• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Speech Language Pirates

A Fun Little Speech Blog with a Pirate Problem

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Therapy Materials
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Therapy Materials

When the SLP knows too much…

July 8, 2020

It’s about to get pretty vulnerable up in here. For those that don’t know, I’m a mother of two. I have a 4 year old daughter and my son will turn two on July 18. From the moment my son was born – at 40 weeks, 5 days after an induction – his pediatrician made an educated guess that our dates were wrong and he was actually born at 38 weeks gestation. He was on the small side, especially for his gestational age, but regardless, he was healthy, beautiful, and perfect.

He met milestones within the normal range, though slightly later than his older sister. Boys – right?! He could roll in both directions, but didn’t do it often. He didn’t love tummy time and in hindsight, I didn’t do it enough. It seemed I was always shuffling him somewhere in order to get his sister to an activity. That, or he was napping. Second kid problems to the fullest! He was able to sit up by himself at 6 months, but never got there on his own and didn’t move out of a seated position on his own. He struggled to learn to drink from a straw cup, despite repeated exposure. (My daughter did it at 5 months literally the first time I gave her a straw cup!) Although he crossed midline with numerous toys, he never put anything to his mouth (except his pacifier) and didn’t self-feed – but he loved eating! Isn’t it funny how we assess crossing midline in our own children?!

From about 8 months on, I realized his gross motor skills should be progressing more than they were. Well-meaning family members assured me that “he’s healthy and thriving” – as if the only reason a child would not learn to crawl or walk on time was if they were sick. Yes, he was happy, engaged with others, was clearly learning new skills, and overall a healthy child. I think they thought I was worrying for no reason, or that I was worried about some scary, alphabet soup-filled acronym of sorts that meant my son had some underlying condition that would have taken me to doctor’s appointment after doctor’s appointment, only to be told he was fine. Because to them – he looked fine, so he must be fine. Obviously there can be delays or reasons for struggles that we can’t see – even if we never truly know the reason for them after they’re long gone.

Now, this isn’t going to be a post about how you shouldn’t be afraid to get your own child evaluated; you’re still a great SLP if your kid needs services; you didn’t do anything to cause this; etc. I know you know all of that.

This is a post about how we, as SLPs, know that evaluating too early or too late is a real concern. You know you’ve gotten a referral and a kid has shown up a few days before their fourth birthday, only to miss qualifying by a couple points. If only the eval had been done a week later! We, as SLPs, know that those scoring charts according to years;months matter GREATLY in terms of qualifying or not qualifying. One day could literally make ALL the difference. I knew this all too well.

When Daniel reached 11 months old and wasn’t even close to crawling (not even able to go into a quadraped position) I knew he was behind. But I struggled so greatly with whether or not he would score low *enough* to qualify for my county’s EI program. I also struggled with whether I’d already waited too long. If I have him evaluated a little too early, then I’ve got to wait another 6 months for another evaluation. That could mean 3-5 months of wasted time! In his short little life so far, that would be a lot of time! Or what if he qualified by a landslide? That would mean he could have probably been in therapy already. More wasted time. After going back and forth in my SLP brain for months about too soon/too late, I decided that I’d make the call to EI at 11 months old. (I had already asked a friend to show her PT friend a video of him. That PT recommended an eval. Thank goodness for all of these connections!)

The PT and special educator came to my house to evaluate my son. When I told them all of the strategies I’d been doing to encourage his skills, they asked if I was a therapist! I shared that I was an SLP and I had no concerns with his communication. Though, as part of the general developmental testing they asked if he responded to “No.” And, come to think of it, for what reason would I tell a baby would doesn’t move on his own and doesn’t bring things to his mouth “no”? I don’t think he’d ever heard it, therefore had no reason to respond to it! He never crawled toward a step, put something tiny in his mouth, stood to grab something hot off a counter, etc. It’s something I, even as an SLP knowing language and developmental milestones, had never thought of.

It turns out that my son did not qualify for Early Intervention services. His gross motor skills were within the first percentile (see?! Maybe I had wasted some time?) but his fine motor skills were average. My county had recently decided, within the last year, that fine and gross motor skills were going to be viewed as one – “physical development” – and therefore both must be delayed in order to qualify. It seems criminal to me that babies in the first percentile for gross motor skills do not qualify, but such is our education system, I suppose.

