Super Duper

Let’s start with one of the giants in therapy materials, Super Duper.  You know and love their red boxes of happiness.  However, most of their materials are so pricey and funds in districts have been cut.  So, how can you build up your library for less?  I would suggest keeping an eye on sites like Zulily and the Facebook Marketplace.  Zulily is a site that offers discounted products from various sites/companies.  A few times a year, Super Duper products pop up on here for 40%+ off!  Also, keep an eye out on Super Duper’s Deal of the Week for occasional deals.

Dry Erase

I love using dry erase to engage all of my clients from a group at once.  They get more targets, are actively engaged, and we save paper and other resources.  A few of my Dry Erase Must-Haves include:

Dry Erase Pockets – Worksheets, visual scenes, or just a blank piece of paper for open-ended activities can all fit in here.  The ones pictured above have an elastic holder for the big expo markers as well.  This group of 6 pockets is about $9 and is one of my most-used purchases.  They will last you about 2+ years with frequent use.

Dry Erase Crayons – I preface this must-have by saying that I do NOT let my students use these.  I use these awesome dry erase crayons to add things to my board that I don’t want to easily erase.  This includes dates, reminders, visuals, etc.  Because they take a little more work to erase, I can even use regular dry erase markers in/around the crayon marks and erase the marker without erasing the crayon.  Careful though, if you press too hard you may crack a crayon (speaking from experience).  These will last you many years and cost $5-9 depending on your place of purchase.  Sometimes you can find it at US Toy, Target, Walmart, etc.

Dry Erase Markers – Because we use the dry erase sleeves for any written work in my therapy room and for many other activities, “skinny” dry erase markers are a must.  I have found these U Brands markers (amazon, target, etc.) with the eraser tops to be the best for my students.  They come in many colors and the included eraser is a life-saver… and that’s not just me being dramatic.  They sell for about $5 and, with respectful use by your clients, should last you 2+ years with frequent use.

Books are a huge part of my therapy but I’m pretty cheap when it comes to accumulating my library.  Sure, I occasionally shell out $10 on a great book for my students.  However, most of my library has been purchased for less than $1 per book.  This is going to take some detective work and a few antibacterial wipes but it’s worth it.  Purchase your books at a thrift store like Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army or at garage sales.  Most books are very gently used and in good shape.  When I was working in Early Intervention I found board books and even gave them away to families – I could spare 50 cents for my kids to have at least one book in their home!  While it’s a little crazy on the half-price days, this is another way to save even more. Most sale days are on Saturdays but I just hunker down by the books and go through them.  Eric Carle, Usborne, Jan Brett, Old Lady, and so many more.

Games (and toys) can be used in therapy in many ways.  From Blurt to Candyland, games are easily modified to fit therapy goals while also working on turn-taking and other life skills.  But, as you may have guessed, I’m not about that full-price purchasing life.  Most of the games I use in therapy have been purchased from thrift stores, garage sales, and from friends with kids who are getting too old for the games.  The majority of my games have been purchased for less than $4 and their retail prices are up to $40!  Again… this doesn’t include the price of antibacterial wipes/bleach baths to clean them.

Minis/Trinkets:

Toobs, minis, dinky doodads… these are all wonderful additions to your therapy room. You can use them in sensory bins, as visuals for books, describing activities, etc.  At regular price, they can be a bit pricey for such tiny additions to your materials.  While Dinky Doodads are likely going to be full price at all times, it’s much cheaper than finding the items on your own.  Toobs/Good Luck Minis from Safari Ltd can be purchased for 40-50% off at all times… using those lovely craft store coupons from Michael’s or others!  Yes, it may take several trips to build up your collection but Toobs are about $12 each so you are saving $5-6 per Toob with a coupon.  Minis retail for about $6 so you will save $2-3 per pack.

Apps:

If you use an iPad in therapy, you know that quality therapy apps can cost you quite a bit.  I don’t have any revolutionary tips here except to keep an eye out during BHSM and during the ASHA Convention.  During these and some other times/dedicated months, app companies discount their more expensive apps by up to 50%.  Also, install apps like Apps Gone Free to keep up with limited time free apps from companies. I have gotten nearly all of my Toca Boca apps and others for free or heavily discounted!  Some apps, particularly AAC apps, will provide free copies/trials to SLPs to use with their students.

