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If you’ve ever owned a dog, you understand that dogs can be wonderful companions. They are loyal, fun, patient, and easy to talk to. Dogs are known to be more than man’s best friend; they’re also children’s best friend. More speech-language therapists are discovering that dogs not only make good companions – they make excellent speech therapy assistants. Read More
Mental Illness Awareness Week falls on the first week of October each year. This week’s awareness topic is near and dear to our hearts, as it’s become more prominent and crucial than ever before, and affecting people of all ages, especially students. Students need more support now than ever, and this is where teletherapy can be somewhat of a superhero to kids in need. How, you ask? There are multiple benefits of using teletherapy for mental health. Here are just a few:
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Recognizing a language or speech disorder isn’t always easy. As SLPs, we often encounter barriers on the road to diagnosing and treating a language or speech disorder in children. At times it may feel as though we’re running into one roadblock after another. Some of those roadblocks are other developmental difficulties or disorders that mask language and speech disorders, while others may be environmental influences.
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Far too often we focus on the wrong things when treating Language Processing. We focus on the pronouns, the letter combination sounds, and sentence structure. Of course, these are important but before we jump into these skills first, we tend to lose sight of the need to treat language processing (LP) first. Nearly all of our activities are done through language. When processing skills are an issue, it’s hard for us to communicate what to do if we don’t understand what it is we’re doing or the tools we’re using. For instance, asking a student to paint a picture will result in frustration if they don’t know what a paintbrush is. Read More
One of our roles as SLPs is being an advocate. We tirelessly advocate on behalf of our clients to state, federal, and local government, doctors and insurance. We advocate to teachers, family, and friends and we advocate to the general public, because it is often the general public that misunderstands the most about DLDs but comes to us when a speech or language disorder is suspected in their own children.
Misinformation and falsehoods about DLDs are one of the most popular reasons why people don’t seek out therapy for their children. As SLPs we are constantly dispelling myths about DLDs so more people can seek out the treatment they need for their children. Read More
Children who utter “Huh?” “What?” or appear to tune out are often regarded as having behavioral issues when in fact, it could be auditory processing disorder (APD). It’s through a concentrated effort on the part of many therapies that APD can be treated.
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Finding rewards for speech therapy students can be difficult. The most popular and easiest option for many SLPs is a candy jar or other sweet treat mired in sugar. But is that the best option? Absolutely not! Sweets and candy are not only unhealthy options which can lead to bad eating habits later but they’re also only good in the short term. Studies have shown time and again that extrinsic rewards for meeting goals or good behavior eventually lose the attention of children and rarely work for long-term goals like speech therapy.
Though some speech therapists also swear by treasure boxes, those too can be seen as short-term reinforcements. For one, treasure boxes can become pricey to restock, often coming out of your own pocket. They also aren’t suitable for all age groups. A sixth-grade student won’t enjoy the same treasure box prize that a first-grade student will.
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Conventions and conferences are a great way to pick up new skills and connect with other clinicians and professionals. If you’ve never been to a conference or a convention, you might want to consider attending the upcoming annual ASHA convention held in November.
Whether you choose the upcoming ASHA Convention or another conference to fit your specialty, there are some things you can do to make the most of your trip. We’ve collected the best tips and tricks to make your conference experience the best it can be. Read More
IEP meetings can be stressful for everyone involved. We often have a massive list of goals to achieve with students in what feels like a short period of time. IEP goal writing is mostly just the language you use to explain what the concerns are, how they will be addressed, and what the outcome should be. Though we are the language experts, it can still be a daunting task until we break it down. Read More
If you’re currently working within the education system and service a local school district, you undoubtedly know the struggle of having enough funds to provide the best learning environment you can for your students. You’ve likely paid for a number of materials and resources out of your own pocket in order to create enriching therapy sessions every school year.
Receiving funding for materials and activities is often one of the biggest struggles speech-language pathologists encounter. Grants from the local and federal government as well as other local or national organizations can go a long way towards helping you in the funding of your classroom’s activities. Read More