User Spotlight: Carling Koester | Fairview School District

Carling Koester has dedicated her career to helping students with some of the most complex communication needs. As an SLP in Fairview School District, she serves over 40 students each week across elementary, middle, and high school Autistic Support and Life Skills classrooms. Each day, Carling navigates a wide range of social communication needs. 

“Before using Everyday Speech, my greatest challenge was limited planning time. I usually teach 5-15 social skill sessions per week. Finding material that was adaptive enough to present to [my students] was a huge challenge. Outside of Everyday Speech, the internet has a limited selection of appropriate and informative video models for all students.”

Hours Spent Planning, Questioning Relevance

Like many specialists, Carling found herself spending countless hours searching for materials that truly matched her students’ needs. She described nights spent piecing together YouTube videos, crafting visuals, and creating practice opportunities from scratch, all for a single session.

“Before using Everyday Speech, my planning time would revolve around finding video models, practice opportunities of the skill, and making a visual lesson. At a minimum, I would spend 1-5 hours trying to complete a single lesson.”

Even with all the effort, she often wondered if the activities were even relevant for her students.

Everyday Speech Makes Consistency Possible

When Carling began using Everyday Speech, everything shifted. What once took her hours now takes minutes. Her planning time dropped from 4-5 hours per week to under an hour, an 80% reduction. But beyond the time saved, Everyday Speech gave Carling and her students something they hadn’t had before: consistency.

“After using Everyday Speech, my routine is so consistent. The Everyday Speech platform provides a continuum of skills learned. This consistent routine also leads to my students developing an expectation for the lessons and built-in buy-in to the experience.”

A Shared Language That Sticks

For Carling, the benefits of Everyday Speech extend well beyond her own sessions. Because other staff across the district also use Everyday Speech, students encounter the same language, strategies, and visuals year after year, creating a seamless learning experience.

“Since multiple staff in the district use Everyday Speech, all students and staff use Everyday Speech language, which provides continuity across learning years.”

Materials That Meet Students Where They Are

Everyday Speech’s extensive library of video models quickly became one of Carling’s favorite tools. Unlike the scattered resources she used to rely on, these videos feature same-aged peers modeling skills in realistic, relatable ways.

“I’m forever grateful and surprised about how much material Everyday Speech is able to provide. Given the population I service, repetition of the skill is needed. Everyday Speech provides materials that allow you to have longevity within teaching the material.”

And the handouts? They’ve become an essential part of how she shapes her language and supports her students’ understanding.

Confidence That Changes Everything

The impact on Carling’s confidence has been meaningful. She no longer feels like she’s improvising. She walks into sessions prepared, positive, and fully focused on her students.

“Everyday Speech has allowed me to feel confident, knowledgeable, and overall positive within the sessions. I have been using the program for over 5 years. From use and experience, I feel confident opening the program and being able to jump into any lesson with the students. By attending the trainings, being part of a cohort, and investing my time into the program, I have the knowledge of the content that Everyday Speech provides. I even use the language at home! I’m able to enter sessions with a positive attitude and appear less stressed to my students because I did not have to sacrifice time planning.”

Time Reinvested Where It Matters Most

For Carling, the hours saved each week didn’t just lighten her workload. They freed her to do what she loves most: build connections with her students and grow as a professional.

“Using Everyday Speech has allowed me to reinvest my time saved into building the relationships with the students and ultimately myself as an SLP. Not only does Everyday Speech take the time to create lessons matching the needs of my students, but they also provide educator trainings. The trainings provided me the opportunity to learn the program better as well as develop and deepen knowledge currently in the profession.”

Everyday Speech Skills That Show Up in the Real World

Carling sees Everyday Speech’s impact in action every day. One powerful example came from a student on a family trip to Disneyland who needed to handle an unexpected change.

“Since he participates in Everyday Speech lessons, he and his family are hugely familiar with ‘Switching Tracks’ or handling change. Per parent report, when he was a little frustrated with a change in their ride schedule, he expressed to his mom, ‘It’s okay, I’ll switch tracks.’ It just proves that Everyday Speech lessons provide all students and staff the structure they need to continue to develop skills within social communication.”

A Platform for Every Chapter

Reflecting on how Everyday Speech has transformed her sessions and her confidence, Carling is clear about one thing.

“Everyday Speech is without a doubt my favorite and preferred teaching platform. I will be a user for the entirety of my career.”