Online Summer Program Info Session

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER, MAKE ME A MATCН… When we say that CHAT SLPs focus on rapport and relationship building, we mean it! Enter Maya and Franco, both longtime CHAT clients. Recently, Maya has been working on self-advocacy, comprehension, and vocabulary, while Franco has been focused on speech intelligibility, repairing communication breakdowns, and comprehension. Maya and Franco […]

CHAT changed more lives than ever in 2024, thanks to your support! We can’t change lives without our dedicated, passionate team, and continuing to invest in our workplace culture while serving more children in need. And we can’t do this work without YOU, our volunteers, supporters and donors. We thank you and look forward to an […]

At CHAT, we are grateful every day for the chance to support our incredible children. We see the world through their eyes and help fuel their imaginations.

CHAT can’t do this work without your support. Donate today and give the gift of communication to more children in need. CHAT works to reach as many underserved children as possible, bridging the wide service gaps for speech-language therapy. One involves 3-5-year-olds. They’re too old for Early Intervention (EI), but too young for kindergarten. If […]

In 2024, CHAT turned 45. It all started with the legacy of our founder, Phyllis Kupperman, who saw a gap in services and, in her words, “would give away the services anyway, so [she] might as well start a nonprofit.” Today, her legacy abounds with 45 years of giving the gift of communication to those […]

New partnership with northwestern to enable inclusive research and equitable access to speech-language therapy for young children 

This report details some of the past year’s highlights of our work towards communication justice – effecting change for under resourced and under-represented people whose communication disorders and differences contribute to their inequitable treatment.

April is Autism Acceptance Month! CHAT fully accepts and embraces the Autistic community’s communication styles and preferences while advocating for inclusion in all spaces. Read more about CHAT’s work in this space with David’s story.

Voices of Value Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach: What it is and Why it Matters CHAT is a different kind of organization. When we say we are a resource to children with few – if any – other options, we mean that in several ways. This includes reaching children who do not have access to speech and language […]

Valentine’s Day puts the focus on romantic love and connections, but there are many kinds of connections worth highlighting! That’s why we chose this month to share the story of a special connection that our SLP, Marshall, built with his student, Jamal. Jamal is a sophomore in high school and has been receiving speech and […]

In this giving season, we’re thrilled to convey, a tale of a gift, directed our way: ‘Twas a typical Wednesday, Helene did prepare, To see a young client with something to share; This client, you see, is a teller of tales,And today has a story with which to regale; He presents Ms. Helene with a […]

Dear CHAT Supporters, In this season of giving thanks, I write today to say that CHAT is thankful for you. Thank you for the time you take to read our monthly impact stories. Thank you for your interest in our work and for your donations that make it possible. And thank you for helping us […]

CHAT can’t do this work without your support. Give the gift of communication to more children.

It’s October, and you just never know what Halloween month will bring…just as CHAT staff never know what each day will bring. One of our SLPs, Charlotte, started working at a therapeutic day school where one 19-year-old Autistic student refused to work with her. As soon as he met her, it was clear that he […]

In September, friends and colleagues came together to learn more about CHAT and how we help children overcome barriers to communication.

Imagine being so excited to come to therapy, you are willing to skip your vollevball game… As typically happens when you enter high school, Maggie’s social calendar filled right up

It’s back to school time! For many children it is a time of excitement and wonder. For others. it can be a time of uncertainty and anxiety. Every year, CHAT tries to reach more families who have nowhere else to go for speech and language services and better equip children for success in school. CHAT […]

“Problem child.” What a label to give a child, but that was how Nathaniel was known at school. When Nathaniel started school therapy with his CHAT SLP, she noticed that he arrived at every speech session unhappy and obstinate, which did not bode well for the sessions’ outcomes.  When his SLP asked why this might […]

Communication is the key to conveying one’s basic needs, to the success of social interactions, to the perception of one’s cognitive abilities, and to so many more aspects of an individual’s ability to navigate life.  When someone is non-speaking, developing the ability to communicate is a bit more complicated, and in many cases the answer […]

This report details some of the past year’s highlights of our work towards communication justice – effecting change for under resourced and under-represented people whose communication disorders and differences contribute to their inequitable treatment.