Luckily, my family and I had the means to pay for private therapy via a health savings account from my husband’s job. I was confident my son needed PT and so thankful that we had this account to use, because our insurance didn’t cover PT services.

He started outpatient services, once per week, in early July, 2019. I participated in all of the sessions in a near-empty gym. Thank goodness that most clients didn’t want that 12:00/12:30 slot, but that was the sweet spot between naps for him! And on December 2, 2019 Daniel took his first steps. (We actually were able to catch it via our Nest camera in our living room!) From December 13 on, he started walking for real and didn’t stop. He was just 5 days shy of his 17 month birthday.

I can tell he’s still a bit behind his cousins (who are each a few months older and a few months younger) as far as gross motor skills go, though now he’s within the normal range. However, he doesn’t take off running so much so that I can barely catch him like his cousins do to their moms. I’ll take that as a plus right now!

Being an SLP and a parent brings knowledge that not all parents have. It can come with its own unique challenges, as well. I don’t have any inspiring words for you, like “go with your gut” or “you’ll know when the time is right”. I will say to utilize all of the resources you do have, like friends and colleagues, to get their expertise in your specific area of concern. And most of all – love your kid and all of his cute milestones when they come <3 (It also wouldn’t hurt to wire your entire house with cameras to capture everything 😉 Did I go too far on that suggestion?)

  • Share this:

    • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook

    Tagged With: early intervention, gross motor, parenthood, physical therapy, SLP mom

    Previous Post: « My Favorite Fidgets
    Next Post: The Best Halloween Videos for Speech Therapy »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    I accept the Privacy Policy

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Instagram

    speechlanguagepirates

    Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist
    TpT resource author/creator

    Are you even a pediatric SLP if you’ve never mad Are you even a pediatric SLP if you’ve never made an absolute fool of yourself?

#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram
    Are you even a pediatric SLP if you’ve never mad Are you even a pediatric SLP if you’ve never made an absolute fool of yourself?

#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram
    Does AAC therapy leave you stumped and frustrated? Does AAC therapy leave you stumped and frustrated?

I promise that using AAC while interacting with children is not as daunting as it may seem. 

It also doesn’t mean a fancy, expensive app. Paper-based systems can be just as useful and robust! Core vocabulary is where it’s at for getting clients to use *functional vocabulary* -
not just “I want…” 😴

Whether you’re teaching a child/AAC user, parent, or staff members, these cheat sheets have everything you’ll need to make it a breeze! 
They have:
✅Cheat sheets for ways to target 15 core words
✅No prep, cut and glue craft sheets for the same 15 words
✅Toy companion posters listing several phrases of only core vocab for 12 common toys
✅Word list, reminder handout, home communication page, and more!

🔗Comment below if you want me to DM you the link! (But make sure you’re following me first or the DM won’t go through.)
    #Maycember is more like “May-Junecember” when #Maycember is more like “May-Junecember” when you live on Long Island… 

When I hear all of the other parents (both in person and online) lament about all of the PTO and unpaid time required of parents of young kids right now I’m SO thankful for my flexible schedule. 

I’ve been lucky enough to do all of these duties and be at all of these events without stressing. And that is one of the biggest privileges in my motherhood 💗

#TheyreOnlyLittleOnce
    ***GIVEAWAY OVER*** Winners are @_fabulous_78 @cki ***GIVEAWAY OVER***
Winners are @_fabulous_78 @ckindice @bda_slp & @dreamreaderkids 

Today is my 40th birthday 😳😱🥳
I started this business when I was in my 20s! I’m so honored to have had so many of you with me through so many decades and phases of life. 

🎁As a thank you, I’d like to give 4 people 4 resources from my store. To enter:
💛Like this post
🏷️Tag a friend in the comment. (One tag per comment. Each tag is an entry.)
🗣️Leave a comment
📚Share to stories for 4 extra entries! (Be sure to tag me so I see it.)

Winner announced Monday 6/9 at 9PM EST
    This is the third set in one of my most popular do This is the third set in one of my most popular downloads! 

16 brand new sets of mini-stories, each with an accompanying visual. Visuals and stories include diverse characters and names, specific time concepts (days of the week), and engaging topics. 

You can increase the story’s length by one sentence and/or fade the visual as your student progresses. 

Great as a reading comprehension activity, as well.

