Speech Kingdom Blog

How to Advocate for Tools That Benefit Your Whole Special Ed Team

When you find a resource that truly helps your students, you want to share it. But getting your school or district to adopt a new tool can be a challenge—especially when budgets are tight and time is short.

Whether it's a digital platform like Speech Kingdom or another solution that meets your classroom needs, the process of getting buy-in from administrators and fellow educators often falls on you. Fortunately, with the right approach, teachers can be powerful advocates for change.

Here’s how to make your case and get your team on board.

Start with Student Impact

The best way to grab your administrator’s attention is to start with the students. Focus on the outcomes you’re seeing—or expect to see—from using the tool.

Are students more engaged? Are they making faster progress? Are behaviors improving? Share specifics that connect directly to your IEP goals and the overall goals of your program. Administrators are more likely to say yes when they understand how a tool supports student success.

In the case of Speech Kingdom, for example, you might highlight how personalized social stories are helping your students better understand daily routines or how interactive games are reinforcing language goals in a way that worksheets cannot.

Connect It to Teamwide Benefits

A strong pitch includes more than just what works for your classroom. You also want to explain how this tool can benefit the entire special education team—SLPs, BCBAs, paraprofessionals, and other teachers.

Will it save prep time? Make collaboration easier? Help with IEP documentation? Tools that improve efficiency across roles have a better chance of getting approved.

Many platforms, including Speech Kingdom, offer features like automatic progress tracking and secure sharing, making it easier for teams to work together without duplicating effort.

Make the Budget Conversation Easy

Even when a tool is affordable, budget concerns can stop the conversation before it starts. Prepare by doing a little research ahead of time.

Know the pricing structure and look for school or district licenses that can cover multiple users. Highlight the value—especially if the tool replaces other materials or services. And if a free trial is available, ask if your team can test it out before committing.

You don’t need to have all the answers, but showing that you’ve thought about cost makes your request more grounded and professional.

Show How It Fits with Curriculum Goals

Administrators want to know that any new tool aligns with existing curriculum and standards. Before your meeting, make a short list of how the resource fits with what you’re already teaching.

With Speech Kingdom, that might mean showing how their games reinforce expressive language goals or how their social stories support self-regulation strategies already being taught in the classroom.

If the tool offers a way to personalize learning paths or tailor content to different needs, be sure to mention that as well. Flexibility matters, especially in special education.

Share Real Feedback and Results

If you've already used the tool, even with just one student, bring that experience into your conversation. Share observations, data, or student work that shows the impact.

Even better, if a colleague has used it too, ask them to share their feedback. Positive comments from multiple team members can go a long way in helping an administrator feel confident about moving forward.

Keep It Simple and Solution-Oriented

Finally, remember that administrators are juggling dozens of priorities. Keep your request focused, clear, and centered around solutions.

You’re not asking them to overhaul everything—just to support a resource that helps your team meet your students’ needs more effectively.

When Teachers Lead, Students Win

Teachers are often the first to spot what’s working in the classroom. By taking the initiative to advocate for tools that support your students and your team, you're leading the way toward better outcomes.
 

Whether it’s Speech Kingdom or another platform, your voice can help bring powerful, practical solutions into the classroom. And when that happens, everyone benefits—especially the students who need it most.