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It’s a Special Day at teachmetotalk.com!
Today is a very special day.
Our daughter, Macy, is graduating from the University of Kentucky with her Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
I initially started to write that I’ve worked toward this goal for her whole life, but the truth is, she’s done the work.
When she was 2, I began to take her along on my home visit appointments when one of my little friends needed a friend. There she was, sitting in her car seat snuggled between all my toys bags happily going to work with her momma. Even then I tried to explain her role in what we would be doing saying something like, “Remember me telling you about my friend ____? We are going to his house today. He is learning to talk and play. I am so glad you’ll get to help me.”
One of us coined the term “baby therapist.” I’m not sure if we originally meant to use that label to define my job as a speech-language pathologist, or if it’s what she was… a “baby” therapist.
Her instincts were spot on with kids, even from the beginning. A little client would cry. She would try to comfort him. A kid had trouble sharing a toy as they were playing together. She would gently hand it over. When a child couldn’t say a word, she would do her best to get in his or her tiny face and model it like a pro! During a session when she was only 3 or so, a child we were seeing wanted to sit in my lap – which was rightly Macy’s place in her little mind since I was her mother. I remember her looking at the little girl very compassionately as she deliberately scooted off the middle to perch onto one knee of my crossed legs, leaving plenty of room for the other child to sit down. It was as if she were saying, “She’s my mom, but I’ll gladly let you love her too.”
When she was 6, we opened our first clinic and for the next several years, we ran a wonderful playgroup program for two-year-olds. She spent most of her summer and days off from school going to work with us helping in any way she could. I continued to provide my simple explanations for what was going on with a child and what our goals were. She listened and began to ask some very good questions. At 7 or 8, she talked about things like “sensory needs” as she would try to get a client to run around or dance with her. I watched her skills blossom so that her natural inclination for what to do with a child became better than some of the therapists who worked for us!
Her interest and participation went beyond assisting during therapy. She drew the original boy and girl which became the logo for teachmetotalk. She was a champion cleaner in our office rushing in to vacuum yesterday’s goldfish crumbs if we had forgotten the afternoon before. One of my biggest flaws, not filing progress notes in clients’ hard charts, became a fun game for her. She loved organizing and sorting piles of notes on the floor of the large therapy room in that first office. I can still see her as she deliberately searched to find the correct stack.
She was there as we shot video sessions for our first DVDs. Here she is sitting in my lap (still her spot!) during Teach Me To Talk.
As she grew, she began to identify issues with her peers. In middle school, she would relay an event that had happened during the day at school asking questions like, “Do you think he’s on the spectrum?” She was especially interested in apraxia and autism and talking with me often about things like “motor planning” and “eye contact.” Seriously. As a little girl. She got it!
She traveled across the country with us as we spoke. She set up conference rooms and packed and unpacked therapy manuals for the sales table. She loved standing beside me there and hearing therapists ask questions.
Now before you get the wrong idea, I’ll tell you there were things along the way that didn’t work out exactly as I’d planned. She still can’t listen to my podcast without falling asleep. Apparently, her mother’s voice is more soothing to her than instructive. (But who wants to change that?)
In her undergrad, she was shocked when she unwittingly noticed my treatment manuals on her supervisors’ desks or when one of her friends would tell her she Googled a clinical topic and found the answer on our website. I’m still not sure if she was more mortified or proud when a professor showed one of my Therapy Tip of the Week videos in one of her classes.
We’re both still pretty bummed that ASHA mandates that your CF Mentor can’t be your mom.
Today I’ll be watching as her husband pins her Communication Sciences and Disorders on her beautiful blue and white dress. Because of the Pandemic, this day is very different. No, it’s not the big, formal graduation ceremony that we all dreamed about. People we deeply care about don’t get to be here. A group Zoom call is not the same as walking across the stage in Rupp Arena with your picture on a laptop instead of the giant screen, but it will be “official,” nonetheless.
I am so immensely proud of her and all her hard work.
More than that, I’m happy that now she’s going to live her dream. Do her thing. Take what I’ve tried to teach her and then make it her own.
If you’ve been used to seeing my name and reading my work, watch out. There’s a new SLP in town! Macy Mize Usher. And she is pretty amazing, if I do say so myself!
(P.S. Now that you’ve graduated, I can say this. I am so willing for you to have me a grandbaby anytime you’re ready!)
