Collaborating with Music Therapists

REWIND: Musical Echolalia: An Interprofessional Conversation with Cristina Easton

***Originally aired: 12/8/2025*** Guest: Cristina Easton, Educational Consultant Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD [https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/musical-echolalia] Watch on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMn7Bok9hmY] Join Corinne Zmoos, MS, CCC-SLP, as she interviews Cristina Easton about raising a musical Gestalt Language Processor. Corinne and Cristina will discuss the family’s shift from speech-only interventions to a musical language approach rooted in the NLA framework (Blanc, 2012). Cristina will describe her son’s progress arc, including musical and melodic gestalts, her advocacy work, and where her family is headed to help their GLP thrive. About the Guest: Cristina J. Easton is the founder of imPACT Educational Consulting, LLC, Director at Educator Support Collaborative, and Program Strategy Manager at AdoptAClassroom.org. She majored in Sociology at Smith College, earned her Master's in Teaching as a New York City Teaching Fellow in Special Education, and her Master's in Education Leadership at Bank Street College of Education. Her mission is to guide projects from promise to impact, focusing on measurable actions that promote voice, equity, and joy for youth, families, educators, and institutions. With extensive experience in education, Cristina has designed inclusive instructional models, founded a new school, developed strategic plans, implemented equitable grading systems, and enhanced student voice in course selection while leading teams as a school administrator. She emphasizes centering the voices of marginalized communities in decision-making processes. Cristina holds a B.A. in Sociology from Smith College, an M.S. in Special Education, as a New York City Teaching Fellow, and an M.A. in School Leadership from Bank Street College of Education. A 2024 graduate of the Arc of Maryland’s Partners in Policymaking, she actively works to foster a world that embraces equity and joy for her son and all of us. In 2021, Cristina and her husband learned that their son was autistic. This catapulted their family into Autism acceptance and family advocacy. Together, they founded the Embrace Play playgroup for families of neurodivergent children ages birth to ten. Through Embrace, the Eastons have provided spaces for families to enjoy where their children and their needs and gifts are validated, and where families can learn from and lean on one another. Cristina is a member of the 2025 Kennedy Krieger Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities program and the Arc of Maryland’s Partners in Policymaking 2024 cohort.

Pediatric Feeding Disorders and GLPs

Learn how gestalt-based approaches can transform feeding therapy for autistic children and their families. Guest: Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD [https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/pfd-and-glps] Watch on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VosAp7bGh5U&list=PLAqLI0-BOrrKT3Gvg7oOg6IPKwyzIlQc2] How can GLP-informed strategies support pediatric feeding therapy for autistic children? In this episode, Corinne Zmoos, MS, CCC-SLP, interviews Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, host of the First Bite SLP podcast, to explore her work on pediatric feeding disorders in young autistic individuals. They discuss subtle, often overlooked signs of PFD, as well as medical factors that can impact feeding and swallowing. Together, they explore evidence-informed approaches to care, including how to incorporate linguistic and cognitive gestalts into therapy to support meaningful progress. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how GLP-informed strategies align with feeding therapy to better support autistic children and their families. About the Guest: Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP works for Augusta County Public School as a full-time early intervention speech-language pathologist with the Infant and Toddler Connection of Augusta-Highland in Staunton, VA, and as an adjunct professor at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, NC. Additionally, she is the acclaimed host of “First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional,” a weekly speech therapy podcast that addresses “all thangs” of pediatric speech therapy and is presented by Speech Therapy PD. Michelle authored Chasing the Swallow: Truth, Science, and Hope for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders. Show Notes: Feeding Matters [https://www.feedingmatters.org/] Feeding Matters PFD pdf [https://www.feedingmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2019-01-JPGN-PFD-Consensus-Definition-and-Framework.pdf] Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23013953-gut] Talk to Me Technologies [https://www.talktometechnologies.com/] SOS Approach to Feeding [https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/]

Gestalt Processor Play and Executive Functioning

Turn everyday play into powerful support for language and executive functioning. Guest: Rachel Terrell, M.S., CCC-SLP Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD [https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/glp-play-and-ef] Watch on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Cw6pg3Upc&list=PLAqLI0-BOrrKT3Gvg7oOg6IPKwyzIlQc2] In this episode of The Gestalt Get-Together, Corinne Zmoos, MS, CCC-SLP, is joined by Rachel Terrell, M.S., CCC-SLP, CBIS, to explore the connection between gestalt language processing and executive functioning through play. Together, they discuss how to recognize different GLP play styles and what those preferences may reveal about underlying executive functioning challenges. The conversation highlights how play can offer valuable insight into regulation, flexibility, and organization. About the Guest: Rachel Terrell, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and founder of Rooted and Rising Therapies and NeuroNook. Through Rooted and Rising Therapies, she specializes in working with autistic children and gestalt language processors, focusing on executive functioning, AAC, and unmasking. NeuroNook aims to break down silos between disciplines and equip clinicians for regulation-first care. Through mentorship, speaking engagements, and digital resources, Rachel encourages therapists to build collaborative teams, challenge outdated models, and create therapy spaces where children feel seen, respected, and truly understood. Show Notes: Honoring Diverse Styles of Play [https://autismlittlelearners.com/autistic-play/]

Hyperlexia, Human Codes, and GLPs with Liz Watson

What if hyperlexia is not a barrier, but a bridge to language? Guest: Liz Watson, MS, CCC-SLP Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD [https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/hyperlexia-human-codes] Watch on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TZEzKQTLg4&list=PLAqLI0-BOrrKT3Gvg7oOg6IPKwyzIlQc2] In this episode of The Gestalt Get-Together, host Corinne Zmoos, MS, CCC-SLP, sits down with Liz Watson, MS, CCC-SLP, to talk about hyperlexia through the lens of Gestalt Language Processing. They explore what hyperlexia really is, why many GLPs are drawn to what Liz calls “human codes” such as letters, numbers, and symbol systems, and how these interests can become powerful entry points into language. About the Guest: Liz Watson, MS, CCC-SLP, is a lifelong school-based SLP with a passion for working with hyperlexic kids. She specializes in the preschool age group and loves AAC. She is also a writer for The Informed SLP. Liz lives in Maryland with her wife, son, and two tiny dogs. Show Notes: What do autistic children who are interested in letters and numbers do with them? A qualitative study [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482631.2025.2500851#abstract]

Collaborating with Music Therapists

Turn musical moments into meaningful communication breakthroughs. Guest: Mikelia Wallace, MT-BC/L Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD [https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/collaborating-with-music-therapists] Watch on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLL8oxR9krM] In this episode of The Gestalt Get-Together, Corinne Zmoos, MS, CCC-SLP, sits down with Mikelia Wallace, MT-BC/L, for an honest, interprofessional conversation about supporting highly musical gestalt language processors (GLPs). Together, they unpack how music therapists and speech-language pathologists can collaborate more effectively by clearly understanding each other’s scope of practice, education, and clinical lenses. Rather than overlapping roles, this conversation highlights how differences in training and perspective can be leveraged to improve outcomes for clients. About the Guest: Mikelia Wallace, MT-BC/L, is a board-certified and licensed music therapist who is passionate about encouraging self-exploration and skill development through music. She is particularly passionate about working with early intervention, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and medically complex youth. Mikelia strives to practice through a neuro-affirming lens and is focused on adapting and adjusting music interventions to accommodate and empower individuals.