Voices of Value Interview with Treasyri Williams Wood, Director of Clinical Education at DePaul University Tell me about your current role, and how you got here. I am the Director of Clinical Education at the DePaul Speech-Language Pathology Program. I like to think that my whole life brought me to this moment—I consider this my dream job. […]

Advocacy is our middle name. We say this because it is true in several ways – advocacy is the “A” in our name, but it is also at the forefront of everything we do. We advocate for our clients and their families’ rights in the education system, law, and therapeutic process. By many measures, our […]

We hear it all the time from parents that CHAT is different, that CHAT SLPs really take the time to get to know their clients and tailor therapy to each child. Building rapport and establishing trusting relationships is key to the therapeutic process. When CHAT SLPs work to earn the trust of their students, that […]

Jax was 17 months old when he started reading. He quickly became infatuated with the alphabet but wasn’t interacting with his parents or exploring new things and couldn’t answer yes or no to questions. Jax’s parents were at a loss. The experts they consulted had no answers. The speech therapists weren’t helping. They searched for […]

All I want for Christmas… Such a well-known phrase. But such a hurdle for a child with limited vocabulary. One year ago, four-year-old Maya was not able to complete this phrase to tell her mother what she wanted for Christmas.  Despite being in speech therapy since she was two years old because of a language […]

‘Tis the season… for college applications and questions of “what’s next?” For high school juniors and seniors, this is a time of many possibilities.  But what happens when a student is navigating a speech and language difficulty, as well as their future? Does their next step become more uncertain? Does their dream of following their […]

Over the last few months, we have shared with you some of the impact that CHAT has on the children we serve: children with few – if any – other options for speech and language therapy services.   Most recently, we shared Corey’s story in our annual appeal to your postal mailboxes. If you have […]

Every day, CHAT works to serve children with few – if any – other options for speech and language therapy. One such child is Corey, a 16-year-old from the west side of Chicago. One in 12 children has a speech and language disorder, and Corey is one of them. He is also on Medicaid and […]

Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) help students develop their communication skills. But often, and core to our mission, CHAT SLPs serve another person a student’s life – to advocate for their needs and help them to be their own best advocates. This was the case with Devon. Devon has selective mutism, which is a commonly misunderstood […]

We’ve all just lived through the annual ritual of back to school. While many students were busy picking out their first-day outfits and comparing schedules with friends, others faced the return to school with trepidation. For families of children with learning and emotional disabilities, typical back-to-school worries seem like luxuries, as the return to school […]

On August 27th, members of the CHAT team (including CEO Karine Fiore, SLP Shanah Slade, SLPA Nadia Ibrahim, and Associate Board member Myles Francis) took part in Salaam Community Wellness Center’s First Integrative Health and Wellness Expo. It is the mission of the Center to help build and support healthy communities by empowering them through […]

Voices of Value Interview with E. Patrick Johnson, Dean of the School of Communication at Northwestern University E. Patrick Johnson is the Dean of the School of Communication at Northwestern University. He has published widely in the areas of race, gender, sexuality and performance. Johnson is a prolific performer and scholar, and an inspiring teacher, […]

LOMBARD – July 13, 2022 – CHAT – Life Changing Speech Therapy (CHAT) has been chosen as one of eight Chicago region non-profits to receive “Project Innovation” grants from the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation and NBCUniversal Local, a division of NBCUniversal that is home to NBC/Telemundo owned stations. The grants are being given to 90 organizations that […]

For the first time ever, CHAT participated in Giving DuPage Days. This was a five-day virtual fundraiser (May 2nd to May 6th) to spur giving to over 95 local non-profits. During that week, CHAT was busy sharing information about who we are, why we exist, and our impact on children to potential donors through email […]