Comment below if you want the link! 30% off for the first 48 hours 🎉
    I was in a meeting the other day where a student ( I was in a meeting the other day where a student (whom I didn’t know) was approved for an iPad with Proloquo. It almost certainly wouldn’t arrive until the fall. Two well-meaning professionals in that meeting suggested “doing PECS” in the meantime. 

The parent was willing to purchase “whatever” until the device could arrive. I’d hated the idea of her buying an expensive, extensive PECS book for two months of use. I’d also hated the idea that it seemed no one knew PECS is actually a very specific set of steps for learning/teaching in which one should be trained before implementing. *It’s not just laminated pictures of items the child likes placed in a binder. It’s also not a magic 💊 when handed to a student.

Instead I suggested printing the Home Screen of Proloquo and beginning to teach that to this student. 

Paper-based options are completely valid and feasible. I’d say, even essential to introduce in case a device is dead or breaks. 

The ease with which this parent could give her child a “head start” on AAC via printing a screenshot is far and away more than what buying a whole PECS book would entail.

We as SLPs should be doing this. We should have these on hand. While waiting for a device and also while using one. And tell parents. Maybe they go on vacation and forget the device/printed piece. Show them how easy it is to google and print themselves! 🙌🏻

And please, can we stop referring to all collections of picture cards in a binder “PECS”…? 🥴🫠
    (I have a funny feeling by “better” you just m (I have a funny feeling by “better” you just mean *cheaper*… 🙄)

#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #AAC #PECS #AACSLP #CoreVocab
    When did tangible, cheap, plastic trinkets being s When did tangible, cheap, plastic trinkets being sent home for every holiday, from every kid in the class AND the teachers, become a thing we do?

It’s no secret that I hate all of the $ store junk my kids come home with. My “hack” is to dump it all in a bag and use it for the non-edible, allergy friendly candy in my Halloween bowl. Some kid is gonna get a 💜 pop-it that says “Happy Valentine’s Day, love Brayden” when they trick or treat at my house but 🙃 oh well!

Instead my speech kids go home with:
✅the “end of the year memories” book, tailored to speech therapy, that we completed
✅a simple one-page homework sheet for their sound that their parent will actually be able to use and not be overwhelmed by enough to ignore it all summer
✅a wave, high-five, or a hug
AND THAT’s IT!

Comment below if you want the link to these!

Do you give your students EOY gifts?
    The number of hours I wasted standing at the copie The number of hours I wasted standing at the copier making giant summer speech homework packets in my first couple years working makes me 😵‍💫
Especially since I’m confident the majority of those pages weren’t even looked at. 

Until I made a one page instruction sheet with simple, parent-friendly instructions for how to accurately produce sounds… parents were very appreciative! 

If you’ve got students/caregivers requesting work over the summer to prevent loss of articulation skills, these one page, black ink only, no prep sheets have:
✅a mouth model visual
✅concise written instructions for production of 12 phonemes
✅words in initial, medial, and final with visuals
✅sound-loaded phrases
✅sound-loaded sentences

Comment below if you want a link!
    So I’ll still have a room or….? What’s the So I’ll still have a room or….? 

What’s the worst you’ve ever come back to after summer break?

Audio inspired by a ride with @codyrigsby
    Before my oldest started school, I swore I wasn’ Before my oldest started school, I swore I wasn’t going to do this trend. I figured teachers thought it was a pain and I hate Dr Seuss books.

Then my cousins, both of whom are HS teachers, told me how much they love writing in and reading their students’ books and that I just HAD to do it.

Once I found other book options, I was into it! 😍 I have 3 kids and they all have different books.

❓Parents: do you do this for your own kids? What book do you use?
❓Teachers: how do you feel about writing in these books?

🗣️Comment below if want the link to my book list! 🔗 (But make sure you’re following first or the DM won’t go through.)

End of the school year
Teacher signatures
End of year traditions
    There’s lots of new faces around here, so I thou There’s lots of new faces around here, so I thought I’d show you mine again and introduce myself!

I’m Denise, a pediatric SLP, wife, mom of 3 humans (9, 6, & 3)  and 1 black lab. I live on Long Island and am currently working as a preschool/EI transition evaluator. 

My favorite communication skills to target are early language, articulation, and core vocabulary! 
I love cheese, margaritas, photography, and trash TV (Bravo).
I hate feet, olives, and weather below 70 degrees. (I’m chronically cold.)

