm.

Karen (20:26.421)

way to give a picture or a snapshot. You know, I, if when I was actually in just like practicing, I would usually do both in the session and have both depending on where the child was. And then the goal would just be like, would, I would take the data and actually write down what was actually relevant to what was on paper.

Now, I would say if I knew the child was going to get such a low level of accuracy without the support, I would be asking myself the question of one, should I actually be taking data and putting a prompt in the goal or should I making the goal easier? Again, that's the question of does it make sense to try to get the child to do it and have the goal be to have them do the whole task?

Or does it make sense to expect less and take the prompting out of the goal or change the level of accuracy? And so a specific example that comes up for some of the students or the SLPs that are going through My Language Therapy Advanced program is that if we're doing semantic feature analysis and we're doing like state in the category and the function and the attributes and we're trying to get students to use self questioning to describe

multiple things about a word and the goal is maybe you want them to give you at least three to four different attributes. A lot of times people are like well should I make the goal to be just do one? Should I only make goals about categories? And I usually start with see if you can get as many different attributes at once or like see what you can get from the students even though we know that there's a hierarchy within those skills. We know that category is more difficult than stating a function.

for example. So, but just see what you can get from students and then, you know, let that be your guide for determining how much needs to be in that goal as far as like you make it difficult, more or less difficult. And I think the other thing that I would add in here to help you figure out some of these questions is that you can do therapy and try some of these things as part of your evaluation in addition to the formal assessments.

Karen (22:53.567)

as part of a dynamic assessment is measuring things like test, retest, and the ability to respond to some interventions to see what would be an appropriate goal for this task. And that's why it's important to have your framework first because sometimes your framework can actually give you additional processes that you can use in your evaluations, especially with executive functioning, where it's even harder to measure that the language.

I actually have a couple tools that I teach where I recommend that be part of your evaluation because you're really going to get a very limited picture from rating scales and standard assessments that are available for executive functioning, which of course is true for language as well, but is even more true for some of those other cognitive skills. I think you asked me the question of, I think you asked me about, I take data on

Marisha (23:42.446)

Yeah.

Karen (23:49.429)

if I did the prompt or not. Yeah, I mean, I always took as much, like gave as much information as I thought was relevant within that context. Like what is gonna give a good picture of the progress that we've made, so.

Marisha (24:05.526)

Yeah, and I like to, I feel like we have a similar approach, but I like to have that data without the support because then like every SLP will, especially if like it's a really clear goal, every SLP will be able to take data and it'll be pretty consistent. So then we have like a better measure of progress over time. And then

Karen (24:23.841)

Right.

Marisha (24:31.17)

Like in my therapy sessions, I'm always documenting what types of supports were helpful. And, yeah, so I like having both of those pieces of data. I think there's benefits to having both. I also like having like a nice simple goal because it just, it's easier to keep track of.

Karen (24:43.906)

Yeah.

Karen (24:47.915)

I know. Yeah. I mean, I always start with simple, you know, start with simple and then you can make it more specific as you work with the client.

Marisha (24:56.002)

Mm-hmm. Yep. Yeah, and I know there's different youth. Like, we get to live in the gray a lot, as SLPs. So that makes sense that there are definitely cases when we do want to do things a little bit differently.

Karen (25:04.525)

Mm-hmm.

Karen (25:12.365)

And that's another way that you could, when people are like, how do I avoid writing the same goal every year? Is, you know, then you might specify, like for the example that I gave, define and describe using the category or take the prompts away. Like that's another way you can make the goal harder, but still be working on the same skill.

Marisha (25:17.358)

Mm-hmm.

Marisha (25:31.886)

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And we do want to see change in our goals over time. We could also increase the level of accuracy or like the trials, like providing one out of five descriptors or whatever, however we want to word that. But yeah, so we have, and we have so many options and we get to be problem solvers and figure out all the things. Okay. So that makes sense.

Karen (25:41.057)

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Karen (25:47.885)

Mm-hmm.

Karen (25:54.007)

Yeah.

Marisha (25:58.71)

I love that distinction between the goals versus the accommodations and that as a strategy to consider. So the third thing you mentioned was, we addressing a strategy or teaching a specific task? So can we dive into that a little bit?

Karen (26:15.201)

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So I have changed the way that I teach this over the years. So I went, so I had my, again, communication sciences and disorders where we are very much like, you know, 80 % accuracy and it was very structured. And then in the special ed program, it was very much about smart goals and observable. And so that idea was reinforced.

in me and, you know, multiple programs. And I, when I first started teaching my language therapy framework, I even went to the level of specificity, which I actually still use this explanation, but I give additional context. But I would say, here's a bit, here is a verb that you can observe. And here is a verb that is a little bit clearer, but not as much. And then here is something that is really vague. Cause people would say things like,

will demonstrate understanding, which is kind of vague. Instead of saying, well, point to a picture, we'll identify a picture, we'll say a word, things that you can actually observe. Those principles still apply for many things. With language, we can often define those observable behaviors, like are they saying a sentence, are they writing a sentence or a word?

Are they saying sentences with certain sentence types or giving you specific attributes? Or I'm trying to think of a couple other ones. Again, even following directions, which again, following directions goals that can be a whole conversation about the purpose of them and when they're appropriate and whether you're just focused on vocabulary or compliance, whole other conversation. But again, you can still observe somebody doing that. And if you understand what you're working on, that could be appropriate because you're assessing comprehension now.

So all of those things, and that's where I start with language. But where it gets trickier is with executive functioning, because when people think about executive functioning, they're so focused on the external behavior. Is the folder organized? Did they complete the steps? Are they able to wait their turn? And are they able to stay on topic? Which it's not that those things are irrelevant, but

Karen (28:37.227)

They are very, again, external symptoms of things that are internal processes. And if you're focused on those behaviors and you don't really understand that really when we're working on executive functioning, we're thinking about our ability to use self-talk, our ability to sense the passage of time and think into the future and utilize episodic memory to go back, think back on past experiences and apply them to future and then use language to visualize steps.

and say language to ourselves about those steps to engage in that goal, directed behavior and envision this end goal and figure out what should I be doing now to get myself to this end goal. So it's very internal. so while I used to be a person that was like, just like I used to say for writing, which is something that involves a lot of executive functioning, I would say, so a graphic organizer and the getting ready is just like,

That's the process, the end goal is that we want to have the five paragraph essay or whatever it is. And I used to say, this is your end goal, this is what you should write on the IEP. And, cause I would see goals for like, we'll fill out graphic organizer or, know, things like that. And I used to say, don't worry about the process, just worry about the end goal. Now I say, think about both.

especially when you're working on executive functioning, because the reason that kids can't get to this end goal is because they have a difficult time with the planning and the thinking and the brainstorming and the gathering of materials and the articulating the steps in a process. So that's where I have changed how I explain goals and where I, I would say it's even more important to think about the external end product that you want.

and the process and the strategy that you use to get to the end goal. Now you could use the same philosophy for language as well, but it is really important with executive functioning because people tend to be very focused on the wrong things if you only focus on the end or tend to be so focused on writing this essay that you don't realize that you're prompting your students so much with constant questions when they should be.

Karen (31:01.341)

using self questioning and planning and using strategies to do that themselves. And that's where we get into, you know, either making students, not giving enough support for students and leaving them very frustrated or prompting them so much that they never learned to be independent. So yeah, that's the soap box there. So where we want to think about both, but again, you always want to ask yourself the question, what is the point of what I'm doing? Like, does it make sense to focus on

a strategy to get to this end product or do I focus on the end product or do I focus on both?

Marisha (31:38.338)

Yeah, that's great. and so, cause I love how your, your, like what you teach has kind of evolved over the time, over the years. And as we get new information and as we get to see more examples and all of that, but yeah, that makes sense that we want to think about the, the process and the end goal. And we may.

Karen (31:50.829)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Marisha (32:06.784)

or may not want to include both of those intervals.

Karen (32:09.033)

Mm hmm. And sometimes you might be, you know, collaborating with your team members, like writing. A lot of times the special ed teacher was working on that, but I knew she was working on it so we could figure out who's doing what. And, you know, how are we both supporting this in different ways?

Marisha (32:27.118)

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. So was there anything else that you wanted to add around...

Karen (32:34.34)

well that could be a whole other podcast, I mean, can share what I wanted to do. I can share a couple of resources to just give some more specific examples. Cause we've talked a little high level. I know I've given some examples of goals, but it really does help when people can see what are specific examples of executive functioning goals and tasks and frameworks. So.

What I can do is that I can share some resources where people can start to learn about the framework, which is where I always start. And then I can also share some links of articles and things that will give some specific tips about goals and specific examples, which is what I also do after I teach the framework. So I do have my language therapy training. People can sign up for that at drkarenspeech.com backslash language, and then the executive functioning training.

People can sign up for that at drkarendudekbrannon.com backslash EF leadership. And those are both free trainings. And then there's information about some of my paid trainings at the very end for people who are interested in learning more.

Marisha (33:43.694)

Perfect. So we will add those links to the show notes. Yeah, I think I love a good framework and I think you've got some really great resources for SLPs to help them because you're so right. We need to have that framework built and then we can implement the strategies. And I think it'll just make this whole conversation make just a little bit more sense. Cool. So.

Karen (33:54.957)

Thank you.

Karen (34:06.101)

Right, exactly.

Marisha (34:10.976)

Yeah, no, this was super helpful. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time. It's always a pleasure to get to learn from you. And then, yeah, thank you to, if you've listened this far, thanks for joining us and hanging out with us as we nerd out about IEP goals.

Karen (34:20.151)

Thank you.

Karen (34:29.537)

Thanks for having me.

Marisha (34:31.052)

Yeah, have a good one.

How to Collect Parent Input for IEPs

March 3, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

Welcome to another episode of the SLP Now podcast!

Today, Marisha and Wendy Taylor discuss how to effectively collect parent input!

In this episode of the SLP Now podcast, Marisha and Wendy Taylor discuss the complexities of special education, focusing on the importance of parent input statements in the IEP process. Wendy shares her journey as an educational therapist and the challenges parents face when navigating IEP meetings. The conversation emphasizes the need for effective communication between parents and educators, strategies for gathering valuable feedback, and the significance of collaboration to support students’ needs.

Takeaways from This Episode

Wendy Taylor emphasizes the importance of parent input in the IEP process.
Parents often feel overwhelmed during IEP meetings, even if they have a background in special education.
Data-driven decisions are crucial for effective IEPs.
Parent input statements should be submitted in writing to ensure they are included in the IEP.
Parents should articulate their child’s short-term and long-term goals during IEP meetings.
Building trust with parents is essential for effective collaboration.
Gathering data from various environments (home, school, community) is important for a comprehensive understanding of the child.
Using creative methods like video documentation can provide valuable insights into a child’s behavior and needs.
Regular check-ins with parents can enhance communication and support.
The ultimate goal is to create a supportive environment that fosters student growth and independence.

Wendy’s Additional GLP Resources

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

How is that possible, you ask?

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

Join thousands of SLPs and get the support you need

Subscribe to the SLP Now podcast and stay tuned for our next series. We’re kicking off September by helping you get your data collection, paperwork, and therapy planning processes in tip-top shape!

Listen to The SLP Now Podcast on Apple ★ Spotify ★ Google ★ Stitcher ★ Castbox or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

Marisha (00:01.332)

Hello there and welcome to the SLP Now podcast. I'm really excited to introduce our guest for today. We have Wendy Taylor joining us and she is a certified educational therapist, Orton Gillingham practitioner and IEP coach. And she does some really amazing work empowering families and professionals to help them navigate the complexities of special education.

she also has an amazing podcast, special ed strategists. So go check that out if you haven't already. know you're going to want to hear more from her after listening to this episode. and she's also the founder of learning essentials. And I mean, there's, won't be able to do her bio justice in this. so I'm going to turn it over to Wendy. So first of all, welcome to the podcast.

Wendy Taylor (00:57.016)

Thank you so much for having me. think it's an important conversation that we're going to have today. So I'm looking forward to chatting and hopefully passing on some knowledge that your listeners can then impart to the folks that they support, whether it's their own personal kiddos or the kiddos that they support out in the professional realm.

Marisha (01:15.976)

Yeah. and then I'm curious, cause I read a little bit of your bio, but I'd love to hear from like interviewees on just like how they got to where they are today. so what led you to become like an educational therapist and kind of diving into this niche of supporting parents and professionals. yeah, just tell us a little bit about your story and how you got.

Wendy Taylor (01:42.786)

Let's do it. All right. So my background is in special education. My first gig was high school juvenile delinquents in the special education self-contained. And I loved it. I loved that no two days were the same. I loved being consistent and supportive of these kiddos and the families that were part of these kiddos' lives. Fast forward, I am a mama of three when I first had our first son, who's now 19.

I was just really actually tutoring and supporting families for kind of grocery money. kind of kid on that one, but yeah, just kind of, got stepped away from the direct day-to-day in the school system. And then my phone kept ringing. So after a second, the phone kept ringing. My husband's like, know, build a business. And so I really took that to heart of kind of more of this holistic approach in bridging learning gaps and helping families access special education services.

Fast forward a little bit more, our middle son who is now completely healthy, he was five and he's a brain cancer survivor. And so at that moment, I then had to sit at this IEP table as a parent and I knew going in, right? You know the players, you know that it's like walking into a cocktail party and everybody stops and looks at the parent and I knew all of this and I knew that

who was going to be at the table. knew the actual paperwork, the whole process, and I was a wreck. It is very hard when you come from that place of fear and love as a parent. And that really just ignited my desire to further help parents coordinate special education services. And where I found a gap was there's lots of IEP coaches, there's lots of advocates out there that help parents with their actual IEP, but so many

families were coming to me and saying, my kid didn't qualify because they had good grades. They didn't qualify for an IEP because they had good grades. And I was like, all right, this is a void in the market of understanding how to advocate as a parent, right? Because when we think about getting an IEP, you think about bell to bell and thinking about all the elements that impact a student. And so really thinking, how can I better serve parents?

Wendy Taylor (04:06.154)

in this capacity and then what we're talking about today in terms of parent input statements so that you can really make a support for your kiddo that truly reflects who your kiddo is. And I think that's incredibly important. So that's kind of what got me here today.

Marisha (04:26.11)

Yeah. Well, thank you so much for sharing that. And it's, I think this is really important. I mean, a lot of what you shared is, I'm, I don't know, there's so much gold in there, but one thing that really stood out to me was you had experience in special education and you had done the paperwork and gone through all of those steps as a professional.

but it was still overwhelming as a parent and you knew all the acronyms and the lingo and all of that. So like to then I think that helps us put ourselves in parent's shoes if they don't have that background and there's still all of the emotion around their like have that IEP process for their child. Like that's really important to think about.

Wendy Taylor (05:16.8)

It really is. I think it is because you think about your kiddo at school, right? And whether they have an active IEP, you're seeking an active IEP, seeking an IEP as a parent, you have to be able to articulate beyond just emotion. You have to be able to sit at that table and really think of it, which sounds kind of disorient not disoriented, but you know, disconnected in the sense that it's

It really is a business meeting, right? Because it's based in law and data will drive placement, data is going to drive needs. And so if you come in as a parent with your own data through your parent input cement, that's incredibly powerful for you to then have some leverage at the table, even though it is nerve wracking, it is anxiety filled.

even to the best of us, right? So to have that information and again, thinking about Bell to Bell, you think about, you're, and folks that are listening are probably like, well, I'm not in school with them. And so I'd like to kind of just talk about how to collect data so that you can then create a strong parent input statements. But when I say Bell to Bell, think about your kid from the time they get to school, if they're on the bus.

Think about the bus ride. Think about hallways, transitions, the classes that they're taking. I want you to think about lunch, recess, specials, any of those things and thinking about processing memory and attention as it relates to that school setting. But then also think about your kid in the home and in the community, right? So if we think about those three areas, how do they...

respond and react and all of those things at home and at school and in the community so that you can start to pull all that information together. So that when it's time to present that to the team, you have it in an articulate form that they can, you can start to pull data from.

Marisha (07:34.196)

Yeah, that's great. then, so, because today we're going to chat about, you started diving into it a little bit, but we're going to chat about parent input statements. And I love what you said about like parents can contribute their own data because the decisions are data-based. But just to like make sure we're all on the same page, like what is a parent input statement? Where does it go in the IEP?

and just like from, and we're speaking to school-based SLPs, so I think we have some idea, but just to make sure we're all on the same page.

Wendy Taylor (08:13.57)

Right, so a parent input statement is going to be asked because of our federal law IDEA, parents need to be part of the process, whether it is seeking an IEP or a current active IEP. And so prior to an IEP, you should receive something that is a form depending on your district that's asked.

for how are things going? Like what are you thinking? And if it's a kid transitioning, what's going on? And kind of getting some general idea. I, through my years, have had parents say, I've never received that, or they didn't really ask a lot. Does it really go in the IEP? There's a place in the IEP, again, depending on your state and your district, where it should go. But it should be, if you think about our...

baseline for starting an IEP evaluation, meaning like your yearly or annual or whatever, present level of performance. So the school is going to come together. They're going to say, this is where your child is performing in the school day. And then parents should have their input as well. And I think you can, if you did not receive anything, I would encourage you to reach out to that IEP coordinator, case manager, whomever you are in contact with.

about your kiddos IEP, ask them, is there a specific way for me to submit my parent input statement? And I say that because I want you to submit it in writing so that it can, and request that it is part of that IEP so that it becomes a part of the living document that will then be reflected and measured throughout the year and then passed on from years prior for moving forward, I should say. And so making sure that it's in

writing would be the key and making sure that you as a parent then have the time. So now that if you're listening to this and you're encouraging your parents to do this, so they have time to really form their thoughts and how they see their kiddo. And I always say, think about short term. So big picture, little picture, think about six months. Where do you see your kiddo? Where do you see your kiddo in a year? Where do you see your kiddo in three years? Where do you see your kiddo in five years? And we know that we have an annual IEP.

Wendy Taylor (10:32.194)

but I think it's important for parents to start to put that down. So if there are services or elements that need to be on a wait list for, or if you're not sure about moving forward, if you're transitioning from, know, transitioning into kindergarten, into sixth grade, ninth grade, and then after you graduate so that you're really starting to be forward thinking in where this kiddo's growth should take place, needs to take place, where we want to see the kiddo

and how independent can we have our kiddo. So these ideas and people on the team may have different ideas from you. And so kind of coming to that collaborative piece of this is my baby, I'm the consistent person at the IP table. This is where I see my kiddo again in the short term and long term areas. And of course that's gonna change, right? As our kiddos master skills and build and grow, we want those visions to change.

but as a parent really ensuring and then hopefully eventually your kiddo can be that advocate and speak of where they want to go and where they want to see each other so that you're mapping out the courses, you're mapping out the resources, you're mapping out what do you have in the community so you can really start to build this broader support system.

Marisha (11:49.416)

Yeah, I love that. so you talked about how like federal IDAA law says that we need to involve parents in the process. So that's obviously a strong reason for why we want to have those parent input statements. And then you're also saying that if parents are able to share like their vision for their child, like what are the short and long term goals?

Knowing what's important to the parent can help the IEP team, like the teacher and the speech therapist, the OTPT, whoever's involved, that can help direct our goal setting to make sure that it's really meaningful and impactful. Are there any other reasons why you think that the parent input statements are particularly important, or do you feel like that covers it? It's required by law and it helps direct the team.

Are there any other benefits?

Wendy Taylor (12:47.992)

So it's also a great way because as a parent, I may, you know, in my family, we may see a different direction for our kiddo that may differ from what the school feels like they see. And so that's one part, right? So that you can then make sure we're aligning that conversation. Then there's times where there's a lot of things to work on, right? So the kid, like you just mentioned, a kid may have...

as speech services and OT services and maybe behavioral services. So they may have this big comprehensive IEP. And I think it begs the question of what are we prioritizing? Because we can't work, if we put goals on everything for multiple goals on many different areas, sometimes they kind of get washed out. So I think it begs the question for parents of, I was asked like, if you had a magic wand, right?

Again, once you start collecting the data in the areas, and we can talk about that, like the different areas again, a little bit more focused on. But once you have that data, what do we want to prioritize? Whether it's for this IP cycle, but maybe it's not even the whole cycle. What do we want to prioritize now? And then can we reconvene? So what can we do? What do we want to prioritize as our focus to help us get to this bigger picture goal of where

we, kiddo included, see themselves moving. And then from there, we can really make sure that we are drilling down on our goals and the services and the accommodations and the support for that student. And so even as an SLP, as you're calling a parent to say, hey, know, I see we have this IEP scheduled, I'll be at the meeting, you know, I've collected this, you know, however you want to say it, asking, what do you see as a priority?

and us working together with your kiddo. And I think that's really important. Sometimes when we as providers, and I even I say that just being a part of the public school system for a long time and writing IEPs and supporting families, sometimes it surprises you of like, what do you see as a priority? And so having that engagement also then broadens this trust.

Wendy Taylor (15:10.196)

of this conversation with a family. They're going to say, okay, well, they're really listening instead of just saying, all right, here's the data, here's what your kid can do, here's what your kid can't do next meeting. And so I think it really then opens up a broader relationship of trust and conversation so that we can ultimately better support a student.

Marisha (15:33.886)

Yeah, that's huge. Cause you mentioned at the beginning that even as someone with a background in special education, the IEP meeting was still really overwhelming. But if you can walk in and know that your input was taken into consideration and that it's actively being discussed and reviewed and integrated into that discussion and into the IEP, I bet that would really alleviate some of that anxiety.

Wendy Taylor (16:02.966)

Yeah, absolutely. Because I think as parents, again, you have that fear and love and you may not understand the whole process and you may lean to the school for it. But I, it does, you know, I think about the IPs that I've been in as a parent, and how important it has been for me to have a resource provider or an IP team member reach out and say, you know, what are you thinking? What are you seeing? Or I you know, what would you like?

to be a part of it. And that makes you feel more of a team player than this like, I'm on an island, I'm in this, you know, silo operating by myself. And it is a lot that especially if you have a complex kid, whether it's medical needs or just a complex learning pattern. Oftentimes parents feel overwhelmed and exhausted because they are now if especially if you have private therapist, then you have your school based therapist and you're really trying to be that quarterback for your kiddo and

pulling all this information together. But I think having that knowledge of writing a powerful input statement and really keeping it organized. using the notes app on your phone, you can just put something in. But I think it's really important to kind of think about who your kiddo is and what that looks like and how do we prioritize that to then get better services for that kid.

Marisha (17:28.734)

Yeah, I love that. And you've already shared some tips around like gathering input from parents. So I love the and not every parent will get to work with you and have your support in building that statement. And I like I personally really like to send out a form to parents because I feel like the majority of parents if I were to say, OK, send me your input statement, they would be like, and super anxious.

Wendy Taylor (17:55.278)

And that's what it is, right? Yeah, that input statement when you see it, it's just going to be a couple of lines like, how's your kid doing this year? It's more open-ended and it seems overwhelming. having a form ahead of time and hopefully somebody's taking notes and just kind of thinking about these elements to document the data for your kiddo.

Marisha (17:58.61)

you

Wendy Taylor (18:24.782)

which does again, sound kind of counterintuitive when it's your baby and you just want to love up on them and snuggle them and make everything roses and unicorns and to then have to be more sterile and be like, I've got to cut that data. It doesn't have to be that, but I think you parents do need to understand all of this element, like the shell again, bell to bell so that you can then have a stronger IEP and stronger IEP goals.

Marisha (18:51.358)

Yeah. Yeah. And I love the idea of like, I'm going to make sure that this is included every time I send out an input form. And I think it might, it, depending on the parent, it might be, cause just for time sake, I think it is easier to send out a form. And then that helps scaffold it, but we can ask follow up questions like during the IEP and or just like,

a quick phone call or whatnot to fill in some of that extra detail. But I love the question of like, where do you see your student in six months or five years and kind of thinking short term and long term. I feel like that would give us some really, really great information that we can use to help parents craft that. And then I love the question you posed, like if you had a magic wand, like what?

Wendy Taylor (19:36.558)

Yeah.

Marisha (19:47.968)

How would you use it or what would it look like? Like what would you do for your student? Is there anything else that you would, like any other types of questions or things that, like strategies that SLPs can use to like get that really valuable feedback from parents?

Wendy Taylor (20:06.882)

Yeah, I think both as an SLP and a parent, thinking about kind of behavior and emotional regulation, right? So are there triggers? Are there coping strategies? What are the kiddos' emotional reactions? What are the teachers saying? I think that's important. I think when you're thinking about if a student is on medication,

What does it look like when they're off medication? What does that look like when they're on medication? Especially during homework time, think that's a really valuable part as well. And that kind of leads me into thinking about that academic component with learning needs, right? So is there a subject specific challenge?

Is it difficulty with reading or writing? then specifically as a parent, if you understand that, or even as an SLP, if you're working with a kid, is it reading fluency as a comprehension? What are you seeing that you can add to their present level of performance, which is going to help that parent input statement for that guidance? If a student, as a parent, if you have a student and you're seeing these needs, you can also do a quick little video of them reading.

or a quick little video of them getting frustrated with writing or their physical aspect of writing so that you can then show the team of like, this is what home looks like for us. Because we also have students that mask during the day and come off as not as impacted, but then they get home and they're tired. And so really thinking about how we can better put in accommodations and support so that they don't have to be so

tapped out by the time that they get home, right? And then what does homework completion look like and understanding and also thinking about at home, you know, what is nice to know? And if we're having to do homework, what is nice to know what is needed to know? So in the event that, you maybe we can reduce some of this workload for the kiddo and then thinking about sensory, physical and movement means having those conversations. So if you are with your student,

Wendy Taylor (22:15.832)

during the day providing services. As an SLP, are they a sensory seeker? Are they a sensory avoider? Do they become overwhelmed? What does that look like in the cafeteria or tactile or classroom materials? What are their physical comfort and needs? What do their motor skills look like?