Decor:

We all know of the dollar spot and other dollar-themed stores.  Other decor tips include contact paper-ing your desk and cabinets/shelves, using JoAnn’s or other coupons to get material to cover bulletin boards instead of using paper that fades, etc.

IKEA is a great place to get frames, art prints, and other various furniture items.  I also love their selection of artificial plants for about $5 each to help green up my room a bit without the upkeep.  And if you have a very small “office”, IKEA can help you get organized.  I have also found some IKEA busy on the Facebook marketplace and craigslist for less.  (With receipt, IKEA items can be returned for 1 year!)

TeachersPayTeachers:

TpT is a wonderful way to find creative and helpful resources for decor, therapy, organization, PD, and more.  SLPs can take advantage of the SLP Must-Have sales on the 7th of each month during the school year.  Check out social media for what your favorite SLP-authors are offering.  Also, TpT has incredible sales a few times a year.  I typically just add a billion things to my wishlist throughout the year.  During sales I will use my TpT credits as well – these are the credits you get for leaving feedback on items you have purchased.  Also, bundles and introductory prices are a great way to get items for a lower price.  Some authors offer the ability to edit their products in exchange for the product for free.  Also, check out TpT for Schools and let your admins know how they can purchase items for your therapy sessions using this system.

Free!

Free is always great, right?  Here are some free resources for your therapy room:

Kahoot! – use Kahoot for comprehension activities, PD, etc.

YouTube – use YouTube to find readings of books that are not in your library, find interactive videos of topics from themes you are covering, etc.  You can also use YouTube to create videos accessible only with a link/unlisted to families if you send home instructional videos for articulation or other tips.

Gift Cards – Okay, not exactly free for the person who buys it but Gift Cards are a great way to get things for your classroom.  During the holidays and other times, you may find deals on gift cards which is free money! (e.g. Buy one gift card, get one 20% off. Getting $30 of gift cards for $25.)  Every little bit helps.

DonorsChooose – Every district has rules about using Donors Choose but it is a wonderful way to fund larger projects for your room.  Some projects I have seen for SLPs include iPads/Apps, Libraries, AAC devices/switch toys, etc.  When I do campaigns, I make sure to donate when my money is being doubled by a promo or matching donation source.  This helps get projects funded fully.

Professional Development – PD is changing.  SLP Summit, XceptionalED, and more are revolutionizing how we attain our professional development.  Many of these offer CMH (Certificate Maintenance Hours) for free.  While these would not count towards an ACE award through ASHA, they can be submitted for your CCCs maintenance!  Plus, in my opinion, they are so engaging and useful!

Other useful links with hacks and other money-saving ideas:

SLP Life Hacks from The Speech Bubble SLP

5 SLP Hacks that will Save You Time & Money from Nicole Allison Speech Peeps

Instagram #SLPHacks

What are your budget-friendly must-haves?  Share below so we can all be in the know, links welcome.

To kick us off, I’ll talk about one of my all-time favorite SLP tools, SLP Toolkit (aptly named, eh?).  When I first met “Tool” and “Kit” (Sarah and Lisa being their given names) I loved their energy and after seeing their product was even more impressed.  I was not sure how much I would use the Toolkit but after over a semester of using it, I’m sure I’d would never like to go back!  Read on!

What is SLP Toolkit?

To find out all of the sweet specifics, check out their website or this video that SLP Toolkit put together which covers so much about the product… they do it much better than I could, so take a look:

SLP Toolkit Intro Video from SLP Toolkit on Vimeo.

What SLP Toolkit offers – Quick & Dirty:

• Present Level Assessments: Quick, thorough screening tools to assess a student’s strengths and needs.
• Progress Monitoring Tools: Criterion Referenced Tests and rubrics for a variety of speech and language skills.
• Goals: Measurable and customizable goals for targeted skills, levels of cueing, criteria for mastery, assessment methods, and assessment frequency.
• Caseload Management: Sortable record of your students’ demographics, IEP/Evaluation dates, service times, and treatment areas.
• Strategies: Tips to enhance speech and language skills. Used as accommodations in a student’s IEP.
• Daily Data option.
• Scheduling Tool.
• Ability to send student files to other SLPs using SLP Toolkit.
• Storage of all paperless information on a HIPAA-compliant server.

