The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP

Kelly Vess, MA, CCC-SLP
  • 4.7 (30)
  • LANGUAGE LEARNING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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 Thursday and at the drawing board. Do better with easy step-by-step 'how-to's' with ready-for-use printables and over 100 video clips of best practices, check out Kelly's book "Speech Sound Disorders: Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment." It is available at Amazon and major booksellers internationally. If you learn from doing and work with children with special needs, join Kelly's Sparkle in School Membership. Make intervention EASY with weekly ready-for-use materials and Google Slides Decks sent to your inbox. Check it out today at kellyvess.com. Thoughts to share? Email: Kelly@KellyVess.com

  1. 4D AGO

    216. Bilingual Kids on Your Caseload? The 5-Step 'Good Enough' Plan When You Don't Speak Their Language

    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 through exactly what to do Monday morning. 🔥 What You'll Walk Away With ✅ Why "good enough practice" beats "no practice," and how to defend your why on every clinical decision ✅ The exact target selection sequence that gets you the most generalization per minute of therapy ✅ Why FR will get you FL "for free," and why SKR might out-perform both ✅ How to coach caregivers in 5 minutes a day (and why frequency beats duration at the preschool level) ✅ The single word probe strategy that tells you whether gains are generalizing, not just memorized ✅ The one thing more important than language matching: multimodal, dynamic cueing at the 80% challenge point 🎯 The 5-Step "Good Enough" Framework Step 1. Find an error that occurs in BOTH languages. Use IPA to compare error sounds across the child's L1 and English. Pick a sound that's broken in both phonological systems so any gain transfers across languages. The research on shared targets supports this. When shared sounds are treated, cross-linguistic generalization happens, even when treatment is delivered in only one language (Barlow et al., 2024; Gildersleeve-Neumann & Goldstein, 2015). Step 2. Pick a COMPLEX target, not a singleton. Skip /f/ alone. Skip /r/ alone. Go for the cluster. Complex targets create system-wide change because clusters imply singletons, meaning treating the harder thing makes the easier things come along for the ride (Gierut, 2007; Storkel, 2018). Higher aim, higher gains. Cirque du Soleil in the mouth. Step 3. Treat in the language YOU are fluent in (English). You cannot deliver therapy with fidelity in a language you don't speak. A ChatGPT word list doesn't fix your inability to model a Spanish trill. Stick with English, and select complex targets that share sounds with the child's L1 so the gains cross over. Pilot data on Spanish/English bilinguals show medium effect sizes for system-wide generalization in both the treated and untreated language when complex cluster targets are used (Combiths et al., 2023). Step 4. Train caregivers with daily home practice in the child's L1. Build a short core vocabulary list, sentence, or paragraph that contains the target and hand it to the family in their language. Embed it into an existing routine like toothbrushing, bedtime, or snack. Frequency over duration: 5 minutes every day beats 2 hours once a week at the preschool level. Step 5. Probe progress in BOTH languages every quarter. Skip the practice-effect probes for the same 5 words. Re-administer a single-word, phonetically balanced picture test in each language every 2 months and track the number of errors, not the standard scores. That's how you know gains are generalizing rather than rehearsed. 👉 Ready to Stop Hunting for Materials and Start Driving Real Gains? Here's the secret the 5-step plan can't give you on its own: the materials. Inside the SIS Membership, you get the done-for-you complex cluster paragraphs, phonetically loaded sentences. These are the exact materials I hand to caregivers to embed into toothbrushing, bedtime, and snack routines. No more scrambling. No more wondering if your target is complex enough. Join SIS and work smarter, not harder: https://kellyvess.com/sis

