De Facto Leaders
Episodes
Audiobooks, homework research, and the "read for 20 minutes" rule
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If the schools are devoting time and money to improving reading instruction, how should the rest of the day look for kids as it pertains to literacy? ...
Unlocking success through sensory processing and team collaboration (with Maude Le Roux)
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When I first learned about the field of occupational therapy, I had a very superficial understanding of what it entailed. In the school systems, it se...
High school language therapy: Do we still have time to make an impact? (with Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz)
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Language therapy often focuses on early intervention; but what happens if students continue to struggle with language in the high school years? Many ...
The six stages of financial independence for therapists and educators (with Ben Hockema)
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Ben Hockema and I discuss how to create a solid financial plan in your career so you can focus your time and energy on the impac...
Building financial literacy from elementary school through adulthood (with Ben Hockema)
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Executive functioning and financial literacy go hand-in-hand; which is why money management should be a part of any K-12 curriculum. Much of this has...
Becoming a school founder and empowering students through project-based learning (with Tanya Sheckley)
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many people working in K-12 education have ambitions to start their own company where they have the ability to redesign the way student learning happe...
Developing a cultural competemility mindset for educators and clinicians (with Melanie Evans)
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many clinicians are trained to focus on checklists and evaluations so we can walk in to work confident; knowing exactly what our protocols are. And w...
Are we being too child-focused in our therapy planning?
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
People working in the schools are often expected to make everything a priority all the time, without consideration of how they might be able to manage...
No, kids do not learn to read and write naturally (with Melanie Brethour)
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Skeptics of the Science of Reading claim that the current push for evidence-based reading instruction is just another pendulum swing. Yet if you look...
Creating an intentional career and life with alter egos (with Meg Niman)
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many leadership initiatives in education need to come from the topâŠBut change can happen when direct service providers emerge as leaders on their te...
Cell phones, 1:1 device initiatives, and homework policies in K-12 education (with Dr. John Burkey)
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learners in K-12 settings have changed over the past 25 years, and what were considered best practices in the 1990s may no longer work for learners in...
Increasing access to instructional programs in rural districts (with Chris Dodge)
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If youâre providing therapy or tutoring services, contracting with schools, or offering professional development to K-12 professionals, you wonât ...
Why arenât my students generalizing? (social skills groups, organizing tools)
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Social skills groups have been widely criticized recently. Theyâre often labeled as ableist and not neurodiversity-affirming.I also take issue with ...
BONUS: Accessible career exploration in K-12 education (with Matthew Chaussee)
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us still donât know what we want to be when we grow up, but at least we know more than we did when we wanted to be pro athletes or âmovie ...
Time blindness, anxiety, and behavior management
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When kids have a poor sense of time, the common response is to give them a planner or some kind of a timer.While these tools may be a part of your str...
How to read the room, speak with confidence, and sell your ideas (with Roberta Ndlela)
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to learn how to present information to school boards, administration, or other leadership or land more speaking engagements, you wonât w...
How to help teens get comfortable with discomfort and pursue meaningful work (with Joey Mascio)
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Teenâs brains are wired to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy. On top of that their prefrontal cortex isnât fully developed yet, which...
Is K-12 education preparing kids for the workforce? (with The Fabulous Learning Nerds)
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The whole point of school is to prepare kids for adult life, but many people worry we arenât giving kids what they need.Whether kids go right into t...
Perspective-taking for therapists, educators, and school leaders (with Lynn Hardin)
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In some of the work we do with students, we may have to help them interpret the actions of others or help them understand how theyâre coming across....
What are tech and curriculum companies doing for K-12 education? (with Meg Hearn)
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In K-12 education, thereâs been a recent push to go digital, and many educators are wondering if people creating the products have the kidsâ best ...
Using private practice to offer accessible services and advocate for your profession (with Ebony Green)
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most people involved in K-12 education arenât in it for the money, but with high caseloads and low pay; a lot of people are considering a career tra...
Professional learning communities and curriculum reform in public and private education (with Tom Conroy)
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many of my listeners donât know this, but I went to a private Catholic school until 8th grade before transitioning to a public high school. I had w...
Using K-12 education to create opportunities and find your calling (with Dr. Joseph Williams III)
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If kids havenât developed certain academic skills by a certain age, their ability to advance in their education diminishes. This means the opportuni...
Should I get my doctorate? (with Dr. Christy Borders)
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Iâm excited to share episode 127 of De Facto Leaders about a common debate for therapists and teachers:âIs it worth it to get a doctorate?âIn th...
