In this heart-felt, practical conversation, Nicole Yates sits down with Giselle Madera-Rodriguez—SLP/educator, EI specialist, teletherapy pro, and founder of Growth in Connections. We cover how to build authentic parent partnerships, what truly makes teletherapy work, why parent coaching is the secret sauce, and actionable steps for toddlers (2–3) with emerging speech/behavior concerns—especially in bilingual homes.
0:00 Intro & welcome
0:16 Giselle’s path: TA → Comm Disorders → Early Childhood Ed
3:05 Early Intervention & supervised speech in NY
3:57 Moving to FL, SLPA realities & finding the right clinic
5:37 Teletherapy during COVID: structure, flexibility, and connection
8:16 Parent coaching > flashcards: explaining the why
10:18 Compassion in practice (ADHD parenting story)
12:47 First steps for a 2-year-old with big behaviors
13:48 Why virtual EI can work even better (parents as hands)
15:47 The truth about progress: parent buy-in is everything
20:27 Expectations, grace, and still running a business
24:44 Access: Step Up scholarships & funding options
26:40 Growing Connections—Giselle’s new parent/therapist coaching brand
30:08 Three core tips: reduce pre-session screens, pursue EI, insist on bilingual evals & follow-up
34:06 Raising bilingual kids: speak both languages (and how to count vocabulary)
39:50 Don’t gatekeep: resources, community, and how to reach Giselle
Giselle Madera-Rodriguez is an educator, bilingual EI specialist, and coach dedicated to Growth in Connections—between therapists, parents, and children—so families feel confident and kids thrive.
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#AuthenticSLP #SpeechTherapy #EarlyIntervention #ParentCoaching #Teletherapy #Bilingual #SLP #Autism #ADHD #LanguageDevelopment