Therapy Tales It’s About the Kids and Equity Working for CHAT means more than simply offering speech-language services. It’s about effecting change for under-resourced and under-represented children whose communication disorders and differences contribute to their inequitable treatment. In this issue, two of CHAT’s newest SLPs, Kate Carlos and Ra Petty, share a bit of their journey to become SLPs, […]

We closed our clinic on Monday, October 11, in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and gathered our staff for team-building. This day is particularly relevant to our mission as a nonprofit dedicated to providing inclusive and culturally responsive services.   To that end, it was important for us to take the time to acknowledge the meaning behind this reclaimed […]

Therapy Tales CHAT Therapy Brings Hope to Parents of Hyperlexic Learners Parents are thrilled and cheer when their kindergartner or first grader begins to sound out and read the words to a story for the first time. It’s a milestone to call the grandparents about and it’s a skill that will last a lifetime. But […]

LOMBARD, ILLINOIS, MAY 28, 2021—There’s no doubt that outgoing Franco Bibbiano is a confident 14-year-old.  But that was not always true for this boy with Down syndrome who struggled to articulate and share his thoughts and ideas with others. Franco will now take center stage and cut the ribbon at the Friday, June 4 (4:30-6:00 […]

Most hyperlexic learners (HxLs) begin to communicate using delayed echolalia based on written language they have read. These scripts, or gestalts, can be meaningful and have purposeful intent! It is our job, as providers and caregivers, to figure out what our HxL is trying to communicate, and help them use the right language. We are lucky in that we can support our HxLs by modeling the target language by writing it down!

This presentation discusses the top mental health conditions in children in the US currently–ADHD, emotional-behavioral issues/disorders, and anxiety/depression–and how these disorders may affect communication and/or co-occur with various speech and language disorders. It is imperative that speech-language pathologists keep mental health in mind when treating speech/language, and this presentation provides insight about various ways SLPs […]

May marks both Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Better Speech and Hearing Month! With heightened anti-Asian violence, India’s COVID-19 crisis, and the invisibilization of Pacific Island communities, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (API) have been thrust into the spotlight. Yet many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders refuse to define themselves solely by their oppression. With diverse heritages and languages, API activists have historically come together in solidarity to meet the linguistic, social, and […]

Templates are consistent written prompts that help organize information or create a narrative. Templates are an important tool that can support writing, summarizing, retelling, storytelling, and so much more. Hyperlexic learners (HxLs) benefit from the patterned and predictable support that templates can provide!

Welcome to the first edition of our e-Newsletter! Therapy Tales New Executive Functioning Program Teaches Kids Skills to Get Things Done Not many kids can tell you what they want to be when they grow up and actually see that through to fruition. But that’s exactly what happen to CHAT Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and Assistant Director, […]

The importance of focusing more than fluency in stuttering therapy

An examination of current research to support teachers with vocal disorders

Providing written scripts is one of the best ways to promote expressive language use for hyperlexic learners (HxLs). We can model whole sentences in writing that our HxLs can read and use functionally to express their wants, needs, knowledge, opinions, and so much more!

Many of our HxLs have incredible memory capacity that allows for immense vocabulary knowledge! We like to label items around our clinic, important parts of the story while reading a book, language concepts during therapy activities, and so much more! How do you support your hyperlexic learner with labeling and describing?!

Music as a tool to support communication and language

In addition to teaching about new scenarios or experiences, social narratives can be written to teach about emotions and feelings. Social narratives, written with first-person language, can provide scripts for an “internal monologue” to support problem solving, emotional regulation, processing and understanding.

