In this episode, I’m answering FAQs from the School of Clinical Leadership members about supporting students’ executive functioning.I answer the following questions:What is frontloading, and why is it useful for students experiencing executive dysfunction and anxiety?When is it best to use structured, explicit instruction, and when is it best to let students figure things out on their own?How do you help students who won’t complete work unless they have an adult sitting next to them?How do we provide ENOUGH support for students who need explicit instruction, but not so much that we’re making students prompt dependent?What can school staff do if parents aren’t setting boundaries with kids at home?How can we support parents who are struggling with bed times and morning routines? This Q & A was done for members of the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that teaches related service providers how to support executive functioning in the K-12 setting. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/lta-foundations-enrollment-2-web-fbI also mentioned my Time Tracking Journal tool, which provides a strategy that helps children build the executive functioning skills they need to complete multistep tasks. You can learn more about the Time Tracking Journal here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/timejournalYou can sign up for the free executive functioning training called “How to be evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming with executive functioning support” here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efleadershipI mentioned an additional examples of frontloading for social situations in this previous podcast episode: EP 167: Executive Functioning Support: Three Paradigm Shifts for School Teams. Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-167-a-framework-for-executive-functioning-intervention-three-shifts-for-school-teams/Finally, I mention the explicit instruction framework by Anita Archer and Charles Hughes. Link here: https://explicitinstruction.org/  We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

A good school leader knows how to protect their staff from initiatives and fires they may need to put out on a regular basis. In many cases if you’re unaware of everything your school administrator is dealing with, it means they’re doing their job well. This lack of awareness of what happens behind-the-scenes may mean little appreciation for everything administrators are dealing with. While negative perceptions exist towards teachers and other school staff members as well, the public tends to be even more unforgiving towards those in leadership positions. Yet despite all the negativity, I’m optimistic. Part of that is because of the many conversations I’ve had with public sector leaders. When you remove the parts from the whole, and speak with the individuals who are part of the bigger system, it's easier to see past the politics and have an appreciation for the work being done. That’s why I’m highlighting impactful clips from three past interviews focused on the struggles of school leaders, as well as what’s possible when we put the right supports in place for students, teachers, and the people leading them. These interviews feature discussions on:✅The impact of social media on the perception of education, and shedding light on the “behind-the-scenes” challenges of principals. ✅The importance of positive adult role models in shaping kids’ beliefs about what’s ✅The power of K-12 education in creating life opportunities.  ✅Using meditation to decrease disciplinary write-ups and increase your own creative problem-solving.✅How to use the 85% rule to support your mental health and show up for your students. You can listen to the full interviews here along with guest bios:EP 114: Do school leaders need coaching? (with Dan Kelley) Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-114-do-school-leaders-need-coaching-with-dan-kelley/EP 128: Using K-12 education to create opportunities and find your calling (with Dr. Joseph Williams) Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-128-using-k-12-education-to-create-opportunities-and-find-your-calling-with-dr-joseph-williams-iii/EP 124: Meditation for educators and the art of giving 85% (with Danny Bauer) Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-124-meditation-for-educators-and-the-art-of-giving-85-with-danny-bauer/In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Many people classify swallowing and feeding intervention as a “medical” service that shouldn’t be addressed in the schools.  This is a very black and white (and inaccurate) way of thinking. Children with complex medical needs have a right to FAPE. Measuring whether or not students are accessing their curriculum can’t be solely based on grades; which is unfortunately what many teams default to when it comes to determining if services and accommodations are educationally relevant. That’s why I invited pediatric swallowing and feeding specialist Carolyn Dolby to the De Facto Leaders podcast to talk about what school teams can, and SHOULD be doing for swallowing and feeding in the schools. Carolyn Dolby, MS, CCC-SLP, specializes in pediatric feeding and swallowing evaluations and interventions as the Dysphagia Support Speech Language Pathologist for a large public school in the Pacific NorthWest. In her prior experience as a clinician, she has served populations across the lifespan in medical, in-home, and private practice settings. Her graduate-level courses for the University of Houston prepare the next generation of school-based dysphagia providers. In her ‘Bite-Sized Advice’ private practice, she provides consultation services and dysphagia support nationwide. She presents locally and nationally with a focus on delivering dynamic dysphagia services.In this conversation, we discuss:✅The phases of swallowing, including the “pre-oral phase” schools need to consider.