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PODCAST

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP

Kelly Vess, MA, CCC-SLP

Get ready for all things speech pathology: AAC, ADHD, Apraxia, Articulation Therapy, Autism, Behavior, Early Intervention, Executive Function, Evidence-Based Practice, Gestalt Language, Literacy Intervention, Movement, Multi-Modal Cueing, Narratives, Partnerships, Phonological Awareness, Sensory, Speech Strategies, Target Selection, Technology, Telehealth, and Self-care. Be better. Do better. Create better. Make the world a better place, one person at a time. You"re first. Join Kelly every

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All Episodes

23:35

235. The 4-Step Routine That Builds Visual Motor...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/09/30

What if one small routine could quietly build the skills your speech and language kids need to read and write, without adding a single minute to your session?Today I'm taking you behind the scenes on my back porch to share the 4-step process I use with nearly every child I work with to improve visual-motor integration, where the eyes guide what the hands do. Children with speech and language delays are at greater risk for visual motor difficulties, and the risk climbs for children with

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11:23

234. Spice Up Social-Emotional Literacy in Speech...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/09/24

"Happy, sad, mad" isn't enough. Research suggests that when children learn the gradations of emotion words, they can pinpoint their own feelings and other people's more precisely. That precision is linked to stronger social skills, better emotional regulation, and deeper emotional knowledge. Language is a container of thought, and the more feeling words kids have, the better. In this episode, Kelly walks you through the Big Feelings Scavenger Hunt she field-tested with her kiddos on her

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31:19

233. SPOT and Zones of Regulation? Which to choose?

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/09/17

In this episode, we take a deep dive into social-emotional literacy by comparing two of the most widely used interventions at the preschool and elementary level: the SPOT approach (Diane Alber) and Zones of Regulation (Leah Kuypers). Rather than jumping on the next "shiny object" in EBP fads, we explore how to blend the best of both, swallowing the milk and spitting out the dirt, to build a more comprehensive, whole-child approach to regulation and emotional literacy. What We Cover: 🧠 The

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24:34

232. Behind the Curtain: How to Build a Pragmatic...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/09/10

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

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21:03

231. The Brain Part We're Not Talking About (But...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/09/03

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

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29:20

230. The One-and-Done System: How to Prep Your Whole...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/08/26

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

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25:22

229. The Behavior Crystal Ball: 5 Research-Backed...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/08/20

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

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21:29

228. The Research Is Clear: Combine Movement +...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/08/13

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

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37:15

227. From Cause-and-Effect to Complex Play: A 3-Step...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/08/06

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

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22:57

226. Using Storybooks to Boost High-Tech AAC Skills:...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/07/30

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:

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42:45

225. Under the Iceberg: Why Isn't Speech Developing...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/07/16

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

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18:55

224. Rate Your Own Speech Therapy: 5 Questions That...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/07/09

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

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16:28

223. 5 Powerhouse Strategies to Improve Executive...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/07/02

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

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12:42

222. The Executive Function Research That Changes How...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/06/25

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

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32:03

221. The ABCs of Picking Books That Ignite a Love for...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/06/18

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

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11:23

220. What a Dying Friend Taught Me About Being an SLP

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/06/11

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

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13:13

219. The 3 Questions Every SLP Must Ask Before Summer...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/06/03

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: 🔥

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17:40

218. Stop Winging Consonant Cluster Targets: Apply...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/05/27

Are you winging it when it comes to picking consonant clusters? If you're spending more time hunting for the right targets than actually running therapy, this episode is your reset button. In today's episode, we're diving deep into selecting consonant clusters. We're breaking down how to select targets strategically, sequence them with intention, and finally see the carryover you've been waiting for. Whether you're a seasoned SLP or new to building your clinical confidence, you'll walk away

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29:36

217. Do You Dare Disturb the Universe? The Asthma &...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/05/21

You're welcome. Because today, we're digging into something I bet you're seeing on your back porch right now, and nobody is talking about it. Asthma and speech sound disorders. If you have a child on your caseload with significant asthma, this episode is the one you need tomorrow. Roll up your sleeves with me. We're going to get our hands really, really dirty, and we're going to talk about where the research stops and where the practitioner begins. Because this is where you have to have

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22:38

216. Bilingual Kids on Your Caseload? The 5-Step...

The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP ·

2026/05/14

You opened your caseload. Another Spanish-speaking kiddo. You don't speak Spanish. There's no translator. No bilingual SLP down the hall. Now what? You don't freeze. You don't refer out. You don't waste a single therapy minute. You use the 5-step Good Enough Practice plan, built on the complexity approach research, to drive real, generalizable gains in both languages, even when you're only treating in one. In this follow-up to Episode 215 (assessment), we roll up our sleeves and walk

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237 results

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