The SLP Now Podcast

Show Notes: slpnow.com/254
The vast majority of school-based SLPs don’t have perfectly matched groups, and that doesn’t mean therapy has to be less effective. With the right structure and planning strategy, mixed groups can actually become a powerful way to target multiple goals, support peer learning, and simplify your workload. In this episode, we walk through a practical framework for running structured, efficient therapy sessions, even when your groups include different grade levels and goals.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to segment your caseload so you can plan therapy more efficiently
Why language-rich thematic units help you target multiple goals at once
A simple way to let students build on each other’s responses in mixed groups
How the "Check in → Assess → Teach → Practice → Wrap up" structure reduces cognitive load
Three small strategies you can implement immediately to make sessions easier

If you'd like help setting this up for your own caseload, you can explore the tools and units inside a free trial at slpnow.com/pod.

Show Notes: slpnow.com/253
If you had five extra hours this week (completely protected from meetings, paperwork, and emails), how would you use them? Many school-based SLPs say they’d spend that time collaborating with teachers, analyzing student progress, planning more intentional therapy, or simply taking a real lunch break. In this episode, we explore why those meaningful parts of the job often get squeezed out + what you can do to start reclaiming that time.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why the gap many SLPs feel isn’t a competence problem
How reducing rework can save hours of therapy planning each week
Simple ways to batch decisions and reduce decision fatigue
Why tracking your “invisible work” can help advocate for a more manageable workload

If therapy planning, paperwork, and prep are taking over your evenings and weekends, you can start your free trial at slpnow.com/pod to explore tools designed to help you streamline the process and get that time back.

Show Notes: slpnow.com/252
School-based SLPs don’t struggle with planning because they’re disorganized; they struggle because their workload is overflowing. And when something has to give, therapy planning is often the first thing sacrificed. But thoughtful, structured planning is what actually makes therapy more efficient and effective.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
A simple 5-step session structure to reduce cognitive load
How to use goal-aligned materials to plan in minutes (not hours)
Why thematic units dramatically cut decision fatigue
A 30-second habit that makes future planning easier
How structure improves student progress and behavior

If you’re ready to make therapy planning sustainable, start your free trial at slpnow.com/pod and put these systems into action.

Show Notes: slpnow.com/251
A caseload of 63 students doesn’t tell the full story of your job. School-based SLPs juggle therapy, evaluations, IEP meetings, Medicaid billing, AAC programming, travel time, and more — yet capacity is often measured by one number. In this episode, we unpack the difference between caseload and workload, why “the math isn’t mathing,” and how to shift the conversation with clarity and confidence.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The difference between caseload and workload (and why it matters)
Four principles to manage impossible workloads
How to protect your contract hours without guilt
Simple ways to document and make your workload visible
How to approach administrators with clear, objective data

If paperwork and planning are part of your overwhelm, check out our free trial at slpnow.com/pod.

Show Notes: slpnow.com/250
Paperwork doesn’t have to be the reason this job feels unsustainable. In this final episode of our paperwork series, we zoom out and look at why burnout is often a systems problem (not a passion problem), and what actually helps school-based SLPs get paperwork done more efficiently. You’ll hear practical ways to reduce cognitive load, create repeatable workflows, and make steady progress without adding more stress to your plate.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to:
Identify your biggest paperwork stressors and prioritize what matters most
Use a “buffet” approach to implement systems without overwhelm
Plan IEPs and evaluations in a way that supports working ahead
Create reliable workflows that make paperwork feel manageable and sustainable

If you’re ready to make paperwork feel lighter, pick one strategy from this episode and try it this week.