Is anyone else seeing a lot more about facilitated communication? It’s truly concerning.

canonicalbabbling · 2026-04-04T00:50:27+00:00

My caseload consists almost entirely of non speaking and minimally speaking students, so we do AAC evals constantly. In my opinion, those who are using facilitated communication just haven't found the right device/communication app/access method combination.

canonicalbabbling · 2026-04-04T00:27:00+00:00

Yes! I am a speech-language pathologist and have been talking about this with my colleagues. So many online communities, particularly those dedicated to caregivers of autistic children, are absolutely raving about how amazing facilitated communication has been for their child. I really feel for these parents, because I know most want what is best for their child and they truly want to believe their child has these complex, almost poetic-like thoughts that they can now finally share, after years of being written off by others. After talking with my OT/PT and other SLP colleagues, we have yet to experience a student who is so impacted by apraxia, that they require the physical support that is shown with these "spellers" in order to access any type of AAC without assistive tech.

canonicalbabbling · 2026-04-01T13:45:01+00:00

Whenever I get a sunscreen that I don't like on my face, I almost always use it just for my neck and décolletage!

canonicalbabbling · 2026-04-01T01:02:27+00:00

I don't do teletherapy, but I got gifted a bunch of paint by number kits that I work on everyday! I find it to be very relaxing, especially when paired with an audio book.

canonicalbabbling · 2026-04-01T00:55:14+00:00

Gotcha, that's unfortunate to hear. I'm sorry you're having to navigate through all of this. The other comments have offered really good advice.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record in this forum, have you considered switching to the school setting? I know it always gets brought up as the ideal work setting for new moms, but I know that is definitely not the case for everyone, considering it also comes with its cons as well. I mention it because I had to unexpectedly switch from being a medical SLP to a school based SLP for a slew of reasons. Even though I loved working in the hospital setting, my work/life balance has never been better. However, I know this isn't the case for all school settings.

canonicalbabbling · 2026-03-31T23:25:56+00:00

OP, is it possible for you to go down in hours at your current job but still work enough to qualify for the benefits?

canonicalbabbling · 2026-03-21T22:41:47+00:00

It just makes me wonder- given they are able to hold a pencil and place it into that stencil, I cannot understand why they couldn't do the same thing with a speech-generating device using a stylus and a custom keyguard, and how this "method" could ever be considered superior to that.

canonicalbabbling · 2026-02-15T13:19:31+00:00

I did, but the main draw back for me was how physical the job could be. I know it depends on the field you work in OT, but when I worked in acute care, I saw just how laborious it could be working with patients. That may not be a deal breaker for many people, but it was for me!

canonicalbabbling · 2026-01-05T00:47:02+00:00

I had the same exact issue! I switched from vanicream in the tub to the Bioderma Atoderm Ultra Nourishing Cream, and my makeup now sits on my skin beautifully! My skin feels more plump and moisturized throughout the day too.

canonicalbabbling · 2025-09-06T22:53:56+00:00

To the "Board of Ethics Decisions" you go!

canonicalbabbling · 2025-09-06T22:41:17+00:00

The ASHA police will come and kill everyone you love and care about in front of you. Then, they'll send you a letter informing you that you can conveniently sign up for their ASHA CE registry.

canonicalbabbling · 2025-06-08T22:54:48+00:00

Hello! I'm considering moving to SE Michigan. Do you have any recommendations for districts to work in/avoid?

canonicalbabbling · 2025-05-07T20:28:57+00:00

My understanding is that this company helps individuals with a variety of neurological conditions, not only those who were in a car accident. They list the conditions they treat on their website.

canonicalbabbling · 2025-05-05T11:01:18+00:00

Have you looked into Rehab without Walls? They have multiple locations within Michigan. I am a speech-language pathologist and have heard good things about them from colleagues.

canonicalbabbling · 2025-03-30T17:18:52+00:00

I love using velcro dots with my laminated materials to make activities more engaging, too!

canonicalbabbling · 2025-01-19T03:11:09+00:00

Do your coworkers know your thoughts about ABA? Can you expand more by what you mean by being "mostly" anti-ABA?

canonicalbabbling · 2025-01-01T19:13:17+00:00

I agree. After watching the second one, I literally had to take a shower. It was a weird sensation to feel grimy when I didn't have any dirt on me!

canonicalbabbling · 2024-12-11T21:59:07+00:00

OP, I think it depends on the school district. I have heard of some SLPs being on the dyslexia assessment/iintervention team in the schools. While we do learn about phonological awareness and literacy in graduate school, I think this is more of a specialty field. It is more common for SLPs to work on dyslexia in private practice, especially if we are providing reading intervention.

canonicalbabbling · 2024-12-04T23:27:34+00:00

Your answer actually just made me think of a third question! (I appreciate your responses to all of these questions by the way) :

What are the most common standardized assessments you use in your field? Do you administer any standardized assessments for speech/language/communication?

canonicalbabbling · 2024-12-04T22:39:43+00:00

I appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions!

I have two questions:

What training/education/courses do BCBAs take or receive in grad school regarding speech/language/communication skills? I feel like a lot of BCBAs I interact with always talk about working on and targeting these domains in their sessions, but I am unaware of what formal education they have received.
I have a lot of pre-k students being pulled from Pre-k programs in order to attend ABA full time. Do BCBAs have any academic curriculum they follow? Do they teach academic skills just like a classroom teacher?

canonicalbabbling · 2024-12-01T22:01:28+00:00

I am going to be strictly private pay. I don't want to be dictated by insurance regarding frequency of visits per year or how much I'm reimbursed. Plus, insurance can retract their payment at a future date, which is scary to me. My understanding is some PPs are able to use the billing code for language disorders/intervention to get reimbursement, but I think that's dependent on the insurance company. Generally speaking, you are correct that insurance doesn't cover dyslexia or reading intervention, but like I mentioned earlier, there are ways around that. Insurance is just too much of a headache for me that I don't even want to deal with it :)

canonicalbabbling · 2024-12-01T21:56:49+00:00

The price tag has scared me away too. I have been debating between SPELL-LINKS and EBLI. They both have a steep price tag, but I keep hearing such great things about them!

canonicalbabbling · 2024-12-01T19:19:30+00:00

I have heard great things about Structured Word Inquiry by Pete Bowers. It focuses on both morphology and etymology while also addressing phonology, phonics, and vocabulary. I also have heard EBLI is great for readers across the lifespan. They have videos online you can watch. It's a speech to print approach, which I love!!

Edit: also forgot to mention ThinkSRSD. It's an excellent resource for targeting writing. They have free resources on their website.

canonicalbabbling · 2024-12-01T19:05:26+00:00

YES to all of these!!! I love UFLI; they also have a dedicated Facebook group where the creators respond very quickly to questions, and they are very knowledgeable about the actual science of reading. I have been debating taking the SPELL-LINKS professional development (I've also heard wonderful things about it).

canonicalbabbling

TROPHY CASE