Today I’m welcoming my colleagues (and friends) Sarah and Lisa from SLP Toolkit, to share with you how they quickly and efficiently gather data for a transfer student. You know…the one that shows up with an IEP that expires in three days. It’s happened to all of us right?[spacer height=”20px”]
Just for a little background info, SLP Toolkit is a web based software program that was created by two speech language pathologists. Lisa Kathman and Sarah Bevier. I’ll provide some links at the end of this post so you can learn more. Let’s jump right in and see what they suggest.[spacer height=”20px”]
The transfer student is the bane of every school-based SLP’s existence. The student pops onto your caseload, often with an IEP that is expired or soon to expire, with about 12 goals that you have no idea how the previous SLP even measured.[spacer height=”20px”]
So what if that is the case? The IEP is due immediately and you don’t know the student. The school year is in full swing and you are way beyond the start of the year “getting to know you” activities. How do you get the data you need to write a new IEP for a student you just met?[spacer height=”20px”]
Well, if you have SLP Toolkit in your arsenal, there’s no need to panic! First, you add the student to your caseload and open up a Present Level Assessment (PLA). As a new student, giving all components of the PLA will provide you with a really comprehensive communication profile. These assessments contain both descriptive language (e.g. language sample, narrative or expository retell) and specific skill based (e.g. vocabulary, answering questions, grammar, problem solving) measures. The software scores everything for you, noting areas of strength and need, as well as provides an auto-summary of results that can be copy and pasted into the present levels section of the student’s IEP. [spacer height=”20px”]
With a comprehensive present levels section, the rest of the IEP writes itself since your goals and service time are driven by this information. You can probe areas of weakness further using criterion referenced tests in the ‘Progress Monitoring’ section of SLP Toolkit. Criterion referenced tests measure the student’s performance against a fixed set of predetermined criteria. You will use this information as baseline scores on your IEP goals and then re-test at each grading period using the same measures. To ensure you are writing measurable goals that unfamiliar readers can understand, the SMART goal drop downs in the ‘Goals’ section of SLP Toolkit makes writing an objective, measurable goal a breeze. If any of the students needs can be met through accommodations versus goals (or if these are needed in addition to specialized instruction), you can browse a wide variety of options in the ‘Teacher Strategies/Accommodations’ section of SLP Toolkit.[spacer height=”20px”]
Once your goals are created inside of SLP Toolkit, you can hit the “print” button to access pre-populated data sheets (one less thing to create for this new student!)[spacer height=”20px”]
Transfer students only cause panic if you don’t know what to do with them. With SLP Toolkit on your side, you have a step by step guide to ensure you can develop and carry out a comprehensive treatment plan for any new student on your caseload.[spacer height=”20px”]
Lisa & Sarah, SLP Toolkit[spacer height=”20px”]
One of the most used tools in my bag of tricks! SLP Toolkit has saved me HOURS of work. Now I can easily assess present levels and give accurate, helpful progress reports. And the goal bank to die for. I know and trust this awesome resource so much that I’ve teamed up with SLP Toolkit to provide you this code.Use my code BSL16 and you’ll receive:
$19 to apply to either one free month or towards an annual membership. Just click on the pink rectangle to learn more and sign up. Remember the code is BSL16 for your special discount.
This link is an affiliate link, which means, if you choose to purchase through this link, I’ll earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.. Please understand that I have experience with this company and I recommend it because it’s helpful and useful, not because of the small commission I make if you decide to purchase.
Hey there I’m Anne Page. I help heart centered SLPs and educators put the fun in functional communication. 