Best friends in so many ways, two of CHAT’s high school students came to speech together every week and worked on social and pragmatic language skills. Then one day, they didn’t want to come to speech together anymore.  Dismayed, their CHAT clinician, Sarah, decided to do something about it. After a bit of digging, she […]

CHAT uplifts African American English (AAE), a dialect shared by many Black communities in the United States. Complex and systematic, AAE not only reflects the intricacies of human language, but also the ingenuity of the speakers themselves. AAE was first developed by enslaved Africans during the Atlantic slave trade in the 1600s. While European enslavers intentionally grouped people from different African nations – who spoke various languages – to inhibit communication and stifle protest, enslaved Africans successfully merged their diverse languages with English to create a linguistic system that facilitated communication, built solidarity, and ultimately resisted colonial subjugation.   […]

Social narratives are written stories that introduce or explain a variety of scenarios while making it personal and relevant to the reader. Social narratives help to shape and provide an “inner monologue” for our HxLs who might otherwise have difficulty finding the language to talk to themselves!

Please note that within this blog, CHAT will use identity-first language (i.e. Autistic person, rather than person with Autism), as many activists in the Autism community believe that this language choice reflects Autism’s centrality to their identity and disrupts the negative associations harbored against their diagnosis. We encourage readers to honor the preferences of Autistic individuals in order to use the most affirming language possible.   As speech-language pathologists, we are equipped with the tools and training to enhance […]

How to evaluate and diagnose Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, we are sharing a personal post from our Executive Director, Karine Fiore, for whom this is a deeply personal topic. Please take a look at her moving words and let them inspire you to speak up against injustice. On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest, most […]

Expectations are behaviors or actions that are expected to occur. Written expectations should be constantly available and reviewed for the HxL to refer back to whenever needed.

Schedules are a staple of all therapy sessions, but are especially useful for hyperlexic learners (HxLs). Not only are they an effective tool during therapy, but they can be used to inspire positive transitions, increase the likelihood of task completion, and promote positive behaviors across all environments and situations.  Schedules can be as broad or precise as the situation requires. Dereon may need a schedule […]

As the saying goes, “Write, write, write because [people] with hyperlexia will read, read, read” (Miller, 1993). There are many different ways we can structure our writing to connect with hyperlexic learners and support language growth!

Dr. Darold Treffert died unexpectedly on Monday, December 14th, 2020 at the age of 87.   Dr. Treffert’s compassion for children and their families continues to inspire all that knew him. He helped to re-shape how people viewed savants, autistic individuals, and hyperlexic learners by focusing on their strengths and abilities.   As Phyllis Kupperman mourns her friend and colleague, she says, “I was always very impressed by the way that he […]

As our country continues to amplify the injustice within our criminal legal system, CHAT uplifts youth with communication diagnoses who are funneled into this system—misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and wrongfully convicted. We stand in solidarity with changemakers like Matthew Rushin, a Black autistic college student convicted of a crime he did not commit.   A diligent student in Virginia’s Old Dominion University, Rushin spent his time […]

What’s the saying? “Out of the mouth of babes?” Seven-year-old Jimmy took it to a whole new level with the help of a little technology. Please don’t try this at home, but we thought you might find inspiration in the recent breakthrough of one of our kiddos. During his speech teletherapy session, asked to place […]

Therapy ideas for targeting language in the adolescent population

November is Native American Heritage Month! Please note that within this blog we are using the words Native and Indigenous, as is preferred by many Nations. However, individual Nations or people may have different preferred terminology (e.g. First American, Native American, American Indian, etc), and we encourage open discussion to ensure that you are using the most affirming language […]

Many Hyperlexic Learners are gestalt processors meaning they "learn in chunks." See how we can use gestalt processing and memory skills to shape echolalia into functional communication!

October marks Dyslexia Awareness Month; yet for our CHAT team, empowering diverse learners is an ongoing commitment. While this month was only recently recognized by Congress in 2015, dyslexia affects as many as 43.5 million Americans, or 15% of the national population! Rather than a vision impairment or intellectual disability, dyslexia is a learning condition […]

Introducing our new Hyperlexia-focused blog series and its writer, Ciara Nally! We will discuss all things hyperlexia, provide tailored therapy activities, and discuss how to support and advocate for your hyperlexic learner!

