Why Heterogeneous Speech Groups Are So Challenging, And Why We’re Seeing More of Them

If you’re a school-based speech-language pathologist, chances are you’ve sat at your therapy table at least once (okay… many times) and wondered: “How am I supposed to target articulation, language, fluency, social skills, and AAC… in the same 30-minute period?” Welcome to the world of heterogeneous groups—a reality that has become increasingly common across districts, states, and service delivery models.

Today, I want to unpack why these mixed groups are so challenging, why they’re happening more often, and what this trend means for the students we serve!

• What Exactly Is a Heterogeneous Group?

A heterogeneous group is any therapy group where students have different ages, needs, goals, communication profiles, and/or service mandates. For example:

• An AAC user with a peer working on /r/

• A student working on narrative language with a minimally verbal peer

• A student with ASD working on social initiation paired with a student with a phonological disorder

• A mixed K–2 group because service periods didn’t align

• Why They Are So Difficult to Manage

1. Conflicting Goals Make Targeted Instruction Hard

Speech therapy is not one-size-fits-all. Articulation needs drill. Language needs modeling. AAC needs aided language stimulation. Social groups need coaching and practice. Fluency requires a calm, structured atmosphere. Trying to do all of that at once? We end up watering down intervention...not because we want to, but because there’s only one of us.

2. Students Need Different Rates of Support

Some students benefit from quick pacing and rapid-fire practice.Others require significant processing time, visuals, or repetition. When these needs collide in one group, someone is always waiting…and someone is always overwhelmed (IT ME).

3. Behavior and Regulation Levels Don’t Match

A child who is dysregulated or has difficulty sustaining attention requires support and intervention strategies that may derail another student’s ability to focus.

SLPs are constantly:

• Redirecting one student

• Keeping another engaged

• Trying to work drills into the few remaining minutes

• Managing time expectations

• Trying to assess progress and data

4. Heterogeneous Groups Can Compromise Skill Generalization

Therapy is most effective when students can practice skills with peers at a similar level.

But if students are working on vastly different goals, the opportunities for meaningful peer modeling shrink.Peers can’t imitate, scaffold, or reinforce each other in the same way.

5. Planning Takes Three Times Longer

A mixed group demands:

• Three versions of materials

• Three levels of scaffolding

• Three data sheets

• Three behavioral approaches

• Three sets of reinforcers

It’s not just the session that’s hard, it’s the constant prep.

6. The Pressure to “Make It Work” Is Real

SLPs are problem-solvers by nature.We are used to adapting, flexing, and creating resources on the spot. But the expectation of “you’ll figure it out” can lead to burnout when groups become too diverse to be therapeutically appropriate.

• So Why Are We Seeing MORE Heterogeneous Groups?

  
  

1. Staffing Shortages

Many districts (and agencies) are experiencing significant shortages in SLP staffing. Fewer providers = larger caseloads + less flexibility in scheduling. And don't even get us started with the educational budgets!

2. Tighter School Schedules

Students are being pulled for:

• AIS

• Reading services

• Counseling

• OT/PT

• ENL

• Small-group instruction

  
  

When every minute of their day is scheduled, finding common time slots becomes almost impossible. This includes administration dictating your schedule and when you are and are NOT allowed to pull students.

3. Increased Complexity of Student Needs

We are seeing more students with:

• Multiple diagnoses

• Co-occurring communication needs

• AAC systems

• Significant social-emotional needs

As profiles diversify, groups naturally do too.

4. Push for Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

While LRE is important, it often means:

• Fewer pull-out times

• More mixed groups

• Shared classroom blocks across grades

Flexibility can inadvertently increase group diversity.

5. Administrative Pressure to “Limit Pull-Outs”

Many schools want to minimize missed instructional time.This squeezes SLPs into fewer possible periods—which often forces unrelated students into the same group.

6. High Caseloads With Limited Space

When caseloads are large and time/space is limited, grouping becomes a logistical puzzle with only one solution: MIX EVERYONE.

• What This Means for SLPs

Heterogeneous groups aren’t just “a scheduling inconvenience.”They directly affect:

• Therapy quality

• Student progress

• Data collection

• SLP burnout

• Equity of service

• Ability to individualize instruction

  
  

SLPs are dedicated, creative professionals—but even the best therapy can be compromised when group composition is not developmentally or therapeutically appropriate. Ever went home feeling like you didn't DO enough?

• A Final Word

If you’re an SLP feeling overwhelmed by your mixed groups, you’re not alone.And you’re not “bad at grouping”. The system is asking you to perform four jobs at once.

It is important to advocate for:

• Appropriate grouping

• Caseload considerations

• Adequate staffing

• Flexibility in scheduling

Remember, it's not complaining, it's advocating for evidence-based, ethical, and effective practice - what our students deserve!