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Teach Me To Talk Testimonials
Happy Therapists, Teachers, Parents & Children
"Laura, I am a long time follower. You have mentored me from a distance for many years. I've watched many of your courses and purchased 5-6 of your books. I just wanted to take a moment as a sister in Christ to say- --- Thank you!! I'm in my 33rd year as an SLP and still love it! I work in the public schools and have grown my skills along the way with your help. Thank you thank you thank you and, Many blessings to you and your daughter!!!"
Camille, SLP
"Laura,
Three years ago, my then 2year old (adopted) was only saying two words - momma and boat. We had been doing speech therapy for 6 months, and he loved to play, but he was entirely uninterested in talking. A dear friend who is a SLP recommended I look you up online. Since then, I've read your emails, listened to hours of your podcasts, ordered two of your therapy manuals, and watched many of your videos.
My now 5year old tells elaborate stories now, and if you didn't know his background, you would never guess. And thanks to the hours that I have spent with your guidance, when our next son, now a 2.5yr old, didn't talk (after a craniotomy), I had tools to get started with him. His speech has just taken off in the last month or so.
Thank you so much for all that you do to help parents facilitate speech therapy with their kiddos. And thank you for your gentle, confident living of your faith.
God's blessings."
Rachel (mom to 3 boys in a now very noisy house!)
"Hi Laura!
I became an SLP in 2004 and you were my first SLP crush! I was so fortunate to have a supportive school district that allowed me to purchase your videos and the Teach Me to Talk handbook. Not only was the handbook a life saver (I literally called it my Bible lol), but the videos, oh how the videos changed my life, and the lives of the families I worked with! I remember telling my families that they'd love you, not only because you spoke directly to families, jargon free, but also because of your southern dialect. You speak directly and clearly, but never rushed and never over anyone's head, something I highly value. I told families that I could listen to you read the phone book and it would capture my attention. You see, I'm from Ohio where we don't get a whole lot of diversity and cool dialects, so listening to you talk about my favorite topics was a breath of fresh air. So many of us think talking over people's heads makes us more credible or whatever, but now that I've been around over 20 years, I can say you had it right all along. Southern speech included 😊"
Heather Welling, M.A., CCC-SLP, Early Intervention in Summit County, OH
"I found the modality checklists to be invaluable. I had something in hand that I can use right off the printer."
Elizabeth, SLP
"LOVED this program! It was jam-packed with a ton of information that will take time to incorporate into therapy sessions. (Not only is the child learning new skills, so am I as a therapist!) I've known about strength-based therapy and have done it, but not to the extent and to the organization offered in this training. I am looking forward to seeing how my therapy changes and how my little ones progress by using this program."
Leah, SLP
"This program was extremely beneficial for use in my practice. All of the information, handouts and techniques that were presented were amazing. Easy to follow along. I liked that it was broken up into different videos/sections."
Michele, SLP
"Thank you for including real-life stories and anecdotes from your own practice. Very helpful."
Ellen, SLP
"I loved the clear strengths guidance, and the reminder not to push too hard in therapy!"
Elizabeth, SLP
"The course was very helpful and practical. I will certainly apply this approach to children on my caseload. I kept thinking about children that already "graduated" from EI and wish I had this knowledge when I still had them on my caseload. (Although I did put a lot of other Teach Me to Talk information into practice!)"
Heidi, SLP
"I appreciated learning the 7 C's of Communication, which seemed to include, (restated/reorganized/ summarized) information from '11 Skills Toddlers Master Before Words Emerge', which I have successfully used for years now (Thank you so much!!!!). I appreciated the additional information included to better assist toddlers with ASD since that population, unfortunately, continues to rise. I also appreciated the focus on regulating children and the need to keep them regulated, since dysregulation and sensory impairment in toddlers is also rising. These are areas I did not study in grad school. I appreciate the worksheets we can provide for parents to identify strengths and how to use these strengths more effectively in treatment. Thank you again, for your essential contribution to our field. p.s. You and Macy are precious!! God bless you both!"
"I am one of those therapists who you pointed out works on the wrong things. ARH!! What a slap in the face, but in a good way, because it was a much needed wake up call. I've hated my job lately and now I know why. Thank you for the clarity."
Susan, SLP
"Dear Ms. Laura and sweet Macy, I just purchased the new course and wanted to say THANK YOU! I would have definitely expected such cutting-edge information to come from you! I am part of several message boards for parents of autistic children, and we parents are just so tired of being told by professionals what our children can't or will never do. And really, what is the point of doing that? How does that help at all? Except to make the parent miserable and feel like there is no point in trying to help their child?...The tone of the course is great (such positivity), and Macy is such a delight! She is such a wonderful addition to Teach me to Talk."
