Evidence Based Practices for Early /R/ Therapy: Techniques You Can Use TODAY

This course focuses on current research and best practices for early /R/ therapy. It will cover two main topic areas: “pre-learning” and “production training.” Participants will leave with a better understanding of how to differentiate treatment for their individual students as well as therapeutic techniques they can implement in their caseloads same-day to elicit the /R/ sound and maximize therapy outcomes.

Tell Me a Story: Applying Tech Tools Apps for Narrative Language

Narrative language comprehension and expressive skills have implications for academic and social success, and are particularly relevant to school-based practice. This workshop will model the targeting of comprehension and expression of stories through easy-to-use and engaging interactive technology resources. Interactive activities and the use of creation tools incorporating images, book creation, and animation can be aligned with research-based methodologies such as story grammar teaching and use of text structures. This session will review a selection of tech resources which can complement instruction in aspects of social communication such as conversational storytelling.

Working Smarter with Mixed Groups: How to Target Multiple Therapy Goals

School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are often spread very thin, with limited resources and time. In this course, participants will be presented with strategies to make the most of their therapy materials and select language-rich activities that can be used to target multiple goals--while keeping students engaged.

Speech and Language Disorders: What’s Genetics Got to Do with It?

Have you ever suspected that a client’s speech or language disorder may be running in the family? So many of the communication disorders we work with every day as speech-langage pathologists (SLPs) are influenced by genetics, and sometimes SLPs may be the first professional to notice this. While there’s still so much to discover, we’re learning more and more about how genes influence the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course will explore how changes to our genes can influence communication behavior via changes to the brain. We’ll review some of what we’re learning about nonsyndromic communication disorders that are influenced by genetics, such as developmental language disorder (DLD) and speech sound disorders (SSD). We’ll also address what action we as SLPs might take in light of genetic knowledge.

You are enough! The Importance of Connection During Therapy

This course will take a look at one of the most important tools to use in therapy - yourself. It will take a look at how to utilize oneself when providing child led therapy. It will cover the importance of sensory support during therapy and how to build connection with clients.

Maximizing Interprofessional Collaboration Between SLPs and SPED Directors

Learn how to effectively develop a collaborative relationship with your special education director and why interprofessional collaboration contributes to better outcomes for students and enhanced teamwork across the multidisciplinary team.

AAC Instruction: Tips, Techniques, Tools, and Tales

Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have had minimal coursework or experience in working with students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC.) This session will present strategies (e.g., Strive for Five), materials (e.g., Name Selector Pro app – and how to use it), and stories about student success (e.g., following students who use AAC across decades of growth). Learn evidence-based strategies that can be implemented using highly engaging tools, and get access to a dropbox with a myriad of tips that work!

Speech Pathologize the Bleep Out of Your IEP Meetings

Have you ever sat in an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting and thought, "Please don't ask to see my data?" Even when speech language pathologists (SLPs) have available data, it is usually housed on paper or in binders, making it hard to decipher, hard to access and hard to convey at meetings. School SLPs across the nation often face caseloads of 65+ students and may work with preschool through 12th grade with a wide range of communication needs, which compounds the issue of how to best collect data for a variety of needs throughout the school year. This course will focus on how to streamline the collection and analysis of data for a variety of purposes, including treatment efficacy, progress monitoring, and writing treatment plans using cutting edge technology.