And even I think as an SLP, can still observe those skills, right? So we're not necessarily an OT or a PT when we're talking about this, but I think it's important to bring to the table because again, bell to bell, community and home, it's all gonna come together needing support, right? And then cognitive processing and executive function, right? What does task initiation look like? What does memory look like and attention?

planning, organization, and time management. These are all life skills that can receive support under NIAP. And then what is their self-advocacy and independence? think as a parent, that's really important to add to that parent input statement. Are they able to complete tasks independently? Are they able to seek help? What does their daily routine look like? And what I find as parents then

say, I'm actually doing a lot for them. I'm structuring their time. have a landing pad for them when they come home and they put all their stuff and then they set it up the night before so then they can leave with all their organized information. Or taking a shower, I've had to do a picture chart for my kiddo so that they have these hygiene skills built in. expressing that to the team.

so that you can then think creatively of what support can we, know, free and appropriate education, of course, but what can we do in a school setting to build these capacities? And then, you know, obviously as an SLP, you're thinking of that verbal, nonverbal communication. Do they have an AAC device? What does their listening comprehension look like? And then thinking about peer relationships. What does unstructured time look like? You know, go out and see what recess looks like.

Wendy Taylor (24:30.83)

If any of you have been on the recess, out at recess or even in the cafeteria, sometimes it's a little bit like Lord of the Flies. So just seeing how that kiddo interacts, but I think those conversations are important for parents and then to be part, but also as your parent input statement, having that information in there so that it is documented. And then emotional regulation, mental health, what are some triggers, coping strategies, concerns?

And then, like I said, know, do a time lapse documentation if you're thinking about out of the box data tracking strategies, maybe a photo journal, again, a medication and behavior correlation. So kind of start putting your sleuthing hat on of what does that look like and thinking that through. And like you said, then from there, asking those questions, we've now we've painted a picture of this student.

Right? We've got a lot. Now, not all categories are going to fit for every kid, but at least it kind of hopefully gets some juices flowing for parents and providers to think about these things that really make this whole approach and support for a student. And then asking those questions of, okay, from this information, we have our strengths and our pockets of vulnerability. From those pockets of vulnerability, you know, I've even had parents take sticky notes and write on

like what, you know, each sticky note would have one item that they wouldn't want to work on and then have kind of that sticky note party concept of like, all right, I'm going to make a vision board and I'm going to kind of again, prioritize of like, if this is my area of communication, this is what I would like as a parent, I really want to work on, you know, X, Y, and Z. If this is education, academics, this is what I want to work on. And then

again, then you can prioritize. then you're really empowered when you come to that table as a parent. You can say, here's all the areas. This is what we see at home. This is what I'm seeing when this child comes home. This is what I'm seeing in the community. This is what I'm seeing at homework time. we need to, how do we better support this? And then kind of come up with some out of the box ways so that I'm always thinking of trying to support families in the sense that they don't have,

Wendy Taylor (26:51.278)

educators would love something that they're not recreating the wheel, right, or providers. And so as a parent, what can we do to support a kid with free and appropriate education in a way that is not an extra added task on that provider's plate? And so how can we really support this kiddo and the provider at the same sense of understanding and grace?

That was a lot of information I just threw out.

Marisha (27:22.376)

Yeah, no, this is a great list of like areas to look at and questions to ask. and I love the ideas of different types of data that parents can share. like as an SLP, I would love to see a video of, cause I request that for some evaluations, especially for younger kiddos, like for language sampling purposes. But it would be, I feel like it would be helpful for any age just to get to see like.

Wendy Taylor (27:50.828)

Yeah.

Marisha (27:52.094)

what does it look like at home? just to get some, like that's a beautiful data point. And the same thing with the photo journal and.

Wendy Taylor (27:59.63)

And I would say as a parent, I would recommend you do it when the kid's not knowing that they're being recorded because your response is going to be more authentic, right? And then if they're not, you know, if you're like, hey, I'm going to start to record you reading, then their response is very different. You know, it could be an anxiety producing or whatever that may be. But I think if you can kind of put it on the slide. And so then you really see the true environment at home and what the kiddo is trying to navigate.

Marisha (28:05.672)

Okay.

Marisha (28:13.738)

Thank

Marisha (28:29.694)

Yeah, no, that's great. And then I think this will be my last question, but just as a parent, kind of, because you've gone through the process as a parent, like did anything stand out to you that anyone did during the process that like was particularly helpful in like including your feedback or just anything that stood out to you?

Wendy Taylor (28:57.164)

Yeah, I think it's important. I really appreciate the providers that got us I got a sense that they understood my kid, right. And I got a sense that they were on my kiddos side, right. And so, you know, when you're asking kids to do hard things, they may not feel as warm and fuzzy with their energy towards you.

And that can be complicated, but I would, I think it's really important to highlight that communication piece from a parent of communicating again to whether it's the provider, the SLP, the OT, the PT, or the school, the IEP coordinator, the classroom teacher of what is going on so that there is an ongoing dialogue.

And so that that parent input statement is really having a conversation and a growth of an organic process throughout the time. So it's not just like, I haven't heard from, you know, so and so's mom, but here's the IEP or parent, here's the IEP time and let's get all this information. So I think having that flow of communication and that check-in of, you know, not even, you know,

before the quarterly progress notes are gonna go home, right? And so that way you can have like, hey, know, checking in, whether it's monthly, you know, but I do recognize SLP, you guys have a ginormous caseload and it really is not always the easiest to be able to check in with a parent. But I think if you can kind of set up some sort of organized system to check in with that parent and have a little bit of a conversation.

whether it's before the IEP, before you see their parent input statement, and just even looking at before progress notes go home of like, hey, this is what we said we wanted to work on. We've highlighted this, we're making progress. Hey, can we add another objective or goal to broaden what we're doing? Or, hey, we have this goal set and I'm not seeing that we're getting much progress. Can we kind of have a conversation and maybe break that goal down a little bit?

Marisha (31:20.968)

Yeah, no, I love that. And I keep saying that. You have so many good pieces of information. But yeah, I...

Wendy Taylor (31:28.014)

I feel like I'm going on a contingent. I know we're talking about one thing, but I'm like, and then this thought, this thought, but yes.

Marisha (31:33.554)

Yeah, so good. And I think that some of the takeaways that I had here were just that, like, and there's different ways that we can accomplish this. But I think it really is important that parents feel like we understand their kiddo and that we're on their kiddo side. And I think asking these questions and listening and incorporating their feedback are all ways that we can do that.

And yeah, I really appreciated you kind of sharing that experience. And I think it makes a lot of sense to check in. Like another way that we can accomplish that is checking in not just right before the IEP when we need to have this, just like fill in this slot on the IEP. But if we're able to check in with parents throughout the year. And we actually have an episode.

or we have some episodes where we've talked about communicating with parents. So I can add those in the show notes. And Wendy, if you have any other resources, I can link those as well. Yeah, this episode, go ahead.

Wendy Taylor (32:42.914)

Yeah, because I've done some solo episodes of a parent input statement and talking about the quarterly progress as well, that that may be of help.

Marisha (32:55.36)

Okay, yeah, yeah, so I'll link to those episodes for sure. And then, yeah, this episode has been full of so many great tips and resources. Is there anything that you wanted to share before we close out?

Wendy Taylor (33:12.658)

I think just trying to make those connections with the family and just thinking about that parent heart as well. again, I know when we're head down and trying to get all the paperwork done and, you know, collecting all your data as an SLP and a professional, it then can sometimes seem like one more added thing. But there's a lot of cool technology that we can also utilize that I'm sure you talk about in terms of having those conversations with parents, whether it's

an app or electronic folder or something of that nature to kind of really keep and then your programs that you offer so that SLPs can then communicate with other SLPs so they don't feel like they're recreating the wheel is empowering.

Marisha (33:58.846)

Yeah, and I think we can definitely build systems to make this process a lot easier. And then it does take some time, but it is required. So it's something we have to do. We have to incorporate the parent feedback. So we might as well do a good job. I think it can really, by having all of this data right off the bat, I think it can really help.

make the IEP process much easier if the parent is feeling hurt, if they're at ease, it'll be just like an easier, more collaborative process. We'll be able to like help the student make faster progress and just come up with a better plan together. So I think it really is a very valuable use of our time. And it's.

Like it's a really meaningful activity. It's not just like, let's check this out. Like we can really use this to our advantage and have it make a really meaningful impact. So.

Wendy Taylor (35:02.446)

And we need more folks that think that way at an IEP table just to kind of, again, as a parent, just kind of, you know, lower the anxiety and feel like, yeah, they get my kiddo and they're ready to, let's work together on this, that we're a team.

Marisha (35:21.15)

Yeah, yeah, and these, this whole episode has been full of strategies to accomplish that. And then, yeah, like I said, I think that can really make our IEP meetings more effective and it just makes it a better process for everyone involved. Yeah, Wendy, thank you so much for your time today. This was really helpful and I'll link to your, like,

to your podcast and your website. You have a great Instagram account as well. So I'll share all of those resources in the show notes. And yeah, thank you again for your time and thank you to everyone who listened.

Wendy Taylor (36:04.095)

Thank you for having me, but my pleasure. Thank you.

AAC and Gestalt Language Processing: How to Support GLPs Who Use AAC

February 25, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

As school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs), we often encounter students with complex communication needs. Understanding and effectively supporting these students can require a deep dive into both Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Gestalt Language Processing (GLP).

In this episode, we’ll explore expert insights from Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP, a specialist in AAC with over 15 years of experience in school and medical settings. Laura has played a key role in educating SLPs about the intersection of AAC and GLP, emphasizing the importance of robust AAC systems, rich intonation, and qualitative data collection.

“We need to remember that gestalt language processing is not a diagnosis. It’s more than just spoken scripts. It’s how someone actually processes language.”

– Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP

Laura’s AAC Resources:

Laura’s Website

Laura’s Instagram

AAC In the Cloud

AAC Course by Meaningful Speech

What is Gestalt Language Processing?

Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) is a way some individuals acquire and use language. Unlike analytic language processors who learn language by stringing together individual words, gestalt processors learn in chunks or scripts before breaking them down into smaller, more flexible units.

As Laura Hayes explains:

– Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP

Key Characteristics of GLP:

Learns language in whole phrases or scripts before breaking them down.
Uses intonation and melody as primary cues rather than individual words.
Often repeats favorite media phrases or social scripts before forming original speech.
Moves through distinct stages of language development.

Understanding these characteristics is crucial for SLPs working with minimally speaking or non-speaking students, as well as those using AAC. In the next section, we’ll break down the stages of Gestalt Language Processing and how to recognize them.

What is Gestalt Language Processing?

Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) is a unique way some individuals acquire and use language. Unlike the more traditional analytic language processing, where children learn language word-by-word, gestalt processors acquire language in larger chunks or “gestalts”—such as phrases, scripts, or entire sentences.

Why is GLP Important for SLPs?

Understanding GLP is crucial because many autistic individuals and other students with complex communication needs process language this way. Instead of focusing on single words first, these individuals extract meaning from longer phrases and eventually break them down into smaller, flexible word combinations.

“Gestalt language processing is a natural process of how someone can learn language… It’s not a treatment method, but it’s really important to understand because it impacts how we can provide implementation supports and strategies.”

– Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP

To support these students effectively, SLPs must recognize the stages of GLP and adapt AAC strategies accordingly.

Stages of Gestalt Language Processing

Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) happens in stages, moving from memorized scripts to flexible, self-generated language. Instead of learning words individually, gestalt processors acquire language in chunks before breaking them down into smaller, meaningful units.

Here’s a quick overview:

Stage 1: Uses whole scripts or echolalia.
Stage 2: Begins mixing and modifying scripts.
Stage 3: Uses single words and early word combinations.
Stage 4: Produces flexible, self-generated language.

For a detailed breakdown of each stage, including examples and AAC considerations, check out our complete guide on GLP stages here:
➡️ Gestalt Language Processing Stages: A Complete Guide for SLPs

Importance of Robust AAC Systems

For Gestalt Language Processors (GLPs), a robust AAC system is essential for supporting their unique language development. Unlike basic communication boards or single-message devices, robust AAC systems offer a full range of vocabulary and customization options to support students as they progress through the stages of language acquisition.

Why Robust AAC Matters for GLPs

Many mainstream AAC systems are designed for analytic language processors—those who learn language word-by-word. However, GLPs process language in chunks first, meaning they need personalized, script-based support to match their natural learning style.

As Laura Hayes explains:

“For early Gestalt Language Processors, their scripts are highly individualized… That individualization is not going to be found in any AAC system that comes standard out of a box.”

– Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP

Key Features of an Effective AAC System for GLPs

✔ Customization: The ability to add personal scripts that hold meaning for the student.
✔ Motor Planning Consistency: Layouts that remain stable, helping the user learn where words are over time.
✔ Rich Intonation Options: Voices that offer natural-sounding intonation to support GLPs who rely on prosody.
✔ Support for Both Whole Phrases and Single Words: Allows users to transition from scripts to flexible language.

💡 SLP Tip: Choose an AAC system that allows both phrase-based modeling and word-by-word language building as the student progresses.

Modeling Language in AAC

For Gestalt Language Processors (GLPs), modeling language on an AAC device is about more than just teaching individual words—it’s about demonstrating meaningful communication in a way that aligns with their natural language development.

What is AAC Modeling?

AAC modeling (also called Aided Language Input) means using the AAC system while speaking to the student. By consistently modeling phrases, scripts, and eventually flexible word combinations, SLPs and communication partners help students build confidence and understanding in AAC use.

How to Model for Gestalt Language Processors

1️⃣ Start with meaningful scripts – Model short, highly relevant phrases instead of isolated words.

Example: Instead of just modeling “go”, model “Let’s go!” or “Go outside!” if that aligns with the student’s needs.

2️⃣ Use rich intonation – GLPs tune into prosody (rhythm and melody of speech) more than individual words.

Speak expressively while modeling on AAC, mimicking the way they process language.

3️⃣ Follow the child’s lead – Pay attention to their interests, movements, and nonverbal communication.

If they’re excited about a game, model a phrase related to it, such as “This is fun!”

4️⃣ Provide multiple examples – Repetition is key! Model the same phrases in different contexts to help generalization.

Example: Model “I got it!” when grabbing a toy, catching a ball, or taking a turn.

Adjusting AAC for GLPs

🔹 Ensure scripts and phrases are easily accessible in the AAC system.
🔹 Use a combination of core words and personalized phrases to support both early and advanced GLP stages.
🔹 Respect how the student naturally communicates and avoid forcing them to use individual words before they are ready.

💡 Key Takeaway: Modeling on AAC should feel natural and engaging—it’s not about “testing” the student, but about showing them how AAC can help express their thoughts, emotions, and ideas.

“We also need to model rich intonation child-led within child-led activities that we can, especially if we think they’re in early stages around those meaningful experiences.”

– Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP

Qualitative Data in Communication Assessment

When assessing progress in AAC and Gestalt Language Processing (GLP), qualitative data is just as important as quantitative data. While traditional data collection often focuses on the number of words used or AAC activations, qualitative data helps capture true communication intent and progress.

Why Qualitative Data Matters

✅ Captures meaningful communication – Not all progress is measured in percentages. Observing how a student engages with AAC provides a more complete picture.
✅ Highlights intent and engagement – Even if a student isn’t using their AAC device in a conventional way, gestures, eye gaze, and intonation can show that they are processing language.
✅ Informs intervention strategies – Understanding how a student interacts with AAC helps adjust modeling, vocabulary, and device setup to better support them.

As Laura Hayes explains:

“It can be more important about what happens before or after someone activates something on a device than what they actually said on the device… It shows intent, it shows progress, it shows that they’re engaged.”

– Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP

For a Deep Dive on GLP Data Collection

For specific strategies, sample data sheets, and examples of qualitative tracking, check out our full guide here:
➡️ Gestalt Language Processing Data Collection

Challenges and Solutions for GLPs

Supporting Gestalt Language Processors (GLPs) who use AAC comes with unique challenges. Traditional AAC approaches often focus on single-word communication, which may not align with how GLPs naturally acquire and use language. Here are some of the most common challenges—and strategies to overcome them.

Challenge #1: AAC Systems Aren’t Preloaded with Personalized Scripts

🔹 Why it’s a problem: GLPs in the early stages rely on memorized scripts with emotional connections, but most AAC systems focus on core words.
✅ Solution: Customize AAC devices by adding meaningful phrases and scripts that reflect the student’s experiences (e.g., favorite sayings, song lyrics, or show quotes).

Challenge #2: Standard AAC Modeling Doesn’t Align with GLP Stages

🔹 Why it’s a problem: Many SLPs model individual words on AAC, but early-stage GLPs learn through whole phrases first.
✅ Solution: Adjust modeling strategies by demonstrating rich, phrase-based language rather than isolated words (e.g., “Let’s do it!” instead of just “do”).

Challenge #3: Limited AAC Prosody and Intonation

🔹 Why it’s a problem: GLPs often tune into the rhythm and melody of speech, but AAC-generated voices lack natural intonation.
✅ Solution: Choose an AAC voice with the most natural prosody available, and use expressive speech when modeling.

Challenge #4: Difficulty Transitioning from Scripts to Flexible Language

🔹 Why it’s a problem: Some GLPs stay in Stage 1 or 2 of GLP and struggle to move toward more flexible communication.
✅ Solution: Gradually model variations of their favorite scripts, introducing core words while keeping the meaning intact (e.g., “I want to go home” → “I go home” → “Go home.”).

💡 Key Takeaway: By customizing AAC, adjusting modeling strategies, and supporting prosody, SLPs can help GLPs communicate in a way that aligns with their natural language development.

AAC Goals for Speech Therapy

When working with Gestalt Language Processors (GLPs) who use AAC, goal setting should reflect their natural language acquisition process. Many traditional AAC goals focus on single-word communication, but for GLPs, it’s essential to incorporate meaningful scripts, intonation, and gradual flexibility in language use.

For a detailed breakdown of AAC goal writing, including sample goals and expert insights from Rachel Madel, check out our full guide:
➡️ AAC Goals for Speech Therapy

Key Considerations for AAC Goal Writing

✔ Prioritize meaningful, phrase-based communication – Early goals should support a student’s ability to use whole gestalts, not just single words.
✔ Incorporate qualitative progress tracking – Instead of only measuring accuracy, document engagement, intent, and spontaneous communication.
✔ Support the transition to flexible language – As students move through GLP stages, goals should include breaking down and recombining gestalts for more independent communication.

Conclusion

Supporting Gestalt Language Processors (GLPs) with AAC requires a tailored, student-centered approach. Unlike analytic language processors, GLPs acquire language in meaningful chunks before breaking it down into flexible, self-generated communication. By understanding the stages of GLP and adapting AAC strategies accordingly, SLPs can bridge the gap between communication needs and effective AAC use.

Key Takeaways for SLPs

✅ Ensure access to robust AAC systems – Customization is key! Preloaded vocabulary may not meet GLPs’ needs.

✅ Model meaningful phrases and scripts – Follow the child’s lead and use rich intonation when modeling language.

✅ Use qualitative data to track progress – Observing intent, engagement, and nonverbal communication is just as important as tracking word use.

✅ Support the transition to flexible language – Recognize when a GLP is ready to move beyond scripts and introduce core word combinations.

As Laura Hayes reminds us:

“AAC is a marathon, not a sprint… Start slow, try to be consistent, and take meaningful steps forward.”

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

How is that possible, you ask?

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

Join thousands of SLPs and get the support you need

Subscribe to the SLP Now podcast and stay tuned for our next series. We’re kicking off September by helping you get your data collection, paperwork, and therapy planning processes in tip-top shape!

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Transcript

Marisha (00:01.304)

Hello there, and I am super excited to continue our series, our GLP series today. We have Laura Hayes with us. She is a speech language pathologist who specializes in augmentative and alternative communication. And she has over 15 years of experience, AAC experience, in both school and medical settings. And...

I'm not going to be able to do her background justice, so we're going to turn it over to her in just a second. But a couple of things I wanted to highlight, she helped author the GLP and AAC course for meaningful speech. And so we just got to chat with Alex last week, which was awesome. And then you can also find her on Instagram at AAC underscore innovations. She has a great account with a ton of great resources. I'll add the link to the show notes too, but

If you're listening to her as we go through and like, I need to find out more. Definitely go to AAC underscore innovations to find out more. but without further ado, hello, Laura.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (01:08.828)

Hi, thanks so much for having me. So glad to be here.

Marisha (01:10.67)

Thanks for being here. And so I did like super quick intro, but I'm really curious. Can you tell us just a little bit more about your story? Like what led you to focus in on AAC and specific, like what was your process for like the entering into the GLP world too?

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (01:29.608)

Yeah. So I always tell people that I started kind of doing the SLP thing when I was a kid. I was like an honorary SLP. I have a sister who has complex communication needs. She's speaking, but very low intelligibility. And I kind of just naturally fell into that role. So when I went off to university, I was kind of exploring different things. did like the complete opposite to start. I was an international marketing major and was like, this is not for me. So when I was exploring, said, oh.

Communication disorders. What's this? And then the rest is history. So I went down that path I started in the medical field of pediatrics and I started as an outpatient therapist and I just kind of felt like I start well Let me step back for a second because I remember taking an AAC class in college and I was like, my god I'm never gonna do AAC. This is not for me There's too many things like this doesn't feel like something that's natural and so I kind of pushed it aside

Fast forward to when I was an outpatient therapist and I had this just kind of curiosity and draw to working with autistic patients and their families. And turns out a lot of them had complex communication needs too. So what does that equal? It equals AAC. And so then I started learning from our AAC team and I started having more and more patients that needed AAC and speech generating devices.

And so then I kind of fell into that role on the inpatient and outpatient AAC team at the hospital. Did that for several years before transitioning into a role for a local school district here in St. Louis. And I'm now a facilitator for them where I support multiple districts and training staff and families and supporting students there with communication devices and doing a lot of trainings. Well, COVID hit.

And when COVID hit, you know, the world shut down and I just felt this draw to, well, there are so many people out there that have nothing like a facilitator to help them learn and coach. we know coaching is so important with devices and with AAC, there's a lot of knowledge gaps. And so I was like, well, why don't I just do that? Why don't let me try to educate and to provide resources for that family that's

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (03:50.927)

maybe out there on an island and feeling like they just need something to help them. So that's how it started. And that's how I got to connect with Alex because I was kind of doing, I was doing a presentation on stimming in AAC for AAC in the cloud, which is a great free, if you want more information in general on AAC, it's a free conference that they do every year. So I did that presentation.

And one of the things I talk about in that presentation is about scripting and how it can equate to gestalt language processing. But that was kind of the tip of the iceberg. I didn't dive into it. I didn't have the strategies to talk about it and supports. But within that, I kind of went down some educational rabbit holes and digging. And that's how I found Alex. And we connected. I had her on my podcast and kind of the rest is history. We just kept being in contact and

I learned from her, she learned from me. We kind of built this relationship and that is how I became the author of the meaningful speech course for AAC and GLPs. And so we're continually learning, continually finding resources and just trying to kind of give back those supports and how it relates to Gestalt language processing. Cause it's another layer. It's another layer of how we can support them.

Marisha (05:08.844)

Yeah, it is a whole other layer. And first of all, I love your story. That's super inspiring. like your passion just like, it's like, I don't know how to say that, but your passion really shows. So, I'm so excited to continue diving into this conversation. and so hopefully this is a good place to start, but how do you know, like kind of backing up? Cause we've been talking about salt language processors.

this whole series, but how do we know if a GLP needs AAC?

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (05:43.709)

Yeah, so let's, I know if you, let's say you haven't listened to any of the other episodes, if this is your first time, of, well, let's go, I know about, a little bit about it. know, AAC is augmentative and alternative communication. And then, let's start with gestalt language processing. We need to remember that gestalt language processing is not a diagnosis. It's more than just spoken scripts. It's how someone actually processes language.

It's a natural process of how someone can learn language, right? Like I always talk about left-handedness and right-handedness. It's natural. It's just how our brain is processing the language. It's not a treatment method, but it's really important to understand it because it impacts how we can provide implementation supports and strategies and how someone might move to flexible, autonomous language, what that journey might look like.

All of that is still true for someone with complex communication needs, right? Their barrier is that they're struggling with expressive language and expressive spoken communication. So if we think, well, there's two kind of groups that I talk about with GLP that might benefit from AAC. The first is someone with spoken language and that we know they're a gestalt language processor. We've taken language samples. We feel like, hmm, yeah, they are.

But how do we know they benefit from AAC? Well, I always say we all use forms of AAC. We all do. We all use texts and writing and emails and all of those things. So good chance if you're asking yourself the question, would my student or son or daughter or patient, would they benefit from AAC? The chances are yes in some form. But the questions you can really dive into and ask yourself, like do we need to trial robust?

