SKILLS FIRST DIGITAL · FOR EARLY COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONALS

A clear next step.
For you.
For your clients.

Turn your clinical knowledge into a plan caregivers can use in the moments they already share with their child.

Skills First brings a practical framework, three training videos, and ELLA together—so you can choose a communication skill, explore a strategy, and make a plan with the family.

Get Skills First Digital ↗$79.00 one-time purchase

12 months of clinician ELLA access · 3 family passes · All digital

SMALL MOMENTS. A SHARED PLAN.
ELLAExample caregiver plan

Let’s try this
at snack time.

01
OUR SKILLUsing Words
02
OUR STRATEGYPause
03
OUR ROUTINESnack time

Offer a small serving. Pause before offering more, giving your child a chance to reach, gesture, make a sound, or use a word. Respond to their attempt.

Something small to try together.
Using Words skill cardPause strategy card

An example of a plan you can build with ELLA.

12 months of ELLA accessPersonalized access for three of your clientsTraining videos and support

FROM A GOOD SESSION TO AN EVERYDAY MOMENT

“What should we
work on this week?”

You can see the possibilities. Helping a family choose where to start is its own kind of work.

There may be several skills to support, plenty of strategies to explain, and very little time to turn it all into something that fits the family’s day.

Skills First gives you a shared starting point: one skill, one strategy, and one everyday routine. A plan you can explore together, practice during a session, and return to next time.

YOUR DIGITAL STARTING POINT

The framework.
The tools. The support.

Here’s what’s included in your purchase.

LEARN THE APPROACH

Three training videos

See the framework, get familiar with ELLA, and explore how to bring them into a therapy session.

  1. 01
    Understanding the Skills First Framework
  2. 02
    Using ELLA
  3. 03
    Skills First in Action: Using ELLA during therapy sessions
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

12 months with ELLA

The Early Language Learning Assistant brings your Toolkit resources and caregiver plans into one place.

  • Create and save caregiver plans.
  • Browse skill, strategy, knowledge, and activity cards.
  • Favorite the cards you return to most.
  • Ask questions and explore ideas for everyday routines.

Use ELLA to support your planning and conversations with families, alongside your clinical judgment.

SUPPORT BETWEEN SESSIONS

Three family passes

Invite three families to use ELLA for six months each, starting when they activate their pass.

Build a plan together, then give caregivers a place to revisit their own plan, explore the cards, and ask questions between visits.

Each pass is activated once and stays connected to that family’s account.

LOOKING FOR THE PRINTED CARDS?

Physical cards are not included
with Skills First Digital.

You’ll find the digital card library inside ELLA. If you’d also like the physical Toddler Talking Toolkit, choose Skills First Complete for the digital resources and the printed cards together.

Get Skills First Complete ↗

MAKE IT PART OF THE SESSION

Bring ELLA into
the conversation.

A tool you can use with caregivers.

Walk through the planning questions together, or skip straight to the skill and strategy you have in mind. Use your clinical judgment to choose the starting point.

Open a card, explore a routine, and write a plan in language that makes sense to the family. Print it as a reminder, then revisit what worked at your next session.

A SESSION COULD LOOK LIKE THIS

  1. Listen. What feels challenging for this family right now?
  2. Choose together. Which skill and strategy fit their priority?
  3. Try it. Model the strategy in a familiar activity.
  4. Make the plan. Decide when and how they’ll use it.
  5. Check back. Notice what happened and adjust together.

CREATED BY A SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

Built around the way
families actually live.

Created by Samantha Ecker of Let’s Talk Toddler, Skills First centers on connection, communication, and the everyday moments caregivers and children already share.

You bring your knowledge of the child and family. Skills First gives you a practical way to turn that knowledge into a shared plan.

START WITH SOMETHING YOU CAN USE

Make your next step
a shared one.

Bring Skills First into your sessions and give families a practical place to start.

Prefer a physical Toolkit, too? Explore Skills First Complete ↗

Skills First Digital

$79.00USD · one-time purchase

  • Three training videos
  • 12 months of clinician ELLA access
  • Three family passes, each with six months of ELLA access
  • Digital card library and caregiver planning tools in ELLA

All digital · Physical Toolkit sold separately

Want to explore ELLA first?

Clinicians: try ELLA free for 14 days ↗No credit card required and no automatic charges. The trial includes ELLA; training videos and family passes come with a Skills First purchase.

A FEW PRACTICAL DETAILS

Good questions.

Who is Skills First Digital for?

It’s designed primarily for clinicians and early communication professionals who work with toddlers and their caregivers, and want a practical framework for choosing a skill, exploring a strategy, and making a routine-based plan together.

Do I need the physical Toddler Talking Toolkit?

No. Skills First Digital includes the card library inside ELLA. The printed Toolkit is not included. If you’d like both the digital resources and the physical Toolkit, explore Skills First Complete.

What do the three family passes include?

Each pass gives one family six months of ELLA access from activation. The family signs in with their own email address and activates the pass once. After that, they return through their own account.

Can I choose my own skill and strategy?

Yes. ELLA can suggest a starting point from the caregiver’s answers, or you can skip the questions and select a skill and strategy directly.

Is this a subscription?

No. The $79 purchase includes 12 months of clinician ELLA access and three family passes. There are no automatic renewal charges.

Does the free trial include everything in Skills First Digital?

The 14-day clinician trial lets you explore ELLA’s planning tools, card library, and chat support. The three training videos and family passes are included with a paid Skills First purchase.

Does ELLA replace my clinical judgment?

No. ELLA provides educational support and ideas to adapt. It does not diagnose children. You decide what is appropriate for each child and family.