It’s just me, myself, and I behind this account and I’m SO grateful for every like, comment, share, story reply, link click, and purchase in my TpT store!

Do we have anything in common? Tell me below! 👇🏻
    I volunteered at my own children’s book fair to I volunteered at my own children’s book fair to help the kids shop. I *may* have spent the majority of the time scouring the shelves for new core word-filled books 🤷🏻‍♀️

Did you know I have an Amazon list of full of books I use to target core vocabulary? Comment below if you want to check it out! You might just find something to add to your toolbox 🙂
    Teaching AAC is just language therapy - and that’s the 🗻 I’m willing to die on!

Want my cheat sheets to make it *that* much easier??? Comment below for the link - because they’re 25% off today and tomorrow!!!!

Resource contains:
✅Toy companion posters listing several phrases of only core vocab for 12 common toys. 
✅Cheat sheets for ways to target 15 core words naturally throughout the day 
✅No prep, cut and glue craft sheets for the
same 15 words
✅List of core words, reminder handout, home communication page, and more!
***MUST BE FOLLOWING ME TO RECEIVE THE LINK***
    End of the year memories aren’t just for classro End of the year memories aren’t just for classroom teachers! 

I love recapping the year with my students. It’s actually a great way to plan for next year, since we’re lucky enough to have many repeat students from year to year. 

🔗 Check it out at bit.ly/EndOfSpeech or comment below if you want me to DM the link to you! (Make sure you’re following in order to receive the DM!)
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #EndOfTheYearMemories
    The teacher appreciation sale starts tomorrow! My The teacher appreciation sale starts tomorrow! My whole store will be 25% off with code THANKYOU25

What are you shopping for during the sale?
    I was evaluating a 2 year old. He said “no” to I was evaluating a 2 year old.
He said “no” to *every* prompt in the receptive section. 
He started banging the spoons together.
I flipped everything upside down and made a drum set. 
We played the drums together.
It elicited language. Unique 3 word phrases!

This is play. This was fun.

He continued to tell me “no” but at least he wasn’t miserable the entire time 🙃

🗣️Tell me below the most unconventional (“non-functional”) play you’ve used. Let’s help each other out!
    …but are you ready? (For National Speech Languag …but are you ready? (For National Speech Language and Hearing Month, that is.)

Comment below for the link to these no prep calendars.
Use as a bulletin board; hand out to teachers; or send one home with each child. ✅DONE for all of May!
    Idk if I’m remembering correctly but I think the Idk if I’m remembering correctly but I think there was a time a few months ago where Adobe got rid of the ability to print across multiple pages??? Was this a fever dream?!

Regardless - you can do it now! Here’s how to make one page into a bulletin board!
🖨️ Print, ✂️ cut, 📌 hang, and ✅ done!

Comment below if you want a link to the calendars!
    Follow on Instagram

    Pinterest

    Site Footer

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    speechlanguagepirates

    Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist
    TpT resource author/creator

    Are you even a pediatric SLP if you’ve never mad Are you even a pediatric SLP if you’ve never made an absolute fool of yourself?

#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram
    Are you even a pediatric SLP if you’ve never mad Are you even a pediatric SLP if you’ve never made an absolute fool of yourself?

#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram
    Does AAC therapy leave you stumped and frustrated? Does AAC therapy leave you stumped and frustrated?

I promise that using AAC while interacting with children is not as daunting as it may seem. 

It also doesn’t mean a fancy, expensive app. Paper-based systems can be just as useful and robust! Core vocabulary is where it’s at for getting clients to use *functional vocabulary* -
not just “I want…” 😴

Whether you’re teaching a child/AAC user, parent, or staff members, these cheat sheets have everything you’ll need to make it a breeze! 
They have:
✅Cheat sheets for ways to target 15 core words
✅No prep, cut and glue craft sheets for the same 15 words
✅Toy companion posters listing several phrases of only core vocab for 12 common toys
✅Word list, reminder handout, home communication page, and more!

🔗Comment below if you want me to DM you the link! (But make sure you’re following me first or the DM won’t go through.)
    #Maycember is more like “May-Junecember” when #Maycember is more like “May-Junecember” when you live on Long Island… 

When I hear all of the other parents (both in person and online) lament about all of the PTO and unpaid time required of parents of young kids right now I’m SO thankful for my flexible schedule. 