Enlace colabora con CHAT para proveer programas de lectura a las familias de La Villita

Here’s an article we wanted to share that recently got us thinking about the impact of cisgender people sharing their pronouns:

At first I was skeptical and didn’t know what to think about transitioning our building to teletherapy for speech services, but I was pretty reluctant about it.  Up until that point (approximately 2 years ago), we have always had “in person” speech and other related services.  However, once our speech assistant, the students, and I […]

If you’re interested in learning more about our summer programs, be sure to check out our recent summer programs webinar. This informational video will fill you in on everything you need to know about each program. Click here to register!

On May 26th, 2020 we hosted a webinar on social skills and strategies for hyperlexic children.  Our Founder, Phyllis Kupperman, and Assistant Director, Ciara Nally, shared so many helpful tips for families and educators to support social skills, building social competency, and supports for pragmatic language.  If you missed the first hyperlexia webinar, you can […]

On May 12th, 2020 we hosted a webinar on reading comprehension strategies for hyperlexic children.  Our Founder, Phyllis Kupperman, and Assistant Director, Ciara Nally, shared so many helpful tips for families and educators to support reading comprehension skills — thank you, both! If you missed the first hyperlexia webinar, you can check that out here. […]

Helpful videos to review target communication skills for minimally verbal students.

Wordless picture books, or wordless videos (we see you, Pixar), can be GREAT ways to work on language and literacy!  Your child can expand their imagination and create their own stories, dialogues, problems, and solutions with the beautiful frameworks created.  During therapy, we might use post-its or speech bubble stickers to practice generating messages, taking […]

On April 21, 2019, CHAT hosted a webinar, Supporting Hyperlexic Children under COVID-19: Tips from the Experts. Our Founder, Phyllis Kupperman, and Assistant Director, Ciara Nally, shared so many helpful tips for families and educators of hyperlexic kids on today’s webinar — thank you, both! We hope you enjoy watching this webinar! If you get something out […]

Despite the limitations of social distancing, at CHAT we’re happy to continue providing speech-language therapy services through the use of teletherapy! In fact, with all of this newfound time at home, this is the perfect opportunity for you to rely on our teletherapy services in order to ensure that your child continues to progress! Teletherapy […]

This week, CHAT recognized three SLPs for their embodiment of core CHAT values in 2019: Celia Kaufer, for positivity; Hannah Koronkiewicz, for passion; and Courtney Ramczyk, for flexibility. Congratulations to these outstanding clinicians for their inspiring work and dedication to CHAT culture!

Today on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we remember and honor a man who spoke out in opposition to racial discrimination, inequity, and hatred. Our commitment to equity and inclusion moves us to find innovative ways to serve students and clients in Chicagoland in order to break down barriers to access and advocate for the […]

This presentation demonstrated and provided a tutorial of The Communication Matrix. It examined the website and the resources available to clinicians and parents and discussed how individuals can utilize the resource in their practice throughout clinic and schools to assist individuals in gleaning a better understanding of the communication utilized by individuals with complex communication […]

Executive Functioning is often called the command center of the brain. It’s the set of skills that allow us to manage our thoughts, actions, and emotions to get things done. While Executive Functioning skills typically develop quickly in early childhood, some children struggle with these skills. You may have noticed your child: Struggles to pay […]

This presentation reviews what transition plans are, what should be included in a transition plan, and why transition plans are an important part of the IEP process once a student reaches transition age. It discusses what options students with an IEP have post-graduation, including, but not limited to, post-secondary education, vocational training and education, and […]

This presentation looked at SB100, which is an IL law intended to transform school discipline practices in Illinois and weaken the school-to-prison pipeline. The bill provides guidelines about the severity of discipline in particular circumstances (e.g. when a suspension is warranted vs an expulsion) as well as other recommendations to schools like the use of […]

This presentation discusses the importance of using fine motor activities to increase engagement and participation, and reduce behaviors during speech-language sessions. Research about the relation between fine motor skills, speech-language and literacy is discussed. A plethora of therapy materials incorporating speech/language and fine motor skills were demonstrated. Click here to download the full presentation.

