Versatile Materials for ANY Speech Therapy Goal. There are a few tools in my speech room that I come back to again and again between job changes and working with a wide variety of levels and age ranges.
I thought I’d share some of my favorites with all of you today! If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ll know that I’m a HUGE proponent of buying flexible and versatile materials so that you can buy less, have less clutter, and still maintain engagement! I’ve been asked what materials I recommend in order to do that and finally got around to compiling several of my ideas! If you have a versatile material that you LOVE, please leave a comment below! I’d love more ideas! Without further ado, below are my top picks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The SLP "Bug-Out Bag" - Essential Speech Therapy Materials. The “bug-out bag.”
It’s an emergency kit. An ever-ready tote containing all the essentials its owner will need for surviving a 72-hour period, should catastrophe strike. In the crisis-fraught world of prime-time television, every protagonist has a bug-out bag. Zombies and double agents await at every turn, so TV’s leading men and women keep emergency kits well-stocked and close at hand. A Red Cross “ready to go” preparedness kit. While you as an SLP have little reason to worry about a zombie apocalypse or coup d’état, you do have to tolerate a certain number of treatment setting emergencies. Enter the SLP bug-out bag. An 8 X 10 dry-erase board and marker. Top Ten Essentials for New SLPs. Have you ever been placed in a new position that has no materials?
Are you getting ready to start out as a new CF, and don’t know what materials to purchase? In my first year of practice, I was faced with both of these situations. I had accepted a job with a contract company, but didn’t know where I was going to be placed until August. Turns out, an area special education co-op had decided to create a new position, one that would travel between the ten parochial elementary schools in the area. As a new position, there were no tests or materials to use – in fact, there wasn’t even an office for me! Looking back, this actually was a very valuable experience, as I was forced to become resourceful, organized, and a careful planner! Caseload/Workload: Key Issues.
Caseload Characteristics Nationwide, school-based SLPs provide services to students from at least five different groups: According to the ASHA 2016 Schools Survey [PDF], the median monthly caseload size of ASHA-certified, school-based SLPs who were clinical service providers working full time was 48, with an individual caseload range of 31–64 (ASHA, 2016).
Some states have established maximum caseload guidelines for school SLPs, but others leave these determinations to local districts. Contact individual state departments of education for current information regarding caseload guidelines. See also ASHA's State Caseload Chart [PDF]. Impact of Large Caseloads Student Outcomes Students on smaller caseloads are more likely to make measurable progress on functional communication measures than those on large caseloads (Schooling, 2003). These positive student outcomes may be less likely when SLPs have large caseloads and expanded responsibilities. Service Delivery Options Other Areas of Impact. Working in the School Setting: A Guide to Begin or Reignite Your Career in Schools.
This information is for SLPs who are returning to or entering the school setting for the first time. Working in schools can be a unique and rewarding career for a speech-language pathologist. While there are many options available to SLPs, working in schools offers exposure to one of the most diverse client populations: a school caseload has an array of students with a variety of disorders and range of severity. By working in schools, SLPs gain a unique view into the role communication plays in social interaction and classroom performance of students. There is no paucity of teaming possibilities-with teachers, administrators, psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and other related professionals. What other setting will allow the SLP to follow a student's growth from early elementary to graduation and on to work or university? Key Issues Resources Contact us at schools@asha.org. Parkinson's Disease & Speech Therapy. Information tips for improving communication Dysarthria (difficulty speaking) and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) can be severely limiting symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD).
These conditions can be helped by referral to a speech therapist. The Lee Silverman Voice Therapy Program has demonstrated significant value for patients with PD. The patient should be referred to a speech therapist experienced in administering the Lee Silverman Voice Therapy Program. People with PD may find it difficult to pronounce words clearly. Pediatric Therapy Corner: Benefits of Co-Treatment Sessions of Speech/Occupational Therapy. By: Kelli Ellenbaum, MS CCC-SLP There are endless benefits to co-treatment therapy sessions with the pediatric population.
Co-treatments are sessions conducted with 2 or more therapists/disciplines to maximize therapeutic collaboration. At Red Door Pediatric Therapy, co-treatments are performed when therapeutic goals are similar or complimentary. The benefits can be meaningful and increase functional gains. In pediatric therapy, there is often a hierarchy of skill acquisition. Speech/Occupational Therapy “Feeding” Session. 10 Tips for Speech Language Pathologists in Early Intervention. As a Speech Language Pathologist working in Early Intervention, it can be daunting when you are traveling from home to home and family to family.
Keeping things simple is the key to effective speech therapy. Here are some tips to get you started: 1. Inexpensive items go a long way Bubbles are a cheap yet multi-use tool for facilitating speech therapy. 2. Manipulating the therapy environment by utilizing a high chair and/or child sized chairs and a table creates optimal space for focus and attention. 3. Before you enter a client's home, you have read evaluations and reviewed their speech and language goals. 4.
Sound making is so much fun for children in early intervention. 5. I love the simplicity of cause and effect toys, such as a toy that opens and closes or something as simple as the "peek a boo" game for younger clients. 6. Sometimes, communication happens in the gaps between conversational exchanges.