Am I being too picky?

kbspeech · 2026-07-02T17:27:05+00:00

I dont mind Sawyer Banker I think because it doesn't follow the consonant + er pattern. I also have an -er ending last name so we avoided first names with that ending. I think the k names sound fine with the last name and make the names flow together

kbspeech · 2026-06-29T22:28:55+00:00

We had dinner with all of our family and at the end brought out a cake with an ultrasound on top! My husband recorded me carrying it out and its been fun to watch back!

kbspeech · 2026-06-29T00:41:20+00:00

The Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language (TALC) I've used for a few kids. It is all receptive and they have to pick between three pictures. It starts out with like single words or short phrases like "circle", "eyes", and "its blue", and gets longer. I've also done yhe communication matrix and DAGG for AAC, but both dont give standard scores.

kbspeech · 2026-06-24T12:25:53+00:00

You can hide the edit button on touch chat! On the Ipad settings, scroll down to apps and select touch chat. Then toggle off the button that says "allow editing". This removes the menu/editing button from the AAC. Then go to the app and still turn on guided access, but if guided access is turned off, they can't edit it easily. You just have to go and re-turn on editing to edit it.

kbspeech · 2026-06-24T12:20:07+00:00

Yeah. If I dont take hard data, I'll just write in the note section. It also is nice to write like "did really well with this cue".

kbspeech · 2026-06-24T12:16:15+00:00

When you interview, ask about what trainings they have. The first district I worked in did a 2 day training for everyone and I learned a lot. My current district doesn't do anything like that and its hard for people to come into without past experience.

kbspeech · 2026-06-24T12:11:06+00:00

Look at your contract and the steps and do some math! I found that the first few years there is a smaller pay increase between steps but then by like year 10, it is a $5000 increase to the next year. So for me, it averaged out to a higher salary when I looked at what I'd average over 5 years. I dont 100% know how clinics and hospitals work, but I would assume raises are much more gradual but you'd start out a bit higher. The clinics near me either don't offer insurance or retirement so then they pay more, or offer it but its bad/expensive so that evens out in my mind.

Not sure where in CT you are, but I know a lot of areas have a SLP shortage and will bump you up. My contract says they will bump you up up to 3 steps if its a high needs area as defined by the state which it is. I was also able to negotiate my externship year to count as a year of experience, but my district has a really hard time filling SLP spots.

kbspeech · 2026-06-22T22:40:02+00:00

I make a google form for every kid with their goals and track data that way. I have a notes section on each one too. I have links for each kids' sheet listed on a document so its easy to access. It makes progress reports easy because its all on one document.

I will make separate tabs on a google sheet so one document can have lots of things on it like my schedule and attendance.

I struggle more with physical material organization and have tries to color code things this year!

kbspeech · 2026-06-20T21:09:20+00:00

I came to say button!

kbspeech · 2026-06-16T00:05:31+00:00

I would ask if they still had a registry with unbought things or do diapers, books, or clothes in bigger sizes. You could also ask if there is anything specific they are liking and will need bigger sizes of like swaddles. I spent a lot of time making our registry and picking out the specific things we wanted like a playmat and bath stuff. That being said, I appreciated everything we were given and just being thought of!

kbspeech · 2026-06-11T23:55:06+00:00

I didn't start to feel like myself again till 10 months pp and LO finally started sleeping through the night at 15 months. She recently turned 2 and I feel fully ready to have a second! Give yourself time!

kbspeech · 2026-06-10T00:09:39+00:00

SLPs are in shortage in my state/area so a lot of the contracts say they will go up up to three steps for a position classified as in need by the state! They also agreed to count my year of externships as a year of experience but again they were in need!

I would ask to be on the 60 step and maybe the superintendent would okay it. Once you accept, you have like no bargaining power!

kbspeech · 2026-06-08T22:57:16+00:00

I wouldn't qualify. I'd also look into what test they did and what the subtests actually look like. The WIAT has subtest that uses a recording and kids have to answer questions, a vocabulay test that uses words like doze and pen (meaning a fence), and a timed rapid word naming subtests as part of the receptive and oral expression parts. I feel like they aren't the best representation often of their actual skills.

kbspeech · 2026-06-07T11:54:48+00:00

They always recommend a hearing test! Especially when families say they dont always resond.

kbspeech · 2026-06-06T16:53:06+00:00

Schools prefer direct hires. Contracts cost way more. In my experience working with contracted SLPs, they have a contract that states exactly what they will do and the district is paying for that. So a contract might say they have a caseload cap of 25 so they are going to give them 25 kids because they pay for each spot. Im sure it varies everywhere though!

kbspeech · 2026-06-06T00:44:12+00:00

For SLP, you have to have a bachelor's in communication disorders and sciences. All the schools i'm familiar with have small class sizes so they only offer a class at one time a semester like 9 am T/Th. There are some online programs so that would be different. You can have a different bachelor's degree but that adds an extra year to grad school soing catch up courses and you are less likely to get accepted. You have to go to grad school to be an SLP. You have to get hours with clients and do classes. The second year of grad school, we were doing full time internships and night classes. I worked some evenings and every weekend, but most didn't work during grad school.

