232. Behind the Curtain: How to Build a Pragmatic Communication Group That Actually Works

Ever feel like your general speech and language groups just aren't cutting it for kids with pragmatic communication challenges? In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain to show you exactly how to build a social communication group. It's a trauma-informed, multifaceted, once-weekly two-hour group for 3-4 year olds that targets executive function, self-regulation, empathy, and peer relationships all at once. What You'll Learn... Why predictable routine is the foundation of trauma-informed practice, and how it unlocks higher-level thinking How to structure your opening routine, including our "How Are You Feeling Today?" song and emotion check-in Why teaching "gray vocabulary" (nervous, disappointed, anxious) matters more than just happy/sad/mad How to build a monthly emotion/color theme into your group for repeated, explicit practice How to set up a 4-station rotation that hits relationship skills, emotional regulation, executive function, and perspective-taking, all in 8-10 minute blocks My favorite breathing/calming techniques kids actually use How to close a group so kids leave feeling successful, and why the mirror activity works Key Takeaway Treating the whole child means going beyond speech and language targets. When you explicitly and repeatedly teach self-regulation, executive function, and social-emotional skills alongside communication, you're setting kids up for lifelong success, not just group success. 📣 Call to Action... Want the exact slides, songs, and activities I use in this group, done for you? Everything I described in this episode, including the "How Are You Feeling Today?" Google Slide deck, the monthly emotion/color themes, the task-oriented movement activities, and the story elements resources, is already built and waiting for you inside the SIS Membership. You don't have to build this from scratch. Join the SIS Membership today and get instant access to ready-to-use, trauma-informed materials so you can start running a pragmatic communication group like this one, for your kiddos, starting this week. 👉 Join the SIS Membership now and start treating the whole child, one session at a time: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis 00:00 Behind the Scenes Setup 00:50 Predictable Routine Matters 01:38 Choosing Game Changer Skills 02:46 Emotion Check In Song 04:25 Movement and Emotion Lesson 05:42 Monthly Theme and Breathing 08:15 Station Rotations Overview 09:50 Cooperative Play Station 13:32 Executive Function and Storytelling 19:32 Closing Songs and Wrap Up

Ready for the episode that might just rewire how you think about therapy? We're heading straight to the cerebellum, the tiny, mighty brain region that holds 80% of your client's neurons despite taking up just 10% of total brain volume. If you work with kids with childhood apraxia of speech, developmental language disorder, autism, ADHD, stuttering, dyslexia, or speech sound disorders... this episode is for you. Your caseload's cerebellum is talking. It's time we start listening. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why the cerebellum matters so much more than we've been taught, and why “drill and kill” isn't reaching it • The surprising overlap between developmental coordination disorder and the communication disorders already on your caseload • The 2022 research study that used functional MRI to prove task-oriented movement activities can literally grow gray matter in the cerebellum in just 10 weeks • The 5-part “secret sauce” of the CO-OP approach (Task-Oriented Movement Therapy), and exactly how to bring it into your sessions Monday morning • A real, hands-on example using Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes to show you how goal-setting, environment (not hands-on) cueing, multi-step problem solving, varied movement, and cognitive flexibility come together in one activity • How to layer your actual speech and language targets into these movement-based sessions without losing focus on either The 5 Ingredients of the Secret Sauce 1. A clear goal: dopamine-driven motivation that makes learning stick 2. Touch the environment, not the child: let their body do the problem-solving 3. A multi-step process: problem, then plan, then action, then check (real executive function practice) 4. Multiple, varied movements: keeping the cerebellum working, not coasting 5. Cognitive flexibility: changing what “success” looks like from one step to the next This isn't about abandoning your speech and language goals. It's about treating the whole child, cerebellum included, so the change you create actually lasts. Want the Ready-Made Version of This Activity? You just heard how this works in theory, but you don't have to build it from scratch. The exact Pete the Kitty movement activity (and dozens more like it) is already sitting inside the SIS membership, done-for-you and ready to print for your next session. If you're tired of reinventing therapy at 9 pm on a Sunday, this is your sign. Inside SIS, you get the research-backed, whole-child activities that target the cerebellum and your speech-language goals, so you can walk into every session knowing exactly what to do and why it works. You don't have to do this alone. Come join your people. 👉 Join the SIS Membership today Gill, K. K., Lang, D., & Zwicker, J. G. (2022). Cerebellar differences after rehabilitation in children with developmental coordination disorder. Brain Sciences, 12(7), 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12070856