AAC and maybe a speech generating device or app. We need to ask ourselves, are they not really developing spoken language despite good positive GLP strategies? Are they not intelligible all the time where we're not understanding their spoken language or scripts? Are they not easily understood by maybe even unfamiliar communication partners? We know what they mean, but then someone else who's in the community doesn't.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (08:04.328)

Excuse me. Are they not able to achieve self-generated language? And that's really important because that could be something consistent or that could be intermittently depending upon their regulation level or the environment. And really the crux of what I think of is are they showing signs of frustration or communication breakdowns that they're not repairing successfully? That is what I really think of when I think of someone who has spoken words but

could still benefit from AAC. I'm sorry, I'm gonna grab a drink.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (08:45.065)

Hold on, I think it's Okay. Nope, hold on. So sorry. So sorry, my friend. You'll edit all this out, I hope. Okay.

The other category that we might think of when we think of a GLP who could use AAC is someone who is non-speaking or minimally speaking. How do we know they're a GLP? So that's kind of like a different subset of individuals, right? So I would ask myself these questions. Well, how do I know? They may already have robust AAC and they may not, but if you're answering these questions, like they could be a GLP.

chances are they're gonna need AC and we're gonna need GOP strategies. So some of those would include, are they showing gestalt cognitive processing signs overall where they have hold apart thinking, they have episodic memory where they're thinking about an event as a whole, if something breaks from a whole event, they get really upset or dysregulated. Those are kind of cognitive processing signs that show that they are a hold apart thinker. They also could show that

within their gestures. So there's something called eco-praxia where they could actually act out scripts with whole body movements. Lots of, I shouldn't say lots, but some of my kids actually will do that with scenes from their favorite shows. They may be highly musical where they're drawn to songs and melodies and maybe even replaying some of the media that they have access to. That can be a really good indicator. They could be a GLP or jargon.

jargon that's not understood, but rich in intonation. This is one that I'm constantly telling SLPs and teachers that I support. I'm like, did you hear that? Like it's really rich in intonation. It kind of sounded like happy birthday, or it kind of sounded like door of the Explorer. Are you hearing that too? These are things to me that just go, Ooh, maybe, maybe they're a GLP. And last but not least is if I have been giving them positive AAC supports, and I know that they've had those supports for a while.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (10:55.079)

and they're just stuck, they're stuck in single words and they're having a really hard time with two word combinations or they're stuck and those words are not generalized across an activity. So for example, they're saying goldfish every time snack is presented to them, even though they don't really want the goldfish, they actually want something different. That tells me that they might be a GLP because we know in language,

once we have about 50 words, 50 to 100 words, we should start combining those words. And if I see a lot of single words and they're not combining them, it tells me, hmm, what something, something that's not connecting for them. Maybe they are not a bottom-up processor. Maybe they are a GLP or maybe we just need to explore it.

Marisha (11:43.982)

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. You did such a great job breaking that down. That was amazing. And so you broke down kind of why we might want robust AAC for our kiddos who are.

Like you gave us a bunch of reasons for the kiddos who are producing that communication as well as what to see for our non-speaking GLPs. And then you kind of touched on this already, but what are some common issues with kind of like the mainstream AAC or like how would a GLP approach look different?

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (12:28.914)

So mainstream AAC is kind of, it's a really loaded question too, kind of like the first question, right? Because when we think about our AAC systems, there's a lot of components on the backend that I don't think people realize. Even SLPs, they're like, I never realized that this was set up this way because, and so that can take learning on its own. So then you have this added layer of, well, now they process language differently. So I'm not really fully understanding.

how this AAC device was chosen or why the symbols look the way they do, why it's organized this way. We could talk just about Lampwords for Life and that probably in its own podcast because it's so complex and unique to the AAC system itself. So the first thing you need to know is that all AAC apps are designed differently. They have different pragmatic organizations or different types of organizations. So some are organized syntactically, some are organized

with motor planning in mind and how someone might learn or acquire language can be different. And so we feature match to figure out, well, what components of a system would really benefit this individual? And so they all look different. And so we might teach them differently. But we also need to know that for Gestalt language processors,

who might be in early stages, let's say stage one or stage two, where their scripts are highly individualized, highly, not customized, but highly experiential. So again, thinking about how they might have had an emotional tie to an event that's very specific and individualized for that person who's learning language and attaching meaning to something. That is not necessarily or not likely

that individualization is not going to be found in any of our AAC systems that come standard out of a box. And we don't know what that individual is tying meaning to because they are not able to autonomously tell us that yet. so oftentimes we'll see them trying to creatively communicate with us. So it's really our job, especially for early Gestalt language processors, to

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (14:50.717)

try to help both build connection and also figure out how they are creatively communicating with us. And I think that is at the crux of like why it's so complex and hard for us to wrap our minds around because it's just not, it's not out of the box, right? When we have someone with spoken scripts, we're like, okay, I know exactly what to acknowledge. I can build off of this. can really figure out what their interests are and follow that lead.

It's not as simple and straightforward when it comes to AAC. They also have the added component of learning a new language. Some AAC users are processing spoken language and are just kind of deciphering where those words are on a device. Like that's kind of the individual where you pull it out of the box and you're like, wow, they just took off because they're seeing where the words are. They might take an entire page of a device and hit all the buttons on there and they're learning that and they're learning that to memory.

and then figuring out, okay, this is where this word is, I heard this word. And then other individuals who are learning AAC devices are not processing that language as easily. And so it takes time to learn that new AAC language. They are not simultaneously processing it with the spoken word. And so we have to teach that. So we have to teach the new language system while also acknowledging how we think they're processing and showing us communication.

It's a lot of things that we have to figure out simultaneously to see, and we're figuring out which features they need in a device. So a lot of components. The last thing I'll say is just that prosody and intonation are super duper important when we're thinking about early GLPs. We talk about them learning and experiencing the soundtracks of their lives. They're tuning into the prosody and intonation. They're the intonation babies.

They're not focused on the words in those early stages yet. So if they're focused on the sound train and they're focused on that original audio source, our AAC systems out of the box are not set up with that in mind. They're not yet really that great. Even if you listen to the voices on AAC devices, they're getting better. They're definitely better than they were 20 years ago. But they're still not.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (17:11.386)

as nuanced as someone who is an early stage GLP might need. And so that might also require customizations too.

Marisha (17:22.178)

That was such a great overview of some things to consider. And again, you did such a beautiful job explaining that. So thank you. Gosh, and I feel like this, because how many hours is your AAC course?

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (17:36.969)

So currently, it's over 11 with all of the bonus modules, and we're adding a new one soon. So depending upon when this is released, there's another new bonus module coming. So that's one of the nice things about it is that we're constantly adding. So as we grow and as we learn and as new updates come out, we're staying on top of that so that anyone who is in the course has access to all of those updates.

Marisha (18:03.15)

Yeah. And Alex was saying that it's lifetime access, so you can revisit at any time, which is amazing. But I'm just, cause we try to keep these episodes pretty short and sweet. And I feel like I have 5 million different questions, but it's like, we're not going to cover everything. We can go to the course if we want to learn more. And that is a phenomenal resource. Um, and then yeah, for people who aren't ready for the course, like just following Laura on Instagram, I think is a great.

step two, just to like get your feet wet and start wrapping your head around this. But okay, so there is so much that we could cover, but maybe we can wrap up this episode just by chatting about just some suggestions to help SLPs kind of get started and to like start wrapping their heads around this. Do you maybe have like...

one or two tips or suggestions or things to think about, because I feel like you did a really great job of setting the stage for us. I'm just curious, what would you like to leave SLPs with?

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (19:12.167)

Yeah.

Marisha (19:12.204)

like other than go take the course and learn all of the things. There's so much into this.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (19:14.984)

You know, it's so funny. There's so much and that when we were creating the course, I said, I feel like we need different people to contribute to this. So like, just know that if you take that course, you're not just going to be listening to me, you're going to be listening to a variety of AAC experts who have many, many years in the field. I've been honored to be alongside them to help write some of those bonus modules and

I just, can't say enough how important those bonus modules are because we really dive into, well, if you have Proloquo2Go, how does that look? Because that looks very different than what we might do in support and even just what's templated in the devices already that we might explore when we're getting started. Then let's say a Lambo for life or a TD snap. And I know, you know, even parents, it's overwhelming. And like, how do we incorporate it into our daily?

routines, like all that, we really try to dive into that and give people some actionable steps in the course. So if I was coaching someone and I was like, okay, like we're in this together, you're my SLP in the line of fire, we're ready to go, what do you need in your toolbox? So a couple things, I try to make it digestible, right? So like if I was starting and I needed something in my AAC toolbox,

to with a GLP, the first thing I would do is make sure they have access to robust AAC. It sounds very simple. It can be a long process or a quick process depending upon funding, but we have to have access to robust AAC. We just have to. Having just like a simple core board or a flip book or even a phrase based overlay is just not gonna be enough. Like we really need to have access to robust AAC.

We also need to model rich intonation child led within child led activities that we can, especially if we think they're in early stages around those meaningful experiences. They could be a combination. Oftentimes what I'm doing is I'm modeling a combination of words that exist on that homepage of the device or near the homepage, something like, I got it or I like it. This is so fun. Something like that.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (21:38.811)

It's awesome while also considering what are some more customizable things that have high meaning, high intonation and programming those again, depending upon the device organization, programming them somewhere where I can easily model them in a variety of routines and child led experiences. And then last, we can't take for granted just acknowledging the communication. I mentioned earlier that

AC users are still communicating. They're just creating, communicating creatively. So if I see them using media and rewinding it, if I see them using gestures, if I see them using eye gaze out of their periphery, I'm going to honor that. And I'm going to provide symbolic language to accompany that so that they, they feel acknowledged. They know that we are communicating and that we can then support them through.

symbolic communication on a device. So if you have the potential to take a language sample, great. If not, you can take something called an unaided communication sample, which I walk you through in the course, which looks at how they are communicating, how they're using their body, how they're using their eye gaze, how they're using their gestures and facial expressions, and maybe even just what we call proxemics, body awareness within their environment, how they're using that to communicate. And I think

there's little nuance things that we can look at that show us that they are responding to a device, whether it be eye contact, direct or indirect, returning to the device, returning to something that you're talking about on the device. All those can show us that they're connecting, even if it's not in the way we might expect in like a traditional analytic language session. So I think that, and then just, you know, again, don't try to...

Figure everything out all at once. Know that it'll be overwhelming and AAC is a marathon. So start slow, have your family start slow, try to be consistent, pick a few things to start off with, and then see how they respond. And that's just part of dynamic assessment. That's something that we all learn about as therapists, and it's something that, you know, it helps us to take those meaningful steps to where we need to go.

Marisha (24:00.374)

gosh, that's so helpful. So just a quick recap, some action items based on what we talked about. So we want to make sure that kiddos have access to robust AAC. We want to model rich intonation in child led activities, incorporating that AAC, and then always acknowledge communication. And I feel like those are things that are super doable. Like we can do this. We got this.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (24:26.024)

Yep.

Marisha (24:26.766)

And then we want to look for signs that students are responding to the device, even if it's not the way that we'd expect. And you gave some really nice examples of what that looks like. And I love how you said AAC is a marathon, not a sprint. And so just take it slow and one step at a time. wow, that was like, feel, I was like, there's no way we're gonna leave feeling like.

I don't know, but you just did such a great job of giving us some strategies. I was like, okay, we can, there's a lot to learn and there's a lot of complexity here, but there's some simple things that we can do right off the bat. And then hopefully if we have, especially if we have a lot of these kiddos on our caseload, I think it is really important to take some time to learn more and to build our strategies. And, you've shared some really great resources.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (25:25.224)

Let me add one little final takeaway, one final takeaway just because I'm an SLP. I can't help myself. I want to say, like I kind of alluded to it. It's almost more important. I know we're all about taking quantitative data, right? And we're all about percentages and like I got to have my data. Also consider qualitative data. It can be so important to think about.

Marisha (25:25.454)

Yeah, okay, go ahead. Let's do it.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (25:49.287)

I always tell my teams, it can be more important about what happens before or after someone activates something on a device than what they actually said on the device. Like, what did they do before they told you Goldfish? Or what did they do before they said goodbye? And what did they do after they said goodbye? Did they look at you and smile? Did they look at you out of the corner of their eye? Did they walk up and leave the room? Like, these are things that you're not gonna take a percentage point on necessarily.

But I'm going to document it because it shows intent. It shows progress. It shows that they're engaged. It shows meaningful connections, even if it's not a quantitative, like, I got 20 % out of the opportunities that I was given. So.

Marisha (26:34.914)

Yeah. And that can help be huge in like navigating treatment and figuring out strategies and just like that data could be way more impactful than having the number of they activated this many symbols. So I love that you added that. my goodness. Thank you so much, Laura. This was incredible. Like so many great resources. I feel like I could talk to you for.

hours and hours and hours on this. But hopefully this was a nice primer for SLPs listening. Again, check out the show notes for the link to Laura's Instagram and her course and all the things. But yeah, this was phenomenal. Thank you so much. Yeah, and thanks to everyone for listening and I'll see you in the next one.

Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP (27:21.18)

Thanks so much for having me.

The Benefits of Inclusive Classrooms for School Districts

February 25, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

In this guide, we’ll explore the multifaceted benefits of inclusive classrooms and provide actionable strategies for school districts to implement effective inclusive practices.

Drawing from the expertise of Dr. Paula Kluth, a renowned advocate for inclusive education, we’ll delve into practical approaches that can transform your educational landscape.

Understanding Inclusive Classrooms

An inclusive classroom is more than just placing students with disabilities in general education settings. True inclusion ensures that all students, regardless of ability, receive the support, accommodations, and opportunities they need to succeed together.

What is Inclusion in Education?

At its core, inclusion is about removing barriers and creating equal opportunities for learning. This means:

Students with and without disabilities learn side by side in general education classrooms.
Educators use flexible teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
Schools foster a culture of belonging, respect, and collaboration.

Models of Inclusion

Inclusive education is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Schools use different models to ensure success:
✅ Co-Teaching: A general education and special education teacher work together to support all students.
✅ Push-In Support: Specialists (e.g., speech therapists, occupational therapists) provide services inside the classroom.
✅ Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Lessons are designed from the start to accommodate a range of learning needs.

These models help increase engagement, improve outcomes, and create a more equitable learning environment.

“Inclusion isn’t just about what we’re doing in the space or where kids receive services, but thinking about the spaces differently. It’s about removing barriers, assessing bias, and systematic reform to create the best possible spaces for all kids, including those without identified needs.”

— Dr. Paula Kluth

The Benefits of an Inclusive Classroom

Inclusive classrooms don’t just support students with disabilities—they create a better learning environment for everyone. Research consistently shows that all students benefit when schools prioritize inclusion.

Academic Benefits

📚 Higher Achievement – Studies show that students with disabilities make greater progress in inclusive settings compared to segregated programs. Even students without disabilities experience academic gains due to differentiated instruction and increased collaboration.

🎯 Personalized Learning – Inclusion encourages the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and co-teaching models, helping educators tailor lessons to different learning styles.

Social & Emotional Benefits

🤝 Stronger Peer Relationships – Students learn to respect differences, develop empathy, and build friendships that extend beyond the classroom.

💬 Improved Communication Skills – Inclusive environments naturally encourage students to support and engage with one another, fostering stronger language and social skills.

Long-Term Benefits

🏆 Better Post-School Outcomes – Research shows that students who learn in inclusive settings are more likely to be employed, live independently, and participate in their communities.

🏫 A More Supportive School Culture – Inclusion fosters a sense of belonging and equity, making schools more welcoming for all students.

“Kids who are included are more likely to belong to a school group, have competitive employment, and live independently. That kind of flies in the face of some of those messages that folks are getting—that you can either have inclusion or life skills, but not both.”

— Dr. Paula Kluth

Accommodations and Modifications in Inclusive Classrooms

Creating an inclusive classroom means adapting instruction to meet the needs of all students. This often involves accommodations and modifications, two key strategies in special education.

Modification vs. Accommodation: What’s the Difference?

🔹 Accommodations change how a student learns the material but not what they are expected to learn. Example: Allowing extra time on tests.

🔹 Modifications change what a student is expected to learn. Example: Simplifying assignments to match a student’s skill level.

Both approaches help ensure students receive the right level of support while remaining engaged in the classroom.

Common Accommodations for Students with Learning Disabilities

✅ Extended time on tests and assignments
✅ Audiobooks or text-to-speech software
✅ Preferential seating for focus and accessibility
✅ Visual schedules and graphic organizers
✅ Use of assistive technology (e.g., speech-to-text tools)

Accommodations for Dyslexic Students

📖 Dyslexic-friendly fonts and materials
🎧 Access to audiobooks and speech-to-text tools
✍️ Alternative response methods (e.g., oral responses instead of written)
📝 Chunking assignments into smaller tasks

Challenges in Implementation

Ensuring teachers have proper training on accommodations.
Balancing fairness and flexibility while maintaining high expectations.
Providing adequate resources and support staff.

“We have to constantly talk about what we mean by inclusion because we could be having a dialogue for ten years and not even be on the same page. Part of that conversation is understanding the difference between accommodations and modifications and how they support students in meaningful ways.”

— Dr. Paula Kluth

Strategies for Implementing Inclusive Education

Successfully creating an inclusive classroom requires intentional planning, collaboration, and ongoing professional development. Below are some key strategies school districts can implement.

1. Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is a framework that helps teachers design lessons that work for all students from the start, rather than retrofitting accommodations later. UDL encourages:
✅ Multiple ways to engage students (e.g., hands-on activities, group discussions, tech-based learning).
✅ Flexible options for demonstrating learning (e.g., verbal presentations, written reports, creative projects).
✅ Adaptable learning materials (e.g., audiobooks, visual supports, interactive digital tools).

2. Co-Teaching for Inclusion

Co-teaching is one of the most effective ways to support diverse learners. It involves a general education teacher and a special education teacher (or specialist) working together in the same classroom.
Popular co-teaching models include:

Station Teaching – Students rotate between different learning stations.
Parallel Teaching – The class is divided, and each teacher teaches the same material in smaller groups.
One Teach, One Support – One teacher leads while the other provides targeted support.

3. Professional Development & Collaboration

Train teachers in inclusive teaching strategies like UDL and differentiated instruction.
Encourage collaboration between educators, therapists, and administrators.
Provide ongoing coaching and mentorship for teachers new to inclusion.

By implementing these strategies, school districts can create learning environments where all students thrive.

“Inclusion isn’t just about where kids receive services, but thinking about the spaces differently. It’s about removing barriers, assessing bias, and systematic reform to create the best possible spaces for all kids, including those without identified needs.”

— Dr. Paula Kluth

Inclusive Teaching Activities and Collaboration Techniques

Creating an inclusive classroom requires engaging activities and strong collaboration among educators. By using interactive, student-centered strategies, teachers can support diverse learning styles while fostering a sense of belonging.

1. Engaging Activities for Inclusive Classrooms

✅ Peer-Assisted Learning – Pairing students of different abilities to support one another in reading, writing, or problem-solving.
✅ Flexible Grouping – Using small, rotating groups to encourage collaboration and social interaction.
✅ Project-Based Learning – Allowing students to work on real-world projects with multiple ways to demonstrate understanding.
✅ Choice Boards – Providing a menu of assignment options so students can pick activities that match their strengths.

2. The Role of Co-Teaching in Inclusion

Co-teaching is a powerful tool for inclusive education. When educators plan and teach together, students benefit from multiple perspectives and teaching styles. Effective co-teaching includes:

Clear role-sharing (e.g., one teacher leads while the other provides small-group instruction).
Consistent collaboration between general and special education teachers.
Flexible lesson planning to address diverse needs.

3. Tools for Effective Collaboration

🔹 Shared planning time for teachers to discuss strategies.
🔹 Professional learning communities (PLCs) to share insights and resources.
🔹 Technology tools like Google Docs or co-planning apps to streamline collaboration.

“100% of the adults in the school should be there for 100% of the students. Inclusion is about creating a true community where every educator plays a role in supporting every learner.”

— Dr. Paula Kluth

Addressing Common Challenges in Inclusive Education

While inclusive education has clear benefits, school districts often face barriers to implementation. Understanding these challenges—and how to overcome them—can help schools create sustainable, effective inclusion programs.

1. Lack of Training & Support

🚧 Challenge: Many educators feel unprepared to teach in inclusive settings.
✅ Solution: Provide ongoing professional development, coaching, and mentorship on inclusive teaching strategies like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and co-teaching.

2. Resistance to Change

🚧 Challenge: Some educators and administrators may be hesitant to shift to a more inclusive model.
✅ Solution: Focus on research and legal requirements rather than personal beliefs. Studies show inclusive classrooms improve academic and social outcomes for all students.

3. Resource Constraints

🚧 Challenge: Schools may lack funding, staff, or materials to fully implement inclusive practices.
✅ Solution:

Advocate for district-wide support and funding.
Use assistive technology to enhance accessibility.
Encourage collaboration among teachers, specialists, and administrators to maximize available resources.

4. Balancing Individual Needs

🚧 Challenge: Teachers may struggle to accommodate a wide range of learning needs in one classroom.
✅ Solution:

Use flexible teaching strategies like UDL to make learning accessible to all.
Implement co-teaching and small-group instruction for targeted support.
Foster a collaborative culture where educators share strategies and solutions.

By addressing these challenges with proactive planning and collaboration, school districts can build successful, inclusive learning environments.

“Inclusion is not a one-shot deal. It’s aspirational and ongoing. We have to constantly talk about what it means, how we implement it, and how we evolve our practices to meet the needs of all students.”

— Dr. Paula Kluth

Dr Paula Kluth’s Resources for Building Inclusive Classrooms

Dr. Paula Kluth has developed a wealth of resources to help educators, administrators, and school districts implement inclusive practices effectively. Below are some key tools and materials that can support your journey toward stronger, more inclusive learning environments.

1. Co-Teaching Kickoff Program

📌 A yearlong virtual training program designed to help educators build strong co-teaching partnerships and improve inclusive instruction.
🔗 More details available at InclusionRules.com

2. Books by Paula Kluth

📚 You’re Going to Love This Kid! – A guide to creating inclusive classrooms for students with autism.
📚 Don’t We Already Do Inclusion? – A deep dive into common misconceptions about inclusion and how to improve practices.
📚 30 Days to the Co-Taught Classroom – A step-by-step guide for educators transitioning to co-teaching.

4. Professional Development & Consulting

Dr. Kluth offers customized training, workshops, and consulting for school districts looking to enhance their inclusion programs.

She works closely with educators to provide practical, research-backed solutions that fit their specific needs.

By leveraging these resources, school leaders can take actionable steps toward more equitable and inclusive education for all students.

Make sure to check out her website InclusionRules.com.

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Transcript

Marisha (00:01)

Hello there and welcome to the Special Ed Leaders podcast. I am really looking forward to another episode. Today we are focusing all on inclusion and co-teaching and we have Dr. Paula Cluth with us. She is the founder of Inclusion Rules and she is a consultant, author, advocate, independent scholar.

And she works with teachers and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners. And she has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience. She's worked as a K through 12 special educator. She's also worked at the university level. And this bio does her absolutely no justice.

But let's hear a little bit from Dr. Pollack-Cluth on her story. So, hello. Hi.

Paula Kluth (01:03)

Hi,

I'm really excited to be with you. I know we've been had many months in the planning. This is great. And that's already just a fantastic bio. But I'll just add the more personal piece to it is, you're right, I've been working as a teacher and working in education settings for a long time. And that's the course of piece that I'm most proud of. And I've been working in teacher ed for quite some time.

Marisha (01:09)

Okay.

Paula Kluth (01:32)

most recently doing in-service work with folks. I really, I love telling kind of my origin story with this because I feel like it's so relevant for what we do in schools. I really got started in, my interest in this because when I was a senior in high school, kids with kind of more complex support needs were brought back from kind of a separate setting into my high school. I wouldn't call it exactly inclusion.

But I became connected, I got connected to that teacher because she was so good at reaching out to kids and she had a great big influence on me. I always say that she wasn't even supposed to be my teacher and she was my best teacher and so think that's a lesson for all of us. We're not gonna probably get into this this workshop, but in this session I should say, but I always say that 100 % of the adults in the school should be there for 100 % of the kids, at least in ideology and.

in the sort of the spirit. And so she was really there. those were also my first friends with disabilities and she was responsible for that. So kind of got the bug. And so I always talk about when people say, are the, what's the impact of inclusion on other kids? Like I, I'm so passionate about that. Cause you could say I'm one of the other kids and it's just given me this great, great experience and career. But we'll of course go beyond some of the anecdotal evidence as we chat.

But yeah, I've been doing kind of a little bit of everything. And as you said, I was at the university, most recently Syracuse University. And so I am interested in those elements of research. And I've been very interested in practice as much or more so in the last few years. But basically everything I've been doing is coming into schooling environments.

and helping folks to either solve problems or kind of have a vision about what environments, what we can do in school settings to open our doors wider and create like sort of the healthiest and most accessible and appropriately challenging learning experiences for all kids. And so that's, guess, what brings me here to be chatting with you.

Marisha (03:47)

Yeah, what an incredible mission. I love that. so for, so it sounds like you do some really amazing consulting work and supporting with districts, but some districts might not be as familiar with inclusion and all of the things that we're talking about today. So can we make sure that we're all on the same page and chat about like what the, your definition of inclusive?

an inclusive classroom or an inclusive education is and kind of what that might look like.

Paula Kluth (04:19)

Sure.

So, you know, think that most, the shared definition I think that most folks have is that, you know, inclusion is about bringing students with and without disabilities into a shared context, you know, of course, with supports and services, you know, as we are reminded of in the law. But a lot of times that language is about, you know, just space itself.