    23 min

  2. MAY 10

    215. Bilingual Spanish Speech Assessment for $0: The 8-Step Gold Standard Every SLP Needs

    Have zero dollars in your therapy closet for bilingual Spanish assessments? You are not alone — and you are not stuck. In this episode, I walk you through the 8-step gold-standard process for assessing bilingual Spanish-English preschoolers for speech sound disorders, every single step backed by free, vetted, research-supported tools. This is the same framework recommended by Sharynne McLeod, Sarah Verdon, and the International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children's Speech (McLeod, Verdon, & IEPMCS, 2017, AJSLP) — taught to you in plain English with direct links you can click today. You'll learn how to: Capture a true language profile Sample BOTH languages without overdiagnosing dialect features Use narrow IPA transcription so you don't mislabel allophones as errors Distinguish a transfer error from a true speech sound disorder Free Resources Mentioned Step 1 — Language Profile Alberta Language Environment Questionnaire (ALEQ/ALDeQ) + Intelligibility in Context Scale: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/linguistics/cheslcentre/questionnaires.html Intelligibility in Context Scale: https://www.csu.edu.au/research/multilingual-speech/speech-assessments/ics Step 2 — Sampling Both Languages UBC Cross-Linguistic Phonological Development Project (single-word probes in many languages): https://phonodevelopment.sites.olt.ubc.ca/ Frog, Where Are You: https://www.iifilologicas.unam.mx/uploads/IL-2-Lecturas/050-Frog_Story_all_as_pdf_image_300.pdf Step 3 — Narrow IPA Transcription ASHA Spanish Phonemic Inventory: https://www.asha.org/siteassets/uploadedfiles/spanish-phonemic-inventory.pdf Step 4 — Parent Baseline Recording Speech Accent Archive (cross-dialect reference recordings): https://accent.gmu.edu/ Step 5 — Independent Then Relational Analysis Phon software (open-source phonological analysis): https://www.phon.ca/ Step 6 — Rule Out Transfer & Dialect Bilinguistics Spanish-English Articulation Norms Chart: https://bilinguistics.com/articulation-norms-for-spanish-and-english/ Step 7 — Diagnose Only If Errors Appear in BOTH Languages Goldstein & Fabiano (2007) ASHA Leader: https://leader.pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/leader.FTR2.12022007.6 Step 8 — Treat with Complex Targets UBC Fun-ology Activities: https://phonodevelopment.sites.olt.ubc.ca/activities-2/activities/ Reference: McLeod, S., Verdon, S., & International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children's Speech (2017). Tutorial: Speech assessment for multilingual children who do not speak the same language(s) as the speech-language pathologist. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26(3), 691–708. Ready to Optimize Change with Complex Targets? Join the SIS (Speech It Smarter) Membership to learn how to select, sequence, and track complex treatment targets — including three-element /s/ clusters, /fr/ and /fl/ clusters. Join the SIS Membership: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis

    19 min

  3. APR 30

    214. Why Speech Therapy Falls Apart for Kids with ADHD+Anxiety (And How to Fix It)

    If you’re feeling like your therapy sessions are “working” but chugging along at a slow pace, this episode is going to hit a nerve in the best way. Because here’s the truth that most of us weren’t trained to see clearly: When a child has anxiety or ADHD, you are not just treating speech and language. You are working against a nervous system that is dysregulated, overloaded, and constantly scanning for what feels safe, predictable, and doable. And if your therapy doesn’t account for that, it won’t stick. Not because the child can’t learn, but because the system isn’t ready to hold onto what you’re teaching. In this episode, we break down what is actually happening underneath the surface with anxiety and ADHD, and why traditional, sit-and-work therapy models often fall apart with these learners. We walk through what to look for, what to shift immediately, and how to build sessions that regulate first so language, speech, and AAC can actually follow. We’re talking about real, Monday-morning changes that increase engagement, reduce shutdown behaviors, and create the kind of momentum that leads to true generalization. If you’ve ever thought, “They can do it with me, but nowhere else,” this episode is for you. Because that gap is not a mystery. It’s a systems problem, and you can fix it. And when you do, everything changes. If you are ready for therapy that actually works for children with anxiety and ADHD, where movement, regulation, literacy, and communication are all working together instead of competing, then it’s time to step into a model that was built for exactly that. Inside the SIS Membership, you get ready-to-use, literacy-based, movement-rich therapy activities designed to support regulation, attention, and engagement first, so that speech, language, and AAC gains can finally stick and generalize across settings. No more piecing things together. No more guessing what will work. Just open, implement, and watch the shift. Join the SIS Membership here: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Roll up your sleeves and meet me at the intervention drawing board.💚KellyVessSLP

