Excited to share that Speak & Play is now live! This new platform, built on NSF-funded technology, gives families real feedback on children’s speech and language right from home. Parents upload short audio clips of their child speaking, and get personalized, research-backed ideas for supporting language growth: no diagnostic labels, just practical help.

Speak & Play offers accessible, clinician-designed tools for early intervention and ongoing language support. Our goal is to bridge the gap for families, clinics, and schools facing long waitlists or limited specialist access. The platform is ready to use, and we’re always open to feedback from SLPs, educators, and parent advocates.

If you’d like to learn more, connect with me or visit https://speakandplay.ai. Let’s help more families find the support they need, when they need it.
Excited to share that Speak & Play is now live! This new platform, built on NSF-funded technology, gives families real feedback on children’s speech and language right from home. Parents upload short audio clips of their child speaking, and get personalized, research-backed ideas for supporting language growth—no diagnostic labels, just practical help.

Speak & Play offers accessible, clinician-designed tools for early intervention and ongoing language support. Our goal is to bridge the gap for families, clinics, and schools facing long waitlists or limited specialist access. The platform is ready to use, and we’re always open to feedback from SLPs, educators, and parent advocates.

If you’d like to learn more, connect with me or visit https://speakandplay.ai. Let’s help more families find the support they need, when they need it.

School-based SLPs, we're seeking clinical partners for EASI beta testing. This evaluation platform was developed through National Science Foundation Phase 2 funding by a team of speech-language pathologists, data scientists, engineers, and special educators.

EASI provides comprehensive analysis in 15 to 30 minutes, record review reports, and secure AI assistance for case consultation. The system helps you brainstorm complex cases, verify your clinical findings, and develop therapy plans within a HIPAA and FERPA compliant environment. Unlike general AI platforms, EASI was purpose-built for clinical workflows with student privacy protections integrated from the ground up.

Join the beta program at Liricare.com. Your feedback will shape tools designed by field experts who understand the demands of school-based assessment and the ethical requirements of working with student data.

Sign up to be a beta tester today! https://easi-as.com/#card-v1ul56zcfdrd9j5

Free ASHA CEU Resource for Speech Therapist

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I hope to see you there!

HEAD BANGING IN CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Head banging is a type of self-injurious behavior commonly seen in some autistic individuals, often used as a way to cope with overwhelming sensory input or emotional distress.

It can be triggered by sensory overload, frustration, anxiety, pain, or a desire for deep pressure input — making it essential to identify the root cause before addressing the behavior.

✨ Let’s talk about:
Why head banging happens
What it tells us about the child’s needs
And how we can respond safely and effectively

In the world of special education, communication is the foundation for meaningful growth. ✨

Recently, I worked with a vibrant 5-year-old student named Adam. Although he could vocalize words, he struggled with purposeful communication. His needs for toys, food, and assistance often went unmet simply because he lacked an effective way to express them.

Through the use of Functional Communication Training (FCT), we introduced structured, meaningful alternatives to his communication attempts. By teaching Adam simple, functional phrases paired with visual supports, we opened a door, empowering him to replace frustration with connection.

Functional communication isn't just a strategy; it's a critical step toward autonomy, dignity, and learning.

Today, I’m sharing a glimpse into how FCT can transform a child's world, one request at a time.

I've recently published a new blog post reflecting on the often-invisible challenges our students navigate daily. Drawing from my personal experience with Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) issues, I explore how physical discomfort, sensory sensitivities, anxiety, and other factors can significantly impact a student's ability to learn and thrive. This reflection underscores the critical importance of empathy and a holistic understanding of our students' experiences in educational settings.

You can read my full thoughts here: https://mrsspeechonline.blogspot.com/2025/04/hidden-battles-how-tmj-gave-me-insights.html

Why Is He Always Throwing Things

When I first met Ayaan (name changed), a 5-year-old autistic boy in my classroom, his days were filled with unpredictability, for both of us. He would run to the door multiple times, throw toys across the room, and burst into giggles at seemingly random moments. Verbal instructions didn’t land. He seemed inattentive, overwhelmed, and unreachable.

One morning, as I was picking up the same toy he had thrown for the fourth time, I paused and asked myself: "What if this isn’t misbehavior? What if this is a cry for structure?"

That simple question changed everything.

We started small: a visual schedule with just four steps, a consistent arrival routine, and movement breaks between tasks. Within weeks, he began checking the visual chart on his own. The throwing lessened. He stayed longer at the table. And for the first time, he waited in line during snack time.
It wasn’t magic. It was predictability, and it made his world feel safer.

Just published a new blog post on my Mrs. Speech Online website exploring a crucial aspect of stuttering therapy: moving beyond just fluency strategies to truly understanding the experience of individuals who stutter. I delve into why this understanding is so vital, especially for older students who may feel frustrated and unheard. Check it out and share your thoughts!

https://mrsspeechonline.blogspot.com/2025/04/empowering-kids-who-stutter-knowledge.html

#StutteringAwareness #SpeechTherapy #UnderstandingStuttering #StudentVoice

"He Didn’t Even Look at Me…" ✨

When I first met my 3-year-old autistic student, he didn’t make eye contact, didn’t respond to his name, and didn’t want to sit down for any activity.

He was in his beautiful world — tapping toys, watching shapes pop up and down, occasionally reading things out loud that he had never been formally taught.

There was no schedule, no routine, and no structured learning.
Just a child who taught himself the way he liked, in an environment that hadn’t yet adapted to how he learns best.

I wanted to help him grow, but I quickly realized that before I could teach, I needed to connect.

So I stopped asking him to "sit down" or “do the work.”

I sat beside him and joined his play.
I popped the toy when he popped it.
I echoed his happy sounds.
I gave him his favorite things without expecting anything in return.

Slowly but surely, he began to smile at me.
He brought toys closer to me.
He stayed a little longer in the room.
And that was the start of everything. 💛