Having Our Say

Having Our Say A space to connect and share inclusive literacy- because everyone should be seen and heard

Shontaye J Glover is an ASHA certified pediatric speech language pathologist with over 15 years of experience. Her blog site www.havingoursay.org provides tips and resources to enhance speech and language skills in children. This page is dedicated to sharing ideas with parents, caregivers, educators and fellow SLPs and to encourage speech and language skills in children

IYKYK 🤭 I will not elaborate further. Happy Juneteenth! 🤎
06/19/2026

IYKYK 🤭 I will not elaborate further.

Happy Juneteenth! 🤎

For years, SLP training taught us to redirect, reduce, or eliminate stimming behaviors. The autistic community has been ...
06/19/2026

For years, SLP training taught us to redirect, reduce, or eliminate stimming behaviors. The autistic community has been telling us something different for a long time. Stimming, in all its forms, is a natural way for autistic people to connect with others, express themselves, regulate emotions, and engage with the world around them.

When we have a better understanding of the important roles stimming plays in autistic people's lives, it becomes easier to support autistic individuals in a way that allows them to be their full selves and is ultimately beneficial for their well-being.

Our job is to support, not to eliminate.

Juneteenth is just days away. What picture books will you share to celebrate the holiday?
06/17/2026

Juneteenth is just days away. What picture books will you share to celebrate the holiday?

06/16/2026

This moon in cancer ♋️ has me thinking and reflecting. I hope Katie and her mom are well and it’s time for the current version of me to forgive the less informed SLP version of me for not getting it right.

It’s ok to admit that we don’t always get it right, but it’s important to stay open to learning new things and evolving.

I've been an SLP for a long time but one thing that has not changed is that CE requirements are rarely explained in grad...
06/15/2026

I've been an SLP for a long time but one thing that has not changed is that CE requirements are rarely explained in grad school.

We know we need them? But what exactly do we need? What counts and what doesn't?

Ethics is not optional. Supervision has its own standards that can vary based upon your state, your employer and your setting. And it may have different labels, but we are still required to obtain continuing education in the area of culturally responsive practice.

And my biggest pet peeve - it took waaaay too long for me to understand the difference between ASHA CEUs and PDHs. We were handed a credential and told to maintain it without a system.

Any of these catch you off guard? What's your system for managing it all?

"

Black girls are diagnosed with autism years after white boys show the same signs. That gap is not an accident.It happens...
06/13/2026

Black girls are diagnosed with autism years after white boys show the same signs. That gap is not an accident.
It happens because their traits get misread. Quiet hyperfocus looks like shyness. Masking looks like good social skills. Meltdowns get labeled attitude instead of overwhelm.

Clinicians are trained on a male presentation. Teachers are trained to flag disruption, not withdrawal. By the time anyone asks the right questions, a Black girl has already spent years being misunderstood.

I have sat across from families living this exact gap. I haved lived it. The signs were always there. No one was looking for them.
If you are a parent, teacher, or clinician, save this post. The sooner we recognize these patterns, the sooner a child gets the support she was always owed.

This Father's Day, we're celebrating ALL the dads. 🤎The dads who are figuring it out. The dads who are far away but stil...
06/12/2026

This Father's Day, we're celebrating ALL the dads. 🤎

The dads who are figuring it out. The dads who are far away but still present. The dads who chose on purpose and the dads. The dads raising kids who see the world differently. The dads who've been around forever and the ones who came into the role later than expected.

Every family's story deserves to be on a bookshelf and your read alouds should reflect all types of fathers. These picture books make sure kids can find their families and themselves in the pages.

Swipe to see some of our favorite reads that honor the full, beautiful, complicated picture of fatherhood.

⬇️ Is there a story you would add to this list? Drop a book your family loves in the comments!

Representation is a baseline.When our students open a book and never see a child who looks like them, who communicates ...
06/10/2026

Representation is a baseline.

When our students open a book and never see a child who looks like them, who communicates like them, or a family that looks like theirs we are sending a clear message. Even when we do not mean to, the impact is more important than your intention.

Here are 6 picture books featuring Black and Brown disabled and neurodivergent characters for your therapy room and classroom:
Wepa by J de laVega
Liam's First Cut by Me, Taye Jones
My City Speaks by Darren Lebeuf
Flap Your Hands by Steve Asbell
Next Level by Samara Cole Doyon
A Day with No Words by Tiffany Hammond

Make sure bookshelf is a message that says you belong here! Save this list and tell me which one is already in your room?

06/09/2026

Have you experienced this? Sometimes parents get told there’s only one way to do things and that is rarely true. If there is no data to show why self-contained is the most beneficial and least restrictive environment for this kid to succeed I’m not understanding why the district is denying the student the chance to repeat 1st grade with Gen Ed peers.

Any SPED directors or advocates out there who know the answer?

Before I get attacked by the teachers—yes, I know some toys are used inappropriately and not for sensory reasons.But a s...
06/09/2026

Before I get attacked by the teachers—yes, I know some toys are used inappropriately and not for sensory reasons.

But a school-wide ban isn’t the answer either.

When any kid (diagnosed or undiagnosed / general education / special education) has access to fidgets, it normalizes using tools to regulate our nervous systems.

And that matters.

Because when we normalize regulation, we reduce the pressure to mask.
We create classrooms where kids don’t have to choose between “looking normal” and actually being okay.

Fidgets aren’t the problem.

Are we still eliminating movement or stimming as a punishment?
The goal should be to teach appropriate use, set boundaries, and recognize that regulation looks different for every child.

Some kids need to move to focus.
Some kids need sensory input to stay present.
Some kids need to stim to feel safe in their bodies.

Taking that away doesn’t create better behavior- it just creates more dysregulation.

I believe we can have structure AND support. And we can teach expectations WITHOUT removing tools.

If your school is banning fidgets, it’s time to ask better questions.

Save this for your next IEP meeting.
Send it to a teacher who needs a different perspective.

And if you’ve had to advocate for something like this before, I’d love to hear your experience 👇🏾

sensoryregulation

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