And that kids learning together, not just in the classroom, but in all kinds of contexts, right? In extracurricular activities and even beyond. So that's important and thinking about placement, but there's also sort of a spirit to this work too. So what's sort of the, you know, the essence of it or your goal? And so what's really exciting in the last decade or so as the United Nations has even weighed in on this, which again, it's mind blowing how much evolution there's been since I started.

And the United Nations have talked about barriers. They've talked about the sort of the social model of disability. so in reminding us that inclusion isn't just about what we're doing in the space or where kids receive services, but thinking about the spaces differently. So that's about, you know, we want to think about the removing of barriers. Inclusion is about assessing bias in, you know, in these spaces. It's about systematic reform. It's about, you know, creating the

best possible spaces for all kids, including those kids without identified needs. So it's about how we think about families, you all families and being welcoming. So I'm paraphrasing, of course, from the UN, but I like that idea that it's not just about, you know, the focus isn't just on families, you know, of kids with disabilities or kids with disabilities, but like, what is the, you know, the universal design of it all? Are we thinking in advance about, is this truly a community for all?

And so that's really helpful. And then I also think there's an element of like looking at just communities and democratic learning communities and looking at inequities. so, you know, I just finished, did, I have a book called, You're Gonna Love This Kid, which is about autism and inclusion. And so I just had to kind of rewrite the definition and it was really nice to see after, you know, all these years like,

That definition has really evolved a lot from thinking about sort of the basics to thinking about a dynamic. It's like what we do as educators and then how we're thinking about kids and it's about sort of not just, you know, what those elements about planning, but it's also about having a vision about what is possible. Can I add one thing to that? I know I'm talking a lot about the first question.

But one of the things that we had talked about as we were prepping is you said, do you think there's confusion about the definition? And I just always like to add that I think it's really important. So the answer is yes, because I thought that was a really good question that you had. And the answer is yes. And I think it's really important to always be talking about what we mean by inclusion, even if we're two colleagues. Like I'm a special ed director and you're a principal.

What do you mean when you say inclusion because we could be having a dialogue for ten years and we're not even on the same page and we don't even realize it and in fact I mean, this is this sounds like a shameless plug, but it's really just I'm really just trying to say how much I think about this is I have a whole book called don't we already do inclusion because I found that everybody was saying this is inclusion or that's inclusion or don't we already do this and really it came down to the shared definition, so I always say

your definition might not be mine. So it's really important that not only we have a shared definition, but that we have to realize, yes, we're doing inclusion, but that target is a moving target. And this work is aspirational. And what I mean by that is the technology is changing and how, and it is helping us to uncover ability in so many kids. You know that as an SLP, what we thought was possible 10 and 20 years ago, what we're seeing kids, what they're able to do on some of these, you know.

augmentative communication systems that they're now getting access to, it's a different person. And so that technology is evolving. The law is actually changing and evolving. Our definitions are evolving. Our understanding of these principles, like justice, are evolving. we're, I always say, I'll borrow from Nike, we, there's no finish line. We're just always gonna be looking at this target. So we have to constantly talk about it.

Marisha (08:51)

Yeah. And it's interesting because I've had some conversations in previous episodes regarding inclusion from a legal perspective. And that is about as clear as mud when you're analyzing that. So I love that you were able, like, this will be a really great snippet to remember of just when we're thinking about what inclusion is and how we're implementing it and that there is no finish line. I love that.

Paula Kluth (09:06)

You

That's right.

Marisha (09:21)

why is inclusion so important for SPED administrators to focus on? We obviously have the legal aspect.

Paula Kluth (09:33)

Yes. Well, and I think that's one of the most important. I mean, I think this is a very good snippet. And I know that you have a lot of administrators listening. I always think that what's really hard for administrators is that there can be a misconception. I'm not saying everywhere that I have to get everybody on board and we have to believe in this work. And even if that term isn't used, it's sort of.

you know, it's sort of lives there a little bit in some spaces. So I even work with this and I'm telling you, incredible administrator. And she had a whole event that was like, you know, it was sort of focused on this idea of like buy in and beliefs. And I love that. I mean, I'm not going to lie. Inclusion is part of my own value system. So I'm not going to lie about that. That's true. However, if we as administrators are focusing our, you know, our energy,

around this idea of getting the buy-in in the way that we're talking about in terms of values, that might be some wasted energy because the minute I meet somebody that says, I'm so sorry, that's just not part of my, I'm not into that, I'm not into inclusion. We are defeated in a sense, right? So there's nothing wrong with sort of putting your ethic out there, but really this boils down to two things. And whenever I feel like push comes to shove or somebody says I'm in it with this particular, I'm in it with a, you know,

another professional and they're challenging me around this. I say, take all that stuff out of it about your own. Go right to the two core elements, the research and the law. And that's where you live. That's all it is. We don't have to debate it because the as you said, there is a lot of there's, the law can be there's some wiggle room there. On the other hand, it is a solid of a foundation as we have right now. And

there's a lot of nice language in there. I mean, starting with FAPE, of course, but also looking at LRE and even some of the more recent circuit court decisions. There was a great, I don't wanna go too far down this road, but if your listeners don't know about the Hyde decision, H-Y-D-E, Hyde, the Luca Hyde, I think I'm saying that right, decision, that's a circuit decision that's a handful of years old. And I wanna say it's...

I'm not going to guess. I think I know where it is, but I'm not going to guess. But I, this judge was so clear about what LRE means in terms of this was a child with Down syndrome. But essentially the district was making the claim that this child could not be included because he's basically, he's not anywhere near the other students. He's not, he doesn't look like them. doesn't act like them. his, standards he is accessing are different.

that kind of thing. And they fought and fought and this went on for years. And finally the family prevailed, actually twice there was an appeal. And the judge essentially said the yardstick is not about catching up. You don't have to be even close in terms of grade level. The yardstick is can the child achieve growth and success in their own IEP, in their own personal goals. And of course these kids are gonna be accessing general ed standards as well.

but that's one of the more recent victories. And so I think there is some legal language that we can hang on to there. And then the other element going to the research is there's just such exciting research right now. And so I don't have to get blue in the face like I had to maybe 30 years ago. The study that I think everybody needs, the two studies I think everyone should know about, and I normally wouldn't do this on the podcast, but you know your district administrators want these because they don't have time, right?

But the Sandy Cole study, COLE out of Indiana, and there's a couple there that are actually incredible. And it's sort of a, it's a long-term tracking of these, I call them sort of developmental twins, kids that were matched on all kinds of criteria. And they looked at this group of kids that looked very, very similar in elementary school. They caught up with them later in late middle school. And they looked at these kids that were identical nearly.

in terms of these characteristics. And then what did they look like later and what were their placements? And they found that the kids that were included far outperformed kids that were not included and that was across all disability groups. I can't do it justice, but if you look up the Cole study, think Edutopia, I think did a nice piece on it. There was a high school study that was paired with that that showed very similar things. And then the other study that I think everybody needs to know about in terms of...

inclusion is the Cathy G study, GEE. And that's a piece that looked at kids with complex support needs. So these kids are not at grade level. They're not taking those assessments. And so they had to do a lot of observation over the years. I think, I believe the Cathy G study on inclusion and inclusion environments was a 2019 or 2020 study. And again,

Same kind of thing. We're seeing kids that aren't, they're not at grade level, they're not even close. And their outcomes in terms of all of these measures, academics, what they could assess, but also related skills. And so that's where we have to keep the conversation. It's not like it's not, I mean, I love to connect with others that have those values, but really when we're in the schools making these, especially in public schools making these decisions, that's where we have to center everything.

As you can tell, I feel quite passionately about that because you run into lots of barriers and so it's a safe space in many ways.

Marisha (15:20)

Yeah, and I really appreciate this conversation too, because I've heard a lot of conversations on the other side where you have to get your staff in alignment with your values. Like you have to hire in alignment with that. But you're saying that, no, it's the law and there's research supporting it. so we don't have, I mean, it's always nice to have in alignment. Yeah.

Paula Kluth (15:42)

That's right. It's always like, you don't always pick your staff. And there is

a difference between, think somebody could have like really great values around kids, but just for some reason, not know the research or not understand the law and think, I think this is, they're the kind of person that you want, but they just, they're unaware of that. And so that happens too. So I don't disagree with the idea of building culture. I guess I should clarify that or having folks that have similar ways of thinking about the work that all makes sense to me.

Marisha (16:01)

Mm-hmm.

Paula Kluth (16:12)

I guess I'm just trying to say that if we're always having a conversation about inclusion as it, then it's just my values against yours. Like we have to take it down to the same place that we take literacy instruction or any other conversation is why are we ignoring this, these two bodies.

Marisha (16:28)

Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense. And then what are some of the best, and we, so I think you already shared these, like the Sandy Cole study, the Cathy G study. Do you have any other favorite examples of like the documented benefits of inclusion? Okay, let's talk about it.

Paula Kluth (16:47)

Do I? How long do you have? Yes, well,

the other, I I am, I'm not even like a big, know, I'm not like as, I should say, like as severe as some of my colleagues about like scrolling away research, but I do like, I do love collecting this because it ends up being the bread and butter for a lot of other conversations. So those are studies that I'm super excited about at the moment, but you know, there's also this,

I just have to go back a little bit in my history. So my history is that I am a teacher by training of kids with complex support needs. when I, I'm 55. So when I was getting my certificate, it was in severe and profound, you know, that's what we called it. And so all of these families that I would meet through those first, like especially 20 years, they would be sold a story. And the story was you can either have really great, you know, training for life.

I mean, that was sort of the language. can, we can either teach your kid how to live, you know, interdependently or independently. We can teach your kid life skills. We can teach your kid functional skills, or you can have inclusion. But you can't have both. And so that, even if that wasn't said, it was always the spirit of this. And I mean, I've worked with so many parent groups and if I've heard this once, I have literally heard it a thousand times. Is like, have, you know, we have to, we.

We can't be focused on all of those things, essentially. And so parents would sometimes feel almost bullied, like I can't have it, so they're telling me, so you don't want your kid to have a good life? You just wanna put them in inclusion? So they would be like, what should I do? And so it's always hard to guide a parent because I'm not there working with that school and I'm not that teacher and things like that. But what's so nice now is to have this research that is very much flies in the face of that way of thinking. So there was this...

analysis, I guess an Australian consortium or something like that, that put together this great collection of inclusion resources a handful of years ago. And one of the

the, I guess, pieces of information in their, in that collection is this glimpse at benefits for kids with disabilities that go beyond academics. So things like kids with disabilities are, who are included are less likely to have a disciplinary.

Kids who are included are more likely to belong to a school group. Kids who are included are more likely to have competitive employment. Kids who are included are more likely to live independently. So that kind of flies in the face of some of those messages that folks are getting. And the other piece that I think is interesting is, know, we just keep seeing other, I don't spend a ton of time in those circles around like, you know, transition. I mostly work with school-age kids.

But there is a researcher named Leslie Shaw, and I just emailed her this week. She's in Cornell, at Cornell, and she did a study, or she's engaged in a project, I should say, that looks at transition and outcomes and success, specifically in autism. That's what she's doing.

So I just asked her, there a white paper yet? And she said, we're working on that part. We're working at getting the data out. So I just found a press release and she said that it will come, but we don't have it yet. So it's Leslie Shaw at Cornell for those who are listening. And she looked at all of these markers. So like, what are all of the things that help somebody have a successful post, you know, post-school outcome? And it was over like something like two dozen things that they looked at.

and what is the number one element that pointed towards this positive outcome, inclusive education. So that was another, so I asked her, said, I need that information. She said, it will come, it's coming. But again, just another tally in the column to say, like, this is really important for families to know as much as it is for teachers to know. So it's important for all of us to understand that it can feel sometimes, you know, that,

you know, that this is sort of a path away from preparing for living for certain kids, but we just don't have that kind of data. We also see other kinds of outcomes, you know, for you being an SLP, that Cathy G study that I referenced, amazing outcomes around communication for kids with complex support needs, kids that learned new systems, new vocabulary, had more language.

And that makes sense to me when you're in this robust context. I wrote a whole book, this is like old, this is not even a recommendation, but I wrote a book called A Land We Can Share. was like maybe the first book on autism and literacy. And so we wrote all about like, what does that context mean for kids, especially kids with complex support needs or higher needs. And so it wasn't surprising to me at all to see that data, that kids who were eavesdropping on conversations, kids that were having, they were with competent communication partners all day long.

Other kids are interested in the tech, so they're modeling some of these things. That wasn't a surprise to me at all to see some of that. So we see achievement. There was a study from Jenny Curth at Kansas a handful of years ago looking at literacy outcomes for kids with disabilities. that was autism. And again, just the same kind of story over time. So I think, again, it's really important to understand that this isn't just about academics and then

just about, or just about some of these adjacent outcomes, like they're all important to talk about and they're all relevant to this conversation.

Marisha (22:52)

Yeah, I absolutely agree. thank you for kind of, I'll add to the different articles and things that you've mentioned in the show notes for anyone who wants to dive in deeper, but having these resources as a jumping off point is beautiful. I love it.

Paula Kluth (23:03)

Yes. And I can help you too, Marisha.

We can build some of those other links in that for the show so that if we, if you can't find anything, let me know.

Marisha (23:12)

Okay, awesome. And then, so you talk a lot about co-teaching. So where does that fit into all of this?

Paula Kluth (23:20)

Yes.

Yeah,

you kind of understand my background now, so what I do. So I do a lot of work with schools around inclusion. This is definitely an area of study for me and a lot of work in universal design for learning and co-teaching. the strands here are that inclusion's at the center, but all of these other elements kind of feed in because it got to a point where I'm sort of on the soapbox, as you can imagine.

Marisha (23:54)

Thanks

Paula Kluth (23:54)

about

inclusion and then it comes to but how do you do it? So that got me down, also I was a co-teacher so that got me down that road as well. excuse me. So one of the things that, you know, really got me interested is I go in and talk to teachers and I would see what was possible. Again, also being a co-teacher.

see what's possible when there's that constant dialogue because a lot of these things, you we are teaching in silos a lot of the time. And what I found that there was somewhat of a loneliness as an inclusion facilitator to like bringing my kids from space to space, but never getting to kind of be involved in the lesson design or learn about what was happening in general education. And so that I, you know, in those ways, I couldn't always support my colleagues.

to solve a certain problem because I wasn't in on some of those conversations. When I was in on those, we could, it was very dynamic. There's lots of room for some growth there. So I got really into that. later in my career, was teaching about co-teaching. I taught at Syracuse University most recently. So I was teaching about that. then I was just getting a lot of, like people would, I would come in and talk about.

inclusion, but then I would sort of stay to talk about collaboration and co-teaching. So I ended up writing about that as well. I wrote about a book about that with my colleague, Julie Costin, and just got very interested in what are the possibilities. Again, it can be a very lonely profession when we come together to not only think differently about the possibilities for kids. know general education teachers and SOPs and OTs and school psychologists like in my collaborative roles.

Marisha (25:18)

Thank you.

Paula Kluth (25:43)

expanded my ideas of what was possible for kids, but also helped me become a better lesson designer, better at classroom management, all of those things. So now I do a lot of work in collaboration and co-teaching. That's a big part of my work life.

Marisha (26:02)

Yeah, and so what are the skills that are most important for teachers to start looking into co-teaching?

Paula Kluth (26:13)

Well, I think there's a lot of things that not only teachers can kind of profit from when they get into those environments and share with others, and then there's a lot of things that can be learned. But there are some skills that are really helpful just to kind of bring into that interaction. So things like,

I think collaboration in general, we assume that two teachers can come together and we know how to work together. But the fact of the matter is, most, many of us, I shouldn't say most, but I think for a great majority of folks, there's not room for another class on collaboration. So in other fields you might learn, and certainly when you're becoming an administrator later, you might learn techniques for collaboration. I didn't, I mean, my first job, I had nine paraprofessionals on my team, nine.

I didn't know a thing about like, you know, communication or I mean, it's mind blowing to me to say nothing of working with my teachers. So that idea of just not assuming that I will know how to sit down and solve a problem with you, that we have techniques for, you know, even just for running a meeting efficiently and effectively. That's just a very simple concrete thing. So I have this...

co-teaching event, which we had talked about earlier, this co-teaching kickoff, which is like a virtual event. And I have these sessions where I break down just some of these sub skills because I think, again, it's, when we talk about co-teaching, it's like, okay, here are some different structures you can use to co-teach. And I'm like, yes, and let's back it all the way up to like the simplest of like introduction, getting to know you and what are some of the ways in which we.

we'll know how to interact, not only when we hit a problem, but even just on the day to day. The other skill set that I think is helpful is just understanding how to not only plan together, but again, we're used to being in our own spaces. We are taught typically about how to design those lessons on our own, not with another adult. So this idea of being able to design with somebody else opens up a whole bunch of possibilities.

so that teachers need to understand and get support around, yeah, you can use like typical co-teaching structures like station teaching and parallel teaching and one teach, one assist, but there's also all kinds of other ways to use those, to sort of exploit these all different people in my classroom, different roles. How do we work together in a really smart way when students are in book clubs? What if they're engaged in project-based instruction? What's your role as an SLP, Marisha?

So what are interesting ways to work with our paraprofessionals so that it's like the best bang for our buck? So even that kind of conversation I think is really helpful and that's a skillset that, where would we have gotten that? Because we mostly learned how to plan on our own. And then things like even role sharing, which I'm kind of dipping into there. So what can I learn from you as an OT? What can I learn from you as an SLP? What can I learn from you as a general?

So how do we start to take on some of those other roles? And that gets us back to something that I talked about earlier, which is 100 % of the adults in the school are there for 100 % of the students. But that also, that doesn't have to mean we're all like role sharing everything, but that we are sort of not only having a mindset that, you know, this is our community, but also that over time I'm learning from my colleagues, that there is sort of an ongoing professional development, even very subtly.

that I'm curious about what you're doing, I'm seeing what you're doing, and I'm getting a little bit better because you're near me.

Marisha (30:07)

Yeah, and I absolutely love that quote. 100 % of the adults at the school are there for 100 % of the students. That's a really great mindset of it being our community and we're working together as a whole. And so, and you touched on who can co-teach. It's not just classroom and special education teachers. We've got SLPs, OTs.

Paula Kluth (30:09)

you

No.

multilingual teachers, school psychologists.

You know, some of these folks, like your school psychologist, they're not gonna co-teach all the time, but a lot of those social workers, they're already in the classroom doing mini-lessons with kids. So like, what can we learn from them? Are there opportunities to have a co-teaching lesson now and then so that we're all whetting our whistle about what that looks like? Could we bring somebody in in a stations context so that they can offer extra support now and then, but we learn from them.

So I think like thinking differently, kids can actually co-teach as well. That's a whole nother taught for a whole nother day. But these are skills that are sort of lifelong, life skills, know, they're forever and can be very powerful. The collaborative teams are just a powerful asset to any inclusive school.

Marisha (31:15)

Yeah, and you've talked a little bit about, or you often talk about the benefits of co-teaching to the adults and the students. So what does, can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Paula Kluth (31:31)

Sure, I mean, I think there's, when you are operating at that level where, you know, you're, are two teachers together, they're sharing planning, they have a vision for themselves as a team. So this is not like I'm teaching and you're texting or something, you know, where we're really given time to support, to support each other. And there's a, you know,

When we have a true co-ta classroom where it's not just one teach, one float, but we have teachers who are playing together and there's lots of different structures being used in ways that adults are are jelling and working together, we see these academic outcomes. There's a study that I think is around high school kids that's fairly recent.

that looks at just engagement, like engagement is higher with two teachers because I think naturally you get to use a lot of different formats, ways that you wouldn't get to engage otherwise. So we see, you know, that the potential of academics, but we also see that there's an opportunity for kids to learn other things. There's a lot of opportunity for kids to, if I'm in there and I'm having to work with kids around social emotional kinds of things, then there's a model there. Even just two teachers.

So like, let's just say we decide that we're social studies teachers and we want to, we get to co-teach. So every now and then we're gonna model what like respectful discourse looks like. You know, you might disagree or we might model how to give an appropriate compliment because there's two of us. So there's all kinds of these other like tangents, right? That can be actually very helpful and we can be purposeful about that. We wanna show what it looks like to.

talk to somebody else and to ask questions in a certain way. And so another adult is there and that's all possible. So I think it's also just super helpful for teachers. One of the things that I talk about in my sessions is that every co-taught team should be selfish and that they should, we're gonna, like if I was working with you all year long, we would be learning things from each other. Like that we know that. But what I could do is say to you, I could be even more pointed than that.

And I could say, Marisha, really, I know that you're doing something with language when you're with students and I watch you in those literacy lessons. And when you are actually, I know that there's some really subtle modeling going on when you're working with those kids at that center. I wanna learn what you're doing over there. Can you teach me about that? Or I might say like, you are making those anchor charts while you are actually teaching a lesson and I've never.

How do you do that? I've never had a chance to do that. Or you're so good at like when kids are having a hard time and I see that you just step up. Can you like by the end of the semester or year, can I get better at that? You're so organized. So like you can be turned down of course, but this is a perfect opportunity to actually say, it's up to you, but like I know I could learn that from you. You're so tech savvy.

So I always say in addition to just on the spot professional development, we can even be a little bit more selfish and say, I'm gonna ask for something from you and you can ask for something from me and let's get better together.

Marisha (34:36)

Yeah, and so just to recap, you talked about some of the benefits for students, their study showing those improved academic outcomes, the engagement, and there's opportunities to learn things that we might not get to address, like the social-emotional aspects that you mentioned. So those are really great benefits for students, but then it's also really beneficial for the teachers involved or the staff involved.

because it allows them to like continue building their skills. They're not working in a silo. I bet it's a much more fun way to work. Like I love I've loved it when I've been in more collaborative settings because I have more fulfillment in my job and like I've learned so many O.T. and teaching strategies and I'm a much better educator as a whole because of that opportunity to work with other professionals. So yeah, thanks for guiding us through that.

conversation of some of the benefits for students and adults. And at the end of the day, it just makes for a way better results for our students because if teachers are engaged and operating like at the top level that they can, just is like the benefits just keep rolling in.

Paula Kluth (35:55)

Yeah, and I always say, you know, it can be more spirited for sure. And the opposite is also true. Like, I think when COVID hit, I was working with lots of co-teaching teams and they were saying, like, I can't imagine doing this on my own. Like, I'm so glad I have a co-teacher. And so the other is true too. Like, this is a very hard job. Like, let's not.

even try to think it is like anything but it's very, hard. It's very challenging. So having like having somebody to kind of lean on, I don't know if I did that right, you know. And so I love the idea of being able to lean on somebody when it's like I just that was really tough. Like, you know, like I mean, I'd be in tears a lot in, you know, in school. Somebody threw a chair at my head once, not an adult, you know, child. You know, it's very upsetting and if somebody there with you and saying like you did this

best job that you could do, that's so helpful too. And I always say then it's also the other piece is just having somebody, this sounds weird to say, but I always talk about there's even some of their to admire your work, you know, in a sense where it's like, sometimes you just nail it, you just get that lesson, right, something small, you just you were funny, you

the kid just like did something right there and you saw the skill just develop and there's somebody else to say, especially if you talk about doing this for each other, you know, a little slow clap in the back of the classroom, which you, and I know that's kind of funny to say, but I believe it. And so I always say, talk about being those kinds of team members for each other. Cause those are some kind of not so commonly addressed benefits.

Marisha (37:31)

Yeah, that's amazing. So this all sounds really great, but I know conversations that I've had with administrators and educators, it's like, how do we do all these things? And it can feel, when our plates are already full, it can feel like, this is another, just an other thing to add on. And hopefully talking about the benefits got, cause I know a lot of us in the schools are.

heading towards burnout if we're not already there. And so this could be like a really amazing tool for us as well. But what, because I know you have tons of resources, but what recommendations do you have for ongoing professional development and like starting to work on applying this and especially in the context of like overwhelmed teachers and administrators?

Paula Kluth (38:24)

Well, you

I love that you said that it can be really a lot for folks. was I did a virtual session yesterday with a district and one of the it was just such a the only word I can use. It was very warm. You know, I just really had a nice afternoon with these this elementary elementary teachers. And one of the words that we talked about as we were reviewing some of that research that I referenced was that they said it was comforting.

And why was it comforting? Because a lot of teachers just want to know they're doing, you know, a lot of people think teachers don't want to do inclusion. It's not true. You know, a lot of administrators I know will be like agreeing with me. Yeah, there might be some resistance, but for a lot of teachers, it's different. It's not that they don't want to do it. They just have to know that this is hard. It's imperfect in so many contexts. And so just tell me that I'm doing the right thing for kids and I will run with this, but I need to know it's the right thing for kids.

