227. From Cause-and-Effect to Complex Play: A 3-Step Bridge for Kids Who Get 'Stuck’

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

If you think executive function challenges only affect your ADHD and autism clients, this episode will change how you see your entire caseload. In this episode, we break down the latest 2025 research, revealing that executive function difficulties are far more widespread than previously recognized, including in populations SLPs have historically underestimated. You'll learn: Adele Diamond's 3-part framework for understanding executive function (attention and inhibitory control, verbal working memory, and cognitive flexibility) Why do children with developmental language disorder almost universally show verbal working memory deficits across all ages and native languages The surprising finding that even children with mild articulation errors, like distorted R's and S's, show statistically significant executive function risk New 2025 data linking stuttering to verbal and visual working memory difficulties How Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles can help you build one powerful, inclusive activity that targets executive function across your whole caseload The bottom line: We need to stop treating a mouth and start treating the whole child. Next week: Part 2 covers what the research says actually works to improve executive function and how to bring it into your sessions starting Monday. References: Afshar, M., Zarifian, T., Khorrami Banaraki, A., & Noroozi, M. (2022). Executive functions in Persian-speaking preschool children with speech sound disorders and comparison with their typically developing peers. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 11(4), 702–712. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622965.2021.1937169 Kakuta, K., et al. (2025). Executive function in preschool children who stutter: A behavioral assessment study. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 16159. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00981-9    Lee, D., Boulton, K. A., Sun, C., Phillips, N. L., Munro, M., Kumfor, F., Demetriou, E. A., & Guastella, A. J. (2024). Attention and executive delays in early childhood: A meta-analysis of neurodevelopmental conditions. Molecular Psychiatry. Advance online publication.  Niu, T., Wang, S., Ma, J., Zeng, X., & Xue, R. (2024). Executive functions in children with developmental language disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 18, Article 1390987. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2024.1390987 Keywords: executive function, speech language pathology, developmental language disorder, speech sound disorders, apraxia of speech, stuttering, verbal working memory, UDL, SLP caseload, 2025 research

Ever wonder why some books become instant hits with your students while others fall flat? In this episode, we go behind the scenes on a real-life book hunt and walk away with a practical framework you can use every time you pick up a new children's book. Using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), we break down exactly what makes a book "sticky" for diverse learners, including kids who struggle with attention, visual processing, auditory processing, or language itself. The UDL Book Selection Framework: The ABCs Before adding any book to your therapy toolkit, run it through these three filters: A — Connection: Does this book connect to the child's world? Think about interests, home routines, prior knowledge, and personal experiences. If a child can see themselves in the pages, engagement follows. B — Multimodal Presentation: Can you bring this book to life? Look for opportunities to use vocal animation, movement, emotion, rhyme, sound effects, and gesture as you read. The best books practically beg to be performed. C — Active Child Participation: Can the child do something with this book? Movement, facial expressions, sound-making, turn-taking, and storytelling from personal experience all count. The goal is for a child to be participating with the book, not just listening to it. The 6 Books Featured in This Episode How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? (board book version) — Realistic, emotionally expressive dinosaur illustrations paired with a bedtime routine kids know well. Rich with rhyme, emotion, and movement opportunities. Perfect for diverse learners with its short, one-sentence-per-page format. That's Not Funny, David! by David Shannon — A step up from No, David!, this one is heavy on inferential thinking. Kids identify what David is doing wrong from indirect cues rather than direct ones — a powerful tool for building higher-level language skills. Everyday scenarios spark personal storytelling and connection. Llama Llama Feelings — Pairs a familiar, beloved character with a known routine (the bedtime sequence) to introduce nuanced emotions like joy, worry, and excitement in rich context. Far superior to decontextualized feelings cards. Rhyme throughout keeps engagement high. Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (beginner book version) — A goldmine for non-speaking and emerging communicators. Onomatopoeia, animal sounds, environmental sounds, and the "cloze" technique (pause before the last word) let every child participate meaningfully. Connects print to sound in a playful, low-pressure way. Night Night Farm — Interactive lift-the-flap format with repetitive, predictable language. Farm animals + glow-in-the-dark stars on the final page = irresistible engagement, especially for younger learners. A perfect wind-down book that ends with a singalong. In My Heart — The standout of the bunch. Maps complex emotional concepts onto simple, concrete nouns (a star for happiness, an elephant for sadness). Moves emotional vocabulary well beyond basic happy/sad/mad into nuanced, embodied feeling language. Highly recommended for children working on emotional regulation and self-expression. If you're tired of starting from scratch every week, the SIS Membership gives you a library of research-informed, engagement-tested materials so you can walk into every session confident and prepared. 👉 Join the SIS Membership and get access to activities for these books and dozens more — plus new materials added regularly throughout the school year: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Drop a comment or send a message letting us know: what's a book you swear by in your therapy room? We're always on the hunt for the next great find.