I’ve been lucky enough to do all of these duties and be at all of these events without stressing. And that is one of the biggest privileges in my motherhood 💗

#TheyreOnlyLittleOnce
    ***GIVEAWAY OVER*** Winners are @_fabulous_78 @cki ***GIVEAWAY OVER***
Winners are @_fabulous_78 @ckindice @bda_slp & @dreamreaderkids 

Today is my 40th birthday 😳😱🥳
I started this business when I was in my 20s! I’m so honored to have had so many of you with me through so many decades and phases of life. 

🎁As a thank you, I’d like to give 4 people 4 resources from my store. To enter:
💛Like this post
🏷️Tag a friend in the comment. (One tag per comment. Each tag is an entry.)
🗣️Leave a comment
📚Share to stories for 4 extra entries! (Be sure to tag me so I see it.)

Winner announced Monday 6/9 at 9PM EST
    This is the third set in one of my most popular do This is the third set in one of my most popular downloads! 

16 brand new sets of mini-stories, each with an accompanying visual. Visuals and stories include diverse characters and names, specific time concepts (days of the week), and engaging topics. 

You can increase the story’s length by one sentence and/or fade the visual as your student progresses. 

Great as a reading comprehension activity, as well.

Comment below if you want the link! 30% off for the first 48 hours 🎉
    I was in a meeting the other day where a student ( I was in a meeting the other day where a student (whom I didn’t know) was approved for an iPad with Proloquo. It almost certainly wouldn’t arrive until the fall. Two well-meaning professionals in that meeting suggested “doing PECS” in the meantime. 

The parent was willing to purchase “whatever” until the device could arrive. I’d hated the idea of her buying an expensive, extensive PECS book for two months of use. I’d also hated the idea that it seemed no one knew PECS is actually a very specific set of steps for learning/teaching in which one should be trained before implementing. *It’s not just laminated pictures of items the child likes placed in a binder. It’s also not a magic 💊 when handed to a student.

Instead I suggested printing the Home Screen of Proloquo and beginning to teach that to this student. 

Paper-based options are completely valid and feasible. I’d say, even essential to introduce in case a device is dead or breaks. 

The ease with which this parent could give her child a “head start” on AAC via printing a screenshot is far and away more than what buying a whole PECS book would entail.

We as SLPs should be doing this. We should have these on hand. While waiting for a device and also while using one. And tell parents. Maybe they go on vacation and forget the device/printed piece. Show them how easy it is to google and print themselves! 🙌🏻

And please, can we stop referring to all collections of picture cards in a binder “PECS”…? 🥴🫠
    (I have a funny feeling by “better” you just m (I have a funny feeling by “better” you just mean *cheaper*… 🙄)

#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #AAC #PECS #AACSLP #CoreVocab
    When did tangible, cheap, plastic trinkets being s When did tangible, cheap, plastic trinkets being sent home for every holiday, from every kid in the class AND the teachers, become a thing we do?

It’s no secret that I hate all of the $ store junk my kids come home with. My “hack” is to dump it all in a bag and use it for the non-edible, allergy friendly candy in my Halloween bowl. Some kid is gonna get a 💜 pop-it that says “Happy Valentine’s Day, love Brayden” when they trick or treat at my house but 🙃 oh well!

Instead my speech kids go home with:
✅the “end of the year memories” book, tailored to speech therapy, that we completed
✅a simple one-page homework sheet for their sound that their parent will actually be able to use and not be overwhelmed by enough to ignore it all summer
✅a wave, high-five, or a hug
AND THAT’s IT!

Comment below if you want the link to these!

Do you give your students EOY gifts?
    The number of hours I wasted standing at the copie The number of hours I wasted standing at the copier making giant summer speech homework packets in my first couple years working makes me 😵‍💫
Especially since I’m confident the majority of those pages weren’t even looked at. 

Until I made a one page instruction sheet with simple, parent-friendly instructions for how to accurately produce sounds… parents were very appreciative! 

If you’ve got students/caregivers requesting work over the summer to prevent loss of articulation skills, these one page, black ink only, no prep sheets have:
✅a mouth model visual
✅concise written instructions for production of 12 phonemes
✅words in initial, medial, and final with visuals
✅sound-loaded phrases
✅sound-loaded sentences

Comment below if you want a link!
    So I’ll still have a room or….? What’s the So I’ll still have a room or….? 