So they were saying they're doing some really sophisticated things in this district and they said that research was really comforting for us. That legal element was really comforting. that was nice. So don't always assume that providing more information will be overwhelmed. So the first thing I say is inclusion is not a one-shot deal. Don't we already do inclusion? know, that book, that whole book was written on the idea that yes, we are doing it, but it's again, it's aspirational and it's ongoing. So that if you had quote unquote,

training on inclusion, like there's probably lots of updates, like whether it's a steering committee, whether it's a group that's constantly having a conversation about related needs, that's not something that we're gonna educate and then move on. That's gonna be constant. How do we create schools for all? That's never-ending conversation. And then of course, along with that, I know we had to limit ourselves today, but I do a lot of work in that area of universal design for learning, so that comes up a lot. That can be another.

question and answer to the question of how do we do this? And so where a lot of folks are saying I can't possibly bring this child in it's not working for this space or what we're doing. Sometimes I'm not going to say every teacher is going to say wow this is super comforting to learn something new but it can kind of help us because instead of saying we're going to try to figure out how we're going to do this for this kid and this kid and this kid you know this language and this model and framework of universal design for learning is going to help us maybe think differently.

about how we can design upfront so there'll be less to think about, you know, down the road. How can we make the space more accessible to begin with? What do we do in our school to make sure that there's already entry points, you know, around activities? And so some of that work gets done upfront and then we don't have to do it, you know, down the road. So that's kind of another way to think about that. And then of course, you know, I'm a broken record on this, but I think everybody needs to have that content on collaboration because

No matter what you're doing, we talk a lot in the Coteach kickoff event about every role, there's collaboration involved. So I talk about even this strategy that I call spotlight co-teaching or collaboration where even if we can't co-teach formally all day, you might say to me,

you know, I'm an eighth grade teacher. cannot figure out this, these two kids, they cannot do the warmups, the bell ringers, they're just lost. And so I just need a solution for that every day. And so I might say, let me get in there and work with you on that for, you know, maybe a couple of times a week for a while. And let's try to find materials or a change in format or some tech that we can infuse or a way that we can strategize around this or.

What's something to point to I can give to a paraprofessional that's in there. Let's try to kind of like spotlight that one idea and then I'll float out and work on something else for a moment. But we have to be able to know how to like even if it's in the small moments how to kind of come together to do some of that problem solving. So I think that's probably got to be part of a conversation for just about every staff.

Marisha (42:29)

Yeah, and you mentioned the co-teaching kickoff. Can you tell us a little bit more about what that is?

Paula Kluth (42:34)

Sure, yeah, so that's like one of my, I don't know, that's kind of one of the centerpieces of the work that I do. It's because it's my only event that's ongoing. So if people go to my website, which is just inclusionrules.com, like inclusion rules, like yay. That's where you can contact me, that's where you can find everything out about me.

Marisha (42:52)

Thank

Paula Kluth (42:57)

But if you go there, that event runs, we have two versions. One is that you can sign up for just the fall. And then we have another one that goes all year long. And so if you were joining, say if this podcast is probably gonna drop in the winter, people can join anytime until I think April or May or something. So it goes all year long and every year it runs. so it's a set of, it's asynchronous. We have like 20 videos.

And you can watch with a partner, you can watch on your own time. there's lots of materials with each session and we've got all kinds of folks. We have high school teachers teaching together, we have administrators, have sessions on, the idea was to go beyond the structures, right? Most people get collaborative training and they understand how to, again, one teach, one float, station teaching, how do we do anchor.

And so we wanted to say those are helpful and we need to know those, but there's so much more to know like lesson planning, like meeting, like how, what are some ideas for high school math? You know, so we wanted to collect that in a place where you could kind of customize. You might only have five sessions that you're going to watch, but you're to watch some of those a few times. And so we put these together and we run it every year with slightly different content, but it's kind of just having co-teaching support in your pocket.

That was sort of the idea because I was getting called to run around and do these same sessions everywhere. And even when I was going in person, even for three days, I didn't get to half of this stuff. So I wanted to make that available so that you can find out more about the co-teaching kickoff and frankly, other stuff, other events, sort of online offerings, all of that's on inclusion rules. And by the way,

There's lots of stuff over there that you don't have to spend a dime on. There's video over there that you can use if you're an administrator and you want to do a mini PD on something. There's video over there. There's lots of downloads that you could use for activities, brown bag lunches, know, internal kinds of meetings. There's little articles and things like that. And you don't have to ask. It's there for you to use.

Marisha (45:05)

Awesome. Yeah, and I shared a link to the website as a whole and then the code teaching kickoff and I mean, your top navigation bar makes it really easy to find all the things. yeah, that'll be an amazing resource for any administrators who are wanting to learn more. Yeah, so was there anything that you wanted to close out with or?

Paula Kluth (45:18)

good, I will tell the tech guy.

You know, I just,

first of all, thank you for having me. And I just want to extend my gratitude to anybody that was listening because I know, again, this is one of those topics where you might say, you know, again, we're doing that already and I've got some grounding there. So I think anybody that's, you know, again, such an overworked role is the director. So I just have lots of gratitude for folks in those spaces and for what they're able to do. And I'll just say this.

All of those outcomes that we're seeing, whether it's the work of Kathy G that I referenced or the work of Sandy Cole study or even the work of Jenny Curth there at KU, all of that research that looked at kids in these inclusive contexts, somebody made a decision at the district level to make that happen. And so when I say that I extend my gratitude for the work that folks are doing every day to give kids these possibilities to see that.

that we have never seen some of these stories and these potential, these possibilities for many of these kids with disabilities. The kinds of stories that we're seeing now, absolutely incredible, some of these opportunities, and that's all because of somebody initially at a district level giving a thumbs up. And so lots of gratitude out to folks who are part of that decision making and to you too, Marisha, for taking this topic on.

Marisha (47:01)

Oh, well, thank you so much for being so generous with your time and expertise. This was such a treat and, um, yeah, a great conversation. So thank you. And yeah, I have second the thank you to the, and the gratitude to the administrators who are doing the work out there because it is not easy. So props to you for listening and soaking this in and considering the information and continuing to brainstorm and figure out how to.

Paula Kluth (47:21)

now.

Marisha (47:31)

do our best for our students. So yeah, thank you and see you next time.

Paula Kluth (47:35)

Thank you. Thanks for having me. Bye everybody.

Gestalt Language Processing Data Collection

February 18, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

Welcome to another episode of the SLP Now podcast! We’re continuing the series where we do a deep dive on all things Gestalt Language Processing, and I’m bringing some of the best in our field to join me and share their expertise.

Today, Marisha and Alexandria Zachos discuss Gestalt Language Processing Data Collection!

In this episode of the SLP Now podcast, Marisha and Alex discuss Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) and the importance of data collection in speech-language therapy. Alex shares her journey into the field, her experiences with GLP, and practical strategies for collecting and analyzing spontaneous language samples. The conversation emphasizes the need for a mindset shift in data collection, moving away from traditional methods to a more holistic approach that captures the child’s natural communication. Alex also highlights the importance of understanding each child’s unique context and encourages SLPs to practice and collaborate with colleagues to enhance their skills.

Takeaways from This Episode

Data collection should prioritize spontaneous language samples.
Standardized testing is not recommended for children before stage four.
Understanding a child’s background is crucial for effective therapy.
Practice and collaboration with colleagues can enhance learning.
Using Marge Blanc’s protocol helps in scoring language samples.
Collecting data can be done through various methods, including recording.
It’s important to have a mindset shift in how data is viewed and collected.
Familiarity with children’s interests aids in understanding their communication.
Patience and grace are essential in the learning process.

Alex’s Additional GLP Resources

Alex’s Instagram
Alex’s Website
Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum (Marge Blanc’s Book)
Alex’s Course @ Meaningful Speech

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

How is that possible, you ask?

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

Join thousands of SLPs and get the support you need

Subscribe to the SLP Now podcast and stay tuned for our next series. We’re kicking off September by helping you get your data collection, paperwork, and therapy planning processes in tip-top shape!

Listen to The SLP Now Podcast on Apple ★ Spotify ★ Google ★ Stitcher ★ Castbox or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

Marisha (00:01.843)

Hello there and welcome to the SLP Now podcast. I am so excited to be continuing our series on Gestalt Language Processing. And today I have Alex from Meaningful Speech joining us. she has, so I signed up for her course years ago and she had, it's amazing course, super comprehensive and targets like all of the different areas.

but she had a module or a lesson on data collection. And so I wanted to invite her here today to share some of those tips and tricks with us as we're, as we've been learning about DLP. And just a super quick intro to Alex. She has been a practicing SLP for 21 years. She has been working extensively with crystal language processors since 2016.

Alex (00:33.81)

Marisha (00:57.425)

and she uses Dr. Blanc's Natural Language Acquisition Protocol. And she has just so many amazing resources. This bio will not do her story justice. without further ado, hello, Alex.

Alex (01:12.66)

Hi, thank you for having me here today.

Marisha (01:16.007)

and thanks for being here. We're super excited to hear from you. And I'm speaking on behalf of the listeners, because this has been a big question. So thank you for sharing your expertise with us. But before we dive into all things data collection, can you share just a little bit more of your story and your background and what led you to really focus on Gestalt language processors and kind of

Alex (01:27.341)

Absolutely. Yeah. So

Marisha (01:44.054)

Because you've been doing that since 2016. So I'm really curious to hear your story and your journey.

Alex (01:53.708)

I was an SLP for 13 years before I came across Marge Blanc's work. I found her book in 2016, Natural Language Acquisition, The Journey from Echo-Lelia to Self-Generated Language. And I basically reached out to her afterwards because I was so blown away by what I read in the book. For quite a few years,

prior to me finding the book, I had been asking a lot of speech-language pathologists and related professionals in my community here in the Chicagoland area, what do you know about delayed echolalia? What should we be doing about it? And I graduated grad school in 2003. And at that point, I mean, no one talked about it. No one really was talking about

autism to too much unless you took it as an elective course. So I basically came away without any knowledge in this area and all the SLPs that I was speaking with, whether they were new grads or older practitioners, would tell me you need to redirect, you need to ignore, you need to tell them no movie talk. So in

Inside, internally, I felt like that was not right. I felt like these kids were trying to communicate something to me. I just didn't know what, how to find out what it was, or what to do about it until I came across Marge Blanc's book. And that kind of changed everything for me. And I call Marge my mentor because we, she's in Madison, Wisconsin. I'm just outside of Chicago.

We didn't meet in person at all, but via email and telephone, she really helped me with two particular clients that I had in my clinic at the time and then invited me to come present with her in 2017 at the ASHA convention in Los Angeles. And that's when we actually met in person. And she has really supported me and helped me through learning this to the.

Alex (04:08.733)

to the degree that I do now. I really what I wanted to do when I started my online community and my course was show people the how to, because that part was what was the most tricky for me. I learned how to analyze language samples and I learned all about the stages and everything made sense to me.

but I felt like I really wanted to watch someone do this in therapy. And I could not find anyone around me that even knew anything. So I basically created it. And that's a lot of what I tried to showcase on both social media and a lot more in depth inside my course. I show a lot of videos of me personally working.

with different kids. And now I'm happy to say, you know, we're at the point in 2024 where so many SLPs understand this in greater depth that I eventually would love to show other SLPs doing this as well. But at the time I only had myself. So that's kind of what my course is made up of.

Marisha (05:20.963)

I love that story. And that was, I don't know, it's just really cool how I love our field in general, because it's so supportive. And it's just amazing that you were able to reach out to Marge and then end up working with her and co-presenting and doing all these amazing things. I love it. Okay, so we've been talking about

Alex (05:37.094)

Marisha (05:45.603)

NLA GLP on the podcast for the past few episodes and there the question about data collection keeps coming up. what are your, and assuming that the listeners have a basic foundation of like, okay, they generally understand what the stages are. and just some general assessment strategies, what tips and tricks are like mindset, like where would you tell someone to start thinking about data collection?

Alex (06:13.482)

Yeah, so I tell people if you know how to take spontaneous language samples, that's your data. And that's definitely a mindset switch for SLPs. I mean, back when I was quote unquote trained, I mean, we were using clickers and, you know, marking little tally marks and things like that, both with language and articulation or phonological therapy.

So this is a huge mindset shift, but basically what we want to do is collect any spontaneous language in a language sample from the child. And this can be multi-modal communicators as well. So if they're communicating with AAC or gestures or sign, I'm still writing that down whenever it's spontaneous. So the biggest thing I have to emphasize when I'm training professionals is

You don't want this to be prompted. You're not writing down language when they're answering a question or when you're saying, what's this? Or when you're giving them a phonemic cue, it has to be spontaneous. So I collect all that spontaneous language and using Marge Blanc's protocol, NLA protocol, I teach people how to score it. So we score the sample using the stages.

And then from there, we take percentages. So you're able to, let's say, a 50 utterance sample. And then you see on there that 25 of those are in stage one. So you're going to report that the child is communicating 50 % in stage one. And there is your data. And so you can show progress if you work at a school or an environment where you're generating

IEP goals or progress reports, or even if you have to prove to insurance, you can show progress over time by different measures. So the variety of different types of gestalts produced in stage one, I can take percentages on that using my language sample. I can show movement within the stages. So like in April, they were, you know,

Alex (08:34.179)

30 % in stage one and 20 % in stage two and the rest of the time they were in stage four, but they completely skipped over stage three. So in October, obviously my data hopefully will look different and I'll say, now I'm hearing 10 % stage three and 40 % stage four. And so we're seeing movement in changes within.

the stages that way. But the biggest thing I want to emphasize is that we don't recommend standardized testing prior to stage four when a child is using flexible self-generated language to communicate. So we're really relying on our language samples. If for whatever reason you're in an environment that

makes you, forces you to use standardized tests, I always say you have to do what you have to do. So give those tests, but realize that the information you collect from them are likely not going to help guide your therapy session. And probably a discussion for another time, but most of our standardized tests are normed on neurotypical individuals.

It's really difficult to apply that information to our neurodivergent and autistic population. And that's mainly who we're talking about when we talk about Gestalt Language Processors in speech therapy. Now we all know that anyone can be a GLP, but those that need support are usually falling within those categories.

Marisha (10:12.307)

That was such a great overview. love that. and so, and that makes a lot of sense. We're just, we're taking language samples throughout the sessions and then using March box protocol to score the stages. we can get different types of data from that, percentage spent in each stage or like percentage of utterances in each stage. And then also just the variety of the stocks produced within or like across.

Alex (10:30.24)

Okay.

Marisha (10:41.725)

within a stage to just the variety of those. So that's more of a number versus a percentage. And then what tips do you, cause do you have any tips to make this easier? Cause I feel like Alex, you guys, like you've been practicing this for so long. You can probably like score a language sample in your sleep. But I imagine for, and it took me a little while to get used to the scoring and it, you do pick it up fairly quickly.

Alex (10:57.632)

yeah.

Marisha (11:11.549)

But do you have any tips or suggestions for someone who is newer to this and it like this just feels like, like this feels like it'll take a long time. Like realistically, like what would it look like for someone who's brand new? Like what do you think they typically, should they plan to spend a few minutes after the session scoring it or like what's the best way to kind of collect that and score it in as real time as possible?

Alex (11:38.462)

Yeah, so just real quick before I launch into that, I do think it is possible to take percentages on a variety of gestalts. If you look at all your communication functions and categories, you can take percentages there. like they're communicating 10 % of what they're saying is commenting, 20 % of what they're saying is help, 30 % is share joy. So when we look at all of that, we can use either.

So I just wanted to kind of clarify that. As far as what will make things easier, I do want to tell people that when you are new to this, it's such a mindset shift. It's going to take a while. And I think the less you see GLPs in the caseload, the longer it's going to take. I consulted with an SLP yesterday in Mississippi who told me she sees all gen ed, but she was asked to see four kids in a self-contained autistic.

classroom. So she's mainly spending her whole day not with GLPs. So it's taking her a little while longer to kind of wrap her mind around this. I would say just collect language from each session, get in the habit of getting that written down. So whether that be on a little piece of paper, or whether that be on your iPad or voice recording or a video on your phone, and then yes, you are going to have to spend a little time out of the session.

listening to that again or looking at it again and kind of looking at the stages and trying to score it. And you will have a lot of question marks. When I first started doing this, I would put a big question mark next to a lot of what these kids were saying, because I didn't know how to score that. And I also didn't know their history. So the younger the kid, honestly, the easier it is. But when they come a little bit

later to you and they've had a history of compliance-based therapies or traditional therapies or other things in their life, we don't always know where that language is coming from and if it's spontaneous or taught and we kind of figure that out as we get to know the child. So just have grace with yourself and realize that

Alex (13:53.327)

This takes practice. It's kind of like anything else in life. You want to get better at playing the piano, like you need to practice. You can't just do it like once a month and then think you're going to play a concerto at the end of the year.

Marisha (14:07.731)

Yeah, I love that reminder of like, and it's our, that's one of the joys of being an SLP. feel like it's, we'll constantly have room for growth and improvement. And this is just one of the areas that we can practice. So I love that. And then, yeah, so we're just getting in the habit of.

Alex (14:25.304)

Yeah.

Marisha (14:32.775)

collecting those utterances throughout the session, whether we're writing them or recording them. And then like if SLPs are in your course, SLPs could watch those videos and practice over and over. So it's like building that.

Alex (14:45.863)

Over and over again, that's why I give, it was important to give lifetime access because so many people have said, I had to go back in and watch this or I got this new student and so now I have to go back and watch this module. So I do have a whole module where I think there's four or five kids that I showcase. And again, they're my kids. So I tell people, you don't know them and their history, I do.

but I allow people to kind of practice scoring by watching the video.

Marisha (15:19.357)

Yeah. And I think one of the trickiest things was, cause I don't watch a lot of the kids show, like I don't consume as much kid content as my kiddos do. And so one part of it is getting to know your client and their background and all of that. And then also just familiarity with the different, the different shows and what the different phrases mean. Like I know with one of my kiddos, the mom,

would sit in the session with me. And sometimes I wouldn't know, but the mom would be like, yeah, that's from this show or this song. So getting familiar with that content is helpful.

Alex (15:52.057)

Definitely. And there are websites that you can go to. We've listed them on posts that we've done. Maybe you can put them in your show notes like Yarn.io and things like that where you can put the phrases or gestalts that you're hearing from the shows and try to figure out.

what show they're from, what was going on in the scene, and that can kind of help you do some detective work. Just a little warning though that some of those sites have some explicit stuff sometimes, so don't pull it up in front of a child.

Marisha (16:33.897)

Yeah, yeah, I love that you shared that as a resource because that has definitely been helpful. And then I once like, so it sounds like your recommendation is, it's just going to take some practice and your course has lots of amazing videos. They can also, if they're not in a place to sign up for a course right now, like your Instagram has some really great videos that SLPs can practice with as well.

Alex (16:49.238)

Yep.

Alex (16:53.847)

Yeah.

Marisha (17:03.911)

And then I'm curious, just like a random question. So I'll share my experience and I feel like you'll have the same opinion, but, I attended a course at a conference about using AI and all of that to, help with different pieces of our SLP role. And I tried plugging in like a little language sample to see if the AI could figure out what stage the utterances were in.

Alex (17:32.072)

interesting.

Marisha (17:33.411)

but they were, they were missing, like obviously the child's background and those like pop culture references. So I feel like that's like, that's not really a time saver, but I'm just curious if you've seen or like seen SLPs use that to actually save time or what your thoughts are.

Alex (17:48.182)

No one's asked me about that in particular, so I'm really glad that you brought that up because I think one of the things I emphasize so much is how this is so individualized and I have no idea how AI could figure something like that out when they don't know the child, don't know their interests, don't know their history. But

AI is extremely helpful for other things and the last that I was in there poking around, I do feel like it's pulling up really good info on Gestalt language development. So thanks to the people that allowed that to happen and I hope it continues to be that way. So it could be helpful if you wanted to pull up something really quick to explain to a colleague or, you know, a family member, but I would definitely not use it for language samples.

Marisha (18:42.183)

Okay, that's what I just for my like little perusing I was like, I don't think this would work. but I was really curious. I was like, let's see. yeah, you're so right. It is so individualized and we need that. Like clinical perspective of all the information that we know about the child and their context. okay. Awesome. So I, yeah, I feel like we did a nice job covering.

Alex (18:45.716)

Yeah, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Marisha (19:09.779)

data collection tips and strategies. Is there anything that you wanted to add, Alex?

Alex (19:14.817)

No, I just think that if you're very new to this, it can feel very overwhelming. So just take it slow. Maybe start with like one or two clients that you just know it's going to be a good idea for you to start recording their language.

It's a little bit harder with the movers and shakers, the sensory seekers, the ones where you're really like hands on moving around with them in the room. It can be done though. Those are usually the ones that I record on video or voice record on my phone and listen to later. But.

Yeah, just think about that. And then also if you have any colleagues that are learning this along with you, it's super good to be able to discuss with people. So I get really excited when like whole districts or whole clinics take the course and they want to learn together because I think that power of learning in a group kind of helps things progress a little bit faster.

Marisha (20:11.197)

Yeah, I love that as a strategy. So taking it slow, starting with one to two students, like roping in other colleagues if you can so you can learn together. And then, like you said before, giving ourselves grace in the process because just like our students, we're learning and yeah, one step at a time. And then in the show notes, I will link to...

Alex (20:15.846)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Alex (20:26.258)

For

Marisha (20:37.499)

Alex's Instagram account in her course. I'll also link to yarn.io and I'll see if I can find like I'll I think I've seen some posts about those.

Alex (20:49.468)

Yeah, I can share a resource with you where we have some other sites listed.

Marisha (20:54.215)

Okay, perfect, because that is probably the best way to utilize technology to help us is just figuring out kind of those, the shows and songs and where those phrases are coming from for our kiddos. Okay, well, this was amazing. Thank you so much, Alex, and thank you to everyone who listened.

Alex (21:15.749)

Thanks for having me.

Special Education Workload Management

February 18, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

Welcome to another episode of the SLP Now podcast! We’re continuing the series where we do a deep dive on all things Special Ed Staffing, and I’m bringing some of the best in our field to join me and share their expertise.

Today, Marisha and Maren Boothby discuss Special Ed Workload Management!

In this episode of the Special Ed Leaders Podcast, Marisha interviews Maren Boothby, CEO and founder of Boothby Therapy Services. They discuss Maren’s journey from being a speech-language pathologist (SLP) to leading a successful therapy service company. The conversation highlights the importance of the workload calculator developed by Maren, which helps school districts assess their staffing needs based on actual workload rather than just caseload numbers. Maren shares insights on the growth of her company, the challenges faced by special education administrators, and the significance of professional development and compliance in providing quality services to students. The episode concludes with resources for special education administrators looking to optimize their services.

Takeaways from This Episode

Maren Boothby transitioned from SLP to CEO due to the challenges in the medical setting.
Boothby Therapy Services has expanded to provide comprehensive solutions for schools.
The workload calculator helps districts assess staffing needs effectively.
Data-driven analysis is crucial for special education administrators.
Professional development is essential for SLPs to enhance their productivity.
Compliance in special education is critical to avoid legal issues.
Accurate workload calculations can improve service delivery for students.
The importance of building trust with school partners is emphasized.
Emergency staffing situations can be mitigated with proper planning.
Consultation services can help districts optimize their special education programs.

Additional SPED Staffing Resources

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

How is that possible, you ask?

Because we analyzed all the books, identified the targets, and created unit plan pages that suggest activities based on the skills you’re targeting and your students’ needs. This is the one stop shop for all your literacy-based therapy needs, including resources for virtual field trips and visuals to help those concepts stick.

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

Join hundreds of SPED directors and district administrators – get the support you need!

Explore our District Solutions → Request a free quote and we’ll show you the exact impact you should expect for your district!

Subscribe to the SLP Now podcast and stay tuned for our next series. We’re kicking off September by helping you get your data collection, paperwork, and therapy planning processes in tip-top shape!

Listen to The Special Ed Leaders Podcast on Apple ★ Spotify ★ YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

Marisha (00:01.4)

Hello there and welcome to the special ed leaders podcast. Today we have a very special guest, Marin Boothby. She is the CEO and founder of Boothby therapy services. And I've had the opportunity to have some really incredible conversations with her. She is such an innovator and problem solving problem solver in the SLP space. and I'm really excited to dive into,

some of the things that she's been up to, especially her workload calculator. think that's a really interesting conversation for district administrators to hear about. and so like I said, Marin's the founder of Boothby therapy services. she also consults with school districts and helps them navigate changes. and this little bio does her no justice. So I'm going to turn it over to.

Maren Boothby (00:57.091)

you

Marisha (00:59.214)

So that she can just share a little bit of her story with us before we dive into some of the other things she's up to, including the workload calculator. So hello, Mary.

Maren Boothby (01:11.951)

Hi, it's great to see you and thank you so much for that nice introduction.

Marisha (01:17.783)

That's great to see you too.

Maren Boothby (01:19.023)

I'm excited to share about our workload calculator and tell you a little bit about what we're doing at Boothbee Therapy Services.

Marisha (01:26.7)

Yeah. And so I'm really curious to hear just more about your story. So you started off as an SLP and then like, how'd you end up here as the founder and creating all these solutions?

Maren Boothby (01:43.639)

Right. So when I was a new SLP, my passion was brain injury and stroke. And I actually started working in a rehab setting. And I really did love that. But I did feel a little bit burdened by some of the pressures of working with insurance companies and constantly working to get approval for my clients to have more units. And that that just became more and more of a burden over a few

years that I was working in the rehab setting, the productivity requirements were high, and I thought to myself, there's got to be a better way to do this. Meanwhile, I was living in New Hampshire. We had a dearth of speech pathologists available to work in schools, and I was receiving phone calls from a tiny little school all the way through the National Forest in New Hampshire saying, hey, can you come help us? And I decided, you know, I can, and there's a better way to be a speech pathologist, and I'm going to do that. So I left the medical setting.