    24 min

  4. APR 23

    213. Stop Waiting: Why You Should Treat a Frontal Lisp in Preschool (And How to Do It Right)

    When it comes to making real, measurable change in therapy, we have to stop thinking small. In this episode, we are digging into what actually moves the needle for our preschoolers and early learners, and it is not isolated drill, disconnected targets, or hoping repetition alone will generalize. The research is clear. When we aim higher with more complex targets, we create system-wide change across speech, language, and literacy. We are talking about why those tough targets like three-element blends are worth your time, how continuous motor planning changes everything, and what it really looks like to cue in a way that leads to spontaneous carryover. This is where therapy either clicks or falls apart, and I want it clicking for you on Monday morning. If you have ever felt like you are working hard but not seeing the generalization you expected, this episode is going to challenge your thinking in the best way and give you a more efficient path forward. Because here is the truth. Our students do not need more activities. They need better designed ones. Inside the SIS Membership, I take everything we know from research and translate it into ready-to-use, literacy-based, movement-driven activities that target multiple domains at once. You are not planning from scratch. You are walking into your sessions with a system that is built for generalization. Each week, you get themed, engaging activities that integrate speech, language, AAC, and literacy with built-in movement so your students are not just participating, they are learning in a way that sticks. If you are ready to stop second guessing your therapy and start seeing meaningful progress across domains, it is time to join us. 👉 Join the SIS Membership here: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Wishing you a week of efficient, effective therapy that carries over far beyond your session walls,💚Kelly

    17 min

  5. APR 2

    212. Stop Waiting for Joint Attention. You’re Delaying Language.

    If you work with children who have autism, minimal joint attention, and limited expressive language, this episode challenges what you’ve been taught and replaces it with something far more useful. This is not a “wait and see” conversation. This is a rethink-everything conversation. Drawing from a powerful systematic review and the lens of dynamic systems theory, this episode breaks down why language development in autism does not follow a predictable path and why that actually changes how we should intervene starting today. You will walk away with a clearer understanding of how language can emerge in unexpected ways, why inconsistency is often a sign of growth, and how to respond in the moment so you do not accidentally shut down emerging communication. This is about seeing the child differently and adjusting your intervention accordingly. What You’ll Learn... Why joint attention is not a prerequisite for language The reality that some children develop language without following typical developmental sequences? How children may learn language visually, through patterns, reading, or AAC rather than through listening? Why “inconsistency” in communication is often a sign that a new skill is emerging How dynamic systems theory explains variability in language development? Because the child in front of you is not broken. They are showing you their pathway. You just have to be willing to take it? 3 Clinical Takeaways You Can Use Immediately: There is no single pathway to language Children may not follow a linear progression from babbling to words to sentences. Some may start with scripts, reading, or full phrases. Your job is to identify the pathway and build from it. Variability is not a problem When a child says a word once and then “loses it,” that is not regression. That is emergence. Do not punish inconsistency. Support it. Be dynamic in your response You cannot use a fixed script with a variable system. Adjust moment by moment. Increase support, then fade it. Follow attention, motivation, and engagement in real time. Referenced in This Episode Kissine, M., Saint-Denis, A., & Mottron, L. (2023). Language acquisition can be truly atypical in autism: Beyond joint attention. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 153, 105384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105384 Spencer, J. P., Perone, S., & Buss, A. T. (2011). Twenty years and going strong: A dynamic systems revolution in motor and cognitive development. Child Development Perspectives, 5(4), 260–266. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00194.x Your Next Step If this episode is hitting something for you, if you’re realizing that your therapy needs to shift from linear to dynamic, then you need tools that actually match that approach. Because insight without application does not change outcomes. Inside the SIS Membership, you get weekly, ready-to-use, literacy-based movement activities that are built for exactly this kind of work. You are not guessing what to do next You are not piecing together random strategies You are walking into your sessions with a clear, research-informed plan that supports real language growth This is where theory meets practice in a way that actually works. 👉 Join today: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Roll up your sleeves and meet me at the intervention drawing board.

