Where did arbitrary cut scores for norm-referenced language assessments come from, and why do they feel “safer” than relying on clinical judgement? I discuss this question and more in this third part of a three-part series, bilingual SLPs Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz join me to continue our conversation about advocating for effective language evaluation…
Category: Language Development
EP 243: Part 2: What’s the Point of a Language Evaluation? Breaking Down Diagnostic Accuracy, Standards, and Scores (with Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz)
When we choose evaluation tools for language, are we clear on WHY we’re assessing? Most people think of diagnosis, but that’s not the only reason we assess students. I discuss this question and more in this second part of a three-part series, bilingual SLPs Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz join me to continue our conversation…
EP 242: Part 1: What’s the Point of a Language Evaluation? Breaking Down Diagnostic Accuracy, Standards, and Scores (with Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz)
Language assessments shape who gets services, how goals are written, and how progress is measured, but there are many misconceptions about how to follow best-practices when doing an evaluation. In this three-part series, bilingual SLPs Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz join me to dig into the science, the myths, and the policies that shape evaluation…
EP 234: Navigating Language Therapy as the Only SLP in the District
Ever feel overwhelmed being the only SLP in your district without a network of fellow clinicians for support? You’re not alone; many in similar situations face these challenges. In this episode, I’m sharing a case study of an SLP who, despite being the sole clinician in her district, felt the pressure of not having a…
EP 233: Case Study: Shouldn’t I have language therapy figured out by now?
Ever feel like you should have language therapy figured out by now, but you’re still struggling? Even experienced clinicians can feel that way. In this episode, I’m sharing a case study of a seasoned SLP who, despite years of experience, felt like she was missing a key piece of the puzzle when it came to…
EP 221: From Plateau to Progress: Language Therapy Case Studies (with Connie Hurley-Pronley)
In this episode, I interview Connie, a student from the Language Therapy Advance Foundations program. She shares her practical experiences and results achieved with her students. Key highlights include: ✅ Engaging a Disengaged Student: Connie discusses her strategies for working with a high school student who was bored with therapy, emphasizing the use of engaging…
EP 205: Using the essential 5 to build vocabulary and syntax in secondary school (with Amy Baugh)
Today I’m sharing an interview I did with Amy Baugh, a member of Language Therapy Advance Foundations. Amy Baugh is an experienced SLP, a life-long learner and truly enjoys listening to podcasts, joining SLP groups on social media and collaborating with her besties about all things’ speech, language and being a business owner. She is…
EP 188: Scaffolding syntax and semantics for non-readers and redefining life skills
Syntactic use is considered an “academic” skill that’s useful for reading comprehension and writing, but the impact of sentence comprehension goes way beyond school. Our ability to comprehend messages at the word and sentence level in oral and written language has a huge impact on our ability to function. So when clinicians ask me, “Should…
EP 183: Morphology hierarchies, etymology, and reframing the “joy” of reading.
How much do we need to know about morphology and etymology to effectively help students? Is etymology an essential component to spelling and reading instruction? Will phonics instruction bore students? Is exposure to interesting books enough to foster a love of reading for people who don’t have solid word decoding skills? I revisit my conversations…
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…