Explore the powerful relationship between speech practice and language development in individuals with Down syndrome.

Guest: Jennifer Gray, MS, CCC-SLP

Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD

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In this 2-part episode of Speech Link, host Char Boshart, MA, CCC-SLP, sits down with Jennifer Gray, MS, CCC-SLP. Together, they unpack why frequent speech production plays such an important role in expanding utterance length and supporting the development of grammar and syntax. Jennifer explains how repetition helps strengthen cognitive-linguistic skills while also improving voice, prosody, and overall speech clarity. Clinicians will come away with a clearer understanding of why speech practice matters and how to incorporate it intentionally into therapy to support language growth.

About the Guest: Jennifer Gray, MS, CCC-SLP, is a certified speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience treating individuals with speech, language, and feeding delays and disorders. She has spent the last 12+ years specializing in communication and feeding for individuals with intellectual disabilities and motor speech disorders.

Show Notes:

Contact Jennifer: @speechconnects or @lets.chat321 on Instagram

Grays Peak Speech Services

Connected Speech

Jennifer’s Book: “I Can Learn”

Related Courses:

1. Independent Communication for those with Down Syndrome in the Schools
2. Use Strengths and Needs of Those with Down Syndrome to Improve Speech Clarity
3. Three Super-Techniques to Foster Academic Success for Those with Down Syndrome

What if the most powerful way to boost a child’s language skills isn’t in the therapy room—but in everyday moments at home?

Guest: Mary Lou Brecht Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP

Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD

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Mary Lou Brecht Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP, joins host Char Boshart, MA, CCC-SLP, on this episode of the Speech Link podcast to explore parent coaching strategies that go beyond the ordinary to boost children’s language development. Parents want and need to know what they can do between therapy visits to help their children talk better. Coaching parents to optimize their daily verbal interactions benefits children, and some ways of talking are more effective than others for promoting verbal turn-taking and language growth.

About the Guest: Mary Lou Brecht Johnson, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a native of Akron, Ohio, and earned her BA at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH. Then, after completing her master’s degree in Speech & Hearing at Washington University in St. Louis, Mary Lou headed to Denver for her first clinical position and never left. For over 40 years as a speech-language pathologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Mary Lou honed her methods while helping children and their parents.

Guest: Carolyn Dolby, MS, CCC-SLP,

Earn 0.1 ASHA CEU for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/feeding-and-swallowing

Carolyn Dolby, MS, CCC-SLP, joins host Char Boshart, MA, CCC-SLP, for a practical, relationship-centered conversation about building strong, trust-based partnerships between families and school teams. Drawing on real-world experience, Carolyn shares strategies to help clinicians move beyond checklists and build meaningful collaboration that consistently supports students across settings. The discussion focuses on respectful ways to involve families, address challenges as they arise, and align educational supports with medical and home-based care. You’ll walk away with actionable ideas you can use right away to strengthen communication, reduce friction, and support better feeding and swallowing outcomes through shared understanding and teamwork.

About the Guest: Carolyn Dolby, MS, CCC-SLP, specializes in pediatric feeding and swallowing assessment and intervention within the public school system. Her work is deeply rooted in supporting students and school-based teams through evidence-informed, practical dysphagia care. Through her graduate-level teaching, Carolyn prepares the next generation of school-based dysphagia providers to lead with confidence and competence. Through her private practice, Bite-Sized Advice, she offers consultation and dysphagia support to school teams nationwide. An internationally recognized speaker and published author, Carolyn is known for her dynamic, engaging presentations that bring school-based feeding and swallowing services to life. Carolyn is also the host of the School of Speech Podcast.