Ever feel like a fast-food clerk grabbing activities off the shelf behind you, session after session, all day long? That was me. Ten different activities for ten different goals, reaching behind me like an octopus, exhausted by 3pm, and never actually present with the kids in front of me. In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of my Friday prep ritual, the exact system I use to walk into every single week with just two highly engaging, multisensory, literacy-based activities ready to go for my entire diverse caseload, from early intervention through elementary. You'll learn: 1)Why "one size fits all" activities actually work better than 10 separate ones (when they're built right) 2)My exact Friday assembly line, which is print, laminate, Velcro, Ziploc, done 3)How I use three levels of treatment targets (sentence → complex sentence → paragraph) to hit speech, language, fluency, and AAC goals with the same activity 4)The dynamic cueing trick that lets me upshift or downshift a child's challenge point in real time, without ever leaving the room to grab something new 5)How I build the school-to-home bridge so parents can prep their kids before therapy and reinforce targets after 6)Why this approach protects your weekends, your energy, and your ability to be present If you've ever come home from work feeling like you did factory work all day, this episode is for you. 🎯 Want the Exact Activities I Used? Every single activity, treatment target, checklist, and Google Slides deck mentioned in this episode, including the Pete the Cat Pizza Party activity, the Crack Whisk Bake Cupcakes sequencing set, all three levels of treatment targets, and the home-school connection materials, is available every week inside my SIS Membership. You don't have to build any of this from scratch. Enjoy your evenings and weekends. I build it. You print it, laminate it, and walk into your week 100% present. 👉 Join SIS Membership now at kellyvess.com/sis and get two brand-new, top-shelf, multi-goal activities delivered to you every single week, plus the parent-friendly Google Slides deck, differentiated treatment targets, and everything you need to be one and done: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Your weekends are calling. Let's get you back to them. 🔗 Materials Mentioned Scotch Thermal Laminator: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Scotch-Thermal-Laminator-Professional-Laminate 3/4" Velcro coins: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016YFUQGW?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback&th=1 Dry-erase marker sleeves: https://www.amazon.com/clp/B07K928BX5 Skinny/short dry-erase markers: https://www.amazon.com/Erase-Markers-Colored-White-board/dp/B0DZCN6RRP/ SIS Membership: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Related episode: Ep. 227, which covers expanding restricted interests and bridging into new activities

