Hey everyone. On May 8th, we’re going live with Anu Upadhyaya, Director of School Services at Liricare, and Michelle Posner, M.S., CCC-SLP, a member our community!

Michelle is an experienced bilingual SLP, resource creator, and someone who’s deeply committed to supporting multilingual learners. We’ll be talking about how she started making her own therapy tools, why she chose to share them on Liricare, and what she’s learned about making a bigger impact without burning out.

We're having a relaxed, real conversation between two people who care about this work and the community we’re part of.

If you’re an SLP, OT, or educator who creates your own resources or supports bilingual students, we think you’ll really enjoy this.

Hope you can join us. Save your Spot here: https://www.linkedin.com/events/livewithmichelleposner-sharingt7324050991463497732/theater/

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.

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.

"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. 💛

Hey Liricare Community! Meet Michelle Posner, a bilingual SLP with 15+ years of experience, now sharing her resources on Liricare’s Digital Marketplace! 🌟

Her Spring vocabulary and Spanish-English articulation tools are helping therapists, educators, and families. You can share your expertise too—upload your resources and keep all of your earnings. No fees, just impact.

Head on over to the Digital Market Tab to get started!

Hi all. Could you share some strategies or practices you've found effective in maintaining a healthy work life balance? Personal experiences, resources, or tools that have been beneficial would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

For those preparing for the SLP Praxis® Exam, here's a Statistics Refresher from ASHA that can help you study Research: https://www.asha.org/research/ebp/statistics-refresher/

📢The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, which includes a 2.8% cut to Medicare Part B payments. On top of that, Medicare providers face other cuts that could result in a total payment cut of nearly 9% in 2025 if Congress does not act.

Congress can intervene and stop the cuts, but they need to hear from us, their constituents, about how these cuts impact service providers and those we serve!🔊

Your input is needed to urge Congress to fully address the multiple sources of payment cuts, including passing H.R. 2474, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act. This bipartisan bill would help to provide budget stability and improve the quality of care Medicare patients receive.

Take action and click below to urge your members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 2474.

https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/ASHAaction/Campaigns/90403/Respond

I'm curious! What are your thoughts on politics and speech-language pathology? Should we include political discussions in our industry? Why?? What's your take?

I just read a bilinguistics article indicating "burnout rates are as high as 50 percent for physicians" (Bilinguistics, 2021). (You can view the full article HERE: https://bilinguistics.com/slp-burnout/).

My theory is if more SLPs learned about how to live their life purpose and practice SLP authentically, we would reduce burnout and increase SLP retention.