This case study describes a speech-language pathologist’s transition from face-to-face push-in sessions to an online push-in format in virtual classrooms. Technology resources and new strategies are trialed with a middle school–age student working on writing and comprehension at a school for students with language-based learning differences. Screen sharing, breakout rooms, chat feature, whiteboard features, and Google programs are discussed.

For a student with diagnoses of mixed expressive-receptive language disorder and ADHD, push-in sessions are essential to using learned literacy strategies in the classroom. Before COVID-19 closures, “LG” and I had a well-oiled approach to completing her work and to supporting her in the classroom. I attended her writing classes, prompting and providing visuals. We would move into the hall and work on assignments together. As classes moved online, I attempted push-in sessions while navigating the dynamics of teacher/student relationships, technology resources, and best practices. Through trial and error, I’ve found ways for virtual push-in speech-language sessions to be of great value to my students with learning differences.

Learning goals
Identify unfamiliar vocabulary from academic passages and use context clues or knowledge of affixes to determine meaning.
Define and use grade-level vocabulary in grammatically appropriate sentences in both written and verbal format.
Answer inferential and factual comprehension questions after listening to or reading a passage.
Demonstrate understanding of a text by saying or writing the sentence in her own words.
Plan appropriately for a writing prompt using a graphic organizer.
Answer all parts of a writing prompt.
Edit her work for semantic, syntactic, and punctuation errors.