This presentation includes general information on speech and language teletherapy including a definition, pros and cons, materials needed to engage in teletherapy, and environmental considerations. It also covers reimbursement and licensing information for the state of Illinois. In addition, the presentation looks at the efficacy of teletherapy in various areas that are treated in speech […]

On #GivingTuesday 2019, Lynfred Winery Roselle and Wheeling announced their 2020 charity of the month recipients, and we are so honored to learn that CHAT has been selected for June of 2020! Though the winery is a non-tipping facility, guests will often wish to leave tips in appreciation of the friendly service they receive. Building on the […]

Our Annual Appeal Changed Felix’s Life Felix is a Chicago 4th grader. We began supporting him with speech and language therapy in school last year. Because of generous donations from our 2018 Annual Appeal, Felix was able to attend our intensive combined literacy and social communication program last summer, at no charge to his family. Fast forward to […]

This presentation explores echolalia, which is the repetition of verbalizations or speech. It describes current research on definitions of echolalia, important background information, and therapeutic approaches for clinicians. Echolalia can be seen as a bridge towards future meaningful communication. Click here to download the presentation.

On September 25, we honored the legacy of our founder, Phyllis Kupperman, with a special celebration to mark our 40th anniversary. The event raised funds for a scholarship in Phyllis’ name. These funds will allow children on the spectrum and with hyperlexia who cannot afford therapy to receive it.

Often a component of a comprehensive speech-language assessment, a language sample provides a non-biased, valid, and reliable look into an individual’s receptive and expressive language abilities to determine if that individual presents with a language disorder. However, SLPs in survey studies (and at CHAT) report that transcribing and analyzing (comparing to age-matched language norms) a […]

This presentation is designed to provide treatment areas, resources, and ideas for speech language pathologists working with or interested in working with clients on accent modification in American English. As more non-native speakers are becoming interested in enhancing their communication skills, speech language pathologists may be encountering more individuals seeking these services. Click here to […]

Mindfulness-based interventions and techniques can increase attentional and emotional self-regulation skills, as well as promote cognitive flexibility. This presentation defines mindfulness and highlights key research on mindfulness-based practices for children and teens with diagnoses such as ADHD, Autism, and Fluency Disorders. Tips and strategies for incorporating mindfulness activities into therapy sessions are also provided and […]

Welcome to CHAT, our new brand. CHAT stands for Communication Health, Advocacy & Therapy. Born from a desire to convey who we are with more inclusive language, CHAT represents the future of our 40-year-old organization. During its long history, the Center for Speech and Language Disorders helped countless families to overcome obstacles and by building […]

On September 25, we will honor the legacy of our founder, Phyllis Kupperman, with a special celebration to mark our 40th anniversary. At this event, we will formally launch our new brand, CHAT, and raise funds for a scholarship in Phyllis’ name. These funds will allow children on the spectrum and with hyperlexia who cannot afford […]

In the summer of 2018, we launched an initiative in partnership with Distinctive Schools to bring our life changing summer literacy and social communication programs to their students. For many of these kids and their families, the lack of transportation is a barrier to services, so we wanted to serve them where they live. We held a […]

Thanks to a generous gift from Koren and Mike Furrey, Wide Receivers Coach of our hometown team the Chicago Bears, Kamryn was able to attend CHAT’s five-week intensive summer literacy and social communication program! Kamryn began the program avoiding reading and writing tasks at any cost; by the end, he was volunteering to read and […]

This presentation provides information on the importance of teaching syntax in language therapy. It summarizes great information provided by from The Ultimate Guide to Sentence Structure by Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan, Ed.D. CCC-SLP and Unraveling Difficult Sentences: Strategies to Support Reading Comprehension, Richard P. Zipoli, Jr., PhD. Click here to download.

Accent modification evaluations incude detailed case history, determination of client motivation and goals, segmental, suprasegmental, intelligibility, pragmatics and language assessments. Click here to download the presentation.