This episode is a message on humanism, mission, and showing up fully for every child. It's not a question of whether the child can do it. Of course they can. It's only a question of how. This week's episode is deeply personal. After losing a close friend and being present with him in his final moments, a powerful message surfaced: when someone is suffering, don't look away. Go toward them. For SLPs working with challenging children (kids who bite, scratch, have hours-long tantrums, or hurt themselves) this message is everything. The children on your caseload who are hardest to reach are the ones who need you most. And you have what it takes to show up for them. In this episode, let's discuss... Why a humanistic lens, not just a clinical one, is the foundation of meaningful work with children Why a narrow approach with kids with autism will leave you stuck, and what a truly holistic approach looks like How to take what's working in one area of your practice and bridge it to the gaps without reinventing the wheel Why this work is a mission and why giving all of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically is worth it This episode is for you if.... You work with children who are challenging to reach and sometimes wonder if you're making a difference You feel the physical, emotional, and mental weight of this work You want to be reminded that you are capable and that there's always a "how" You're looking for the motivation to roll up your sleeves and keep going READY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE ONE CHILD AT A TIME? You bring the mission. We bring the materials. The SIS Membership gives preschool SLPs instant access to ready-to-use, effective, and engaging resources, so you can spend less time prepping and more time doing what you do best: showing up for your kids. ✔ Therapist-designed materials built for real preschool caseloads ✔ Strategies that support a holistic, whole-child approach ✔ Tools that work even with your most challenging kids You don't have to do this alone. Join the SIS Membership today and change lives faster. https://www.kellyvess.com/sis See you there,💚Kelly

End-of-Year Reflect & Recap: The 3 Questions Every SLP Needs to Ask Right Now Whether you're a seasoned SLP or fresh out of grad school, the most powerful professional development you'll do this summer won't come from a CEU course. It's this. In this episode, Kelly walks you through her end-of-year Google Doc ritual: three simple but mighty questions that help you close out the school year with intention and walk into fall with clarity and confidence. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔥 What Was FIRE? Identify what worked in your therapy room this year, including the techniques, materials, and strategies that produced real, measurable gains. These are your non-negotiables. Where there's fire, you add gasoline. 🧀 Where Are the Holes? Channel your inner Swiss cheese and honestly audit your practice. From streamlining parent communication with copy-paste swipe emails to strengthening your high-tech AAC implementation at home and in the classroom, this is where your growth lives. 🩹 How Will You Fill Them? Use the triangle of evidence-based practice, combining your clinical expertise, the research, and family and child feedback, to build a specific, actionable plan for the 2026–2027 school year. The more specific, the better. Why do this NOW? It's all fresh. The wins, the frustrations, the "why didn't I think of that sooner" moments are all right there. Write it down today, and you're 42% more likely to actually follow through. 🎒 Ready to walk into next school year with engaging, evidence-based materials already in hand? Don't spend September scrambling. Spend your summer building and let the SIS Membership do the heavy lifting with you. SIS gives SLP students and professionals access to a growing library of evidence-based therapy materials, strategies, and resources designed to move the needle for the children and families you serve. 👉 Join SIS today at https://www.kellyvess.com/sis and head back to school this fall feeling more prepared, more confident, and ready to make this your best year yet. This episode is perfect for: school-based SLPs, SLP-Assistants, SLP graduate students, pediatric SLPs, AAC specialists, and anyone who believes the details are what move the needle.