    24 min

  6. MAR 26

    211. The Social Cost of Speech Sound Disorders at Age 4, 5, and 6: What Every Preschool SLP Needs to Know

    If you work with four, five, or six-year-olds with speech sound disorders, this episode was made for you and this research will change how you document, advocate, and make eligibility decisions for your students. In this episode, we break down a brand-new 2026 open-access study that every school-based SLP, early childhood SLP, and preschool speech-language pathologist needs to save, cite, and have ready to go. Whether you're navigating a negative 2.0 standard deviation eligibility criteria, writing IEP goals for preschoolers with speech sound disorders, or advocating for a child who doesn't yet "qualify" on paper, this research is your clinical ammunition. This landmark study examined peer perceptions of children with speech sound disorders across ages four, five, and six: At age 4: Neurotypical peers already rate children with severe speech sound disorders lower across domains of intelligence, friendliness, and likability compared to typically developing talkers. At age 5: Children with moderate-to-severe speech sound disorders are rated lower across all social domains by their neurotypical peers. At age 6: Even children with mild speech sound disorders are rated lower and are seen as less desirable friendship candidates compared to neurotypical peers. The bottom line? Severity matters. Age matters. And the social stakes get higher every single year. Use this research study to support eligibility decisions when standardized scores alone don't tell the full story. Cite it alongside teacher observations, parent input, direct observation of socialization, and connected speech samples. Document the educational and social impact of the speech sound disorder, not just the score Know your state's eligibility criteria: some states require -2.0 SD, others -1.0 SD, and others rely on professional judgment of adverse educational impact Advocate proactively: a wait-and-see approach has real social consequences for your students Henry, M., & Bent, T. (2026). Let's be friends: Peer perceptions of disordered speech in preschool and early school-aged children. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 35(1). 🔓 FREE Open Access Article: https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2025_AJSLP-25-00093 Download it. Save it. Cite it. Your students are counting on you. 📖 RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: 'Speech Sound Disorders: Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment' by Kelly Vess. This is written to support SLPs at every level, from graduate students to seasoned clinicians. 👉 Grab your copy on Amazon  Here's what we know: earlier is better. Neuro-plasticity is at its highest level in the preschool years. Are you using the most effective treatment targets to capitalize on that window? The SIS Membership gives you access to complex treatment targets — the evidence-based approach that leverages the power of neuroplasticity to drive maximum speech sound gains in minimal time. If you are working with preschoolers and early elementary students, complex targets are the clinical game-changer you need in your toolkit right now. This episode just showed you the social urgency. The SIS Membership gives you the clinical tools to act on it. 👉 Join the SIS Membership today and start using complex treatment targets with your students. Because we're not treating a mouth. We're treating a child, and every session counts: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis

    12 min

  7. MAR 19

    210. The Hidden Visual Processing Problem Affecting Language in Autism

    If you work with children with autism, developmental delays, or complex communication needs, this episode is a must-listen. Today, we’re talking about cerebral visual impairment, or CVI, and why it may be one of the most overlooked reasons children struggle with communication, attention, social interaction, AAC use, and motor-based learning. This episode is not about whether a child can see an item on an eye chart. It is about how the brain processes visual information and how that affects language, participation, and learning. In this episode, I share 10 practical strategies from the literature that speech-language pathologists and speech-language pathology assistants can use right now to better support children with visual processing challenges. We discuss why reducing clutter matters, how to make materials more visually accessible, why movement activates learning, and how active task-based therapy can improve visual-motor integration. You’ll learn: -Why is cortical visual impairment increasingly referred to as cerebral visual impairment -How CVI affects communication and social development -What visual complexity does to learning -Why movement is critical for visual engagement -How to adjust therapy and AAC supports for better outcomes Join the SIS Membership for ready-to-use literacy-based, movement-based activities that help you put these ideas into practice right away: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis Featured article: Wilkinson, K. M., Elko, L. R., Elko, E., McCarty, T. V., Sowers, D. J., Blackstone, S., & Roman-Lantzy, C. (2023). An evidence-based approach to augmentative and alternative communication design for individuals with cortical visual impairment. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32, 1939–1960. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00397 Thank you for being with me at today’s intervention drawing board for a better tomorrow,💚Kelly