An overview of the ABCs of behavior, FBAs and BIPs, and tips and strategies on how to maintain a supportive environment to promote positive behaviors! Click here to download the presentation.

Executive functions are cognitive skills that help a person organize behavior and accomplish a goal.  These skills are essential for success in our everyday life. Click here to download the presentation.

The Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services (ODLSS) within Chicago Public Schools provides a manual that outlines the systems and procedures involved in delivering special education services to students in need. This presentation summarizes information relevant to speech-language pathologists. Click here to download the presentation.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder with atypical and inconsistent errors. The prevalence of the disorder is difficult to measure due to the debate over the characteristics, however, it is reported to be 3.4-4.3% of children with speech sound disorders. It often affects more boys than girls.  Children with CAS are […]

This presentation examines evidence of an elevated prevalence of language disorders among juvenile offenders and the effect of these disorders on interacting with the criminal justice system. Click here to download the presentation.

This presentation provides a brief overview of voice and communication therapy for transgender/gender non-conforming (GNC) individuals, including information about evaluation and treatment. Click here to download the presentation.

Recent research has revealed that children with hearing loss are at risk for literacy and pragmatic language deficits. Click here to download the presentation.

This presentation discusses general information, diagnostic criteria, professional roles, evaluation, and treatment of individuals with selective mutism. Click here to download the presentation.

A review of evidence-based assessment and treatment frameworks/recommendations for school age-adolescent individuals with fluency disorders.  Click here to download the presentation.

An overview of treatment approaches and treatment ideas for childhood fluency disorders. Click here to download the presentation.

CASL-2: This presentation discusses how to properly administer and score the Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, 2nd edition (CASL-2). Click here to download the presentation.

This presentation discusses various ways to evaluate certain populations beyond standardized testing, including bilingual speakers and speakers of African-American English. Click here to download the presentation.

Pediatric feeding evaluation requires a whole-child perspective and a multi-disciplinary approach in order to identify the etiology and treatment plan. Click here to download the presentation.

This presentation discusses current research on the effects of screen time on a child’s speech and language development, reviews how children best learn language, and provides recommendations for screen time in the home. Click here to download the presentation.

An overview of assessment and treatment protocols and logistics for individuals with voice differences and disorders in the school-based setting. Click here to download the presentation.

Orafacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD) is a class of disorders that include issues with movement, strength, coordination or use of the muscles in the tongue, lips, or jaw than impact the ability to speak, breathe or eat. Click here to download the presentation.

Considerations for the evaluation and treatment of those with cleft lip and cleft palate. Click here for the presentation.

This presentation discusses school service eligibility criteria as they apply specifically to adolescent populations that we serve, with discussion of FAPE, IDEA, and special considerations for this age. Click here for the presentation.

Language processing is your ability to interpret words and attach meaning at more complex levels. Difficulty with this skill can affect a person’s ability to make sense of and organize the language around them. Click here to download the presentation.

This presentation gives tips to SLP to help with motivation, organization, advocacy, and student resources! Click here to download the presentation.

How can SLPs increase our collaborations with school staff to best support our caseload? Click here to download the presentation.

AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, which includes all forms of communication other than oral speech. For example, people who are nonverbal might use pictures, boards, or devices to communicate. Click here to download the presentation.

This presentation discusses strategies to increase the use of AAC throughout a student’s school day. Click here to download the presentation.

This presentation discusses necessary procedures for beginning therapy in the school setting including: referrals RTI/MTSS, consent/assessment, evaluations, and eligibilities. Click here to download the presentation. 

A review of literature to help clinicians figure out differential diagnostic characteristics as well as some treatment recommendations. Click here to download the presentation.

Considerations for evaluating school-age children with regards to AAE. Click here to download the presentation.

This presentation discusses language acquisition and assessment in English language learners. Information is provided to help differentiate a language difference versus language disorder.  Click here to download the presentation.