"I have been in the business for nearly 40 years and this is by far the most well-organized, user-friendly, practical, and USEFUL training I have attended."

-Tracy, Pediatric SLP

Enrollment will open again in spring 2024.



This course was designed to be a comprehensive resource for therapy with emerging communicators. The video lessons and supplemental materials will help you develop the skills and confidence you need to love early language therapy.


You will earn eight professional development hours in this course and get access to THREE digital resources: The First Words Workbook, The Spanish First Words Workbook, and The Four Is Guide to Prelinguistic Skill Development. 


This course is for both new and seasoned therapists.


You will learn a ton of evidence-based interventions and how to select interventions based on a child's current communication skills. We will cover all of the current research on early communication skills so that you can feel confident knowing your approach to therapy is aligned with the best available evidence. You will receive over 100 parent handouts that will help make your therapy sessions more productive with less effort and prep time.


Learn more about what's inside the course below!


Ten Video Modules

You'll earn eight professional development hours in this course. We will cover the fundamentals of language development, general strategies for supporting early communication skills, and evidence-based interventions for young children with communication needs. This includes late talkers and children with developmental language disorder, autism, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities.


New modules also include information on Parent-Implemented Interventions and Troubleshooting for Tricky Cases.


Easily Referenced Handouts

This course includes three digital resources.


The First Words Workbook features 50 pages of attractive, printable handouts to supplement the course topics. You can refer back to the workbook for a refresher on the four-step framework or print the pages individually by topic.


The First Words Workbook is now available in English AND Spanish!


The Guide to Prelingusitic Skill Development includes over 70 pages of evidence-based interventions for children with language disorders. This is a great reference guide for accessing the content in the video modules in an easily digestible and organized format.

Individual Support

In the exclusive forum for course participants, you'll receive instructor support via five weeks of guided learning. You can ask questions about the course, join group discussions, and access bonus lessons related to the course content. You can also get individualized feedback during the two live Q&As.


Guided learning is optional. This course is self-paced and you maintain access to all of the course materials for life.


Hi! I'm Laura Brown.


I'm a pediatric speech pathologist, early intervention specialist, and mom of two little boys. I have thirteen years of experience working with young children. I always knew I wanted to be a pediatric therapist, but I didn't initially envision myself working with the little ones. I fell in love with working on functional communication first which led me to my dream job in early intervention.


I created this course to be a practical resource for busy SLPs. I know how many constraints there are on your time. You will have access to comprehensive video lessons, while also having all the information organized and at your fingertips in the course workbooks. These workbooks contain over 100 pages of parent handouts to support your therapy objectives and make parent coaching a breeze!

Course Details


You will earn eight professional development hours in this course. These hours can be used for ASHA certification maintenance under the definition of professional development.  This course is not part of the ASHA CEU registry.  Alternatively, you track these PD hours yourself, maintain a copy of the course completion certificate, and use these records to fill out your certification maintenance form at the end of your three-year cycle.


Learning Objectives: You'll learn the fundamentals of language development, general strategies to support communication skills, and specific evidence-based interventions for young children with language disorders.


Includes instructor feedback and support over five weeks of OPTIONAL guided learning.


This course is self-paced and you get LIFETIME ACCESS!





The First 50 Words Course for SLPs:

A Two-Part Course


In Part One, you'll learn the fundamentals of language development along with general strategies for supporting communication skills. Lessons will cover the First Words Framework, which is a step-by-step approach for helping children say their first 50 words.


Part One contains short and straight-to-the-point video lessons that you can share with caregivers to support your therapy objectives. These video lessons are complemented by the First Words Workbook, which is full of detailed examples and actionable tips for each step of the framework.


In Part Two, you'll learn about The Four Is: a research-based model for understanding prelinguistic skill development. The video modules break down each key area of prelinguistic skill development: interaction, intent, input, and imitation. Lessons on each area include skill checklists, current research, and specific interventions for children under three.


Part Two includes the Guide to Prelinguistic Skill Development which contains 70+ pages of evidence-based interventions for young children with language disorders. 




Watch the Video Below for a Preview of What's Inside the Course!


Course Testimonials

See What Other SLPs are Saying About the Course...

Marina, Pediatric SLP


This course was amazing! I was able to identify aspects of my clinical skills that are evidence-based and learn new interventions to better the approaches I use in my sessions. I enjoyed the video modules and handouts provided for my own reference, as well as a form of education for my families. Additionally, the guided learning group was a wonderful place to work collaboratively with other SLPs to discuss the topics of the week and build additional resources to use as well!

Emily, Pediatric SLP


I've been a practicing SLP for 14 years and in that time a lot has changed within our field and the world. I've also been treating early intervention families for most of my career with play-based therapy being my passion. It was time for a refresher and the First 50 Words Course was everything I hoped it could me and more. It's been the perfect tool to take directly from my learning, into my private practice office. I love that there are included videos that I can watch in tandem with my clients and great handouts for families to keep at home as reference. This course has expanded my knowledge as a play-based SLP and I'm incredibly grateful for the learning.

Natalie,

Early Intervention SLP


Overall, I feel like the content provided in this course was amazing. Not only were the evidence-based strategies shared helpful, but the guided learning and videos were all helpful in allowing me to understand and process the information easily. I enjoyed the content and the handouts from the course workbooks are so clear and easy to understand. I can't wait to share them with my EI families!