How I WANTED to use it:

You know SLPs, I wanted to use it with 100% of my caseload on minute number one of walking back into my therapy room after signing up.  I wanted to get present level assessments on EVERY student immediately.  I wanted to add their goals and accommodations into their profiles and have the information in there to utilize seamlessly and right away.  I wanted an A+ in SLP Toolkit… but in reality I probably got a C in my first semester…

How I ACTUALLY used it:

I began using SLP Toolkit in December of last year.  I definitely can’t wait to start using it at the beginning of a year instead of mid-year as it will give me some time to update levels, integrate new students into the caseload, etc.  Some of the main features I used SLP Toolkit for in my first semester using it were:

• the goals
• progress monitoring
• present level assessments.  (I sort of have a crush on the present level assessments.)

I used the present level assessments for a few things including annual IEPs and initial evaluations.  I loved these for those tricky little nuggets who have scores and skills all over the place.  When there is no cut and dry goal, SLP Toolkit helps me to identify skill areas that students are most lacking and what may be most impacting their access to the curriculum.  While I do not use Toolkit to qualify students, it is often what I use for RtI or as additional informal information that can be included in the evaluation and/or IEP.  I was able to utilize the strengths/ weaknesses from these in IEPs and then in writing goals.  I was also able to write very specific and clear goals based on present level assessments and progress monitoring.  I felt very comfortable and prepared in my IEP meetings.  Recently, after they added some great updates, a coworker was able to send me the “file” of a student who is moving from her school to mine!  In a district with as many transient students, this is an incredible resource!

How I WILL use it this year:

Like I said above, I am so excited to use this from day one this year.  I will have all students in my caseload and can add new students.  I will be utilizing the scheduling tool to make those first 46 drafts of my therapy schedule a bit easier to navigate.  I can also utilize the sharing feature to send the files to SLPs in my district to start their year off well!  I’m excited to use more progress monitoring for my students from last year and to share more beneficial strategies and tips with classroom teachers and parents as well this year!

Is it worth it?

Yes, yep, duh, of course, why not, oh yeah!  Why is it worth it?  It makes me more confident, organized, and diligent.  It makes it EASY to be good at progress monitoring and writing great IEPs and Evals!  If I was a new SLP I would spend almost everyday hugging my computer if I had SLP Toolkit (Great graduation present for new grads!).  But… you should probably just check it out for yourself.  You are able to sign up for a free trial where you have access for 5 clients so you can dig in and see if it is right for you.

You can also use this sweet code, SUBLIME17, to get 1 FREE MONTH OF FULL ACCESS or $19 off of an annual subscription!  So go on with your bad SLP self and sign up!

You can also catch Sarah and Lisa of SLP Toolkit when they present their FREE course “5 Mistakes to Avoid in Data Collection” at the upcoming SLP Summit!

SLP Toolkit is a great Tool for SLPs and Speech/Language Therapy… I hope this little lovefest (aka review) was helpful to you.  If you have other questions/comments, add them below and/or contact SLP Toolkit!

This product is updated yearly and can either be used as a PDF or as an Editable PowerPoint file.  It includes:

*2 design versions of covers
*SLP/SLPA Covers
*1 blank organizer cover/divider page for customization
*7 dividers for organizing pages and addition of your own pages
*1 blank divider for customization
*July through June calendars with plenty of room for adding meetings, etc. Also spaces for notes to be kept handy.
*Blank Calendar page for customization
*2017-2018 year at a glance calendar
*2018-2019 year at a glance calendar
*3 styles of To-Do List pages
*Meeting Notes Page
*Schedule template with enough room for scheduling 21 sessions/day
*Weekly therapy plan page to note materials needed and activities planned.
*One-Page Yearly Student Attendance Log with weekends marked.
*Parent communication Log
*Progress chart template
*Therapy Notes page
*Caseload record page
*Year at a Glance IEP/Eval Dates page
*IEP at a Glance page for classroom teachers
*IEP Meeting Notes page
*Monthly Evaluation Dates pages for each month
*CEU Course Log
*CEU Notes page
*Blank table page for customization

Here’s a video to help you edit and use this document:

Enjoy!

