In a time where being an SLP can feel heavy, here’s a lighter and practical episode to help you move forward with a bit more ease in your sessions. These are therapy ideas and strategies for working with families that we’ve learned from other SLPs and our own experience that have helped us in our SLP lives.
Sponsored by: Nonfiction Vocalic R Bundle
Detailed Show Notes
Sarie: when this episode airs the spring will be fast approaching and you may be finding that as the weather turns warmer the students become more restless, and this year is no exception. If you are needing some tried and true tips to help keep your therapy efficient, effective and fun Sarah and I are here to share 10 tips that we know from experience work. Sarah why don’t you start us off.
Sarah:
When you feel lost, pick ONE student and ONE family that you want to focus on (this can help you make progress on the situation that is the most frustrating and build relationships one at a time). This has been helpful especially this year when I feel like everything I do is wrong - it’s not, but it’s just part of having too much to do and not enough resources. Focusing on one family adds to my happiness and helps me be a better SLP, to one family at a time. Practically what this might look like is: calling that parent, improving that child’s therapy by taking a language sample or trying a new activity, reaching out to an SLP friend for session or treatment ideas, taking a continuing education course about the area in which I’m working with that child. It’s a bit like having a realistic and attainable goal, and it’s helped my happiness a lot, and it’s helped me be a better SLP.
What is the child interested in? Do that. This has helped me esp with preschool learners here are some examples: a) I have a kid who loves to squish things so we start the session with squishing water beads into a box which is very centering for this child b) I have another learner who loves to put items into and out of a box, so we have different sized boxes with items, we try for different items in the box, and we are working on in/out words c) I have another student who love string, so we tie items to the end of string and put them in the box so when the learner pulls it out, they have an item (for example a cup or spoon) tied to the end, this means an adult can hold the item, we can toss the item, talk about the item etc to expand the play). This has been especially useful for me to brainstorm with other SLPs about, especially for my learner who plays with the string, I was totally stumped as far as how to expand that or do something with that, so I asked an SLP friend. I think sometimes I start with activities I usually do or what I already have - but for esp my younger learners including my Autistic learners, I need to start with THEM.
Have at least ONE activity per session where you don’t need to be “on” examples - coloring, a match it activity or game where you are just turning cards and they are finding matches, a sensory bin activity where you lift the demands - this is good for the child and good for YOU and helps you to keep going. I tend to want to pour ALL my energy out each session because I care about my kids, but ultimately they need a break and a quiet moment each session and so do I.
Inhale Exhale - I learned this from a friend who is super into Montessori learning, she used this phrase to describe a daily schedule with kids, but I’ve adapted it for my sessions and it has been helpful. The inhale is the more challenging activity,t he exhale is letting go, and something a bit easier. I truly try and make every other activity an inhale or exhale. Students are less frustrated, they are happier, and so am I.
Kids Clean up - OK this is basic but important, and I do notice when I have students they kind of over help and set up and clean up. And for experienced SLPs, we can let this go when things get busy. But - kids must clean up. Setting up and cleaning up is a part of play, and it helps students take ownership and some level of control for what is happening. I could wax poetic about it, but I’ll stop for now and say it has so many logistical, emotional, and play benefits that it really is a must.
Sarie:
Incorporate movement - there is so much research behind the importance of movement and its role in facilitating learning for children. And adding movement into our speech activities is not an exception to this rule. You will find a cross age is that if you use activities that require the kiddos to get up and move they will be more engaged and retain the skill more effectively. Ways you can do this adding in hand motions or body movements that you pair with articulation drills, (check out some of the videos that Sarah has shared on our Instagram account of her doing this through virtual therapy using hand motions paired With speech tasks if you need a great example of how to do this). You can also have students practice following directions that involve actions, have students act out a story or sequence while you read it, even just taking a quick movement break to do five jumping jacks between tasks is the easy way to add a little motion and help students to focus when working with you of speech and language tasks.
Allow a few minutes before or after speech to “check in.” The relationship and the connection that we build with the clients we serve strengthens our ability to support them in their speech and language goals. Allowing just a few minutes at the end or beginning of a speech session for them to check in, share what’s new, share how they’re feeling really strengthens that connection. It's also a nice bonus way to observe their speech and language skills in a casual conversation.
Sing a song - I feel a little bit like a hypocrite sharing this tip because I don’t do this enough, but it’s something that I really want to incorporate more into my speech sessions because it can be so effective. Sarah just shared with me not that long ago that she, on the spur of the moment, came up with a song to the tune of “here comes Santa Claus” that went something like , “ here comes the dinosaur, here comes the dinosaur, put it in the box.” To practice following directions with preposition words and it was genius! And it worked! Songs are such a fun way to practice or reinforce something you’re working on in speech. And you don’t have to be an amazing singer to use songs in your speech session. The kiddos are not American Idol judges, and even if your voice racks for time to time they won’t care. They’ll join right in.
If you are feeling stuck - ask another SLP or professional for ideas. This is something that Sarah and I do all the time. If there’s a student that seems to be struggling making progress or we feel like we just need a new perspective or new ideas of things to try, we will consult each other or other SLPs. It’s been a huge help especially for me as this year when I started a new position at the early childhood evaluation center, to be able to draw on Sarah‘s experience, and earlier today she just texted me a question to verify something about IEP processes . If you have a cohort of SLP’s within your current place of work - that’s great consult with them. If not, there are lots of online SLP communities and groups on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. My experience in these groups has been wonderful. Everyone treats each other with respect and no question is too small or silly to ask. You just have to reach out.
Need an easy lesson idea? When in doubt - read a book! And this last tip is really my default for any lesson and my favorite activity to do in a speech room is always going to be reading a book. Books are such wonderful resources for both for articulation sound practice and for incorporating any type of language target into your speech session and if you’re ever struggling to keep kids engaged with the lesson you had planned stop what you’re doing and grab a book.
Three Good Things
Sarah: Finding Joy on Acorn TV, the book Magic Lessons, Smitten Kitchen Cookie Recipe
Sarie: Crash Landing Into You on Netflix, writing letters, Burts Bees Chapstick