SLP Coffee Talk

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Daj Mitchell—school-based SLP, online educator, and Illinois State University graduate—about getting everyone on board with AAC. With over six years of experience serving pediatric and adult clients across settings, Daj breaks down her buy-in stair step framework and explains why many SLPs accidentally skip to the last step. She shares practical strategies for coaching parents and staff, building real collaboration, and improving carryover beyond the therapy room. They also explore Daj’s work in AI, AAC, and neurodiversity-affirming care, along with how she supports fellow clinicians through education and social media. This one’s for any SLP who’s ever handed a family a home program and never heard about it again.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

What the AAC buy-in stair step framework actually looks like
How adult learning theory applies to parent and stakeholder coaching
Why video modeling works better than handouts for skeptical caregivers
How to use Google Forms, scheduled emails, and templates to manage AAC collaboration without eating your lunch
What an AAC profile spreadsheet is and why Daj swears by it
How to extend the same coaching framework to teachers, paras, and admin

Here’s what we learned: 

Buy-in has three parts. Acceptance, willingness to support, and active participation are not the same thing—and most caregivers are only at step one.
Don’t skip ahead. Handing over a home program before a caregiver is ready guarantees the device stays on the refrigerator.
Adults need a reason. Connect AAC to something that already matters in their life and they’ll move faster.
Start with one win. Find the routine they actually care about and build from there.
Set it and forget it. Once your emails and forms are built, your collaboration system basically runs itself.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Learn more about Daj Mitchell: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourslpdaj/ 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie tackles the real reason your middle and high school students check out the moment you explain the session goal — and it’s not the goal itself. She walks through five signs your explanation isn’t clicking and how to flip each one so students actually get it. If your students would rather do anything but be in your session, this one’s for you.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Bullet Points to Discuss: 
Sign #1: Your goal explanation is landing like broccoli — relevant to school, irrelevant to them
Sign #2: Your worksheets disappear after session and connect to nothing real
Sign #3: You’re drilling a skill your student thinks they already have
Sign #4: Your reading passages feel like homework 2.0 with zero payoff
Sign #5: You’re collecting data the whole session instead of actually teaching​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Here’s what we learned: 
Don’t lead with school. Lead with what they already care about — gaming, streaming, social media.
Relevance doesn’t require new materials. A 30-second framing conversation changes everything.
Students aren’t resistant to learning. They’re resistant to pointless practice.
Data without teaching is just numbers. Slow down, teach first, collect at the end.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book
Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie Sherman chats with Bradi O’Rourke, owner of Braxy Speech Therapy, all about the magic of play-based, child-led therapy.
Bradi breaks down how ditching rigid, drill-heavy sessions and leaning into connection, creativity, and a little bit of mess can lead to more meaningful communication. She shares how meeting kids where they are, following their lead, and making therapy feel natural (and actually fun!) can create real progress that carries over beyond the session.
If you’re ready to loosen up your sessions and make therapy feel more engaging for both you and your students, this episode is for you.
Bullet Points to Discuss:
-What play-based, child-led therapy actually looks like beyond just “playing games”
-Why connection over compliance leads to more meaningful communication
-How to naturally target speech and language goals within play
-The mindset shift from therapist-led sessions to following the child’s lead
-How to handle parents who expect more structured, drill-based therapy
-Why functional goals matter—and how to rethink them in real-life contexts
-How involving parents during sessions can boost carryover at home

Here’s what we learned:
If it’s not functional in play, it’s probably not a functional goal.
Kids learn best when they feel safe, engaged, and in control of their environment.
You don’t need a perfect plan—your skills as an SLP will show up naturally in play.
Connection and engagement will always beat rigid structure and drills.
Educating parents is key—once they understand the “why,” they’re more likely to trust the process.
Progress doesn’t always look structured—but it is happening.
Learn more about Bradi O’Rourke:
Instagram: @braxy_speech_therapy

Website: www.braxyspeechtherapy.com
Product downloads on my website: www.braxyspeechtherapy.com/category/all-products
Email Address
[email protected]

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  
📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/
🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book
Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Cary—school SLP, private practice clinician, and creator of the SLP Grad Student Instagram page—about finding your why and holding onto it when things get hard. Cary gets honest about the rejection letters, Praxis failures, and imposter syndrome she pushed through on her way to the field, and shares what the CF year really feels like when you're suddenly on your own. This one's for any SLP questioning whether they belong here.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 
How a career aptitude test and a sister's nudge pointed Cary toward speech pathology 
What the transition from grad student to CF actually feels like 
Why failure in the Praxis isn't talked about—and why it should be 
How Cary survived grad school time management
What imposter syndrome looks like five years in—and how she pushes through it 
Why she chose her specific field and what community means to her

Here’s what we learned: 
Rejection is redirection. Failing the Praxis shows you exactly where your gaps are—use it. 
Overstudying isn't productive. Nine to three, then put it down.
If you don't know something, say so. People appreciate honesty over an answer that doesn't make sense. 
Imposter syndrome doesn't expire after your CF. Five years in, it still shows up. Push through anyway. 
Give yourself grace. A kid walking into your session and smiling counts as a win.

Learn more about Cary Mercado: 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slpgradstudent/ 
Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  
📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/
🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup
📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie gets real about one of the biggest challenges with older students—resistance. From crossed arms to "I'm only here because my mom made me," she breaks down why grades 4–12 students push back in the first place—it's not laziness—and walks through five practical steps for building genuine buy-in. This episode is full of compassion-first strategies, reframable language, and low-prep activity ideas that actually meet students where they are.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 
Why resistance in older students is self-protection, not defiance 
The three things a resistant student is almost always trying to communicate 
How to start a buy-in conversation—even when you only have 25 minutes 
Why "world" beats "school" when making goals feel relevant
 The shift from fixing to coaching, and why it changes everything

Here’s what we learned: 
Resistance is information. Before you plan the activity, ask what they think they're there for. 
Students who've been in speech since early intervention are hyperaware of their difficulties—lead with compassion first. 
Tie your goals to their world: dating, jobs, group chats, driver's ed. Skip the school pitch. 
Let students have a say in how you work on a goal, even if they can't choose the goal itself. 
One activity can cover a million goals. Done and engaged beats perfect and checked out. 
Call yourself a language coach, not a speech teacher. The reframe matters more than you think. 
Buy-in is like charging a phone—you plug in consistently and watch the battery move.

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  
📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/
🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup
📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book
Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets