I believe in a world where we can all collaborate together to help our clients on their communication journeys.  We can work together to serve our students and not always see eye to eye, we can still work together!  In language Gestalt is a multiword chunk that a speaker hears, stores and uses as a whole before having knowledge of its internal structure.  I want you to be an informed consumer, I am sharing this to give you information to have an informed approach and see what the research says about Gestalt. When you finish this training, you will also receive a folder of resour ..read more

Introducing the Joint Attention Bootcamp!   We are excited to help you be ready to support your students.   Joint attention is an essential foundational skill for autistic learners no matter the age.   Day one of the bootcamp: Using BOOKS to work on Joint Attention. Day two of the bootcamp: Using MUSIC to work on Joint Attention. Day three of the bootcamp: Using PLAY to work on Joint Attention. Day four of the bootcamp: Putting it all together. Day five of the bootcamp: Joint Attention Resources.   Joint Attention can be defined as:  “Jo ..read more

ABA Speech Connection FREE TRIAL- 30 days We are excited to welcome you to try the ABA SPEECH Connection for a free 30 day trial!   Join us and try out our community CEU membership!   *Get immediate access to our ASHA/ACE approved course Speech and Language Milestones *Join us for our monthly live CEU course *Snag our early intervention song guide *Get a sneak peek into our community- I am thrilled that you are here! The work we do with autistic students is too important for “meh” professional development. And even when we’re lucky enough to find good CEUs, we’re often lef ..read more

IEP meetings can be such powerful moments to advocate for our students’ needs. IEP goals for students with autism drive individualized instruction, making them beyond important. Helping students with autism reach those goals is such a rewarding experience, but the behind the scenes planning for those IEP meetings is the true challenge! When there are so many communication skills that can be IEP goals, Social skill goals, life skills goals the whole process can become overwhelming!  Luckily, you don’t have to look any further! You have come to the right place! Can we say freebie? Include ..read more

Integrating ABA into the Classroom: Strategies for Supporting Students with Autism  By: Blain Hockridge  Managing classroom behavior can be one of the most challenging tasks faced by both new and experienced teachers. It is also a task that teachers may have been inadequately prepared for in their prior training and education. In fact, it’s been found recently that “just 14 percent of traditional teacher-preparation programs require candidates to demonstrate their ability in five research-based classroom management strategies.” While managing classroom behavior may be difficult enou ..read more

Know Where To Start With Your Autistic Students A toolbox to help you get started in therapy Feel confident working with young autistic learners and know you’re making a difference. The first resource I want to talk about are the literacy companions for Brown Bear and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. You can use these in your sessions to guide therapy. Share with teachers to put up in their book areas or send home to parents as a support for communication. A great way to work on joint attention and literacy all at once! Using music in therapy is an AMAZING way to work on joint attention. I ca ..read more

A few weeks ago, I had the great honor to chat with Matt Cicoria on The Behavioral Observations Podcast, stimulating talk for today’s behavioral analysist. We had such a great conversation, and I can’t wait for you to listen to it too! The Behavioral Observations Podcast- Episode 203 In the world of Behavior Analysis, Rose Griffin is a unicorn of sorts, which is the unofficial mascot of those select few who hold both Speech Language Pathologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst credentials. For 20 years, Rose supported students in public school settings, but these days, she is concentrati ..read more

Recipes! Do your children like to help in the kitchen? Who doesn’t! I have some fun and engaging no-prep activities to share with you! The recipe cards I have are so simple and functional! The activities can be used with almost any age and adapted to a variety of learning levels! Following our recipe cards can encompass all learning styles! Visual learners, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learners will all love these cooking activities! The ultimate foundation of communication occurs through building language skills, and cooking activities can be such a fun and engaging way to work on these ..read more

Favorite Preschool Therapy Tools Preschoolers are so ready to engage in the world of speech therapy! Preschoolers with autism will benefit from working with resources specifically tailored to their needs and ABA Speech has those tools! Some of my favorite preschool therapy tools are adapted books or flashcards that use real-life images and simple text to really engage our preschool learners with autism. Check out a few of my favorite preschool therapy tools now!  Actions at Home Adapted Book This adapted book is perfect to use at home with parents or family and great to use in therapy to ..read more

https://vimeo.com/765941805 Parents, have you ever been in a situation where you’re fighting with your child’s school to get your child the services they deserve and are entitled to? Catherine Michael has spent more than 20 years working with families on designing success for special needs children. She is a managing partner at the law firm Connell Michael Kerr as well as the founder of Coffee with Catherine, which offers classes and resources for families of children with special needs. A Free Appropriate EducationEvery child in America is entitled to a free appropriate education. This means ..read more