Get ready for the new school year with your behavior crystal ball: the research! In this episode, we dig into five behavioral challenges that show up more often in preschoolers with speech and/or language delays, and the five simple rules (with free flip cards!) you can start using today to get ahead of them. You'll learn: - Why children with developmental language disorder and speech sound disorders struggle with sustained attention and how to teach it - Why kids with communication delays are more likely to avoid answering questions (even ones they know!) and the social-pragmatic reason behind it - Why task persistence is harder for these children, and how to build in "working super hard" as a proactive rule - What recent research out of a 300-child clinic in Baghdad found about behavior + speech sound disorders and what it means for your therapy sessions - The connection between communication delays and self-regulation/physical aggression, and how to address it before it becomes a pattern - How to combine Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) + Universal Design for Learning (UDL), print, picture, gesture, and artifact, to reinforce these five rules without turning them into redirection cards Plus: how to use a "treasure box" the *right* way (hint: it's not a reward system) and why 80% positive reinforcement is the magic number. 🎁 Free Resources & Ways to Get Involved 🎯 Join the SIS Membership: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Get two ready-to-use movement activities delivered straight to your inbox every week. 🃏 Free Behavior Flip Cards + Certificate: https://www.kellyvess.com/behavior Download the five rule flip cards (with gestures and a completion certificate) mentioned in this episode — totally free. 📋 Take the AAC Survey: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1FHfcoyCK3z5vJs Your voice matters: whether you're an SLP, teacher, paraprofessional, parent, OT, PT, ABA tutor, or BCBA. Complete the survey and receive the AAC Toolkit (Spanish, Arabic, and English) immediately and anonymously. Thanks for listening! If this episode helped you, share it with another SLP, teacher, or parent who could use it before the school year kicks off. See you next week!💚Kelly Research referenced in this episode: Clark, R., et al. (2021). Language, aggression, and self-regulation in young children. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 29(3), 135–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/1063426620937691 Dahash, A. H., & Mohammed, S. H. (2024). Assessment of behavioral problems among children with speech difficulties. South Eastern European Journal of Public Health. [Volume/issue unverified] https://www.seejph.com/index.php/seejph/article/view/1377 Formanek, M., & Spaulding, T. J. (2024). Investigating task persistence in preschool children with developmental language disorder. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_LSHSS-23-00196 Foster, M. E. et al. (2023). Speech-language disorder severity, academic success, and socioemotional functioning among multilingual and English children in the United States: The National Survey of Children's Health. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1096145. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096145 Kolbaşı, S. (2026). Pragmatic language use and parent–child interaction among children at risk for developmental language disorder and typically developing peers. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70253 McCormack, J. et al. (2012). Knowing, having, doing: The battles of childhood speech impairment. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 28(2), 141–157. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265659011417313 Murphy, C. F. B. et al. (2014). Auditory and visual sustained attention in children with speech sound disorder. PLOS ONE, 9(3), Article e93091. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093091 Sanhueza, S. et al. (2024). Finding the mole and choosing the apple: Executive function challenges in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Children, 11(12), Article 1519. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11121519 Shim, Y. et al. (2025). Developmental language disorder: Current understanding, clinical implications, and future directions. Annals of Child Neurology. https://doi.org/10.26815/acn.2025.01144 van Doornik, A. et al. (2025). Speech and language therapists' insights into severity of speech sound disorders in children for developing the speech sound disorder severity construct. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 60(3), Article e70022. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70022 Wren, Y. et al. (2023). Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties associated with persistent speech disorder in children: A prospective population study. JCPP Advances, 3(1), Article e12126. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12126

Narratives and movement are better together, and today's episode has the research to prove it. I'm breaking down a preschool study that found combining movement with storytelling produces bigger gains in language and motor skills than either approach alone, and I'm walking you through exactly how to bring this into your own sessions. In this episode, you'll learn: 1-Why narratives are the "kettlebell" of intervention: hitting vocabulary, syntax, comprehension, verbal working memory, and social pragmatics all at once 2-The preschool research showing combined movement + storytelling beats movement-only or storytelling-only conditions for both language and motor outcomes 3-How a simple "how do you..." task-oriented story (no imagination required!) works just as well as a made-up story 4-My go-to tier-two conjunction words (first, next, then, lastly, because) and how to pair them with gestures to build automaticity 5-How to use dynamic cueing to shift the "locus of control" so the child becomes the storyteller, not you 6-Three easy ways to scale the task up or down (simple sentence → complex sentence → multi-step paragraph) to keep kids engaged without frustration 🎁 Want two ready-to-use, highly engaging movement activities delivered to your inbox every single week — plus so much more? Join the SIS Membership and never run out of effective, easy-to-implement session materials again: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis 📋 Have you completed the AAC survey yet? This is your chance to shape resources built around what AAC professionals and parents actually struggle with. Complete the comprehensive AAC survey and get the AAC Implementation Toolkit as a thank-you — open to both parents and professionals: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1FHfcoyCK3z5vJs ✋ Download my storytelling cueing gestures — the exact visual cues I use for first, next, then, lastly, and because — so you (and the parents you work with) can start using them today: https://www.kellyvess.com/storycues Referenced Study: Duncan, M., Cunningham, A., & Eyre, E. (2019). A combined movement and story-telling intervention enhances motor competence and language ability in pre-schoolers to a greater extent than movement or story-telling alone. European Physical Education Review, 25(1), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X17715772