Lauren, Pediatric SLP

I loved this course and was able to take away so much useful information. This course has allowed me to feel competent and confident in my clinical skills when working with early communication skills. The video lessons and handouts/workbook have provided me with useful knowledge that I can start using in treatment immediately. This course has really gotten me excited to work with limited verbal children and their families. Thank you so much for this course! 

Purvi, Pediatric SLP


This was a fantastic course. The presenter is versatile and extremely knowledgeable. She created these wonderful videos and handouts which could be shared with the parents and are simple and informative. The information was broken down into smaller lessons which made it easy for the listener to access and process. I would highly recommend this course to SLPs.

Stacia,

Early Intervention SLP


This course was just what I needed! It has been almost 10 years since I worked in EI. I enjoyed the easy to follow format and materials provided to allow me to share information with the families that I currently serve. Utilizing the First Words Workbook in my sessions, I have already noticed a change in how I work with this age group and in the progress that the children on my caseload are making.

Marie,

Early Intervention SLP

I love that I can now specifically provide research-based information to parents regarding the use of strategies. The video examples of how to model strategies have been very helpful to me. The supplemental handouts for each section of the course are extremely helpful and parents have responded well to using them. I have highly recommended this course to other EI SLP'S. 

Sarah, Pediatric SLP


This is just the type of early intervention continuing education course I was looking for! After not taking an early intervention course in graduate school, this course helped take me step by step through the research to provide evidence based early intervention assessment and treatment. For an online course, Laura is extremely responsive and available to answer any questions and provide extra resources and ideas. The course handouts are one of the highlights of the course! The course materials are all parent friendly and can be provided for home programming after the session is over. I would highly recommend this course!

Jennifer M, Pediatric SLP


As a pediatric SLP who works with birth to teenagers, this course contained so many clear strategies for my three and under crowd! I loved the inclusion of evidence based research and I’ve already implemented strategies taught. The handouts provided are perfect as visual aids for family. I would recommend this course to anyone working in the early intervention realm.

Gandy, Pediatric SLP


I have already recommended this course to an SLP friend. I love the structure of the course and how after each session I was ready to use what I learned immediately. There are so many good tidbits and ideas that are ready for therapy room and to share with parents. Perfect for the therapist that wants access to good materials for parent coaching.

Liz, Pediatric SLP

This course is PERFECT for all early intervention speech therapists. As a seasoned speech therapist myself, I was so impressed with how comprehensive this course was and how much I learned. Laura’s four-step framework makes the “road to first words” extremely clear, and I will without a doubt be using her framework with parents in my speech sessions. My favorite parts of the course were the visuals provided, as well as the example videos of Laura implementing the strategies with her little one- so helpful! I could not recommend this course enough!

Kelsey, Pediatric SLP


I have been working in EI for 10 years but have never taken a true early intervention course. I have been struggling with my caseload of mostly pre linguistic kids and this course has rejuvenated me with new strategies and handouts to help me feel like I did fresh out of grad school. 

Lisa, Pediatric SLP


I have been an SLP for over three decades but didn't start working primarily with preschoolers until four years ago. This was a great refresher course and highly applicable to therapy. I have been looking for well organized, parent friendly information that I could share with my families. This is exactly what I got in this course! And, I can't start using it immediately. Well worth the cost!

This course is closed for enrollment.

FAQs


Who is this course for?

This course is for SLPs who work with young children with communication needs. This includes late talkers, developmental language disorder, autism, and language disorders associated with other biomedical conditions.


How much does this course cost?

The usual price is $225 which includes eight hours of professional development, the digital course workbooks, and individual support and feedback. An early bird discount of $50 off will be available from 9/20-9/22 for the fall class.


Can I get CEUs for this course?

You can get professional development hours for this course!

You can earn 8 PDH (professional development hours) that count toward the 30 total you need for each cycle. You will receive a certificate of completion after the final video module. This course is not registered for CEUs and hours will not be submitted to ASHA on your behalf. You will need to maintain a copy of the certificate and keep your own record of the hours. Requirements for state licensing vary by state. Please check your state's professional development requirements to determine if this course qualifies.


Do you offer a discount for groups signing up for the course?

Yes! Groups of 3 or more can take the course for $150 a person. Email me directly for group pricing- laura@earlyandbrightslp.com


Do I have to complete this course within a certain timeframe?

No. This course is self-paced and you maintain access for life. Guided learning is available for five weeks after enrollment and provides a forum for asking questions and discussing the content with other students. Guided learning is optional.


Will I have immediate access to the course?

Yes. You will have immediate access to all of the video modules and course materials. You can choose to work ahead or stay on track with the guided learning experience.


Will I maintain access to the course?

Yes! You will have access to the course for life.


When is this course available?

Registration is open now and will close on September 29th. This will be the last chance to join the course in 2023.


Can I see a preview of the curriculum?

See below!






Example Curriculum

  Course Overview
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  Part One: The Four-Step First Words Framework
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  Module One: Teaching the Power of Communication
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  Module Two: Learning Words
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  Module Three: Growing Imitation Skills
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  Module Four: Creating Opportunities To Communicate
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  Module Five: Putting it All Together
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  Module Six: Using the Four-Step Framework in Early Intervention Therapy
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  Live Q&A #1
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  Part Two: The Four Is Before First Words (Module 7)
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  Module 8: Parent Coaching
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  Module 9: Getting Stuck?
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  Live Q&A #2
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  Course Completion Quiz
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  Certificate of Completion
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