Ann, SLP
“I loved the handouts to share with parents to help them understand how utilizing their child's strengths and interests is the best way to facilitate their child's communication abilities.”
Colleen, SLP
“The most beneficial part of the program is the strengths survey, as well as the treatment toys and activities that correspond to each strength. There was no part of the program that I did not feel was beneficial.”
Natalie, SLP
"I LOVED the energy of this course! I also appreciated the research facts I learned I can spit out to other professionals and parents. The best part was how characteristics of ASD were divided into strengths and therapy activities... so if I have a visually inspecting kid, I know I can go into my pdf and find out what activities I should target based on that characteristic... this really did improve how I think about therapy."
Kelsey, SLP
"I feel so much more at ease now having a huuuuuge packet of therapy ideas and a framework for organizing my therapy and having an actual PLAN instead of just "following the child's lead" while trying to figure out how to work in the goals. The way the content was explained was easy to follow and the handouts are excellent."
A, SLP
“I found identifying a child's strength helped me to consolidate my previous knowledge and experience. I feel I have a clear method to identify a child's strength and to build their strengths into sessions plans to help achieve their set goals.”
Christine, SLP
"Wow, this course was by far my favorite course I have taken in a long time! I have been lately feeling "stuck" with a few of my autistic toddler clients, and this course provided clear and helpful tools and strategies to best support our clients while also being affirming. I loved all of the ideas that were provided as well as the Strengths Survey – I can't wait to implement all of these wonderful things!"
Isabel, SLP
“The most beneficial part of the course was the handouts to share with parents and ALL the therapy ideas!! I've always felt that we focus on the 10% a kiddo can't do instead of the 90% Can Do. I have always tried to do this in my therapy sessions. Now I have evidenced material for support!!!!!”
Suzanne, SLP
“Liked systematic handouts to use to help with assessment and diagnostic therapy. Enjoyed hearing examples of each strength domain. Great review and great handouts to be able to share with families. The course was well organized and the content is much needed as an EI therapist.”
Terri, SLP
“This was a fresh new philosophy and a comprehensive approach with a new concept for successfully working with children with Autism. Before this ,the very structured, compliance teaching model which has been utilized by many therapists using comply-reward, noncompliance -punish or a with-hold philosophy. Children with Autism became prompt-.dependent with this method. These Children couldn't initiate language or make a plan to move on their own. They had to wait to be prompted to act or to respond and never spoke spontaneously on their own. I and many of my SLP colleagues have always believed in play therapy and giving the child choices to play works best. It is very important that Parents should hear about this strategy! Thank you Laura and Macy for doing the evidence-based research and putting this new concept into words!!”
Teresa, SLP
“This was a wonderful, easy to understand course with lots of great materials. Exactly what the fabulous Laura Mize is known for!”
F, SLP
"I am an autism mom, and I bought your books and listened to several podcast episodes over the last few years. I believe your teach me to talk and autism workbook were one of the number one tools in giving me to guidance to help my son. Thank you!"
Brittni
"I just want to thank you for the invaluable information you’ve given me in helping my grandson to talk (which I have passed on to his parents). We’ve ve learned patience, appropriate expectations, and fun and effective strategies that we had found no where else. He is exploding with conversation! Sometimes I struggle to interpret his articulation, but all I have to do is say, “Show me”, and he’s excited to do so. He and I both want so badly to communicate with each other, and your strategies have made it so much easier and non-threatening. Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Stacey
"My little guy is taking off like a rocket!! We’ve been working through your Autism Workbook for a few months and he has had an explosion of skills develop. YOU are AMAZING! THANK YOU!" Laura Q, Mom
"Dear Laura Mize and Team,
Thank you so much for all your hard work and publishing books! Our 17-month-old toddler suddenly exploded into speaking and imitating everybody's gestures and sounds, just a week or two after we 'completed' all activities that are listed under 11 pre-linguistic skills! Your method really works!"
Grateful customer.
"Hi Laura!
I absolutely LOVE all of your workbooks, especially your Autism Workbook. Starting with Social Games has been a game changer for many of my littles with ASD and their families. It's been the best way for them to finally connect and sustain shared attention and engagement, leading to longer social interactions, through play!"
Jodie, Dev, Therapist
"Hi Ms. Laura,
Thank you so much for the videos you have posted on your youtube channel. They are so direct, informative, and helpful. Thank you for being a resource for me to become a better therapist."
Dianne
