I’m always looking for super simple and silly activities to use in therapy.  I enjoy creative crafts and prefer to use manipulatives or real life activities within my therapy sessions.  But some days I need to take data-or I didn’t have any inspirations and I use worksheets that I might typically send home for homework in my therapy sessions.  Here is how I try to spice them up: speech therapy worksheet My Favorite Speech Therapy Worksheet Games A-rip-ulation Speech therapy worksheets This created this activity when I was too lazy to get child size scissors from my cabi ..read more

Does your brain get stressed out when you are trying to teach you/me?  I’ve read suggestions that you should avoid teaching or requiring personal pronouns I/me/you (particularly with autism) because the concepts are too abstract and that it might be better to refer to the child by name. Understanding pronouns is an important first step in perspective taking.  If you can’t distinguish between me/you, how can you start to understand that different people understand or think differently from yourself?  Plus most children understand personal pronouns I/me/you by age 30 months. Still ..read more

Have you used video modeling in therapy before?  My first job was working with developmentally disabled adults at a community work site.  We had a gigantic video camera that we would use to film expected or unexpected social interactions.  My clients loved to watch the videos of the wrong behavior.  It was pretty funny and motivating for them.  Turns out, I was doing it wrong.  There can be a benefit in identifying incorrect behaviors, but video modeling is most successful when we video what we want the client to do or say. It reminds me of a child that I worked w ..read more

Do you use affirmations in speech therapy?  I haven’t but it is one of my goals for November.  We all have our inner voice that tells us certain “truths” about ourself. A few truths that I have told myself over the years, “I am shy-it is hard for me to meet new people.” “I’m not good at big projects-it’s hard for me to stay motivated and on task.  I just lose interest.” Over time, this inner voice can become our reality.  Remember the popular book the Secret from about 15 years ago?  It talked about the power of positive intent-that if you wish for something and cre ..read more

Hand turkeys are one of my favorite Thanksgiving speech therapy crafts. Maybe your parents have one that you made in preschool laying around: Trace around the child’s hand. Draw a beak and a waddle onto the thumb.  Add two legs. Color the fingers orange/red or yellow and the rest of the hand brown. I make hand turkeys with all ages-even middle school.  I like them because you can teach strategies such as 5 finger retell.  So even though this is a Thanksgiving activity, you can use the strategy you taught for the rest of the year. Articulation Hand Turkeys: Write articulation ..read more

Do you have any clients who are obsessed with superhero movies?  A few years ago I talked about my love of Star Wars-and how you can speak Star Wars in you speech room.  Today I’m going to get you up to speed on super heroes.  My favorite super hero has always been Wonder Woman.  I remember walking through a drug store as a child and finding a box with my Wonder Woman costume in it.  Does anyone else remember the old plastic masks and plastic apron costumes or am I the oldest one here?   Who are all these super heroes? I’m going to split the superheroes up into t ..read more

We love to celebration Halloween in my speech therapy room.  I live in the Halloween capitol of the world (self-proclaimed) so there are generally no restrictions on celebrations.  I’m bringing you a round up of my favorite Halloween speech therapy activities as well as a new freebie! Quick Halloween Speech Therapy Games: I purchased most of these activities at my local Dollar store or dollar spot.  These are all simple toss games that my clients enjoy and it allows us to work on more drill style activities (perfect for taking data at the end of a progress period.). Halloween S ..read more

Do you have Pinterest or Instagram envy?  It can seem like every speech blogger has an amazingly decorated therapy space and that every session includes mind-blowing  activities and ends with hugs and rainbows.  I loooooooooove looking at speech room makeovers-and am constantly amazed an inspired by my colleagues. I enjoy using themes and coming up with snack activities or other functional activities to use in therapy.  I enjoy a good craft.  But here’s my truth-there are many weeks where I don’t have time to use elaborate therapy activities or even want ..read more

Has this ever happened to you?  You pull out a worksheet or activity and the student says: “I hate speech,” “I already know that-I’m not stupid you know.” “Your wasting my time” Or the dreaded-shut down-where they just stare at you are refuse to do anything. You try explaining why they need to work on their skills, you try to wait them out, you try motivation charts, schedules, you tell them again that it’s their job to work, you talk to their teachers, their parents,  you’ve tried everything-it must be them.  You give up. Sound familiar?  A review of their medical history ..read more

It’s Better Hearing and Speech Month and I’m sharing my favorite speech therapy toys, games and books and how I use them in therapy. Do you like to use puzzles in speech therapy?  I love to use the hide and seek puzzles from Melissa and Doug.   Each puzzle has a variety of “doors” the client can open.  Inside the door is a magnetic piece.  These puzzles tend to hold my clients interest a little bit longer than a traditional puzzle and I’m able to target a variety of goals within one session.  I have three different ones that I use.  One is a farm scene, another h ..read more