“Time is money”… “Lost time is never found again”… “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”…

We, as SLPs, are an extremely busy bunch. Between providing therapy services, writing reports, consulting with staff, calling parents, administering assessments, and trying to still have a full life outside of work, we don’t have a minute to spare, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to find time in our schedules for everything. I have prepared some time-saving tips below that are easy to implement and will save you a few minutes with each tip. This may not seem like much, but a few minutes here and there can really add up! Feel free to add your own time-saving tips/tricks in the comments section to share with your fellow SLPs!

1) Mobile Ordering:

I put this at the top of my list in case you are short on time! I want to make sure you are taking full advantage of mobile ordering apps/services. Apps like Starbucks, Dunkin, Chipolte, and even McDonald’s offer mobile ordering. This means that you can place your order on your phone and pick up your order in store without waiting in line. I admit, this has drastically increased my Starbucks consumption but it has been an incredible time-saver for me. Simply order, head to the restaurant at the estimated time it will be ready, and pick up your food/drink. I will typically place my order when I leave my house for the Starbucks by my school, park and pick it up (takes about 1 minute) and head to school! Typically the morning and lunch rush at restaurants will make you frustrated, so take advantage of mobile ordering and save yourself 5-10 minutes!

2) Collaborate with Team members on Google Docs:

Even if your school is not a “Google” school, using e-mail and other Google services, you can still access Google drive and its fantastic collaborative tools. I know that I would rather add to a document in the 2-3 minutes between a group than spend an hour sitting in a meeting trying to hash out ideas and documents with an entire group. Simply create a login for google, head to their drive services, and create a word processing doc, sheet, form, etc. You can share this with your other staff members and allow them to edit/view the documents. You can even see them typing live! And, don’t worry, Google automatically saves any changes and allows you to recover older versions of documents if something is changed on accident! This is a great way to have mobile meetings, collaborate, schedule, etc. This tip can easily save you 30-60 minutes of meeting time!

3) Use Google/Outlook Calendar “events/meetings”:

Speaking of Google… if you are a school with gmail for your email service or a school that utilizes Outlook on your school-wide computers, make sure you are taking full advantage of the features of the calendars. On Google you can create events and invite others. A similar feature is available on Outlook and other calendar providers. I utilize the calendar to schedule meetings, sessions, etc. When I schedule meetings, I invite the teacher or staff member to the calendar event. This sends them an e-mail and they can say if they will be attending. I also use this for scheduling sessions for students. I make a recurring even for their session time and invite their teacher. Yes, it took about 1 minute per student to set up but now that it’s finished and teachers are invited, I do a lot less calling for my older students who come independently to their therapy session. This saves me about 3-4 minutes of therapy time per day.

4) Use labels:

Mailing labels are great to use in many ways for therapy and organization. Try printing student goals/data tracking on labels. You can then use these to easily peel and stick on the daily data you are taking for sessions. You can also print labels as stickers for carry-over (“Ask me to say ____”; “Ask me what a _____ is”). They’ll likely lose it at some point during the day but a little extra carryover never hurt! It also helps to remind teachers of student goals and ways to carryover on non-therapy days! Using labels for data collection takes a little bit to set up but will save you 1-2 minutes per session and many minutes during progress note time!

(Great posts about using labels from Queen’s Speech & The Speech Bubble SLP)

5) Use social media:

Social media can get a bad rep… but it can be extremely helpful if you utilize it appropriately. If you are a part of SLP groups on facebook or follow SLP bloggers, authors, products, etc. you can harness the power of social media for good! If you have a question about a test, material, product, student, etc. why not ask thousands of SLPs? They are way smarter than Google! Put a question out there and go on with your day. You will likely get an answer or suggestion back with very little effort. I have asked for people to cite research they’ve seen about a technique, asked a question about a new version of an assessment, and asked for HELP with a tough case… and wouldn’t you know it, somebody had an answer or suggestion in each case. This saved me 10-30+ minutes per question of pouring over google search results or reading through old textbooks (the few that remain). Social media can be extremely helpful!