Does your caseload include kids who only want the piggy bank, the ball chute, or the same three dinosaur figures? This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at how I move children out of the cause-effect and sensory-toy stage and into richer, more complex play, without losing the relationship or the child’s motivation along the way. I’m sharing a three-step bridging process I use to expand play repertoires, build executive function, and grow narrative and language skills, all while still honoring what the child already loves. What we cover: • Why variety matters: the research behind why a broader repertoire of toys and play experiences leads to better long-term outcomes • Step 1: Build rapport first: using a parent input form to learn a child’s favorite toys, shows, and characters, and why front-loading relationship pays off • Step 2: Bridge, don’t replace: three concrete ways to bridge high-interest and sensory activities into task-oriented movement activities: ◦ Blending sensory play (like a beans/mud bin) into a structured task ◦ Adding movement breaks to build attention and increase vocalizations ◦ Swapping the theme while keeping the structure the same • Step 3: Why task-oriented movement activities work: how they naturally build the problem → plan → action → check sequence of executive function, and lay the foundation for strong narrative skills (vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and verbal working memory) • A real example using 'The Little Blue Truck' activity from my SIS membership, including how I use songs, stickers, and movement to keep kids engaged • How to fade supports over time as kids get comfortable with the new routine Links Mentioned in This Episode 📋 Take the AAC Survey Complete my comprehensive AAC survey: written entirely from in-depth interviews with speech-language pathologists and teachers in the field. It takes 15–20 minutes, and upon completion you’ll immediately receive a full AAC Implementation Toolkit (in English, Spanish, and Arabic) including a 64-goal AAC goal bank, an AAC storybook training, and an AAC FAQ guide. Take the AAC Survey: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1FHfcoyCK3z5vJs 📝 Parent Input Form This form referenced in this episode for learning a new client’s favorite toys, shows, and activities before your first session. Parent Input Form:: https://www.kellyvess.com/parentinputform 🌟 SIS Membership Get access to weekly task-oriented movement activities like the Little Blue Truck example featured in this episode. SIS Membership: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis  

If you work with children who use high-tech AAC, this episode is a can't-miss. Learn a simple, research-backed framework for turning any storybook into a rich language-learning opportunity for kids using speech-generating devices. Before diving into strategy, we tackle the mindset shift so many clinicians need around high-tech AAC: you don't need a training course or a cheat sheet to get started. Think of the device like a hotel remote control. The fastest way to learn where everything is: just start pushing buttons. From there, we break down the MODEL method, a five-step framework for using AAC during storybook reading: M – Model: Provide a completion prompt to get the child to the right "channel" on their device. O – Opportunity: Step back and give the child space to independently find the symbol. D – Demonstrate: If needed, offer a prompt (like pointing) to help the child locate the target. E – Expand: Add a "plus one," a new word or concept that builds on what the child found. L – Like: Model a comment or opinion, inviting social language beyond simple requesting. We also cover... • How to use backward chaining so children build independence over time • Why fluency with a child's AAC device matters just as much as fluency in any shared language • How to layer in multimodal supports, including sentence strips, printed words, and 3D objects, to reinforce vocabulary • A real walkthrough using the book Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell Take Action: A free AAC Implementation Toolkit is waiting for you! If you're a parent or professional who has worked with a child using a high-tech AAC device or tablet-based AAC app in the past year, your experience matters. The survey takes 15–20 minutes, and your answers will directly shape resources used by SLPs, educators, and families. 👉 Complete the survey today: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1FHfcoyCK3z5vJs What You'll Receive Immediately After Completing the Survey: 1. AAC Goal Bank: 64 ready-to-use goals for high-tech AAC 2. AAC Training Video: A 20-minute training on the MODEL storybook approach, ready to share with parents and colleagues 3. AAC FAQ Handout: Answers to parents' most common questions about high-tech AAC All three resources are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Don't wait. Click the link above and complete the survey today to get your toolkit sent straight to your inbox. Enjoying the show? Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a colleague who works with AAC users.