What’s the worst you’ve ever come back to after summer break?

Audio inspired by a ride with @codyrigsby
    Before my oldest started school, I swore I wasn’ Before my oldest started school, I swore I wasn’t going to do this trend. I figured teachers thought it was a pain and I hate Dr Seuss books.

Then my cousins, both of whom are HS teachers, told me how much they love writing in and reading their students’ books and that I just HAD to do it.

Once I found other book options, I was into it! 😍 I have 3 kids and they all have different books.

❓Parents: do you do this for your own kids? What book do you use?
❓Teachers: how do you feel about writing in these books?

🗣️Comment below if want the link to my book list! 🔗 (But make sure you’re following first or the DM won’t go through.)

End of the school year
Teacher signatures
End of year traditions
    There’s lots of new faces around here, so I thou There’s lots of new faces around here, so I thought I’d show you mine again and introduce myself!

I’m Denise, a pediatric SLP, wife, mom of 3 humans (9, 6, & 3)  and 1 black lab. I live on Long Island and am currently working as a preschool/EI transition evaluator. 

My favorite communication skills to target are early language, articulation, and core vocabulary! 
I love cheese, margaritas, photography, and trash TV (Bravo).
I hate feet, olives, and weather below 70 degrees. (I’m chronically cold.)

It’s just me, myself, and I behind this account and I’m SO grateful for every like, comment, share, story reply, link click, and purchase in my TpT store!

Do we have anything in common? Tell me below! 👇🏻
    I volunteered at my own children’s book fair to I volunteered at my own children’s book fair to help the kids shop. I *may* have spent the majority of the time scouring the shelves for new core word-filled books 🤷🏻‍♀️

Did you know I have an Amazon list of full of books I use to target core vocabulary? Comment below if you want to check it out! You might just find something to add to your toolbox 🙂
    Teaching AAC is just language therapy - and that’s the 🗻 I’m willing to die on!

Want my cheat sheets to make it *that* much easier??? Comment below for the link - because they’re 25% off today and tomorrow!!!!

Resource contains:
✅Toy companion posters listing several phrases of only core vocab for 12 common toys. 
✅Cheat sheets for ways to target 15 core words naturally throughout the day 
✅No prep, cut and glue craft sheets for the
same 15 words
✅List of core words, reminder handout, home communication page, and more!
***MUST BE FOLLOWING ME TO RECEIVE THE LINK***
    End of the year memories aren’t just for classro End of the year memories aren’t just for classroom teachers! 

I love recapping the year with my students. It’s actually a great way to plan for next year, since we’re lucky enough to have many repeat students from year to year. 

🔗 Check it out at bit.ly/EndOfSpeech or comment below if you want me to DM the link to you! (Make sure you’re following in order to receive the DM!)
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #EndOfTheYearMemories
    The teacher appreciation sale starts tomorrow! My The teacher appreciation sale starts tomorrow! My whole store will be 25% off with code THANKYOU25

What are you shopping for during the sale?
    I was evaluating a 2 year old. He said “no” to I was evaluating a 2 year old.
He said “no” to *every* prompt in the receptive section. 
He started banging the spoons together.
I flipped everything upside down and made a drum set. 
We played the drums together.
It elicited language. Unique 3 word phrases!

This is play. This was fun.

He continued to tell me “no” but at least he wasn’t miserable the entire time 🙃

🗣️Tell me below the most unconventional (“non-functional”) play you’ve used. Let’s help each other out!
    …but are you ready? (For National Speech Languag …but are you ready? (For National Speech Language and Hearing Month, that is.)

Comment below for the link to these no prep calendars.
Use as a bulletin board; hand out to teachers; or send one home with each child. ✅DONE for all of May!
    Idk if I’m remembering correctly but I think the Idk if I’m remembering correctly but I think there was a time a few months ago where Adobe got rid of the ability to print across multiple pages??? Was this a fever dream?!

Regardless - you can do it now! Here’s how to make one page into a bulletin board!
🖨️ Print, ✂️ cut, 📌 hang, and ✅ done!

Comment below if you want a link to the calendars!
    Follow on Instagram

    Copyright © 2025 — Speech Language Pirates • All rights reserved.
    Site customised by Peace of Africa Designs

     

    Loading Comments...