6) Lay out tomorrow’s materials before you leave:

If you’re a morning person who is 45 minutes early to work each day… please disregard. If you’re an SLP who struggles to speak to their dog, let alone provide therapy first thing in the morning… you aren’t alone! One time-saving tip that has really helped me this year is to lay out the materials I plan to use the next day after our students’ dismissal. It takes me about 5-10 minutes to lay out materials for each group but in doing so, I plan more effectively and have a general idea of how my day will go. Now, do I always use what I lay out? Nope… absences and other things pop up and my plan changes. We all know that making plans for therapy can be a waste of time. But, sometimes it isn’t and being able to just grab the next material/activity helps my day go more smoothly. This saves me about 1 minute per session… so on average about 10 therapy minutes per day! (That’s an extra 1500+ minutes of therapy time for my students per year!)

7) Keep tools close:

We all have the items we rely on. Some of these items for me are dice, game pieces, dry-erase markers, mirror, that creepy mouth thing, bingo chips, ipad, toobaloo, pens, post-its, etc. Normally, these items would live all over my office. I decided to put a set of all of these items in a basket on/near my therapy table. This allows me to quickly access tools without them being out for the touching. I can access this basket in 2 seconds instead of the 30 seconds it would take for me to get up, locate the item in my room, and return to my seat. I find myself using this basket about 3-4 times a day so it saves me about 1-2 minutes per day!

8) Post-it eval tabs:

Use small post-it tabs to label pages in an assessment manual that you access frequently. I place these on scoring pages, administration tips that I look at frequently, and other graphs or areas that I need. When scoring this saves me about 1-2 minutes depending on the assessment. With 30-40 evaluations per year with 3-4 assessments each, this saves me about 1-2 hours or more over the year! Here’s an example of my CELF manual labeled:

9) Get organized:

Organization comes in many varieties but it is extremely important. Spending time organizing files, supplies, materials, and even apps, you can quickly access these items when you need them. Instead of swiping through 5 screens of apps, try placing your articulation and language apps into “folders” for easy access. Label plastic boxes with their content. Face all materials out for easy location. Find an organization that works with you and utilize it. Being organized will save you too many minutes to count!

10) Set up automatic tabs on Chrome:

If you didn’t know, Chrome is a browser (like explorer or firefox). While this technique may work on other browsers, the steps listed below are for Chrome. When you open up Chrome, or another browser, you utilize the same websites daily. IEP system, billing system, e-mail, etc. Having those automatically pop up can save you a few minutes. Here’s how you can set up automatic tabs for your Chrome browser:

Time is precious. As SLPs our schedules are jam-packed. We don’t have time to waste. By working smarter, not harder, in a few of the above-listed ways, you can save a few minutes per day. This doesn’t seem like much but when you look at it over the course of a year, those are MANY extra minutes and hours for you and for your therapy sessions! I hope these tips help you, please add any additional in the comments below!

So, despite it being a week before Thanksgiving, I wanted to publish this post.  As SLPs we have unique skills and tastes.  We love our profession and adore any gifts that acknowledge those letters after our name or help our clients make progress with their goals.  Here are 15 great gift ideas for SLPs (or future SLPs) for holidays, graduation, birthdays, etc.  And if we’re being honest, they’re all on my list this year!

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Speech-Language Pathologist Art Print Gift – Sound Wave & Art Poster:

Who doesn’t love a nerdy sound wave poster to hang in their office?  Grab this on Etsy for $20-199 depending on size.

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Personalized Tumbler Cup:

SLPs are superheroes!  This is available for $12 on Etsy in 28 color choices!

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iTunes gift cards – apps, music, & more:

Whether they want to download a sweet SLP app for use in therapy or some de-stressing tunes, an iTunes gift card is a great idea for most SLPs!  You can send them via e-mail for $10-100 too!  You can also gift one of my Top 10 Speech & Language Apps to gift!

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Bottle Labels:

Wine is the official evening drink of SLPs and The Peachie Speechie has designed these GREAT Wine labels for $3.  Pair them with a great bottle of vino for an added effect!