I headed into schools, I was excited about working with kids, and I thought, I'm going to do this the right way. So I have to thank the folks at Waterville Valley for introducing me to special education and all of the supports they gave me as I learned how to become a school-based SLP. So I did that. Shortly after that, I was then in a full-time capacity working in schools. I did that by myself for a few years, and then about three years later, there was just so much demand, so much need.

people calling me all the time and my husband Christopher Boothby who's also one of the founders of our company said hey we need to start employing some other people so we decided to do that and that was the beginning of Boothby Therapy Services as a larger group of really you know passionate SLPs and providers who are all about helping children succeed.

Marisha (03:35.83)

I love that. And where is Boothbee Therapy Services at now? Like what does the company look like?

Maren Boothby (03:42.753)

So we've really grown. We're in our 25th year delivering school based services in New Hampshire and Maine. And about eight years into our company, we bought an occupational therapy services company and really dove into that. And we have found over the years that our school partners are really looking for one stop shopping for their contracting needs. want their jobs are so

complicated. They want to have a provider and a partner that they can trust. So over the years we've expanded to also provide school psychology services, teacher the visually impaired, orientation and mobility, counseling, school psychology, I think I said that, and special education teachers. So it's just been this really awesome partnership as we've just tried to become the comprehensive solution for our school partners.

Marisha (04:41.624)

That's amazing. And you do way more than just offer people to fill the roles. Because you are, like I said at the beginning, I've just been so impressed in our conversations. You are such an innovator and problem solver. And you have some really creative solutions when it comes to supporting staff development and workload and other problem solving.

But can we chat a little bit more about the workload calculator and how that came to be? Like what led you to develop that and kind of what does it look like?

Maren Boothby (05:17.455)

Absolutely, that is one of the things that I am most passionate about and I'd love to share that a little bit with you and your listeners. It really started for me in 2002, that was early in the time that we were delivering services on a bigger scale in New Hampshire and that was the year that ASHA published their workload caseload position and that position basically states that SLP caseload

assignments should really be based on workload, not on the numbers of kids so that you're actually taking a look at what the needs of the students are. So at the time, my primary concern was making sure that I was staffing, I was making sure that each of the contracts that we were serving had enough time, not just to see the kids and deliver their direct services, but also to make sure that the SLPs were able to

develop IEPs, attend meetings, do new referral evaluations, triennial re-evaluations, and to do all the compliance work that's needed, the Medicaid documentation, the quarterly progress reports, and all of those things. So the ASHA workload caseload position is fantastic. It's detailed. They provide lots and lots of tools, but those tools are somewhat complicated, right, to apply on our own. So

So I started taking apart the Ashley workload caseload analysis and I made a spreadsheet on Excel, you know, and I was trying to figure out how do I plan all this time. And eventually it got to be our own proprietary software which we call the Data Driven Needs Analysis or the Data DNA for short.

Marisha (07:14.368)

I love that. so, can you tell us a little bit more about, so I guess we have a pretty good idea of what the workload calculator tells us. It looks at all of the aspects of our role and kind of what to expect. And what are the benefits of calculating that? what problems does it solve and how could that benefit a school district?

Maren Boothby (07:40.239)

Absolutely. I mean, I really feel for directors of special education or student services because they are running a huge special education program with all the related service providers, the school psychologists, the special ed teachers. They have so many things to comply with. Most of them are not themselves speech pathologists. I wish I had a dime for every time someone said, I'm not a speech pathologist, but... So what they need, especially

especially special Ed administrators are they tend to have more special education teachers in their districts and in their buildings and they have OTs or speech pathologists for example. Meanwhile, we're in the business full time. All we do is related services and special education. So the benefit for a district is they're able to dial in on what exactly are the needs

needs of their speech and language caseload or of their occupational therapy caseload, for example. So it's not, it begins with how many kids do we have? But then it goes on to look at, what are their services? Are they individual or are they group? How much group time can we reasonably plan if that's not already prescribed in the IEP? And then which kids are due for triennial reevaluation? Are we doing trimester?

progress reports or we're doing quarterly progress reports. What does the compliance look like in our building? What does the Medicaid documentation do? Do I need my speech pathologist to be team leaders and do 30-day reviews for my Medicaid to schools program? Do I need my speech pathologists and occupational therapists to also do duties? Do they need to serve on committees? What's the time requirement? Now, it's difficult to

to even identify what all those needs are, never mind plan for that time and see what is that? Is that a three day a week job? Is that a five day a week job? I'm not sure. So the great thing is we can take all that data, plug it into our data driven needs analysis and put out, hey, this is what the job looks like. This is the number of hours you need per week. This is the number of hours you need for the year. The places that I have found it to be most helpful is when districts are looking at a significant change.

Maren Boothby (10:09.629)

either they're adding a building or they're consolidating buildings so they're moving from having like five elementary schools down to four so they have tape they have staff that they can reassign or perhaps

if they are adding a program like a preschool program or an intensive needs program. So it's a tool that really helps them dial in what the needs are and it gives them data that they can speak to their stakeholders about, their business administrators, their superintendents, and their school board members.

Marisha (10:40.43)

Yeah, and I think that's probably one of the biggest hurdles is just like whether you're hiring an employee or a contractor or working with a company and just knowing exactly what you need. So if you have this calculator and it gives you a report of, this is exactly what we need, then we're much more likely to be set up for success. And we know what to expect.

Maren Boothby (11:04.431)

Exactly, and there's a high level of accountability for special education administrators too. From this data DNA, right away it generates a budget. So, you know, they have a good sense of what their costs will be.

and gives them the data that they need to be speaking to, again, the business administrator, superintendent, school board members, and so forth. And importantly, talking to SLPs like us so that when they make staffing decisions, they can say, yes, I've planned for this time. Yes, I've looked at the progress report writing time. I'm confident that there's time for you to do this job with excellence.

Marisha (11:53.23)

Yeah, and I've heard a lot of, just in my conversation with administrators, it sounds like there can be a revolving door of contractors. And do you think that the inappropriate, like incorrect calculation of workload is a huge factor in that retention?

Maren Boothby (12:14.128)

I think you're absolutely right.

A lot of times I feel like some of our school partners, they're coming for the first time to us with an emergency. my gosh, I have an unanticipated vacancy. I have someone who's out on medical leave or has a leave of absence. Help me. It's a desperate situation. I need to meet the needs of these kids. That's no one wants to be in that situation, of course, right? But that's the world we live in, like we're all people and emergencies happen. What we

is when we have this kind of ongoing relationship with the district so that we can plan ahead. And what we find is even when our company is maybe doing 20 or 30 percent of the services in a district versus, you know, some of our clients will have 70 or 80 percent of their services contracted, we can look at the total resources in the district. Hey, let's look at all of your speech paths across the district. Where are the caseloads upping?

and flowing. I'm sure you've seen this yourself, right? Like there's a bubble of kids in fourth grade. Like you've got this giant group of kids, right? And you need more resources. But meanwhile, maybe your middle school SLP has fewer kids that year. Perfect opportunity for her to come down and help that elementary level SLP. How does that look? What parts of the job are easy to break off? That's where again, the data DNA can really provide some guidance because it may be, hey, that

new referral piece would be a perfect piece to delegate to the helping SLP because there's not already an existing relationship with the primary SLP at that level and so on and so forth. There are just so many ways to look at it and when you have all the data in front of you it makes the staffing decisions just easier.

Marisha (14:13.602)

Yeah, and it's a great problem solving tool in optimizing our current resources.

Maren Boothby (14:21.261)

Absolutely.

And, you know, in the process of looking at caseloads to create the data-driven needs analysis, we're able to also get a gauge on some real key factors that impact efficiency. So, for example, in New Hampshire, we need to prescribe whether the services for kids will be group or whether they'll be individual. But in Maine, that's not required. We don't do it that way. It's kind of to the discretion of the provider and based on the student's schedule.

There are some advantages to that approach, but an administrator wants to ensure that an appropriate amount of group services being provided for a lot of reasons. One is efficiency, but it's also less restrictive than those individual groups. you know, taking a look at that and the percentage of time that's going to be delivered in a group setting also really drives efficiency too.

Marisha (15:19.342)

And do you offer supports to your, like do you find that especially, because if we're using the same calculations for a CF versus an SLP who's been in the field for 30 years, do you find that some SLPs have a hard time? Like in terms of experience or other factors?

Maren Boothby (15:37.199)

you

Maren Boothby (15:42.639)

You've got to take in all those factors and they're factors that are related to the provider and they're factors that are related to the building culture as well, right? So I mean the data-driven needs analysis has several kind of, what do we call it, it's some standard planning allocations of time planned in. So for example,

We might typically plan 15 minutes to write a progress report that includes rating scale and a narrative. But if you're in a school that only requires rating scales, then that could be done in 10 minutes. Or if you're in a high needs program with medically fragile kids or kids with autism or kids that have some kind of behavior needs, you may need more documentation so you have the ability to customize the planning time.

maybe to be like 20 minutes for example for a progress report and the same thing can be true as you said for the different providers You know really experienced people are going to have a ability to fly through the work in some levels Whereas a new one not as much and even for I've talked to so many directors who know their providers and their SLPs and they say hey I know that this person really needs extra time for you know preparing their advice

or their IEPs or this person's participation in our meetings is really essential. I want to make sure they're there for the whole time instead of just reporting out at the beginning. So we can customize all of that.

Marisha (17:20.43)

And it sounds like your company does a really great job with staff development. Do you have strategies or supports in place to help optimize SLP's productivity and matching the timeframes in the workload calculator?

Maren Boothby (17:38.167)

Yeah, well, so yes, I think that professional development and consulting work with our school districts is one of my favorite things. And it's kind of led to some of our very best kind of partnerships and relationships. I say we're full time in the business of delivering related services and things like, for example,

identification criteria when you're identifying kids as having a speech and language disorder. Of course, that varies from state to state. Some states have a very, very well defined criteria and some states have a more open criteria. So how do you achieve consistency across your district with how those decisions are being made? It's such an essential role for the SLPs and it has such a massive impact on

caseload numbers and cost for the special education budget. I guess that would be the one thing that I would say to a special ed director is if you're not 100 % sure that your speech and language pathologists are identifying students as being eligible for speech language impairment with consistency and accuracy, that's the biggest, easiest thing to look at in terms of efficiency and making sure that we're giving the service

that kids need to the kids who need the services.

Marisha (19:09.698)

Yeah. And that can be, so I've had a lot of conversations on the podcast with, like attorneys and just kind of the legal side of special education. So that's critical for, productivity and all of that, but it's also huge in terms of compliance and avoiding litigation and due process and all of that, which is a huge productivity and budget.

Maren Boothby (19:37.622)

Absolutely.

Marisha (19:39.296)

sink too if we end up going down that route.

Maren Boothby (19:42.893)

Yeah, absolutely. mean, you don't want to over identify nor do you want to under identify. One of the strategies we've come up with is a decision making tree. So to make it as visual as possible to lead a team through the process so that, you know, whoever's at the table, parents, case managers, advocates can understand the decision that's being made and that SLPs who are maybe new to the role have something to kind

fall back on and guide the conversation.

Marisha (20:15.66)

Yeah, and that's invaluable if the SLP or the OT or whoever the provider is, if they're appropriately trained in that, that can have huge impact for districts.

Maren Boothby (20:28.289)

Absolutely. I find that especially at the preschool level it's even trickier for the identification decision and you know we have so many little ones now at least in the northeast we're certainly seeing just a huge need among our three four and five year olds for sure. So getting that eligibility criteria dialed in is super important.

Marisha (20:56.652)

Yeah, well, I think there is, can see so much value in appropriately calculating workload and just the benefits that that can provide to a district administrator and having that clear data to.

Maren Boothby (21:06.145)

the board.

Marisha (21:12.394)

share with the team and justify their decision making and then also just setting up the providers for success and ultimately I think all of our goals are ultimately to provide the best possible services for our students and this is such a great way to make sure that we're doing that.

Maren Boothby (21:30.815)

It is, and you know, as you go through the year, this is something we do for every SLP and every provider in our company. It's a great tool to guide how people are spending time. So when you have somebody who's new to your building or new to the role, it's a chance to say, hey, let's take a look at that data DNA. How much time were we allotting on a weekly basis for your testing time, for your therapy time? Well, let's go take a look at your schedule. is that, do you have a

evaluation time, you know, reserved in your schedule? Do you have time for, how much time are you scheduled for therapy and how does that compare to what we planned for? And it really can show us where things can get tightened up and give some really valuable guidance to how the whole year unfolds.

Marisha (22:22.094)

Yeah, that's amazing. I love how, cause it sounds like that consulting piece is kind of baked into the work that you do with districts. And so that's, don't, I feel like that's probably not super common.

Maren Boothby (22:32.771)

Yeah.

Maren Boothby (22:38.263)

Yeah, we're kind of on a mission to kind of share what we know and what we've developed so that people can use it. I mean, we've got these tools. If they need to be customized based on a district's location and state regulations or their own particular, you know, policies, we can do that. But man, I just like to get them out there and share them the eligibility criteria, the dismissal criteria, how to identify young preschoolers and for sure the data DNA. And I think most of the SLP, you know, SLPs,

Marisha (22:40.014)

Maren Boothby (23:08.247)

to about the data DNA, they just love knowing, hey, all my time is planned for, I have the time I need to do my job with excellence.

Marisha (23:16.768)

And it makes it really, cause I know I've had roles as an SLP where it was kind of unclear exactly what the expectations were. So this is a great way. think SLPs, especially really like just from the SLPs that I know, they really appreciate that clarity and like knowing what the expectations are is really empowering.

Maren Boothby (23:38.231)

Right, that organizational streak is a mile wide in us, in SLPs.

Marisha (23:40.966)

I love it. this is amazing. So is there anything else that you wanted to share around workload or Google consulting or the problem solving piece?

Maren Boothby (23:56.963)

You know, I just love that you gave me a chance to share what we're working on. I appreciate that our providers are using SLP Now and the tools that you have to help them be more efficient with their lesson planning, which is something that's important to make sure that we're having those quality lessons and the data that your tool provides is really helpful as well. yeah, you could get me on a roll going about consultation topics and working with special ed directors. have a lot of

respect for them and empathy for the challenge that they're facing in our public schools. But it's great to have that partnership. So thanks for sharing.

Marisha (24:39.168)

Yeah. Yeah, I love that. if a special ed administrator is listening to this and is super inspired and feeling like they could benefit from consultation or services, what's the best way for them to learn more?

Maren Boothby (24:55.683)

So.

I would definitely direct them to our website at www.boothbetherapy.com and we have a special tab that's for school partners and they can go and there's a on that menu data driven needs analysis or data DNA page that they can find more about it. And we would love to do an initial consult and even a demo for them to, know, hey, let's, let's look at one of your schools and see, see what, see how the tool works for you and try it out and then see if it's something

that they want to use on a broader scale.

Marisha (25:30.03)

Well, thank you so much for being so generous with your time and expertise. This was super helpful. And yeah, thank you to everyone who joined us for this episode as well. I hope you have a fabulous rest of your day.

Maren Boothby (25:46.169)

Thank you so much for having me.

Gestalt Language Processing Stages: Complete Guide for SLPs

February 11, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

Understanding how children develop language is vital for K-12 speech-language pathologists (SLPs).

Among the diverse paths of language development, Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) stands out as a unique and significant journey, particularly for children on the autism spectrum. GLP describes how individuals acquire and process language in larger chunks or “gestalts” before breaking them down into smaller, more flexible components.

This guide delves into the six stages of GLP, offering a roadmap to help SLPs identify and support children who are gestalt language processors. Through insights from Marge Blanc, a pioneer in this field and author of Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of GLP’s nuances and practical strategies for implementation.

By mastering these stages, SLPs can foster meaningful communication growth, enhancing both their clients’ language skills and overall well-being.

Don’t forget to check out Marge Blanc’s FREE course!

Marge’s other GLP Stage Resources for SLPs

- - Marge’s Website (Communication Development Center)
  - Marge’s Instagram
  - Marge’s Book (Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum)
  - SLP Now: Gestalt Language Processing Ultimate Guide
  - The Units of Language Acquisition (Peters, 1983)
  - Developmental Sentence Types (Lee, 1966)
  - Developmental Sentence Scoring (Lee & Canter, 1971)
  - SALT Software
Introduction to Gestalt Language Processing

Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) is a distinctive method of acquiring language, where individuals first grasp entire chunks of language, or “gestalts,” before analyzing and breaking them down into smaller units. This approach contrasts with analytic language development, where individuals learn and combine words incrementally.

GLP is common among children on the autism spectrum and other neurodivergent individuals, emphasizing the need for clinicians to recognize its unique patterns and support its natural progression. As SLPs, understanding GLP allows us to honor and nurture these children’s authentic communication styles while tailoring interventions to suit their developmental stages.

Visualizing the difference between analytic and gestalt language processing can clarify this process. Analytic processors might develop language like assembling bricks to build a house, focusing on individual components first. In contrast, gestalt processors begin with a complete picture, refining its details over time.

“One of the critical aspects of Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) is its natural, spontaneous nature. This isn’t anything taught or instructed or a repeat-after-me scenario. It’s picked up voluntarily and used spontaneously in another situation.”

– Marge Blanc

The Six Stages of Gestalt Language Processing

Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) unfolds in six distinct stages, each marking a crucial step in a child’s linguistic journey. Understanding these stages helps SLPs assess progress and tailor interventions that align with the child’s natural development.

“Barry Prizant identified that children progress through natural stages of language development for children who use a Gestalt language process. Stage one is exactly that—echoing or repeating language that has been heard before under meaningful situations, picked up voluntarily, and used spontaneously in another situation.”

– Marge Blanc

Stage 1 Gestalt Language Processing: Delayed Echolalia

In the first stage of Gestalt Language Processing, children echo phrases or “gestalts” they’ve heard in meaningful contexts. These chunks of language are not generated by the child but are repeated as they were originally heard. The phrases are often tied to emotional or situational significance, like hearing “Are you okay?” after a fall or “Let’s get out of here!” during a moment of excitement.

At this stage, the language is unanalyzed and cannot be broken into smaller components. The child uses these gestalts as a way to communicate intent, even though the meaning may not be literal. For example, a child saying “You okay?” may be expressing discomfort rather than inquiring about someone else’s well-being.

Stage 2 Gestalt Language Processing: Mitigation (Partial Gestalts)

In Stage 2 of Gestalt Language Processing, children begin to break down the language chunks they acquired in Stage 1 and recombine elements to form new phrases. This process is known as “mitigation,” where the child naturally modifies their gestalts by mixing and matching components.

For example, a child who initially echoed “Let’s get out of here” and “Want some more?” may create new combinations such as “Let’s get more.” This stage demonstrates their growing ability to analyze and manipulate language, though it remains heavily influenced by the original gestalts.

The role of clinicians and caregivers in this stage is to recognize these mitigated phrases and support the child’s language use. Encouraging a linguistically rich environment where the child feels validated is crucial for fostering further language development.

“In Stage 2, kids naturally begin to mix and match their gestalts. For example, a child who often says ‘Let’s get out of here’ and ‘Want some more’ might create something like ‘Let’s get more.’ This process, called mitigation, shows their ability to manipulate language creatively. It’s important to recognize and support these changes, as they reflect meaningful development.”

– Marge Blanc

Stage 3: Single Words and Two-Word Combinations

In Stage 3, children transition to breaking down gestalts into individual words or short phrases, marking a significant shift toward analytic language processing. This stage reflects the child’s ability to isolate meaningful components of the larger language chunks they previously used.

For example, a child who initially used the phrase “Let’s get out of here” might begin using “get” or “out” independently. Similarly, they might combine individual words to form new two-word phrases, such as “want more.”

This stage often brings visible progress, as children start forming words and combinations that make their communication more flexible and intelligible. It’s important for clinicians and caregivers to encourage and validate these early analytic language attempts while providing models of natural language use.

“At stage three, it happens naturally, just naturally. You know, we don’t have to do compliance, teaching, or reinforcement. If kids are starting with language as part of experience, they learn that language can be used in different ways and contexts, helping them bring language down to a place where it’s available for referencing.”

– Marge Blanc

Stage 4 Gestalt Language Processing: Simple Grammar

Stage 4 marks a pivotal transition in Gestalt Language Processing, as children begin incorporating basic grammar into their language use. At this stage, language becomes more structured, and children start forming sentences with simple grammatical elements, such as subject-verb-object constructions.

For example, a child might move from saying “yellow” or “marker” to a full sentence like “I got a yellow marker.” This represents the initial stages of grammar development, where children begin to connect ideas in ways that go beyond isolated words.

It’s important to remember that this development happens naturally. Clinicians should focus on supporting this shift by modeling language that respects the child’s current stage, using minimal interventions. While the child’s grammar may still be simple, it marks a significant step toward more complex communication skills.

“In Stage 4, grammar begins to develop naturally. Children move from phrases like ‘marker, marker’ to sentences like ‘I got a yellow marker.’ At this stage, the focus is on meaning, not teaching grammar. Our role is to respect their developmental pace and provide natural language models that align with their progress.”

– Marge Blanc

Stage 5 Gestalt Language Processing: Complex Grammar

In Stage 5, children demonstrate significant growth in their ability to use complex grammar. They begin incorporating advanced sentence structures, such as compound and complex sentences and use a wider variety of conjunctions, verb tenses, and pronouns.

For instance, a child might say, “I got a yellow marker, but I need the red one too,” showcasing their ability to use conjunctions like “but” and “and” to connect ideas. They may also ask more sophisticated questions, such as “Why can’t I have that?”

This stage represents a deeper understanding of relationships between words and concepts. SLPs and caregivers can support this growth by continuing to model language in meaningful contexts and encouraging rich interactions that promote exploration of grammar and syntax.

“In Stage 5, there are tons more conjunctions, tons more questions, all the WH questions, and ways of putting together clauses, like ‘No, not now’ or ‘Not till tomorrow.’ It’s more than just complex grammar—it’s about combining semantic relationships with words.”

– Marge Blanc

Stage 6 Gestalt Language Processing: Advanced Language Integration

Stage 6 represents the culmination of the Gestalt Language Processing journey, where children achieve the ability to use fully integrated and flexible language. At this stage, they can construct sentences with multiple clauses, utilize advanced grammar forms, and express nuanced thoughts.

For example, a child might say, “Before I get the red marker, I need to find the blue one,” illustrating their ability to navigate complex temporal and conditional relationships. This stage often includes sophisticated use of embedded clauses, abstract language, and culturally relevant expressions.

While children at Stage 6 may still refine their language skills, their communication at this point resembles that of their neurotypical peers. Support from clinicians and caregivers should shift to fostering confidence, exploring more abstract topics, and navigating social communication effectively.

“In Stage 6, kids can put together complex semantic relationships and express abstract or conditional ideas. For example, a child might say, ‘Before I get the red one, I need yellow,’ or ‘If you don’t want me to, then why did you bring me?’ These advanced structures represent full integration of grammar and meaning within their language system.”

– Marge Blanc

Supporting the Gestalt Language Processor’s Stages in K-12 Settings

Supporting Gestalt Language Processors in K-12 settings requires a thoughtful, individualized approach.

Recognizing where a child is within the six stages of Gestalt Language Processing allows SLPs to tailor strategies that respect their unique language journey.

“Our job as SLPs is to partner with children wherever they are in the stages of language development. For example, at Stage 2, we recognize when language is mitigated, and we provide natural opportunities for interaction rather than forcing compliance or teaching explicitly. It’s all about creating an environment where their language processing can thrive.”

– Marge Blanc

Key strategies include:
- Creating a linguistically rich environment: Surround children with meaningful language that aligns with their current stage. For example, for children in Stage 2, model simple mitigated phrases like “want more.”
- Encouraging natural interactions: Facilitate opportunities for authentic communication through play, storytelling, and collaborative classroom activities.
- Collaborating with educators and families: Ensure a cohesive approach by sharing insights about GLP stages and practical strategies for supporting the child at school and home.
- Respecting natural development: Avoid pressuring children to skip stages or “perform” language. Instead, acknowledge their progress and provide supportive modeling.
Real-World Examples of GLP Stages

Understanding the practical application of GLP becomes clearer through real-world examples. These scenarios demonstrate how children naturally progress through the stages with appropriate support from caregivers and educators:
- Stage 3: Progressing to Two-Word Combinations
  A student began combining words like “want book” and “need help” after their teacher consistently modeled simple, functional phrases. This natural progression from isolated words to combinations highlights the importance of providing intentional language models in context.
- Stage 5: Mastering WH-Questions
  In a small group discussion, a child gained confidence in asking WH-questions such as “Why can’t I have that?” Participating in these structured yet flexible interactions allowed them to practice and refine their use of more complex sentence structures.
Marge Blanc shares a pivotal example from her own work:

“One of the first children I worked with in this area, Dylan, would say, ‘Let’s get out of here,’ and ‘Want some more?’ These were meaningful gestalts he picked up from interactions with his family. For instance, ‘Let’s get out of here’ came from his brother, and he used it effectively in various situations. These chunks of language showed his natural ability to grasp and use meaningful communication spontaneously.”

– Marge Blanc

The Role of Natural Language Acquisition in Autism

Marge Blanc has dedicated her career to studying and implementing strategies for Gestalt Language Processing, particularly in children with autism. Drawing from her experience and research, she emphasizes that GLP is a natural, spontaneous process of language development that clinicians must respect and nurture.

One of Marge’s most important contributions to the field is her work on Natural Language Acquisition (NLA). This framework highlights how children progress through the stages of GLP and underscores the importance of creating environments where language can evolve naturally.