We learned in grad school that working on joint attention and language will lead to speech development. But for the estimated 30% of autistic children who never develop functional, fluent speech, that's not the whole story. Dr. Karen Chenausky, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a speech scientist, SLP, and director of the SPAN Lab at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She takes us beneath the iceberg to explore the hidden contributors to speech development in autism, including the motor-speech disorder component our field rarely talks about. In this episode, you'll learn: -Challenges that can limit spoken language in autism include joint attention, receptive language, speech perception, sensory differences, fine/gross motor cascades, and motor speech challenges -Minimally speaking vs. minimally verbal vs. pre-verbal: what each term really means, and why we wait until about age 5 to classify a child as 'minimally verbal' -How Dr. Chenausky identifies suspected Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) in minimally speaking children using Iuzzini-Siegel's (2015) criteria, plus the catch-22 when a child doesn't produce enough speech to diagnose speech motor disorders -What to evaluate in a minimally speaking preschooler: the motor component of speech, language comprehension and expression, nonverbal IQ, and gross/fine motor skills -An invaluable assessment tool you may not know SLPs can use: the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales for capturing fine and gross motor performance -Auditory-Motor Mapping Training (AMMT), the intonation-based treatment inspired by Melodic Intonation Therapy, and the promising findings on who benefits most (hint: phonemic repertoire and readiness-to-learn skills mattered) -JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation), Connie Kasari's play-based intervention that builds the prerequisite skills for language -A Monday-morning session framework: three-tiered tasks (mastered, on-the-cusp, challenge) that keep the child at a 70-80% success point in their zone of proximal development -Writing pivotal speech goals that expand the phonemic repertoire while diversifying language expression -When to prioritize robust AAC, because every child deserves access to all the ways of communicating -Dr. Chenausky's call to the field to develop more reliable methods to assess nonverbal IQ and receptive language in children with motor praxis and visual processing/visualmotor challenges Research referenced in this episode Chenausky, K., Norton, A., Tager-Flusberg, H., & Schlaug, G. (2018). Behavioral predictors of improved speech output in minimally verbal children with autism. Autism Research, 11(10), 1356-1365. Free link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30230700/ Chenausky, K., Brignell, A., Morgan, A., & Tager-Flusberg, H. (2019). Motor speech impairment predicts expressive language in minimally verbal, but not low verbal, individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 4. Free link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35155816/ *To connect with Dr. Chenausky, Google search "Karen Chenausky SPAN Lab"

Would your therapy sessions pass a research review? 🔬 In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my experience as a proposal reviewer for the Council for Exceptional Children, and I'm handing you the exact 5 criteria reviewers use, reframed as a self-evaluation for YOUR therapy sessions. Rate yourself 1 to 5 in each area and find out exactly where to grow this summer. In this episode, you'll learn: 🎯 Relevance. Is the skill you're targeting truly essential? I'll share why storytelling may be the single most pivotal skill for children with developmental language disorder, and why a year spent on one grammatical morpheme probably isn't changing anyone's life. 📐 Alignment. Do your objectives actually build toward the big skill, or are they busywork dressed up as goals? ⚡ Functionality TODAY. I'll tell you why I target "non-functional" words like scrape on purpose, how one complex SKR blend can unlock F, V, S, Z, SH, CH and more for free, and why the higher you aim, the higher the gains. 📊 Evidence. You need numbers for every single detail of your practice. I'll show you how to vet those $400 boxed programs before they waste your 30 minutes a week, and what to do when the research just hasn't been done yet. 👀 Active Participation. This is the one criterion that exposes wasted therapy time (looking at you, auditory bombardment). I'll describe what true engagement looks like, even with sensitive, reluctant, or freeze-response kiddos. Grab your scorecard, be honest, and build your plan to turn every 3 into a 5. ⭐ Ready to stop guessing and start moving the needle? Join my SIS Membership today and get needle-moving treatment targets and done-for-you speech therapy activities delivered to you weekly, so every minute of your limited therapy time counts. Join now: kellyvess.com/sis If this episode helped you, follow the show and leave a 5-star review. It helps more SLPs find their way to life-changing therapy.

Nearly every child on your caseload is at greater risk for executive function challenges. What do you do about it? In this episode, I'm sharing the 5 powerhouse strategies I use every single day to build executive function directly into speech and language therapy. No extra sessions, no separate goals — just smarter treatment that changes lives. You'll learn: The Problem, Plan, Action, Check process that teaches children to identify a problem, make a plan, take action, and finish the job How multi-step, task-oriented movement activities build working memory, sustained attention, and cognitive flexibility. Why first, next, then, lastly, and because are billion-dollar words for verbal working memory and emotional regulation How to move children from scaffolded scripts to spontaneous complex sentences How complex speech targets in paragraph form improve speech, language, and executive function all at once Ready to put these strategies to work in your next session? Join the SIS Membership at www.kellyvess.com/sis and receive powerful speech and language treatment targets aimed at improving executive function plus ready-to-use activities delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Join today at www.kellyvess.com/sis