Quick, Click, Done: No-Prep Resources That Save Your Virtual Sessions

Apr 2

Because your time matters—and your sessions should still sparkle.

If you’ve ever scrambled to prep a session five minutes before go-time (or let’s be honest, one minute before), you are not alone. Teletherapy has brought a lot of flexibility and creativity to our field—but it’s also introduced new pressure to be “on” and engaging, even when time is tight.

Here’s the good news: effective doesn’t have to mean elaborate. Some of the most impactful sessions come from no-prep materials—resources you can reuse, repurpose, or adapt in real-time.

Whether you're managing a full caseload or covering for another therapist, having no-prep tools in your virtual toolbox can turn potential chaos into connection.

Today, I’m sharing the tried-and-true no-prep teletherapy tools that have saved my sanity as a virtual SLP—without sacrificing quality or student engagement.

Why No-Prep Doesn’t Mean Low-Quality

Let’s ditch the idea that we need Pinterest-worthy slides or hours of planning to be effective.

In fact, research shows that student engagement, personal relevance, and relationship-building are the keys to success in both in-person and virtual therapy. According to ASHA (2021), the most effective therapy sessions are those that are functional, individualized, and responsive—not necessarily flashy or complicated.

That’s where no-prep materials shine:
They let you stay flexible, responsive, and present in the moment.

When evaluating a no-prep tool or resource, I look for:

Easy access: Can I load it quickly mid-session without tech hiccups?

Versatility: Can I use it with multiple age groups and goals?

Adaptability: Can I tweak it quickly based on a student’s attention, tech setup, or learning profile?

My Top 5 Favorite No-Prep Teletherapy Tools

1. Canva

Canva is my secret sauce. I use it to:

Create visuals during the session for vocabulary, sequencing, or articulation.
Duplicate existing slides and swap in the student’s name or favorite character.
Share my screen and type/write alongside students for joint attention activities.

Pro tip: Save a few blank templates in your Canva library for quick use—like a Venn diagram, comic strip, or category sorting board.

2. ChatGPT (yep, I use it!)

I use ChatGPT daily for:

WH- questions tied to silly stories.
Custom social narratives (like “What happens when your internet freezes?”).
Rapid brainstorming for themed sessions or extension ideas.

It’s like having a copywriter sitting next to you during sessions—one that never sleeps! I always make sure to avoid sharing student names or personal information and use broad prompts like:

“Write a short story about a dragon who couldn’t say his R sounds.”

Then I pull it into a shared screen or read it aloud while we work on articulation or language targets.

3. GoGo Speech

GoGo Speech is a huge hit with younger kids. The no-click, follow-along visuals mean that students don’t have to control the mouse or navigate multiple screens. It’s especially helpful when:

A student is using a tablet or has limited motor skills.
You want to maximize time on communication goals, not tech troubleshooting.
You need something visually dynamic without overstimulating.
My favorite GoGo activities include built-in pauses for expressive language, prediction, and comprehension checks—all without needing extra prep.

4. Diffit

If you haven’t tried Diffit yet—run, don’t walk. It lets you:

Enter a topic (like “Minnesota Vikings” or “Bad Bunny”) and select a reading level.
Instantly get a simplified article and a set of comprehension questions.
Modify classroom materials for speech-language goals (perfect for mixed groups!).

It’s gold for working on language, vocabulary, and curriculum-based therapy.

5. Your Screen + Your Brain

Sometimes, the best no-prep material is right in front of you:

A blank Google Doc for sentence combining or story generation.
A Google Image search to talk through descriptive language.
A typing race, drawing challenge, or joint-writing activity.

With your clinical brain and creativity, these simple tools become high-impact sessions.

What to Look for in No-Prep Materials

As you build your own go-to list, here are three criteria to keep in mind:

1. Open-Ended Format
Open-ended tools can be used in dozens of ways across age groups. For example, a single graphic organizer can become:

A sequencing tool
A story retelling framework
A compare/contrast map

2. Minimal Tech Demands
Keep in mind that many students are logging in from shared devices, outdated tablets, or on spotty Wi-Fi. The more streamlined your tool is, the more likely it is to work.

3. Age-Appropriate Appeal
Try to find (or create) visuals and prompts that can be adjusted for different age groups. I often use similar base content (like an absurd story) with a 1st grader and a 5th grader—just layered differently with vocabulary, fluency, or inference goals.

Session Starters You Can Use Today

Need something fast? These starters take under a minute to load:

From ChatGPT:
"Tell me a story about a marshmallow who wanted to be a superhero."
Let your student name the superhero powers, setting, or silly sidekick!

From Canva:
Use a blank drag-and-drop slide to work on describing, categorizing, or retelling.

From Diffit:
Enter your student’s favorite hobby, choose their reading level, and turn the article into a compare/contrast task, vocabulary lesson, or comprehension discussion.

Would You Rather Game:
Ask fun questions (e.g., “Would you rather have spaghetti hair or waffle feet?”) and target articulation, reasoning, or expressive language with follow-up questions.