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Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card:

Teachers Pay Teachers offers incredible resources at an affordable price.  Help your favorite SLP help their clients by providing a gift card for $5-500!

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Speech Sticky Notes:

Every time I see these at ASHA I giggle.  Only SLPs would want to jot down a note on a larynx.  Grab these for $5 each or $15 for a set of 4 at Blue Tree Publishing!

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Laminators:

SLPs love lamination almost as much as teachers.  Being able to laminate materials is extremely helpful!  Grab a laminator for under $50.  Throw in some lamination sheets too!

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ASL I Love You Badge Holder:

I have never been a fan of lanyards for my badge.  So I love this ID holder.  Plus, who doesn’t love the ASL sign for “I Love You”?  Enjoy this for $8 on Etsy!

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Oliblock Magnets:

I first found this company on Instagram.  After receiving some samples I can’t stop raving about them!  These are like magnetic paperclips that are perfect for organizing my planner and papers or sticking something to the fridge/filing cabinet!  They come in tons of fun colors too!  Grab them on Etsy for $5.99>.

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Magnetic Hourglass:

I don’t know why I think this is so awesome but I just love it.  I can see SLPs using this for a timer for groups, for a minute of peace, or just to be a really cool decoration in their office.  It’s available for $19.99 at The Container Store.

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All the caffeine!:

Sometimes the only thing getting you through the day is that delicious dirty chai tea latte on your desk.  Now, most people will say to grab a Starbucks gift card for your favorite SLP.  Those are great!  I also love finding local coffee shops when possible!  Any amount that will pay for at least 1-2 drinks is appreciated!

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Super Duper Gift Card:

Tons of great materials live at Super Duper.  The SLP in your life would LOVE to go shopping on the site!  Grab a Gift Certificate for any whole dollar amount!

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Speech Bubble Goodies:

Speech bubbles of anything are a great gift for SLPs!  Here are a few ideas!

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Hand Sanitizer:

It’s a germy, germy world out there.  SLPs don’t need soap or lotion… they need SANITATION!  I love the stress relief version from Bath & Body Works.  2 Birds … 1 Stone!  These are $5 each but any brand is good!

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iPad:

iPads are an incredible tool for organization, therapy, fun, and more.  This is the gift for SLPs.  Mini, Air, and Pro are all great options for $269-1,079.

I hope this gives you some great ideas for goodies for the favorite SLP in your life.  Even if that SLP is yourself!  Happy Holidays!

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.

~A. A. Milne

Summer is a great time to get ready for the busy Autumn ahead.  No matter what setting you are in, organization is a key element to successful therapy.  This year I have put together 2 organizational tools for you.

The first is mainly for School therapists.  This SLP Organizer is perfect for creating a custom organizer for all of those dates and paperwork you need!

Pre-made cover

Various section pages for organization and a blank template for additional areas.

Year at a glance for 2 years, 12 months of monthly calendars, 3 types of To-Do List pages.

Meeting Notes, Schedule, Lesson Plans, Communication Log, Progress Chart, Therapy Notes, Caseload, & Student Attendance Log.

Year at a Glance IEP/Eval Dates, IEP at a Glance, IEP Meeting Notes, Monthly Eval Dates, CEU Course Log, CEU Notes, Blank templates

This product can be found here and is on sale for the remainder of July!

For more generic planning I have put together an SLP Planning Calendar:

Fun cover

Weekly Calendars with quotes

Weekly Calendars with quotes

Weekly Calendars with quotes

Weekly Calendars with quotes

Monthly Calendars with quotes (June ’14-September ’15)

Dates to Remember Page

Notes Page

This product can be found here and is on sale for the remainder of July!

And, if you’re in need of the simple basics, a simple wall calendar may be more of your style.  Here is an example of a wall calendar that I created:

This product can be found here and is on sale for the remainder of July!

The most important thing about becoming an organized SLP is to find a system that works for you.  No two SLP organizational systems are the same.  Please share your organizational tips below!

Q: Are google docs HIPAA compliant?
A: This answer is a little ambiguous.  I found a few articles that spell out some answers (Click here and Here) but I would caution you against using information such as DOB or SSN.  Other information, if you store it correctly (Security setting for you only to be able to view it!) then you should be safe with most information.