Many therapists feel as though they have limited upward mobility in their careers. Graduate programs understandably focus on direct clinical practice and understanding evidence-based practices. Unfortunately, this leaves many clinicians unprepared to navigate policy work, salary negotiations, or running a business. This makes many therapists less confident in advocating for reasonable caseloads or better compensation…
Category: Education Reform
EP 193: Using Distance Learning to Increase Access and Opportunity (with Seth Fleischauer)
Most people agree that the “online learning” that happened during COVID was a challenge for many students; especially those with disabilities. However, what happened during the pandemic wasn’t a true version of what “distance learning” or “telehealth” should be. There’s a difference between leveraging technology to enhance in-person experiences vs. using it as a temporary…
EP 187: Dynamic Assessment: Evaluations are a process, not a test (with Destiny Johnson)
I regularly hear from therapists who ask me questions about how to evaluate language in a way that gives detailed, meaningful, and accurate information. Most people know standardized tests only show a small fraction of what we need to know when it comes to language and cognition, yet many clinicians still don’t consistently utilize a…
EP 186: Supporting multilingual students and taking part in state and national advocacy work (with Puja Goel and Prabhu Eswaran)
Language evaluations are challenging enough; but when we’re evaluating multilingual and bilingual students, they become even more complex. Language in state education codes may not take the nuance of multilingual evaluations into account; which means they may unintentionally encourage protocols that don’t enable clinicians to conduct quality evaluations and service plans. When clinicians ask me…
EP 184: Defining educational technology and considering homework equity issues
In this interview, I revisit conversations surrounding the use of the term “dyslexia” in the schools, the use of technology, and equitable access to books. I share my commentary on the following: ✅Saying “dyslexia” in the schools: Both the positive and negative consequences ✅Educational technology definitions: What “counts” as technology? What’s the difference between instructional…
EP 182: Leveraging read-alouds to build language and getting started with advocacy work (with Dr. Molly Ness)
Many skeptics of the science of reading are concerned that structured approaches will bore kids and make it less likely they’ll enjoy reading. These concerns are unfounded for a number of reasons. First, structured approaches help reach students who don’t learn through implicit learning (which is a lot of kids). It’s hard to develop a…
EP 180: The relationship of literacy and language skills and involvement with the justice system (with Dr. Shameka Stewart)
There is a disproportionate number of individuals with communication disorders and reading disabilities involved with the justice system for both children and adults. Past research suggests that more than 40% of incarcerated people have some type of nonpsychiatric disability (Berzofsky et al., 2015; Bixby et al., 2022; Thompson, 2022) Additionally, once youth are involved in…
EP 179: Increasing book equity and fostering a love of reading (with Susan Brady)
How can school leaders make informed decisions about reading curriculum when they know the home environments among their student body vary widely? I don’t envy people tasked with these kinds of decisions. My opinion is that schools should ensure students get their instructional needs met during the school day, because it’s difficult to control what…
EP 174: Creating a culture of collaboration on your school team (with Kurtis Hewson)
I’m a huge supporter of professionals taking ownership of their careers; regardless of the systemic issues at play. But having said that, I ALSO like to help educators get to a place where they can work towards addressing systems issues head on. That’s why I was so excited to talk with Kurtis Hewson about the…
EP 173: School leadership and middle management (with Chris Dodge and Dr. Chris Jones)
A while back, I heard someone refer to school administrators and other public sector leaders as “middle managers”, and it really hit home for me. As I’ve transitioned through different roles in my career, I’ve gotten into the trap of thinking that when I achieve the “next step”, I’ll finally have the influence I want. …