American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders

09/02/2026

Thank you Destiny Huff Consulting for this great information to help identify ableist practices in schools.

09/01/2026

Board members gathered this summer for an in-person board meeting in Baltimore, MD. This was our first in-person board meeting since before the pandemic, and we got a lot accomplished! There are some exciting changes coming!!!👀

Back: Shari Robertson, Katie Squires
Front: Alisha Springle, Linda Schreiber, Diane Williams

08/30/2026

Look Beneath the Behavior: Finding the Need Behind the Moment

Your child throws a toy, screams that they hate bedtime, or collapses into tears over something that seems small, and it can be easy to focus only on the behavior you see. But behavior is communication, and every child is trying to tell us something—even when their message comes out in a messy or overwhelming way. A tantrum may not be about the toy they can't have; it may be about feeling disappointed, tired, overwhelmed, disconnected, or unable to express a big emotion. When we look underneath the behavior with curiosity and compassion, we can respond to the child—not just the eruption. The question changes from, "How do I stop this behavior?" to, "What is my child needing from me right now?"

Children don't always have the words to explain their feelings, so their bodies and behaviors often speak for them. Underneath the yelling may be a child who needs reassurance, underneath the defiance may be a child seeking connection, and underneath the meltdown may be a nervous system that needs help calming down. This doesn't mean we ignore boundaries or allow unsafe behaviors—it means we approach those moments with understanding while still holding loving limits. The most powerful teaching moments often happen after the storm, when a child feels safe enough to learn and reconnect. When children experience adults who look beyond the behavior and see the need underneath, they learn that their emotions are not too much and that they are worthy of support. Because underneath every big reaction is a child hoping someone will understand what they are trying so hard to communicate.



Image credit:

08/26/2026

It's National Dog Day!

Katie Squires, one of our specialists, has a trained therapy dog who visits with students. Lucy, a five-year old dober doodle loves to listen to students read.
Recently, Lucy was visiting with a second-grade class. The students brought a book to explore called The Smart Cookie. In it, the students found the word and its relatives and . They were excited to discover that the in the base is pronounced in one of the relatives.

Do you incorporate an animal in your therapy sessions? We'd love to hear about it!

08/25/2026

In Montana this week? These will be fantastic sessions with Doug Petersen, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL.

08/21/2026

Join one of our BCS-CLs for a webinar on autism worth .10 ASHA CEs. Registration is free.

08/04/2026

Thanks to Bilinguistics for this infographic. It's important to know that difference does not mean disorder.

08/03/2026