✅How the environment and events leading up to meal times impact a kid's ability to eat safely and efficiently in the lunchroom. ✅Why the “curriculum” isn’t just about academic areas, and removing a child from an opportunity to socialize can be a violation of their rights. ✅Children need to be able to access their LRE. They can’t do this if they can’t maintain adequate nutrition and hydration across the school day.✅Court cases, legal mandates, and which “medical” services schools should be providing. You can connect with Carolyn at c1dobly@gmail.com.Listen to the School of Speech Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAqLI0-BOrrL4ftJWyDf1HewdiHAjKGuJ Listen to my interview on the School of Speech Podcast called “Positioning Yourself as a Literacy and Executive Functioning Expert on Your School Team” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmY0MR6H7QM&list=PLAqLI0-BOrrL4ftJWyDf1HewdiHAjKGuJ&index=4Resources mentioned in this episode:Emily Homer’s Students Eat Safely Website. Link here: https://www.emilymhomer.comThe International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) website: https://iddsi.orgIn this episode, I mention Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Helping families feel involved in their child’s school experience is a challenge; and underrepresented populations may often feel like their voices aren’t being heard.While it can help if school staff buy in to the idea of family engagement, it’s difficult for schools to make it happen without the right systems in place. That’s why I invited Ari Gerzon-Kessler to episode 200 of De Facto Leaders to talk about the “Families and Educators Together”, or FET team framework he’s developed. Ari Gerzon-Kessler is a sought after speaker and professional learning provider. He is the author of “On The Same Team: Bringing Educators & Underrepresented Families Together,” which won the Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards for outstanding education book of 2024. Ari is a speaker, trainer, and coach working with schools and districts committed to forging stronger school-family partnerships. He also leads the Family Partnerships department for the Boulder Valley School District (CO).Ari has been an educator since 2000, having served as a principal and bilingual teacher. In 2006, Ari was a recipient of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund. As principal, his school received the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award in 2013. His leadership efforts to strengthen partnerships with underrepresented families and dismantle unjust practices was featured in Education Week in 2015.In this conversation, we discuss:✅How to get and keep families engaged in the “Families and Educators Together” (FET) Team✅What’s the difference between the PTO and the FET team, and how can these two teams work together.✅“Event-based” planning versus “Engagement-based” planning?✅Using a combination of technology and in-person events to increase equity and help families feel more included in their children’s school experience.✅How to set up systems that enable educators to have regular positive communication with families. In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadershipLearn more about Ari’s workshops, articles, and resources here: https://tinyurl.com/4yaszyknYou can connect with Ari on LinkedIn here: www.linkedin.com/in/arigerzon-kesslerConnect with him on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ari.gerzonkessler/Get his book  “On The Same Team: Bringing Educators & Underrepresented Families Together,” here: https://www.solutiontree.com/on-the-same-team.htmlEmail him at arigerzon@gmail.com. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Finding the resources and funding for learning tools and enriching events is a consistent challenge for many districts. The PTO is often a largely underutilized resource, but most people cringe at the thought of having to attend one more committee meeting, especially in the evenings. Yet a well-run PTO can help take some of the load off of school staff and leverage resources in the community.That’s why I was excited to talk to Christina Hidek from PTO Answers about how school staff and PTOs can work together. Christina Hidek is a recovering attorney turned Professional Organizer and certified PTO volunteer nerd. She founded PTO Answers 7 years ago to boost family engagement in schools and empower parents to improve their child’s educational experience and school community through PTA/PTO involvement. She’s been an active PTO leader for the past 14 years and hosts the vibrant 7900 plus member Super Star PTO Leaders Facebook Group. When she’s not volunteering, you can find her in her garden, listening to the latest Katherine Center audiobook or walking the family dogs.In this conversation, we discuss:✅How to get people to show up to the first PTO meeting (hint: It’s not by asking, “Hey, want to join the PTO?”)✅Ways people can get involved if they can’t come to PTO meetings.✅Examples of low-maintenance, high-profit fundraisers.✅Deciding what events and initiatives are a priority for your district.