Behind the scenes of a K-12 staffing company (with Ryan Cleaveland)
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many clinicians start their careers feeling unprepared to navigate the job market. In a lot of professional groups, Iâve noticed a skepticism towar...
The Authority: Baruti Kafele on The Equity & Social Justice Education 50
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Iâm sharing an interview from another host on the BE podcast network because I think itâs something youâll really enjoy. The episode ...
Time perception, anxiety, and future pacing
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When I was younger I was fixated on clocks and the passage of time. Itâs accurate to say it was an obsession of mine, to the point that it caused me...
Meditation for educators and the art of giving 85% (with Danny Bauer)
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I have a love/hate relationship with meditation and mindfulness. I know I should do it. I even talk about why itâs beneficial. But I never want to d...
Creating equitable systems for K-12 math (with Jonathan Regino)
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do flashcards help improve basic numeracy skills? Should we use calculators as a special education accommodation? How many years of math do we reall...
Executive functioning for college students: Beyond checklists and planners (with Jill Fahy)
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What if young adults are still prompt-dependent when they go away to college? Or what if they and their parents arenât aware of how much support th...
Do we all have an inner voice (and if not, should we try to develop one)?
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In different discussion groups, Iâve heard the claim that up to 50% of people donât have an inner voice. Â Since much of my work has focused on me...
Career transitions and improv for educators and therapists (with Aimee Davis)
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If youâve ever thought about leaving the school systems, you may have wondered what options you have as far as jobs go.Maybe you feel burnt out, or ...
Teacher-centered leadership (with Dr. Chris Jones)
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many people who are involved in K-12 education want to be âstudent-centeredâ, but what if thatâs not the most effective place for leaders to put...
Coaching aspiring leaders in school turn-around and community outreach (with Edward Gordon II)
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Evidence-based practices and high-quality curriculum are important, but they arenât the ONLY things school leaders need to think about. We canât ...
Post-traumatic growth and 1-minute interventions (with Dr. Mike Gaskell)
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thereâs a lot of talk about risk factors in education; but not as much focus on protective factors. Thatâs why I invited Dr. Mike Gaskell to epis...
Leveraging the power of teletherapy to provide high-quality services (with Lynne Inabnitt)
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When the pandemic hit, many clinicians had to unexpectedly transition to online therapy, which raised a lot of concerns about treatment quality.Can yo...
Trauma-informed care for therapists, teachers, and school leaders (with Rachel Archambault)
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Those of us working in K-12 education interact with students and staff who have experienced trauma whether weâre aware of the specific events or not...
Do school leaders need coaching? (with Dan Kelley)
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of professional development is still delivered in the lecture or workshop format, even though thereâs evidence that this model doesnât have ...
Making literacy accessible and equitable (with Cassandra Williams)
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Supporting language and decoding are important pieces of helping kids grow up to be successful readers. But making it happen is way more complex than ...
How to "lead up" to your school administrator (with Jethro Jones)
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do if your school administrator doesnât fully understand your role and your expertise?What if you have the information and knowledge the...
Supporting self-regulation in K-12 kids (with Lisa Navarra)
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
âBehavior problemsâ are an external sign of whatâs going on internally. In order to support kids who are being referred for behavioral concerns...
Empathy, masking, and situational awareness
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do autistic people experience empathy? Does masking cause trauma? How do we help neurodivergent kids form relationships in a way thatâs acceptin...
Can my principal evaluate me if they've never done my job? (with Eric Makelky)
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If youâre a therapist or educator working in the schools, thereâs a high probability that the administrator who does your employee evaluation isnâ...
How to do multilingual evaluations as a monolingual therapist (with Meg Morgan)
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Doing a quality evaluation when youâre assessing things like language can be a challenge because there isnât one âmagic bulletâ test that give...
How to make social skills intervention evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whatâs evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming shouldnât be in opposition. Effective interventions that build resilience and help kids build h...
Trauma, reactive attachment disorder, and supporting families (with Sharon Fuller)
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I was honored to have Sharon Fuller, founder of The Attachment Place, LLC as a guest for episode 106 of the âDe Facto Leadersâ podcast. Â Sharon ...
Do video games improve cognitive performance?
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2022, a study was published in JAMA Network Open with a compelling title: âVideo gaming may be associated with better cognitive performance in ch...
Unions, collective bargaining, and getting your voice heard (with Michael Campbell)
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many people in education and healthcare know that lobbying and advocacy needs to happen; but many people donât know whose responsibility it is or ho...
Self-care cabaret for teachers, therapists, and school leaders (with Dr. Theresa-Melito Conners)
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Weâve all sat through some boring professional development before; but thereâs nothing boring about the training youâll get from Dr. MC, the gue...
