There are traditional strategies and online tools to schedule SLPs. Learn the steps for setting up a sticky note schedule and SLP scheduling resources.

<h2>The Secrets to Successful Speech Therapy Scheduling</h2>


 Scheduling speech services for your students can be
 overwhelming and stressful when you&rsquo;re a busy
 school SLP. Additionally, new developments due to COVID-19
 may make scheduling and delivering speech services exceedingly challenging
 this school year.



 Not to worry! With some
 special considerations, useful tools, and strategic solutions, you&rsquo;ll be well on your way to a smoother scheduling experience this
 school year.


<h2>SLP Scheduling &ndash; Special Considerations</h2>


 Each situation is different, so consider the following variables as you
 schedule SLP services for your kids.


<ul>
 <li>
 Individual or small group &ndash; When scheduling
 individual sessions, avoid interrupting academic instruction wherever
 possible. When scheduling small group sessions, ensure the children have
 similar goals and the group is manageable so therapy can be effective. You
 may schedule a group, only to discover it is simply not working due to
 interfering behaviors, scheduling conflicts, and more.
 </li>
 <li>
 Push-in or pull-out &ndash; Consider the style of therapy
 you will be implementing. Some speech therapists prefer quick, 10-minute
 pull-out sessions several times a week when targeting articulation or
 push-in intervention when targeting social skills goals such as peer
 interactions. On occasion, teachers are unwilling to allow their students to
 attend their speech sessions or be pulled during important class lessons and
 activities. Additionally, children are typically not allowed to be pulled
 during recess, physical education, art, computers, etc.
 </li>
 <li>
 Virtual or face-to-face &ndash; Depending on your school
 district&rsquo;s COVID-19 policy, you may be scheduling sessions virtually
 or face-to-face (or both). Consider the child&rsquo;s goals and the
 school&rsquo;s parameters as you schedule these sessions.
 </li>
</ul>

<div>
 To be successful at scheduling, you must be flexible. 

 
 Working around speed bumps when you have a caseload of 50-80 children can
 prove to be quite challenging. However, if you can be patient and flexible,
 you&rsquo;ll be much more successful at speech scheduling. In addition to
 being flexible, designing a strategic plan for scheduling can really help.
 

 <h2>SLP Scheduling &ndash; Strategic Solutions</h2>

 
 With the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, scheduling has become even
 more challenging. School SLPs use a variety of schedule strategies. You may
 prefer the traditional way of scheduling, in which you use a daily schedule
 template and plug in your students. Or you may opt for technology-based
 scheduling solutions.
 

 <h3>Traditional SLP Scheduling Strategies &ndash; The Sticky Note Method</h3>

 
 One traditional strategy is to include teachers in a sticky note scheduling
 session. Here are the steps for setting up a sticky note schedule.
 

 
 1. Send an email to teachers of students on your caseload,
 notifying them that you are formulating your schedule. Invite them to come
 in and schedule their students for speech sessions. Alternatively, set up a
 time for the teachers to communicate with you over video conference, phone,
 or email. Be sure to set a deadline for responding. Consider using a free
 tool like SignUpGenius to set up times for the teachers to come in and
 select the ideal schedules for their kids.
 

 
 2. Post a blank schedule on either a board, an extra-large
 piece of paper, or an excel spreadsheet (depending on how you will be
 interacting with teachers for scheduling purposes).
 

 
 3. Write each student&rsquo;s name on a sticky note with
 the timeframe of the session (e.g., 15 or 30 minutes). If the child attends
 more than one session per week, make sure to post a sticky note for each
 session.
 

 
 4. Denote special considerations on the sticky notes. If
 the child is designated for group sessions, write this on the note and
 indicate the maximum size of the group. You can also use different colors to
 represent each classroom. If you&rsquo;re setting up your schedule
 in person, place the sticky notes on a table, and when the
 teachers come to your office,
 invite them to post the sticky notes in the slots that work
 best for them. If coordinating
 virtually, invite the teachers to choose the time slots via
 email and adjust the sticky notes on your end on the schedule.
 

 
 5. Consider having treats available for the teachers when
 they arrive, making it a warm and inviting environment. If
 you are coordinating virtually, you can take the 15-minute timeframe to
 schedule as well as quickly catch up.
 

 <h2>SLP Scheduling &ndash; Strategic Solutions</h2>

 
 There are also online tools for SLP scheduling. Be sure to confirm whether
 your district allows you to use them first, however. Here are two useful SLP
 scheduling resources:
 

 
 <a href="https://www.slptoolkit.com/">SLP Toolkit</a> &ndash; SLP Toolkit
 not only helps you formulate your schedule; it also provides a comprehensive
 and systematic way to collect information on communication and present
 levels of performance and assists with writing individualized and quality
 IEPs for students in your district. A nice feature (especially for the
 beginning of the school year) is a Google add-on called Email scheduler.
 This allows you to automatically send morning emails to remind teachers that
 you will be seeing their students that day. SLP Toolkit has positive
 feedback and reviews and costs $19.00 per month (billed annually).
 

 
 <a href="https://slpscheduler.com/">SLP Scheduler</a> &ndash;SLP Scheduler
 was created by a husband and wife team. He, a computer engineer, and she, a
 speech-language pathologist, combined forces to create an innovative program
 to help SLPs just like you schedule your caseload in a more effective,
 time-saving way. SLP Scheduler allows you to optimize your schedule to match
 your selected preferences. The scheduler costs $27.00 annually and offers a
 7-day free trial, so you can try before you buy.
 

 
 With these tips and tools and a bit of forethought, you&rsquo;ll be well on
 your way to a successful schedule to start off this school year.
 

 
 We have confidence in you, Speechies. You&rsquo;ve got this. Happy
 scheduling!
 
 
</div>

How to Make Stress-Free Scheduling for SLPs