✅Creative ways to get resources, funding, and donations. Here’s where you can go to connect with Christina: On Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ptoanswers On Pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/ptoanswers On YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ptoanswersTake a look at her website here: https://ptoanswers.com/Sign up for the PTO/Teachers Collaboration Guide here: https://ptoanswers.com/teachers/Join the PTO Super Star Leaders Facebook Group: https://ptoanswers.com/community  We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Teachers and school leaders often feel like they have to be “everything to everyone”. Not only are educators expected to deliver high-quality instruction in traditional academic areas, they’re also expected to provide social-emotional support, vocational training, and everything in between.When it comes to supporting mental health, this can be a tricky ethical line to walk when you’re trained as a teacher and not as a clinician. Additionally, school staff are constantly trying to manage their own mental health needs, which is a challenge when the public tends to be unforgiving. That’s why I invited Dr. Hayley Watson to episode 198 of De Facto Leaders to talk about how to help teachers support mental health in a way that falls within their scope. Dr. Hayley Watson is the founder and CEO of Open Parachute, a Tier 1 K-12 curriculum program that supports the mental health of students, teachers, and parents. She is also an author and Clinical Psychologist and holds a PhD in school bullying interventions. She has been creating and delivering programs for youth and practitioners across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia for the past 20 years.In this conversation, we discuss:✅Special education accommodations feel like “extra” work for teachers: Embedding mental health into Tier 1 curriculum solves this problem.✅Why talking about mental health in general education helps educate peers on diverse learning needs.✅Destigmatizing mental health and giving youth the language to talk about self-regulation and self-care. ✅Service delivery models: Why we need BOTH structured, explicit intervention and real-life practice in social-emotional curriculums.You can learn more about Open Parachute and Dr. Watson’s mental health curriculum for schools on her website here: https://openparachuteschools.com/Listen to her TEDx talk “Youth Mental Health is not as complicated as we make it out to be” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVZdMXK4kvk&t=2shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVZdMXK4kvk&t=2sConnect with Dr. Watson on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-hayley-watson-2b249a16/In this conversation, I mentioned this previous episode: EP 151: Does your system support your policy and your curriculum (with Jalita Johnson) here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-151-does-your-system-support-your-policy-and-your-curriculum-with-jalita-johnson/In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

“Scaffolding” has become a buzzword when it comes to helping kids become more independent with academic and functional tasks, but it's only useful if people know what it means. Watching students or your own children struggle to transition or complete daily tasks can be uncomfortable for both the adults and children. As a result, it can be easy to get pulled in to a situation where kids become prompt-dependent. That’s why I invited Rebecca Robbins to De Facto Leaders to talk about how to use declarative statements and strategic pausing to increase independence. Rebecca Robbins is a speech language pathologist who has spent the bulk of her career helping children, young adults, and families impacted by autism. She has worked in various settings over the course of her career including a private school for children with autism, Early Intervention & Preschool agency work, as well as a public school. She is now the proud owner of Mind ShaperSLP, LLC where she provides 1:1 speech therapy, executive functioning and life skills coaching for individuals and social skills groups. In addition, Rebecca provides parent online training programs and consultation services. Rebecca currently lives in Pennsylvania, and provides services in The Hudson Valley, NY and in Montgomery County, PA.In this conversion, we discuss:✅Parent coaching: It’s emphasized in early intervention, so why aren’t we doing it for school-age kids and adolescents?✅What does it mean to “act as kids’ executive functioning”?✅Directive statements, explicit teaching, reflective questions, and pauses: How to use these strategies to fade prompts.✅Getting started with coaching and consulting: What strategies can we teach adjacent disciplines and caregivers to improve carryover?You can connect with Rebecca and learn about her therapy services and online programs for Autistic clients here: https://mindshaperslp.com/Connect with her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mindshaperslp/Connect with her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/MindShaperSLP/In this episode, we mention Linda Murphy’s Declarative Handbook and website. You can learn more about Linday Murphy’s work on her website here: https://www.lindakmurphy.com/declarative-languageIn this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

