SLP Coffee Talk

What if the secret to better articulation practice isn’t a perfect lesson plan? Hallie sits down with Lauren Clair, a school-based SLP and the voice behind Sunshine Speech Company, to talk about speech sound centers without the stress. Lauren loves finding creative ways to make therapy meaningful, engaging, and fun, and she’s passionate about sharing practical systems that help SLPs feel more organized and less stressed so they can focus on what matters most, their students. As a cleft-affect...

What if your student’s reading struggle isn’t really a reading problem? 🤔 Hallie sits down with Megan Fournier, a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and private practice owner at the Jersey Shore, to dig into the connection between language and literacy. Meg is Orton-Gillingham trained with specialized Lindamood-Bell training, and she blends her SLP expertise with evidence-based literacy intervention to build the skills behind reading, comprehension, and academic success. Tune in to hear wh...

Not sure where to start with AAC assessment? Hallie chats with Alyssa Croll, AAC the SLP, an SLP and assistive technology specialist for a very large school district. With more than 10 years of experience, Alyssa is also a public speaker and consultant who offers practical, nuanced AAC solutions grounded in the reality of school-based practice. Together they talk about why a standard starting app and grid size can work, how to tell exploring from keyboard smashing, and how a “coach-the-coach”...

Do worksheets have to be boring? In this solo episode, Hallie shares four easy ways to make worksheets more engaging for older students without adding a ton of prep or turning every session into a game. She explains how to pair worksheets with simple games, choose high-interest topics that connect to students’ lives, give them more choice in how they complete the activity, and use a simple white colored pencil trick to add an element of surprise. Most importantly, she reminds SLPs that the go...

Are you writing following directions goals straight from a CELF subtest score? In this solo episode, Hallie makes the case for asking "why" before you write another three-step directions goal for a middle or high schooler. She explains how to use item analysis to find what's really driving the difficulty, why compensatory strategies often serve older students better than more isolated drill, and how to build self-advocacy into the activities you're already doing. She also shares low-cost, tee...