She also discusses the critical need for longitudinal, qualitative research in this area, noting that early studies by researchers like Barry Prizant laid the foundation for understanding the stages of GLP. Marge’s work has expanded on these ideas, offering actionable insights for SLPs.

Key Takeaways from Marge Blanc:
- GLP is not a rigid process but one that adapts to the individual child’s experiences and environment.
- Clinicians should focus on understanding the child’s natural progression, rather than forcing analytic approaches too early.
- Recognizing meaningful language—even in its earliest stages—can significantly enhance a child’s confidence and communication skills.
GLP Stages FAQ

1. What is Gestalt Language Processing development?

Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) is a natural way of acquiring language, where individuals initially learn and use large chunks or “gestalts” of language rather than single words. These chunks are meaningful phrases heard in specific contexts, which are later analyzed and broken down into smaller, more flexible components as language skills develop.

2. Can you be a gestalt language processor without being autistic?

Yes, not all gestalt language processors are autistic. While GLP is commonly observed in children with autism, it can also be seen in other neurodivergent individuals or those with unique communication styles.

3. How can I tell if a child is a gestalt language processor?

Signs of GLP include repeating phrases or chunks of language heard in meaningful situations (delayed echolalia), difficulty breaking down language into individual words initially, and using language in ways that reflect context or emotional significance.

4. What are the stages of Gestalt Language Processing?

There are six stages in GLP:
- Stage 1: Delayed echolalia (repeating chunks of language).
- Stage 2: Mitigation (modifying and mixing gestalts).
- Stage 3: Single words and two-word combinations.
- Stage 4: Simple grammar.
- Stage 5: Complex grammar.
- Stage 6: Advanced language integration.
5. How does GLP differ from analytic language development?

In analytic language development, individuals learn language incrementally, starting with single words that are gradually combined into phrases and sentences. In GLP, the process begins with whole language chunks that are analyzed and broken down over time.

6. Why is it important to recognize GLP in children?

Recognizing GLP allows speech-language pathologists and caregivers to provide interventions that align with the child’s natural language development. Supporting GLP fosters meaningful communication and respects the child’s unique way of processing language.

7. What strategies can support children with GLP in educational settings?

Key strategies include creating linguistically rich environments, modeling natural language use, validating the child’s communication attempts, and collaborating with families and educators to ensure a cohesive approach.

Conclusion

Understanding and supporting GLP is essential for K-12 SLPs working with neurodivergent children. By recognizing and respecting the six stages of GLP, clinicians can provide interventions that align with each child’s natural language journey, fostering meaningful progress.

Marge Blanc’s insights remind us that GLP is not a process to be rushed or forced. Instead, it requires an environment that nurtures natural language acquisition, celebrating milestones like delayed echolalia, mitigations, and complex grammar as they emerge.

As SLPs, our role is to partner with these children, providing language models and affirming their unique communication styles. By doing so, we help them build a foundation for expressive and dynamic communication that can serve them throughout their lives.

Let this guide inspire your work, equipping you with the knowledge and strategies to make a lasting difference in the lives of gestalt language processors.

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Transcript

Transcript

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Marisha Mets (00:02.414)

Hello there and welcome to the SLP Now podcast. I'm really looking forward to continuing our series on Gestalt Language Processing. And today we have a very, very special guest. have Marge Blanc with us. She is the author of Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum.

It is a fabulous book and resource for SLPs who are wanting to implement this. And I'm just really grateful that Marge was so generous to share her time with us today. So I mean, Marge has such an amazing story. And so Marge, do you mind just sharing a little tidbit of your story and how, like, what led you to write that book and

just a little bit of your journey and then the rest of the time we'll spend on diving into the stages of natural language acquisition so we can start wrapping our head around that. And then we also have a special surprise at the end on just some different resources in case you're wanting to learn even more. Wonderful. Well, thank you so much, Marisha. This is a wonderful series and I've enjoyed.

listening to the other people who are part of this and each person seems to come to this journey in a bit different way. But I think the commonality is like, it's so real and natural and authentic and matters so much to the kids, the clients, know, older individuals in front of us that we all just find that

you know, almost immediate buy-in. And that was the same for me, although NLA per se hadn't been quote invented yet, but all of the preliminary research had been done. And so I know that you mentioned this earlier, that Anne Peters work that came together in 1983 put together the research from so many individuals who really were the

Marisha Mets (02:18.626)

beginnings of our entire profession. I mean, we didn't have ALPs as such, you know, designated until Ann Peters put some words on the kind of language development processes that kids go through. You know, before that, you know, people thought, well, it's just, you know, normal. It's just the way it is. And so she really is the one who didn't necessarily coin the terms because lots of other researchers had been using them.

but she put it in her book and that's the units of language acquisition. And that's, you know, was the book that I carried around with me, you know, on my clipboard because it, you know, it was really a series of PDFs. but it's, it's priceless and it's, it's just the beginnings of so much in our profession. Anyway, so when I began my journey as an SLP, it was back in the seventies.

And I had never met a Gestalt language processor. And so I worked in public schools for 20 years in Canada, 10 years in the United States and for 10 years. And I really did not. So I don't know how, what that means exactly, but I don't think they were part of our, I don't know, daily life as clinicians. I don't know how to answer that, that question that's in my mind, but.

Then in 1993, I came to Madison, Wisconsin, and I had a temporary job, three-year job, as a clinical instructor, it was called at the time, which is like a clinical associate professor now, which just means that you're working in the school clinic with grad students, and I did teach an undergrad class on clinical observation. So at any rate,

That was the year that an individual in Madison wanted to try to cure autism. Pause for dramatic emphasis here and replicate the study that Ivar Lovasz did when he was trying to cure autism. And in those days, it was the beginning of some of that research and

Marisha Mets (04:44.258)

You know, I mean, shall we just cut to the bottom of this? It didn't work. And so those kids who were considered, I kid you not, low-voss failures, came to our clinic at the university. And so I got to meet those first little ones. And one of them was clearly a Gestalt language processor, although I didn't know what the name would be.

except that, you know, this little individual is the one I quote in the book, Dylan is his name, who would say, let's get out of here. You know, I'd say to his mom, wow, that's quite a chunk of language, you know, where did that come from? Because you knew it wasn't self generated. You just knew that he mean he was not yet four years old and

let's get out of here with all that vehemence, know, wasn't really in his wheelhouse at the time. And so she said, that's what his big brother says. And it's really effective. You know, it makes everybody stop and think, let's see, why does he want to get out of here? And then the other one that he said a lot was, some more? Which,

You know, you can hear the mom saying or the dad or the teacher saying, once more. And the child who's echoing, you know, because this is delayed echolalia, like after the fact, what did big brother say that caused so much attention? You know, what did mom say that got you more milk? You say, once some more. And that's what Dr. Barry present.

did his research on that was also published in 1983. And it was exactly that. stage one, and he called it that. He had four stages of language development for children who use a Gestalt language process. Stage one is exactly that. Echoing or repeating language that has been heard before under meaningful situations,

Marisha Mets (07:03.99)

that caused great excitement or sadness or one of the ones that people always hear kids say is, you okay when they fall down? And it doesn't mean that they're okay. It means whatever they felt when the parents said as they fell, are you okay? And it could mean no.

I'm really badly hurt. It could mean I want to feel okay, but I don't right at this moment. It could mean, mom, please say that again, because I'd really love for you to recognize that I am not okay. So that's one of the classic gestalt that is part of stage one that Barry Prasant identified in his 1983 article. So it's a language and you've talked about this in some of the other

podcast, but it's language that has been grasped in another situation as meaningful, picked up voluntarily. This is all spontaneous. This isn't anything taught or, you know, instructed or say this or repeat after me, but it's picked up voluntarily and used spontaneously in another situation.

And like you already know, obviously, it's not to be taken necessarily literally. Sometimes it is, you know, let's get out of here really meant let's get out of here. But it also meant, you know, come on, guys, like, can you hurry? Can you get some more paint? Can you let me get a drink of water? You know, it can mean, you know, a myriad.

other things besides the one literal one. So that's stage one and supports at stage one, you know, are to acknowledge that's really the big support is to acknowledge that we understand. We may not understand literally like, you okay? You're scratching your head. Like, well, does she really mean that it hurts? Does she want me to, you know, kiss the boo boo?

Marisha Mets (09:25.986)

Does she want me to just ignore it and move on to the next fun thing? We can't see inside the minds of our kids, obviously, but it's a good clue. It's a good clue. And sometimes people say, it's so complicated. know, like, you know, others of your guests have said, it's not that we need to acknowledge exactly what it means at that moment. But what we do want to acknowledge is

we understand that that is meaningful language. And when we understand that, that it's meaningful language, that's all we really need to acknowledge to get that what we would call the bingo eye contact that says, who this person gets me, you know, that's just about all we really need to do. And then we can prove our acumen as, you know, detectives after that. But the

first step is the acknowledgement just that it is shared, is communicative, and when we acknowledge that, that child becomes a communicator. You know, and like we all say, gosh, back in grad school, we thought that we had to make them be a communicator by doing something that we thought was, you know, right or typical or proper or whatever. No.

It's up to us. The child already has language in their heads. And that's something that we always say is that there isn't any pre-verbal, you know, necessary like eye contact. No joint referencing. No. Does there need to be, you know, pointing and gestures? No. That child already has language probably from the time they were like 12 months old, you know,

or earlier, you know, for some kids, they had language in their heads. And do we understand it? Not necessarily, but we do have to recognize that they're like five steps ahead of us, you know, in this language development thing. And we, our job is to really to believe their lived experience, if you will, if you use that kind of terminology and believe them, it's like, you know, believe the children.

Marisha Mets (11:54.114)

I mean, that could be our mantra. Stage one. So stage one, is that one called delayed echolalia or is there a different name? No, you're right. Okay. So the terminology is something that gets very, very confusing. It is indeed delayed echolalia, but you know, different people like different terminologies and some people don't like the term.

delayed echolalia anymore because it used to be, you know, a pathology. We used to think that it was pathological and we were supposed to extinguish it. So some people don't really want to use the term echolalia at all. But then there are other people who would way prefer to use the term echolalia because as let's just say some autistic adults really think that our focus on Gestalt

language development has kind of almost usurped the value of echoing. And so if I today, being, you know, fully able to use self-generated grammar, want to echo what you just said, I would say, is that what people call delayed echolalia? So I might echo you.

I might, I might because just the sound of your voice express that way better than if I had tried to say it myself because I don't sound like I'm, I mean, your question was authentic. And so sometimes when we're thinking about, you know, adults who use language that is echoed, they're not necessarily

gestalts in the same sense as a kid. For a kid, you know, let's get out of here, could not have been broken down. But when I echoed you and said, you know, is that what they call delayed echolalia? I can break that down. And so that definition of a gestalt, a linguistic gestalt or a language gestalt is the one that Ann Peters defined.

Marisha Mets (14:18.958)

And so sometimes we have to differentiate between, we talking about development, language development? Or are we talking about later on when I choose to echo you or, you know, anyone else who I might quote, if you will. But generally speaking, yes. Okay, great. So stage one is delayed echolalia. And that's when kiddos are using these gestalts and they can't be broken down.

And the best thing that we can do as clinicians is acknowledge the communication. Does that sound like a good recap? Perfect. Okay. And then what about stage two? What is that stage called and what does that look like? Okay. So rather than say the name of it, which gets everyone all confused, we'll just say that what happens very naturally. And that's what my research was all about is what do kids do naturally?

And what kids do naturally within a, let's call it linguistically rich environment. So people are aware. It doesn't have to be a professional. It could be parents, could be someone in that child's life is aware that stage two exists. Stage two is when there are enough gestalts in that child's head that they

can find the commonalities and either break down a long gestalt like a whole movie. It could be a whole movie. so breaking it down means just the episode or it could be an episode, could be the gestalt and breaking it down means, I'll say, this is the fast forwarding that kids do when they get to the part that they really are wanting to focus on.

know, the way, I did think I'd just go to England and go to the city and say, this is Hercules.

Marisha Mets (16:21.442)

So sometimes the breaking it down means to make it shorter, actually focusing on the part that they really, really want and just fast forwarding the rest. And it sometimes means that this whole movie was visualized in a child's head and the breaking it down means extracting the language piece or the acoustic piece, the auditory piece from the entirety.

That's, so it can be any of these things, including finding commonalities among different chunks or different scripts or different pieces of delayed echolalic language and mixing and matching. And so like in the case of let's get out of here, want some more? You know, this child, and this is the real example, could say, let's get more.

You know, once I'm out of here. And so they don't necessarily sound like the original in terms of intonation necessarily. And that's sometimes as a clue that kids are doing something with those original gestalt that is doing it. You can do anything with it. You can, you can make it intonationally different. You can change, you know, part of it to a question like,

Want some more? If a child says, want some more, you know, that would be a stage two. So any of those kinds of changes. And the term for it is an antiquated term that we're kind of stuck with. But when we're explaining it to other people, we don't have to say, that's mitigation. You must learn the word mitigation. The word mitigation doesn't really work in very many languages like zero.

And so we have to explain it. And so that's what we just do. And we use the term if we want to be really accurate and say, yeah, mix and match or ways of mitigating ways of changing. So we have to explain that to people, but that's the official term is mitigation or, it was also called in the old days, was called mitigated gestalt or mitigated echolalia.

Marisha Mets (18:47.424)

even like changed in some way. Yeah, that makes sense. So in stage two, they're mixing and max matching their gestalts. So the big pieces from stage one, we get to see them like mix and match them. So that makes sense. Anything else on stage two? Well, so supports for stage two. Okay. So first of all, we have to recognize that this

process is natural, so kids will do it. You know, whether we like it or not, you know, it's going to happen. So we might as well be there with them and be partners. So that's really the critical element is being a partner. And when you hear something that is mixed and matched or changed in some way to recognize it, there's a tendency, you know, now that we have so much media,

language that we didn't have in the old days, obviously, but there's a tendency when we hear media language to say, that's a Gestalt, you know, and it's not. If it's been changed from the original, it's a mitigation.

So an example would be.

called the doctor and the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed. Is that a gestalt? Not for that child because they used to sing the whole thing. You know, it's unintelligible, but the child sang the whole thing. So when they can sing just a part of it, it's a mitigation.

Marisha Mets (20:42.878)

So that's, suppose, one thing that we should be aware of is that because it's from media doesn't make it automatically a gestalt.

Yeah, that makes sense. And then anything else for stage two or should we go on to three? no, that brings up one other really important thing. so kids at stage one, little kids at stage one are just absolutely not intelligible. You know, we can't ever say, no, he's not intelligible, therefore we should do X or Y or Z. You know, kids are not intelligible.

typically if they're little kid until stage two. And that's the reason. As you know, at first they were musical kids, know, the intonation babies that we all talk about. And so what does intelligibility sound like at stage one? It sounds like, you know,

you know, that's Beth pretty intelligible. You know, we don't expect like, you know, phonemes and phonetic and consonants and vowels and, you know, kids just can't do it. They just can't do it. And so stage two is absolutely phenomenally powerful because kids are understood for the first time often. And people say, he's talking.

And he's singing this song, you know? I go back in my memory. I think he's been singing this song for like a year, but I didn't understand it because it was too indistinct.

Marisha Mets (22:32.052)

Yeah. And then, does that bring us to stage three? So it does look like it is. And so basically stage three is just another mitigation stage basically, but it creates the brain shift that, you know, we all have been hoping for when we thought we could, you know, support a child as if they were an analytic processor.

Where's that single word? Where's that single word? Well, there it is. And so at stage three, it happens naturally, just naturally. You know, we don't have to do compliance. We don't have to do teaching. We don't have to do reinforcement. We don't have to do, you know, sit at the table. We don't have to do anything because it happens naturally. And, you know, it's a beautiful thing because, you know, if language was, and this is somewhat what we see as clinicians.

If language was a part of experience, you know, where's that going to live in most children's heads? Is it going to be left brain analytic word plus word? Like we've tried to force kids into being. No, we tried that, you know, we all tried that in some form or another, even if it was just in our minds. But if, if kids are starting with language as part of experience,

and they learn that experiences are multiple where language can be used in different experiences and can be mixed and matched. Then we're helping them to bring that language down to a place that, you know, I just call it the corpus callosum moment when it's available. And once it's available,

you know, and we call it referential because it's available referentially. It's like this moment now, you know, before it was like, I got a yellow one. I think I got a yellow one says this child, but then all of a sudden yellow.

Marisha Mets (24:51.53)

And what happens then, our job is to again, acknowledge, you know, it's like, we don't worry. We don't say, wait a minute. He used to say, I think I got another one. What happened to that intonation? What happened to that long, you know, sentence, you know? And so as SLPs, then our job is really to help parents and others in school, elsewhere.

saying, no, it's not regression. Remember how we wanted those single words so badly? We've got them. And once we've got that single word, now that child, not we've got it, but the child has it, now that the child has it, they are able to add yellow plus red and yellow plus marker. And that is where stage three is this

magic moment of referencing. And we watch kids do that physical referencing. You know, that's one reason we don't want to teach kids to point, you know, as ABA might, because we lose that slew that stage three is happening. Because at stage three, referencing might be like if you've ever watched my video that, yeah, there's a little video of my little friend Chloe that

uses referencing by holding something out like green, green. And it's just, it is profound. And you know, this is the kind of thing that if you're like an academic researcher type, you know, language learning lab type of researcher, you don't get to see. It's only parents and clinicians and people who really are deeply involved with kids who get to see this. And it's just

It's just unbelievable when it happens. So our job is to acknowledge once again, we don't have to do a lot other than recognize that it's real and help a child know that it's right. Kids are not confused by it and that's what I find just amazing. Kids are fine with it. They love it. It's more of a cognitive thing, you know? But teachers worry.

Marisha Mets (27:14.866)

And sometimes parents worry. And so we say, no, it's so natural and beautiful and you wait to see what's going to happen next. That's so interesting that if we're taking language samples and maybe just looking at MLU where maybe last year we were seeing them produce these like five to seven word sentences, if we're thinking in the old way.

And then now we're seeing single words like that might if we don't know about this that might be kind of concerning like what their ML you've dropped by six But it's actually really if we're thinking about it in these stages They're understanding like they're able to break down those individual words Which then as we get to the future stages we can use those to read like to build so many more combinations So you are so right and

You know how it is. And the other thing that we should say right now is that, you know, we all were taught that there's this differentiation between receptive language and expressive language. And now we're looking at processing as a unitary phenomenon. So what happens at stage three and into stage four is, is, you know, parents will often say to us, his receptive language just got better.

And we say, yeah, we know, we know. It's language processing. It's all a phenomenon that happens all together.

But yes, you know, those single words have individual referential meaning. And like you say, you know, there was no MLU and yellow one, you know, even if we can hear yellow one, you know, it's not, it's not individual, you know, just like Ann Peters said, and I always go back to Ann Peters because the definition of a gestalt, you know, you think back to stage one is it's unanalyzed.

Marisha Mets (29:22.036)

So there aren't, you know, individual words. It's a chunk. It's sort of like an MLU of one.

So what happens next? So in stage three, they're starting to break down those gestalts into single words or shorter combinations. Then what happens? Like, what do we expect to see next? So what we expect to see next is going to be a little bit age dependent. I mean, all of these things, you know, we have to always put into context, you know, the age of the child, what the background, you know,

of the child was, were they taught to say certain things, which gets it all a bit confusing. And we'll come back to that, you know, at another time. But anyway, let's skip over that for for right now. But let's just look at natural language and the natural language they picked up from their environment. And so what we look at then next is a natural movement from stage three, which is like, you know,

Phone marker.

Marker, phone, yellow, yellow, which is very referential and really not grammar at all. And then in stage four, there's a natural movement towards bits, tiny bits, tiny bits of grammar. And it's not like, you know, some people will say or used to say,

Marisha Mets (31:01.918)

Well, then we can teach them grammar. Well, no, no, no, no, And we're not teaching anything. This is natural development. So we are supporting. And we use something that came from the old research on syntactic development called developmental sentence types, DST, and developmental sentence scoring, DSS.

which were part of this whole phenomenon back in the 60s and 70s where natural grammar development was recorded and normed actually on ALPs. But our research showed that it's exactly the same for GLPs. And that's what the beauty of this longitudinal research was that Barry Prisant recognized in 1983

We needed to look at this in more depth. mean, he talked about stage one and two and three and four, but he didn't ever intend to say, grammar development is gonna all happen like in this three month period of time. We knew enough about grammar development back in those days to say, it's probably gonna take a while. But that was partly what his wisdom was when he said we need longitudinal.

research to say how do kids really do this? And so what we found out is that kids do this very small steps at a time and it all has to do with meaning. You know, in the vernacular that we all learned in grad school, it has to do with semantic relationships. What are the relationships among qualities that are meaningful?

And grammar, you when you think about grammar, think that's all it is really, is just a way to put words with concepts. So anybody who says, now we get to teach grammar. No, we're never going to teach grammar. There are times when a child is in stage five or six that one might say, you know what? That's an irregular verb. And you know what?

Marisha Mets (33:24.202)

we don't put an ED on the ending of all verbs. So there are some grammar rules that once a child is truly metacognitive, you know, or meta-linguistic, that we might talk about that stuff, but not right away, not at stage four. At stage four, it's all about meaning. And then we want to say, you know, as the kid is like looking for the yellow marker, like, you know, where? Marker, marker, last.

Oh, found it. And we want to keep our utterances to match the child as we always do. So we're going to match, you know, each stage of the way we're going to match the child. And so right now this child is just emerging from phone marker.

And so we want to respect that and use grammar judiciously to superimpose on the meaning that they are already expressing or wanting to express. And so, you know, just like we do in other stages, we're going to provide language, you know, we could call it language models, but you know, that's probably overstating it a little bit. It's more like we're just going to talk.

but we're going to be cognizant of where the child is. So it grows slowly. Stage four is enormous. And it goes all the way from, you know, phone, marker, my phone, my phone, marker, marker. And then we're going to hesitate, spend our time. It's all a bit more deliberate now. Nothing about stage one.

was deliberate. It was the language that comes from somewhere else that is being conjured up for this situation. Stage two, you might say intentionality increases somewhat. It's a bit more, you know, focused and, but it's not really intentional. It's not like, you know, we're not really looking at like executive function or something like that yet. Stage three becomes intentional, you know?

Marisha Mets (35:43.686)

Stage four is. And so one thing that happens at stage four is kids often become really pretty disfluent. And it's not like a traditional disfluency. It's not like that. But it's something that if we understand that it's natural and we understand that it's really linguistic, you know, and there's the term for it is linguistic amazing.

And mazing, that all comes from the ALP literature that shows that from a normative standpoint, the numbers of mazes, like reformulations, abandoned utterances, repeated first consonants, repeated words, all of that actually increases as kids get older. ALP kids from stage three, I mean, from age three to age seven.

And we have actual norms from that, from the systematic analysis of language transcription, the SALT stuff. And so we think, well, for ALP kids, there's going to be more of that as they develop new grammar. So for GLP kids, we know it's going to be even more than that. So that's what, you know, when we get scared and we hear this like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, no, no, no, no, no, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yo, you know, and that's like a real example. I mean, that's what kids do at stage four. And so our job is to relax and to not worry and to realize it's normal and natural. And, you know, we don't want to jump in and say, say yellow. No, no, no, no.

We want to just be natural communication partners and respect the fact that it's just normal.

Marisha Mets (37:45.96)

Yeah, and so Dr. Barry Prasant's work ended at stage four. But I've heard you talk about additional stages. Can you tell us what that looks like? So stage four is huge, as you can imagine, going all the way from, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, all the way from there to, I got a yellow marker. You know, and that would be

real stage four grammar. It would also be, I got a yellow marker and yellow paper. I got two yellows. So in stage four, you have all of the basic verb tenses, you have the conjunction and, you have all the pronouns, you have the beginning, you have a future tense, like a basic future tense, like, I'm gonna get yellow.

I can't say yellow now. You know, I got yellow yesterday. I got it. You know, so all the future tense, all the simple future tense, all the simple past tense, then stage five is then tons more conjunctions, tons more questions, all the WH questions.

And then ways of putting together clauses. So like, no, not now, not, not till tomorrow. You got it, but, but I don't have it. You got it, but I don't, you know, et cetera. So there's these things that, you know, are, you know, you could say it's more complex grammar, but it's also what it is really is more opportunities to put together.

semantic relationships with words. That's what it really is. You know, and not everything, you know, some of it's really stage six and it's pretty sophisticated stuff. before I get the yellow one, I need red. You know, I really need red before yellow. So like taking timeframes and switching them. like before and after, and then embedded clauses like if I get red,

Marisha Mets (40:09.608)

then I'll find yellow. But if I don't find red, I don't care about yellow, you know, et cetera. So basically you can put together all these semantic relationships that, you imagine like a little ALP child doesn't get terribly sophisticated. You know, even though they have stage six grammar, the kinds of relationships they put together at age, you know, four or five.

you know, aren't going to be terribly complicated. But for our GLP kids who are going to be a bit older, usually, they may have some pretty sophisticated things to say. Like, if you don't want me to, then why did you bring me? You know, et cetera. And then what would the difference between stage five and six be? does that six ends with every

combination that we can imagine in a particular language. And I will tell you that English turns out to be one of the easier languages in some ways. You know, I just did a course in Turkey and it's really complicated in Turkish because everything is a suffix. And so you add all this grammar with the suffixes. And I think

this kid, how does this kid even figure it out? And I say to them, you I said to the people, you know, in Turkey, how do kids do this? You know, you read a little bit about Turkish, you know, grammar development like I did, I picked up Wikipedia right away and I learned a little bit about Turkish grammar. And they say, well, kids in Turkey do this and this and this, but they always miss this and this. And I said to, you know, one of the people, you know, do kids, you know,

miss those and they're like what what you know and they would say yeah they do but it's so natural that nobody even thinks about.