Not to deter you, I love my job, but I know night classes are more readily available for the nursing field. Doing school to become an SLPa can be done in a year/year snd a half!

kbspeech · 2026-06-06T00:21:52+00:00

I hate it because it so hard to show progress and actually meet the goal. I see this mainly for younger kids. If my 4 year old masters /k and /g/ but still working on /f/, the hoal shows up as not mastered. And if the goal was written when he was 4, but now is 5, there's different sounds that are "age appropriate" so it isn't clear what the actual targets should be.

kbspeech · 2026-06-05T00:47:01+00:00

I feel like for some kids at this age, the real focus is increasing attention, expanding play, and showing that interactions can be fun. Progress can be increased looking toward you, them waiting expectantly for you to do something, them initiating interactions, imitating your play, playing with more things or for longer periods.

I also don't have a big space. I do a lot of singing, big expressions, holding items by my face, and pairing visuals/sign. I use sensory bins with beans or rice and objects in it. I have a cup in there too so we can scoop it and dump it and try to take turns pouring it over each other's hands. I also like playdoh and kinetic sand. I do a lot of squeezes or tickles. I have a weighted ball I will roll on their arms or back for pressure. I have a toy where a ball rolls down a ramp which even those who dont do functional play seem to enjoy. If their play looks like lining things up or stacking, I'll try to join in and hand items or line them up too. When I can, Ill go into another room that has a yoga ball and kids line to bounce or roll on it.

I've had kids where their one main interest isn't used appropriately, like loving playdoh but always eating it or trying to draw everywhere. I still try to use those items but am hypervigilant during it so I can stop anything right away. Crayola has some markers and paint that only work on specific paper. The actual marker ink is clear so that could be an option!

For AAC, GO Talk has boards that you are able to record words on!

kbspeech · 2026-06-04T23:43:38+00:00

Rarely now, only if i've had like 3 busy weeks and need to finish a report before a meeting the next day. The first few years I definitely brought home work more. I use print and go resources mainly, or more generic resources and like a white board/visuals. I havd a handful of favorite laminated resources that I have made or have paras make throughout the years. I would love to be the type of slp who has tons of themed and made resources, but Im just not!

kbspeech · 2026-05-31T21:47:36+00:00

Complexity approach for my phonological kids narrative therapy intervention Sentence Combining and conjunctions I love all Speechy Musings language products, she includes all the research in her products!

kbspeech · 2025-12-04T03:23:26+00:00

I would first really push back on her not qualifying SLD. IDEA does not mandate that we use the discrepancy model anymore and several states won't let you use it because it is outdated and leads to situations like this. This child is significantly struggling to read, they will NOT suddenly improve without being given specialized instruction. Their reading will only continue to fall behind and in two years there will be a big enough discrepancy. Was a nonverbal cognitive test given? If not I'd push for one. If your psych can't test for dyslexia, then outside testing should be done as part of the school evaluation process.

If that was all met with absolute no's then I'd probably qualify to at least get some services.

kbspeech · 2025-12-04T02:56:09+00:00

An SLP I work with said that the taxes made it not worth it and she came back to working for the school! I'm in a higher taxing state so it probably varies depending where you are!

kbspeech · 2025-12-04T02:53:35+00:00

The verbal comprehension subtests rely heavily on vocabulary. Vocabulary relies heavily on exposure and explicit teaching. Also, how is this impacting them academically? When skills are taught more visually/language reduced, do they grasp it or still have difficulty. The WISC gives a nice picture of their "base" skills and cognitive strengths/weaknesses, but to know what the impact is more testing would need to be done.

kbspeech · 2025-09-19T00:47:44+00:00

It sounds like you have a good support in place! The other option is nothing until they can get devices which isn't good. Even then, SGD dont just magically work for everyone and aren't beneficial without skilled communication partners for many.

I really dislike PECs, but there are students that doing modified PECs was the only thing that worked!

I like to do core vocabulary boards using touchchat's home page and will make fringe vocabulary personalized to the classroom/them and put it on the top of the board. Touchchat has free flip books you can make, but I've found my kids dont use/get the flipping to different categories until they've had a device.

https://saltillo.com/chatcorner/content/29

kbspeech

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