The science of reading: A team approach (with Brett Stevens)
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of approaches to teaching kids to read; but not all of them are effective. This is especially important for kids with disabilities who...
How school therapists can lead schools in providing district-wide executive functioning supports
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Strong executive functioning skills can help kids to be resilient, adaptable, and independent. These characteristics are going to be essential for...
Working with your building principal to create a win-win-win (with Dr. Gastrid Harrigan)
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 100 of the âDe Facto Leadersâ podcast, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Gastrid Harrigan has been an educator for over 19 yea...
Cleft palate, resonance disorders, and market research (with Allison Fors)
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 99 of the âDe Facto Leadersâ podcast, I had the opportunity to interview Allison Fors, who is a pediatric SLP-A, mom to a child with a ...
How to become a children's book author (with Valerie Doherty)
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 98 of the âDe Facto Leadersâ podcast, Â I had the opportunity to interview childrenâs book author and veteran SLP, Valerie Doherty. ...
Getting a âYesâ from your school administrator (with Marva Mount)
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 97 of the âDe Facto Leadersâ podcast, I had the opportunity to interview SLP and Related Services Director, Marva Mount. Marva is a na...
Supporting bilingualism in K-12 kids (with Briana Wagner)
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Iâm SO excited to share episode 96 of the âDe Facto Leadersâ podcast, where I sat down with Bilingual School Psychologist, Briana Wagner. Briana...
Creating therapy materials to serve your caseload and build a business (with Hallie Sherman)
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 95 of the âDe Facto Leadersâ podcast I sat down with Hallie Sherman, a school speech-language pathologist, blogger, and business owner ...
Using YouTube to support clients and foster innovation (with Clay Hadden)
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 94 of the âDe Facto Leadersâ podcast I sat down with Clay Hadden (a.k.a. Mister Clay), a private practice SLP and YouTuber from South C...
Mistakes I made and points of clarity (working memory, attention, positive reinforcement)
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Iâm continually learning and developing my understanding of language and executive functioning, as well as how to help teams work together to better...
Recovering from burnout (with Angie Merced)
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Therapist burnout is prevalent among SLPs, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals supporting K-12 kids. Thatâs why I was so excited...
How to help students generalize skills (even if you only see them once a week)
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Generalization is one of the most common complaints I hear from school therapists, regardless of the discipline. If youâre a clinician, you know ho...
Creating grassroots movements to support kids in your community (with Merlin Anderson)
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thereâs a lot of talk within the therapy world about effective therapy strategies; but thereâs NOT a lot of talk about how to get funding so progr...
What district wide activities are relevant to school therapists?
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If youâre a school therapist, youâve likely been asked to do a lot of things within the school system that donât seem totally relevant to your r...
De Facto Leaders: A New Show Title and Direction
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Iâm excited to officially announce the new direction for the podcast! The show is now called âDe Facto Leadersâ (it was formerl...
What to do when the IEP team doesn't agree
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part of a school therapistâs job is getting buy-in from the entire IEP team, but that can be difficult to do when team members donât agree on what...
Navigating workplace conflict and getting team buy-in
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most powerful ways to provide comprehensive services for K-12 kids is by collaborating with other therapists and teachers⊠Which is why i...
Effective clinical supervision and creating leadership opportunities
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If youâre a pediatric therapist or service provider, chances are you do some form of âsupervisingâ, whether itâs in your job title or not. P...
Why you should plan for service delivery instead of planning for therapy
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest challenges for pediatric therapists is making sure their caseload has support across the day and across settings. This becomes incr...
How to provide high-quality support for your caseload with the "asset stack" method
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of your clinical training taught you how to be a good clinician.But often it doesnât teach you how to "work the system" and get your kids what...
The Danger of the Comfort Zone
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 82, I sit down with my friend and mentor Stephanie Hayes and talk about comfort zones. I share my experiences within the context of my pers...
Whose job is it to work on executive functioning?
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the School of Clinical Leadership, Iâve devoted an entire suite of programs to educating professionals on executive functioning. Even though th...
Career âtest-runsâ and calming your inner critic (with Stephanie Hayes)
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Iâm sharing a special conversation with my mentor, friend, and business consultant, Stephanie Hayes. Stephanie specializes in build...
The low-risk way to explore career pivots (for therapists)
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thereâs often a typical expected career path for pediatric clinicians, regardless of the discipline. It can often feel a bit constraining, especiall...
The Levels of Clinical Leadership
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of the clinicians I work with feel very âboxed inâ when it comes to the typical career path for therapists. Theyâre boxed in by the way th...