    36 min

  8. MAR 12

    209. DTTC for AAC: The 5-Step Prompting Framework That Builds Independence Fast

    Many clinicians are told there is a right way to prompt AAC users. You may have heard that you should always use least-to-most prompting. Others insist most-to-least prompting is best. But what does the research actually say? In this episode, we look at findings from a scoping review of 29 AAC intervention studies examining the prompting strategies used with children with autism who use speech-generating devices. Here’s the surprising truth: The research does not show that one prompting hierarchy is universally superior. Instead, effective AAC intervention is multimodal, flexible, and individualized. Successful clinicians use a toolbox approach, drawing from multiple evidence-based strategies depending on the child in front of them. In this episode, I walk you through a DTTC-inspired prompting hierarchy adapted for AAC that moves children from high levels of support toward full independence. I also share a real therapy example from this week using a St. Patrick’s Day literacy activity with a puppet and AAC device, so you can see exactly how this process works in practice. This is not a theory. This is something you can try tomorrow. Why This Matters for AAC Intervention? Children with autism are developing across multiple domains simultaneously: • language • motor planning • executive function • symbolic representation • social interaction Because autism is multifaceted, intervention cannot rely on a single rigid strategy. The most effective clinicians adopt an “all of the above” mindset and use prompting dynamically depending on: • the child • the task • the novelty of vocabulary • the motor planning demands • the learning context This episode will show you how to do exactly that. Want Ready-to-Use Activities That Apply This Framework? Inside the SIS Membership, I provide ready-to-use activities designed specifically for: • AAC users • speech sound disorders • language development • motor planning • executive function Every week, you receive literacy-based movement activities that allow you to apply frameworks like the DTTC-for-AAC hierarchy immediately with the children on your caseload. These activities are designed to address multiple developmental domains simultaneously while keeping therapy engaging and efficient. You also get access to the Speech-Language Treatment Target Library, giving you structured targets across speech, language, AAC, and literacy. Instead of spending hours planning therapy, you can walk into your session with activities that are already designed to produce meaningful communication gains. Start Using DTTC for AAC Today If you want structured activities that help you implement these strategies immediately: 👉 Join the SIS Membership today https://www.kellyvess.com/sis You’ll receive: • weekly ready-to-use therapy activities • weekly Google Slides Deck • treatment target library • practical strategies you can implement tomorrow Because when we reduce clinician workload and increase engagement, every child wins. Reference the research:  Wandin, H., Tegler, H., et al. (2023). A Scoping Review of Aided AAC Modeling for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities and Emergent Communication. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 10(2), 123–131.

    20 min
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4.7
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

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 Thursday and at the drawing board. Do better with easy step-by-step 'how-to's' with ready-for-use printables and over 100 video clips of best practices, check out Kelly's book "Speech Sound Disorders: Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment." It is available at Amazon and major booksellers internationally. If you learn from doing and work with children with special needs, join Kelly's Sparkle in School Membership. Make intervention EASY with weekly ready-for-use materials and Google Slides Decks sent to your inbox. Check it out today at kellyvess.com. Thoughts to share? Email: Kelly@KellyVess.com

Information

  • Creator
    Kelly Vess, MA, CCC-SLP
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    217
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Research to Practice Preschool SLP LLC
  • Show Website
    The Preschool SLP: KellyVessSLP

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