Marisha Mets (42:16.81)

So it's like the suffix for the suffix for I and U is built in at the end of the sentence. And some of the suffixes that kids don't get, you know, they do have some statistics for kids who are like developmentally language delayed. And they say, well, they can get the I and the me and the U, but they can't really get like, you other ones. And I said,

you know, is this true? And I said, we don't even know. I mean, who pays attention to that? You know, you're just a kid. You just pick up on the language around you.

Yeah, okay, awesome. So that's a super helpful overview. I love that. And then in the show notes, I'll link to your book and Peter's work. And then I'll do a recap of the stages as you went through them. So if anyone listening just wants a quick recap, you can find that. And then you also...

Marge, also mentioned developmental sentence types and developmental sentence scoring. And we don't have time to go into all of those things, but I'll link some, you have some beautiful resources for those things. So I'll include links to like the quick resources and things that you mentioned in case listeners are wanting to dive in. And then another thing that will include Marge is going to be recording a super in-depth

like series of webinars or videos for us going into even more detail on all things, consult language processing. And so I'll include a link to that and it'll be free to access, right? Excellent, excellent. That'll be a lot of fun. Your platform is just really making a huge difference here, Marisha.

Marisha Mets (44:20.922)

And I'm just really grateful for your time. And I love your stories because you started just a quick recap. You started working at the university. You were introduced to Dr. Barry Prasant's work and you knew that there needed to be more research, but you wanted it to be very clinically focused. And so you did a lot of work in implementing this and kind of

organizing the frameworks and you've created a really great book to help other clinicians with that. And I don't know, I just think it's such a cool story of how you took this research and brought it into practice and are implementing it and are making it really accessible for other SLPs. Well, thanks Marcia. You know, honestly, it just felt like the thing to do. mean, Barry Prisant never said to me, now do this Marge, I, you know, but

That's how the 1983 article ended. And I just thought, oh, well, SLPs are going to pick up the charge and we're all going to be doing this longitudinal qualitative research. I didn't realize that other people weren't doing it. I had no idea. I honestly had no idea. So I didn't consider myself different or unusual. And our clinic really lent itself to that. mean, we started at the university with this

individual I was telling you about Dylan. And then, you know, by the time I left that job, you know, parents were saying, what are we going to do now? And I said, I don't really know. But I think we need a place maybe to do this in and we need some slides, I think, you know, we need some sandboxes and things like that. And so that was when my clinic was born.

And it was right next to campus at the time because I was used to working with students. And so we just kind of continued that my partner and I continued that kind of way of doing things until the kids got bigger. And so after three years, we realized that the slide, you know, this little whatever it's called play skills slide, wasn't enough resistance to climb up and get well regulated. we needed a

Marisha Mets (46:42.282)

really tall slide, which meant we needed a really tall loft. So we moved into a new space in 2000. And then in 2003, then we became a nonprofit. And that really, really helped because then people could donate for scholarships and, you know, we could continue things. So we had a lot of luxuries, I will just say. I mean, not that we set up the clinic very quickly. took years and years, as you can imagine, but we can talk about that.

another time we can talk a little bit more about regulation. my goodness. There is so much to dive into here. but I'm super excited that we'll have that in depth video series where we can talk about all the things and finally do the topic justice. But hopefully this was a nice intro for SL keys listening. And then again, go check out for listeners, check out the show notes.

for the quick overview and links to resources, including the more in-depth videos. And yeah, I think that's a wrap for today. Thank you, Marisha. It's been fun. Thank you.

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How to Hire a Special Ed Staffing Agency

February 11, 2025 by Marisha Leave a Comment

Today, Marisha and Dayna Sanders discuss Special Ed Staffing Agencies!

In this episode of the Special Ed Leaders podcast, Marisha interviews Dayna Sanders, the CEO and co-founder of Next Level Speech Therapy. Dayna shares her journey from being an SLP in schools to starting her own teletherapy business, highlighting the challenges faced by the field, especially post-pandemic. The conversation delves into the importance of partnerships with school districts, the need for transparency in contracts, and the unique approach of Next Level Speech Therapy in providing quality services to SLPs and school districts alike. Dayna emphasizes the significance of understanding the specific needs of districts and fostering growth for SLPs and SLPAs, ultimately aiming to improve the quality of speech therapy services in schools.

Takeaways from This Episode

Dayna’s journey to starting Next Level Speech Therapy was unexpected.
Teletherapy became a necessity during the pandemic.
There is a significant shortage of SLPs in schools.
Next Level focuses on building partnerships with school districts.
Transparency and communication are key in contracts.
The company operates without investor pressure, allowing for meaningful growth.
They provide support for both in-person and remote services.
Understanding district needs is crucial for effective service delivery.
Fostering growth for SLPs and SLPAs is a priority.
Next Level aims to do one thing really well: speech therapy.

Additional Special Education Staffing Resources:

At SLP Now, we are hard workers… but we also like to work smarter.

That means we’re constantly improving our materials, therapy planning resources, and the ways we support SLPs like YOU — so you can skip the hard work part and just work smarter. 👇

How is that possible, you ask?

Because we analyzed all the books, identified the targets, and created unit plan pages that suggest activities based on the skills you’re targeting and your students’ needs. This is the one stop shop for all your literacy-based therapy needs, including resources for virtual field trips and visuals to help those concepts stick.

We’ve talked about so many activity options during this series… but there are even more literacy-based ideas and evidence-based resources waiting for you on the other side of SLP Now. 🤗

Join hundreds of SPED directors and district administrators – get the support you need!

Explore our District Solutions → Request a free quote and we’ll show you the exact impact you should expect for your district!

Subscribe to the SLP Now podcast and stay tuned for our next series. We’re kicking off September by helping you get your data collection, paperwork, and therapy planning processes in tip-top shape!

Listen to The Special Ed Leaders Podcast on Apple ★ Spotify ★ YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

Marisha (00:02.008)

Hello there and welcome to the Special Ed Leaders podcast. I am super excited to introduce our guest today, Dayna Sanders. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, and then she went to Washington State University for her graduate degree in speech and hearing sciences. And she's been an SLP for 12 years. She spent nine of those years working in the schools.

And then she ended up switching gears and started, well, she was doing these simultaneously, but now she is the full-time CEO, founder, co-founder of Next Level Speech Therapy. And they are doing such amazing work for school districts, which is why I invited her here today. But Dayna, I...

just gave like a super brief little bio, but I'm just curious to hear a little bit more about your story, especially around like next level speech therapy, like what led you to start that and kind of what does it look like today?

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (01:12.19)

yeah, it is a fascinating story. One with many,

turns and routes and all of that. think like I was, I mean, it was before the pandemic. so teletherapy was just like this word out there. And like we do more than just teletherapy, but that's how it started. And like I was 34 weeks pregnant with my second child in my school district office and somebody had mentioned teletherapy. And I remember going home and telling my husband like, like I could do something on the side.

like and have some like private clients and do it via teletherapy. And he was like, Dayna, like you should hire that out. And so like people see me as like the face of Next Level, but really it's like Mike behind the scenes. That's like kind of the brains of the business. cause he was the one that like kind of held my hand through it and was like, we can do this. Like you can do this. And so Next Level honestly was going to be set up as a

private practice teletherapy clinic. And then I had a contact in a school district that was like, I need you for a maternity leave. Like, and I have no one like, so can we try this teletherapy thing? Um, and that's how we transitioned to schools and it just grew from there. Like people, um, special ed directors in the area, they were like, you're a local, like we need you. And then the pandemic hit and then teletherapy

therapy, like since we were doing it, we kind of became this like in the, in our area, like, Hey, can you help us get set up? Can you help our SLPs get set up? and so it just like, was not a thought of like, we want this grand, huge business. Like I don't want to work in the schools ever again. Like it just was one thing after another. And it was like the biggest, like kind of blessing in a way to be able to like,

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (03:19.543)

build something with your significant other, have your kids see what you're building and help SLPs get like good quality jobs being cared for by like an SLP team of like a company that's like owned and operated by SLPs and then districts being like you know what you're talking about you're an SLP too and there's not a corporation behind you like we don't we didn't have investor money so it was like this kind of

flow.

start and you learn along the way and you build something that like your customers want. And so it's just what has been super exciting. I never thought, and I don't know if this was you too, like with your business, like I never thought like when I graduated school, like that this is what I was going to be doing. but then now like Asha was in Seattle and, from your introduction, like I am a born and raised Washingtonian and I went to

two major schools in Washington that are actually like rivals. So I am a Hooger. One's a Husky and one's a Cougar.

And so, like talking with professors now and stuff, they're like, how can we work with you so that you can help us develop things for our students and SLPAs and we need more providers out there? What are you seeing? And so it's this amazing thing all around. It was a really long...

Marisha (04:55.596)

No, that's incredible though. And it's really a win-win situation or win-win-win because you get to have a big impact on the field and you're providing quality jobs for SLPs with really great support. And I've talked to a lot of SLPs who work for you guys and everyone has the same feedback. It just sounds like an amazing place to work. And then you're also providing a really great service to school districts.

and like really solving a big pain point there.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (05:30.121)

That's a huge pain point right now. I mean, I always feel bad talking about it too because I'm an SLP that left the school and am doing something different. But I don't know where SLPs are going. I mean, the pandemic was a really big turning point for our field, positives and negatives, I guess.

But it's hard because grad schools only take so many SLPs or potential SLPs. And then not everybody goes into schools. There's clinics, there's medical. So if you think about, I think there are three major programs in Washington State, Western Washington State University and the University of Washington.

And like if you just think, okay, just for round numbers, there's 30 like graduates each year. Like that's 90 in Washington state alone. Like, and we know that the amount of school districts that we have here, like you could place everybody in a school position, but that's not the reality of it. So it's super tough for schools right now.

Marisha (06:36.61)

Yeah, it's not a lot.

Marisha (06:52.908)

Yeah, so I actually went to the University of Washington for girls' school.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (06:57.231)

No! When did you graduate? Did we go at the same time?

Marisha (07:03.47)

I graduated in 2014. Yeah. But I, so I can relate, like I'm picturing the whole landscape and just imagining like 90 new SLPs for all of the school districts and yeah, so that is a huge.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (07:08.037)

Okay, so you were after me. Okay.

Marisha (07:24.834)

component in terms of like why districts are struggling to hire. And I've talked to a lot of special ed administrators who like that's their, that seems to be the biggest pain point of like, we can't hire people. And it was definitely a pain point when I was working in the schools in Washington. And I think it's only gotten worse.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (07:47.113)

Yeah, no, it, I remember when I graduated, it was like, please take me, please take me. Like it was very competitive to kind of get in the schools. And like now it's like, do you have a degree? Like, are you willing to work in our district? Like, yeah. Are you competent? You have, like, you can do this. Okay. You're hired. Um, I mean, that's a super simplified version. Like they do vet people, but like,

It's just so different. I don't know if it's like retirement, like people needing to be at home, like childcare, we're trying something different. But yeah, there's definitely a big shortage and it's only gonna get worse, I think, because of the, like the boomer population is retiring and yeah, there's all the numbers, yeah.

Marisha (08:32.056)

Mm-hmm.

Marisha (08:43.362)

Yeah. Yeah. And that makes it really hard because like the job of a special ed director is really, really stressful if you don't have SLPs to cover the workload, because then the SLPs are overworked and no one's happy. There's a lot of issues.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (09:01.159)

I know, I think they...

And for us coming from the school is like you see like the stress like the day in the day out of special Ed directors and because you're in meetings with them like you're in IEP meetings about meetings like parent meetings Like it is a job that is pretty it could be like 24 7 like it is putting fires out left and right like staffing Is like the one thing like it's like okay if I can come in and support you and take that off your plate and have a partnership

with you where you know that if like there's an issue that has come up like with one of our caseloads or whatever like it's Dayna or your team like here's the situation and it's like okay I got you you don't have to explain it to me because I understand what's happening under the surface because we need to do this this this this and this so you handle what you need to handle we've got you and I think that's the difference

between like Next Level like and some other companies is like you don't have to explain the whole situation. If you say we have a parent concern, we need a Nevada dad, okay, like I can understand all the things that are happening under the surface for that. So we gotcha.

Marisha (10:25.23)

Yeah, and you'll know what needs to be addressed to make sure that everyone is happy and that it's well done instead of creating issues down the line where, this evaluation wasn't actually handled appropriately and now the parents are frustrated or they're threatening litigation or all of the potential kind of worst case scenarios. We've got a competent.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (10:49.735)

Yeah, yeah. And it's like, I'm not gonna come back with you like with, you know, 10 questions that like you need to answer so that I can understand the situation more. It's like, okay, let's, your job is stressful enough. Like let's try to take as much stress of the staffing piece off your plate as possible.

Marisha (11:08.397)

Yeah, and it can be, because I've seen positions open for years and years where it's just hard to find people. I don't know why. Well, I guess it must be the grad school rate, the number of SLPs in the market, and just, I don't know, it's just really challenging. But the fact that you can help with that too.

of like you have SLPs ready to go to fill in.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (11:35.965)

Yeah.

Yeah, we have one of the most like a wonderful school district in Arizona and it's super rural and it's just like there's not, you know, it's hard to get people there because of the geography of the location. And so yeah, we can go in and support them and we've had a great partnership with them for a while now. So.

Marisha (12:03.73)

and then that reminds me too, like, there states where you, are you able to provide, like to work with any district in any state or some are all of,

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (12:15.687)

Yeah, technically we can be, we set up Next Level as a professional corporation so that we can, I mean, there's all these fun little nuances to all of that and how you set up a company and stuff. Some states don't recognize certain like LLCs from out of state and all of that. So, but yes, we are able to work in every single state. And like, we have a lot on.

the West Coast just because like people like Sped Directors are more like, you're local here. But I'm one of those people, I'm like, I will fly to you to like help get things set up. Like, it's like no matter where you are, like we are gonna make sure that like you feel like we are right there and are partnering with you. So yeah, we have contracts all the way from like Florida to Alaska.

Marisha (13:12.494)

That's amazing.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (13:13.607)

And those contracts we've had for year over year, like, and I would say like, yeah, it's the year, the, we're doing at next level. It's like, like districts want to continue working with us. so we've had, yeah, we've, our retention of, employees and clients is pretty high.

Marisha (13:38.296)

Yeah. And what do you think contributes most to that? Because you mentioned some of the things, but I'm curious. Like, what sets you all apart?

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (13:42.458)

partnership.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (13:47.101)

I think it's like we don't have investor money behind us. It is Mike and I's money that started this and the business income, the profit is going back into the business to make it better and grow it and all of that.

And so we're not responding to people who are not within the business. And so the pain points that directors feel or employees feel, that is what...

like we are putting the money towards. It's not like, okay, here's this shiny new object that we want you to go for and we want you to make more revenue. Like, obviously we have to like, it's a business where we have to have some money coming in to be able to continue doing what we're doing and getting exceptional SLPs and having partnerships with school districts and being able to like market towards them so that they

know we're here, like we don't have the huge amount of money to have this huge marketing campaign and so it's kind of like more of a grassroots approach. So it's slower but it's much in my opinion much more meaningful and I think that's the difference and they feel that difference when they work with us.

Marisha (15:12.334)

Yeah. And I'm sure that like when you're doing your annual goal planning and everything, it's focused on how can we provide like a better service to our SLPs and our school districts versus if you have a team of investors you're answering to it's like, Oh, well, you didn't hit that profit margin. What are you going to do to quickly get more districts? So yeah, I think that having that kind of, I really, I personally really liked that approach. I'm a little biased.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (15:35.9)

Yeah.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (15:39.817)

Marisha (15:42.25)

though. I love that. And then because you guys, you are doing so much work in terms of fostering the relationship with the SLPs and the districts. Can you give us like a little bit of insight in terms of what that looks like and what you're maybe what you're prioritizing in this season for like those providing that epic service for the SLPs that you hire, but then the districts too?

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (16:10.844)

Yeah, and

So for us, we have been doing a lot of work, because we don't just do remote teletherapy work. It's in-person and hybrid. So SLPAs in-person and with remote supervision or district supervision, whatever the district needs. And so that's been a huge focus. And how do we make that better for districts? Because there's nuances. SLPAs are coming out of grad, or not grad school, undergrad.

with theory and they want like a lot of them you know want to go into the field as an SLPA to see what they think of it before going on to grad school or like I mean it's simple too like I need to make some money like I just spent a lot of money in undergrad and

I need to work before I go to grad school. And some people are like, I'm just not interested in going to grad school. My sister-in-law personally, she was like, I'm happy being an SLPA. So that's kind of what we've spent some time in fostering that growth and how do we work and mold SLPAs to be really solid boots on the ground.

clinician support for SLPs, district SLPs and like our SLPs that are supervising them.

Marisha (17:40.718)

So do you like is part of the because I'm not super familiar with like how your contracts work, but so do you I? Knew that you provided like SLPs and SLP a's but you also support like if a district already has SLP a's you support that too

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (17:59.805)

We could, yeah, you could support that too, like with the supervision piece. Like sometimes they just need the supervision. Like they have an SLPA. Like let's say like it's a super rural community. They have an SLPA, they need the supervision. Like we can come in and provide that supervision. Yeah.

Marisha (18:02.446)

Marisha (18:17.87)

amazing. And that those that gives districts some different hiring options, then they don't have to outsource everything. They can just get like the, yeah, make the most of what they already have. That's really cool. And then they have like that, because they have all of your brains and the whole team's brains in terms of like resolving those issues that come up and providing really great support.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (18:28.67)

Yeah.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (18:34.557)

Thanks.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (18:44.305)

Yeah, and like when we were talking earlier, you and I, like, it's...

that like a lot of your like the people on your team are SLPs too. you hire SLPs to answer the questions. Like that's what we do too. Like our operations team like consists mostly of SLPs that are doing the jobs. Like accounting, HR and tech are not SLPs right now. But everybody else is. And so we're putting people in those positions that

have the clinical knowledge plus like a business knowledge or a drive to like have the business knowledge. And so like when spend directors reach out to us, it's they also are talking to people like recruiters, salesperson, like they're SLPs. So they know as well. And I think that's the difference too. And like they can see that difference when they're talking to us as a company.

Marisha (19:49.314)

Yeah. Yeah, that's amazing. And then, so I know that, cause I've heard some stories from school districts who hire companies and it doesn't go so well. And it sounds like you guys have a really great track record with the districts that you work with. so I've, cause I've chatted with your team a little bit as we were like preparing for this episode, but they were chatting about how important transparency is. And they think that's what sets things up.

like part of what sets things apart. So like if a school district admin is listening, hopefully they'll reach out and they need support. Hopefully they'll just reach out to you. But what are some tips that you would give to a district administrator in kind of making the most of a contract and making sure that they're setting up a good one and kind of to maintain that?

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (20:44.111)

Yeah, transparency is huge for us. like our one of our core values is authenticity and being authentic. And like I think people get that from me, like even as like the CEO of the company, like I am myself, like, you know, with who I talk to, like everybody will know like, yep, Dayna's favorite color is pink with sparkles. Like, and she loves Hanson, like the Mbop Hanson. Like, I mean, I from the top, like down in the company, and I don't like to think of it

as like a top-down type of thing. Like we're a pretty flat organization, but like that is like a huge like transparency, like with like as much as you can, like with finances and like who you are as a company. think that permeates into like the contracts and stuff. And so the transparency is super important. And so because we're SLPs talking with the district, it's like, okay, what do you need? Like if a district tells us, okay, we have a high needs caseload with a lot of

AC users, like we're going to be like, okay, we're not going to put a like super brand new person in that position. And if we have to, like, we're going to provide the mentorship and support. Like this is what you're going to get, to be like transparent about like your caseload, your numbers. And that helps because then it's like, we can find the best fit for you as an SLP, whether it's SLPA in person with remote supervision or an, or, Hey, this caseload really needs an in-person SLP.

or hey we can go the remote route because of X, Y, and Z. And so being as transparent as possible about like what the needs are of the caseload, super helpful.

Marisha (22:29.582)

Yeah. And so some of the things would be like what the actual caseload numbers are. like what are some other pieces of information that you would need to like get the full picture to make sure that you're able to set up like the best possible.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (22:43.939)

yeah, like caseload numbers, that's huge. Like the type of students on the caseload, are, you know, what their categories are or hey, is this like a full, I mean...

even like a speech only caseload, like that is not necessarily like an easier case, like quote unquote easier caseload, because with that, comes with a lot of case management. Like you're the person responsible for those IEPs and those evals and setting everything up. And so knowing that kind of information too is extremely important when putting together like kind of like the quote or like the, like,

the conversation with the district. yeah, the types of students on the caseload, the caseload, just like how many schools would somebody be serving? Like are you expecting them to be at five different schools because or is it one school? Because that comes with like if it's multiple schools then that SLP needs to understand multiple teams and not every single school within a district is

running like MTSS things the same or like your meetings are on different days. Yeah.

Marisha (24:12.71)

And then, is it a problem if there are IEPs out of compliance or makeup minutes or anything like that?

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (24:22.717)

Yes, like out of compliance IEPs, makeup minutes, yeah, that, I mean, cause that's not gonna show up necessarily on like caseload numbers. Like it becomes the caseload versus the workload.

piece. So the workload might be super high and like you might not be able to get to a lot of other things. And so then that becomes the conversation because then it impacts like how many hours per week is reasonable. So if you, if a district wants like a part time SLP and like we're having the conversation, okay, it's like

like, I don't know, like 30 students during the week. So we are wanting to contract you for this many hours. And then we set up all of the stuff and then come to find out that there are, you know, 50 out of compliant IEPs and these many kids need to be evaluated and like some makeup minutes. Well then that becomes,

Well, that kind of becomes an issue and we might need to put another full-time person in to get you guys up to speed and compliance because then it's just that hamster wheel of if we're working on this stuff then like caseload's not getting taken care of and students aren't getting the services that they might be getting if we can get this covered as well.

Marisha (25:54.77)

So best practice is to disclose those needs upfront. And then you can, and it might just be a temporary thing of like, okay, let's just put someone there for X amount of time, get this cleaned up, and then we can just continue business as usual. So, okay, cool.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (25:58.863)

Yes.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (26:11.485)

Yeah.

Marisha (26:15.086)

And then are there any other questions that you think are really important for a school district administrator to ask an agency?

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (26:26.417)

I think.

Some of the important ones are like, how do you handle issues that come up? Like nothing's ever perfect, right? Like I would love to live in a perfect world where everything is hunky dory green. My husband used to say like, Dayna, you like to live in the clouds. Like, yes, I like to be in a happy place, but like sometimes that is not always the case. And things come up and like,

happens and life happens to our employees and school districts and all of that and it's like how do you handle those situations that come up how do you handle if an employee it like a con an employee of yours like there's an issue with it like how do you respond to that like how do you handle

like if there's a team dynamic thing that's happening with the district. Do you, and like the other thing is like,

district meetings. Like, would you like our SLPs to be a part of those district meetings? Like, all of those things. Like, we like to have SLPs kind of fit seamlessly into like the school district that they're being placed at. And so anything that like we can develop on our end to help with that too. So questions about like,

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (28:03.175)

Would your SLPs be willing to come to our monthly SLP meeting? Those are important.

Marisha (28:13.26)

Yeah, that's great. Is there anything, because I think we went through all the questions that I had. Was there anything else that you were wanting to share? Or if there's nothing else, like where can district administrators learn more about Next Level and what you guys offer?

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (28:31.143)

I think I could probably talk for hours about all of our, like the things that we're trying to develop. And I think the biggest thing is like, we are here to partner with you. Like there is no, like ask that like we can't have a conversation about.

And so I think the biggest thing is like, we get, how do you, what are your rates? Right. And it's like, it's a hard one to answer because across the U S it's very different. each state's very different. and like how I answer that is we work with you as a district. Like we understand that there's budgets, like we will have that conversation with you. Like we're not coming in with like a menu and here's our menu and you need to

pick from our menu. Like, yes, we have like certain like our services, but it's a conversation. And so I don't want districts like big or small to feel like they can't have a discussion with us, like because we're willing to partner with districts about all of that.

I think the bit and then the other thing too is like we're here for in-person, teletherapy, hybrid, all of those services and we're just speech. Like so I don't feel like I have knowledge of OT or PT or psych to be able to go to a district and try to like talk about those services. So we are speech only so that we can do one thing and one thing really really well.

So if they want to get a hold of us, they can go to our website nextlevelspeech.com and my email, like I don't know if you're going to post all of that on the platform for them, but it's DaynaS at nextlevelspeech.com.

Marisha (30:37.898)

Okay. Yeah. And I, we will have show notes for this episode. So I'll link to the website and I'll include your email since you shared it too. And then, yeah, we'll just have like a quick recap of what we talked about and then all of the links. but yeah, Dayna, thank you so much for sharing your expertise and perspective and thanks to district admins who are listening in. I hope this was helpful.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (30:56.061)

Yeah.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (31:05.031)

Yes, thank you.

Marisha (31:07.792)

and yeah, we'll see you in the next one.

Dayna Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP (31:11.037)

Thanks.