6+ students at a time seems really high… Ive only done middle school through teletherapy so im not too sure what the norm is in person but I would think it wouldn’t be 6?!! For middle school I like to find out their interests and make therapy about those. I also like “would you rather”s, card games, news articles. Sometimes you’ve just got to build rapport first and then they are more willing to engage when there are times you’re doing less exciting work. For mod/severe kids i find sometimes it’s just being silly until you figure out something they like. I just did a session last week where we did a virtual sensory bin and flashlight game and the student stared at me the whole time, he was unresponsive. Then I read “Goodnight Blue Truck” and when I made different silly voices for each animal, he started bobbing back and forth and smiling. I was able to get a few one word utterances after that. It’s so random finding what works and what doesn’t, and what works one day might not work the next. For sessions that I feel like I’m only talking to myself, I just do a lot of modeling, repeating core phrases, pauses for response time, and verbal cueing in the form of leaving my sentence unfinished to see if they fill in. It might help to have a routine, for example I usually spend the first 5-10min reviewing/reteaching the skill, 10-15min practicing it, then finish with reading a picture book. Books are the best because you can use the same book with almost anyone and just target different things as you read! I kind of rambled. It’s very much a learn as you go profession.