When it comes to reading intervention, few programs are as widely known, or as hotly debated, as the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach. Marketed as a lifeline for children with dyslexia and word-level reading disabilities (WLRD), OG is often touted as the gold standard. But is it? A closer look at the evidence tells a far more […]
Speech-language pathologists claim to be a science-driven profession that follows the evidence. We cite evidence-based practice in our values, policies, and professional rhetoric. But in day-to-day reality, clinical decisions are often shaped less by research and more by revenue. The uncomfortable truth? Profit, not evidence, increasingly dictates what gets promoted, adopted, and normalized in our
In schools and private practices across the country, families of struggling students are told, “Get an evaluation,” as if identifying a diagnosis is the solution. But what happens when the evaluation is conducted by the wrong person, who either lacks deep expertise in language development or doesn’t treat the conditions they’re assessing? The answer is
Despite its clinical ring, “Auditory Processing Disorder” (APD) remains one of the most poorly defined, inconsistently diagnosed, and least useful labels used in school-aged populations. Not only is the diagnosis itself mired in scientific controversy, but its downstream effects in schools often do more harm than good. Recently, I conducted a professional poll on social
The APD Diagnosis Trap: How a Controversial Label Harms Kids in Schools Read More »
As summer approaches, many families begin to wind down from the academic year, looking forward to a break from routines, early mornings, and school responsibilities. While rest and unstructured time are important for children, pausing language and literacy therapy over the summer can have serious consequences, especially for students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Autism,
In my years of clinical practice, I’ve witnessed firsthand the powerful transformations that can take place in students receiving high-quality, evidence-based therapy for social pragmatic deficits. I’ve also seen something else: the frustration, sometimes shared by parents, educators, and even therapists, when those gains aren’t as obvious or easy to measure as progress in other
Why Social Pragmatic Progress Is Real—But Hard to See Read More »
When children struggle with handwriting or typing, many well-meaning educators turn to speech-to-text (STT) tools in hopes of providing quick support. However, for students with Autism, ADHD, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, etc., STT is not a solution—it’s a band-aid that often highlights, rather than addresses, underlying problems. These students typically have difficulty organizing
The Truth About Speech-to-Text: It’s Not a Shortcut for Struggling Writers Read More »
After my last post, a number of parents and SLPs have contacted me to find out what typical therapy sessions with young adults look like on a weekly basis. They were especially curious about how therapy can support young adults who struggle with managing emotions, staying organized, and navigating social situations. Many of these young
One Step at a Time: Therapy for Young Adults that Works Read More »
When we think about speech-language therapy, we often picture young children learning to pronounce their sounds correctly, build vocabulary, or put sentences together for the first time. But what about the young adults who made it through school undiagnosed, unassisted, and now in their 20s who are quietly struggling to hold jobs, navigate relationships, or
From Overlooked to Empowered: Supporting Young Adults with Hidden Challenges Read More »
One of the most common pushbacks I hear from SLPs related to data collection—is that contextualized language therapy makes it too hard to collect data. When I suggest working on narrative or discourse to simultaneously address goals like syntax, vocabulary, and inferencing, the response is often, ‘But how do you collect data on that? We
Contextualized Therapy Isn’t Chaos—It’s Data Gold Read More »