Donât avoid problems. Plan for them.
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of challenges that we face as therapists; but not all of them need to prevent us from delivering quality services. By facing our probl...
Creating assets and leverage to amplify the impact of your services
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When people talk about assets, theyâre often thinking about personal finance. Theyâre talking about things like real estate, index funds, crypto a...
Therapists are leaders in disguise
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most common questions I get is âWhat am I supposed to do in therapy with students/clients?â Many of my readers want to know what strate...
Why "work-life balance" is unattainable (and what to do instead)
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Therapists and teachers (and anyone else in a âhelping peopleâ profession) always have to take care of OTHER peopleâŠwhich is hard to do if youâ...
DLD, CAPD, dyslexia, hyperlexia and supporting literacy
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Therapists and educators supporting K-12 literacy have a lot of diagnoses and labels to navigate, and some of them are controversial. In some debates...
How to make syntax instruction useful for the real world
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Schools often get criticized for not teaching enough âreal worldâ skills to kids, and thereâs a lot of truth to that statement. Most of the ther...
Whatâs really causing âtopic maintenanceâ issues?
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Topic maintenance is a skill Iâve seen on many language therapy IEPs in the category of âpragmatic languageâ, but often itâs a surface-level s...
Why I don't use language therapy goal banks
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I get a lot of questions about how to write language therapy goals⊠I ALSO get a lot of questions about whether I offer goal banks in any of my cour...
Defining Vocabulary: It's more complicated than you think
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When people ask me where they should start in language therapy, I usually say they should start by building vocabulary. That usually results in a coup...
Language therapy: Managing info overload and misinformation
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Back when I first started practicing, I found language therapy to be super overwhelming. There were so many peer-reviewed articles, books, and semina...
Rerelease: Burnout, boundaries, and systems
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 65, I take a break from the regular content to talk about burnout and boundaries; and specifically how I use systems to help me set healthy...
Are kids ready to work on complex sentences in early elementary school?
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 64, I share a Q & A from the Language Therapy Advance Foundations membersâ group about working on complex sentences with students in ...
Navigating dyslexia and working memory goals
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 63, I share a Q & A from the Language Therapy Advance Foundations membersâ group about dyslexia diagnosis and treatment, as well as w...
Childhood anxiety and mental health (with Dr. Ambroes Pass-Turner)
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thereâs been an increase in depression and anxiety in kids in recent years, which is why I wanted to have an expert on the show whoâs had years of...
Building word-retrieval and independent word learning in K-12 kids
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I get a ton of questions about how to support kids who have weak word-retrieval, so I wanted to share a powerful technique you can use to address this...
Traveling with autistic kids (with Dawn Barclay)
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to supporting autistic kids, Iâve come across a lot of resources that help with the home and school environments. But many families a...
ADHD coaching for young adults (with Lori Melnitsky)
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to working on executive functioning and âsocial skillsâ, one of the biggest complaints I hear from therapists is that their clients ...
How to build social problem-solving skills (without being ableist)
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you know if an intervention is neurodiversity affirming and evidence-based? Are child-led interventions actually in a childâs best interest? ...
Demystifying the âspecific learning disabilityâ (with Jil Stauter)
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating the special education eligibility process is confusing for all parties involved (parents, professionals, etc.). Â Thatâs why I wanted to...
What to do when your child is stuttering (with Lauren Haines)
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk with Lauren Haines from Busy Bee Speech about childhood stuttering.Many people donât realize this, but there are a TON of mi...
Life after high school: Are your kids ready? (with Kim Duckworth)
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sit down with college admissions coach Kim Duckworth from Bridge Education Center to talk about helping kids expand their options a...
Collaboration, literacy, and surviving due process (with Joann Briggs)
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Are they 18 yet?âą, I talk with my friend and former colleague, Joann Briggs.Joann was a special education teacher in the public s...
Making sense of developmental milestones
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, the Center for Disease control updated the early developmental milestones, and there's been a lot of debate about what this means. In a lot ...
Scaffolding: What it is and how to use it to help kids be more resilient (with Brittany Bohach)
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We donât want to be âhelicopter parentsâ who coddle our kidsâŠbut we donât want to be so militant that we traumatize them either. When it co...
Interpreting âchallenging behaviorsâ and meltdowns (with Brittany Bohach)
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When kids show negative behaviors, itâs often because theyâre struggling to do what theyâre being asked to do. This unfortunately happens a lot ...
Natural treatments and ADHD: Spotting the fallacy
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are "natural" remedies really better when it comes to ADHD, autism, and related conditions? What does it mean to use a "natural" treatment or interven...