From “Wait and See” to Watch and Support™: An SLP’s Role in Early Communication Monitoring

Course Number: ABIO2603

When: Recorded playback is available between March 4, 2026 – March 4, 2031.

Where: Available under “Course Content” at the bottom of this page.

Description: In this course, participants examine the traditional “wait and see” approach to early communication concerns and explore how SLPs can take a proactive role during infancy. Using the PathWise™ Watch AND Support™ framework, clinicians learn to identify early communication breaks, distinguish typical variation from emerging differences, and partner with families in ways that support development without pathologizing.

Who This Course Is Good For:

ASHA members, CCC holders, and other licensed professionals providing early intervention or pediatric services.
SLPs working with infants (0–12 months) or interested in expanding into early communication monitoring.
Early intervention clinicians who want to move beyond “wait and see” and take a more proactive, relational approach.
Clinicians seeking to strengthen parent coaching skills and apply a neurodiversity-informed lens in infancy.
Graduate clinicians preparing to work in early intervention settings.

Who This Course Isn’t Good For:

Any professional who does not currently work in the field providing treatment or plans to in the near future.
Professionals looking for a course focused solely on standardized testing or eligibility determination.
Professionals not currently practicing or preparing to practice in pediatric or early intervention settings.

Presenters:

Venita Litvack, M.A, CCC-SLP (SHE/HER)

Venita is an Assistive Technology (AT) Consultant in south Florida. She has a passion for using AAC, AT, and literacy to support individuals with complex communication needs, autism, and other disabilities. Venita has delivered poster presentations on several topics related to AAC at ASHA and co-presented several ASHA CEU accredited courses. Venita co-authored two articles published in ASHA Leader’s online publication, as well as the Lou Knows What to Do book series published by Boys Town Press. Recently, Venita started utilizing the power of social media to empower and motivate educators across the country through the Speechie Side Up podcast, blog, Instagram account, and YouTube channel.

Rachel L. May, M.A., CCC-SLP (SHE/HER)

Rachel L. May, MA, CCC-SLP, has been a licensed speech-language pathologist since 2003. She is a pediatric SLP and the founder and CEO of NewDay Child Coaching, where she supports infants, toddlers, and families through a collaborative PT/OT/SLP model. Rachel specializes in early communication development, parent education, and early identification using a whole-child approach that integrates communication, motor, sensory, and feeding systems. She is the visionary and co-creator behind the WhyDo™ + HowTo™ series and the Toto Teaches™ SLP/OT/PT-informed children’s book series.

Disclosure Statements

Venita Litvack has the following relevant relationships to disclose: ownership interest in Speechie Side Up, LLC and Tassel Learning, LLC; royalties from the Lou Knows What to Do book series. Venita is a member of the ASHA Special Interest Group 12.

Rachel May has the following relevant relationships to disclose: is the Owner, Founder, and CEO of NewDay Child Coaching and Communication Connection Speech Services. She is the creator and co-author of the WhyDo™ + HowTo™ Parent Guidebook series and the Toto Teaches™ SLP/OT/PT-informed children’s book series. She is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist and ASHA member.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of this activity, participants will:

Define the role of the speech language pathologist in supporting infants and explain how earlier involvement can influence developmental trajectories.
Identify 2 early communication breaks in infants between 6 and 9 months and differentiate typical variation from patterns that warrant closer monitoring.
Describe 2 strategies for partnering with families during the first year of life to share observational insights while supporting parents as primary observers and advocates.
Describe 2 ways a proactive family partnering approach in infancy can strengthen the SLP’s role in early observation and contribute to advancing clinical practice.

Agenda

5 min	Introductions and Backgrounds
10 min	Reframing the SLP’s Role in Infancy
15 min	Identifying Early Communication Breaks
15 min	Reframing Observation as Partnership
10 min	Moving the Field Forward
5 min	References & Closing