For episode 196 of De Facto Leaders, I share a Q & A session where I talk through how to write language therapy goals that are both trackable and functional.This is just one of many Q & A sessions I’m planning on sharing where I talk through how to find the balance between focusing on external behaviors that allow us to document progress and internal cognitive processes.I also talk about when to focus on “observable” language skills vs. strategy-based goals; especially when addressing both language and executive functioning skills. Throughout the session, you’ll hear examples related to working on skills like syntax, semantic feature study, vocabulary, and cognitive processes that support language comprehension. This Q & A session was done in the member’s group for Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs build a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here : https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

For episode 195 of De Facto Leaders, I share a Q & A session where I talk through ways to navigate evaluations; including considering a test's psychometric properties, how detailed it gets, and how to supplement with non-standardized protocols. In the second half, I talked about SLP career transitions and things to think about if you want to explore other ways to use your clinical credentials or are considering getting a doctorate or additional certifications. *This discussion on career pathways is also relevant for other clinical disciplines outside of speech-language pathology. I also talk about how to do "micro-experiments" that help you build skills and explore other ways to use your skills and build up a portfolio of experience you can use to transition to the next stage of your career.his Q & A session was done in the member’s group for Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs build a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapyAdditional episodes mentioned in this discussion:EP 80: Career test runs and calming your inner critic with Stephanie Hayes (Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-80-career-test-runs-and-calming-your-inner-critic-with-stephanie-hayes/)EP 108: How to do multilingual evaluations as a monolingual therapist (with Meg Morgan) (Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-108-how-to-do-multilingual-evaluations-as-a-monolingual-therapist-with-meg-morgan/)EP 186: Supporting multilingual students and taking part in state and national advocacy work (with Puja Goel and Prabhu Eswaran) (Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-186-supporting-multilingual-students-and-taking-part-in-state-and-national-advocacy-work-with-puja-goel-and-prabhu-eswaran/)EP 187: Dynamic assessment: Evaluations are a process, not a test (with Destiny Johnson)(Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-187-dynamic-assessment-evaluations-are-a-process-not-a-test-with-destiny-johnson/) We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Many therapists feel as though they have limited upward mobility in their careers. Graduate programs understandably focus on direct clinical practice and understanding evidence-based practices.Unfortunately, this leaves many clinicians unprepared to navigate policy work, salary negotiations, or running a business. This makes many therapists less confident in advocating for reasonable caseloads or better compensation because they feel they have limited options for earning a living. That’s why I invited Rachel Archambault to episode 194 to talk about how state and local policy impacts clinical disciplines and how therapists can expand their career options. Rachel Archambault M.A. CCC-SLP is an award-winning speaker and consultant for trauma-informed care as well as a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP). She collaborates with service providers (SLPs, doctors, PT/OT, etc.), parents, businesses (schools, hospitals, universities, rehab), and communities to incorporate trauma-informed care into their setting. In 2018, Rachel was an SLP at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL when an internationally publicized traumatic event happened at her workplace. After wondering how she could better work with her students (and self) who had undergone trauma, she found trauma-informed care. Her lived experience of trauma in combination with her profession allow her to bridge the gap for SLPs and other service providers who want to learn about and implement trauma-informed care in any setting. Rachel is a neurodivergent SLP, (PTSD & ADHD) and advocates for mental health trainings for SLPs. Rachel uses her unique journey to help put a face to trauma for healthcare providers, parents, and universities.In this conversion, we discuss:✅Negotiating salary for SLPs at the district level and giving public comment. ✅Making a case for districts to hire additional clinicians; including how to show the negative impact of high caseload numbers. ✅How to stay informed and understand how state and local policy impacts your ability to provide quality services. ✅Common knowledge gaps for clinicians; including people management, business operations, sales, marketing, and personal finance. Listen to Rachel’s previous interview on De Facto Leaders here: EP 115: Trauma-informed care for therapists, teachers, and school leaders (with Rachel Archambault) Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-115-trauma-informed-care-for-therapists-teachers-and-school-leaders-with-rachel-archambault/You can learn more about Rachel’s services or how to book her for a speaking engagement here: https://www.ptsdslp.com/Follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/ptsd.slp/Follow her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/PTSD.SLP/Connect with her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-archambault/Listen to the Speech Science Podcast here: https://www.speechsciencepodcast.com/episodesIn this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.