Are you studying for the SLP praxis exam? Check out some of my best tips for acing this important test! Keep up the hard work!
Every year when I go shopping right after Christmas, it's always the same thing....stores like Walmart and Target pack the shelves with organizational totes and containers. I thought it was just ME, but apparently it's
As a new clinician, I struggled with providing cognitive therapy to my patients with dementia. I would give them word finds, crossword puzzles, and other s
Theresa Richard, Medical SLP - Helping SLPs Find Passion through Advocacy, Compassion and Evidence
CFY-SLP: the Survival Guide for Articulation You’ve finished grad school (or are just about to finish grad school) in Speech- Language Pathology. CONGRATS! Perhaps you’ve just started your new position, and you’re pumped to be able to sign that CFY-SLP at the end of your name. You should be proud, because this is a huge...
From discussions with my SLP friends and what I have read on several other blogs, we are all always trying to refine our data collection. I know for myself, I love to see what other people are doing...so of course I thought I would share my own system, which continues to be changed a little every year. I am a fan of paper and pen...I know with the explosion of iPads in therapy, a lot of therapists are using digital data collection. I happen to think this is fabulous; however, I do not currently use it. What am I waiting for? Someone to buy me an iPad :)
Hi friends! I shared a quick video of a flip through of my SLP Review Binder on Instagram and a few people wanted a more in-depth look...en...
Fluency (or stuttering) therapy is an area that many SLPs feel under-prepared to serve. While you may have had an excellent professor on the subject in grad school, it tends to be a lower incidence
SLP’s working in the school setting can easily be spread thin. If an SLP isn’t monitoring what he/she is committing to or looking at their current work load situation, things can go from manageable to chaotic in a blink of an eye. We must say no at work when we can’t do something! I compiled […]
We all know how precious our time (AND MONEY) are! If you are anything like me, spending time researching the BEST deals and most essential items for your speech room and {LIFE} are basically daily things. Let’s be real…it can also be a STRUGGLE! I find myself scrolling through Amazon, running to Target dollar spot,
These are my must-have speech therapy materials "schools edition!" I'll share my professional philosophy so you can understand my suggestions.
Check out my SLP CFY tips to help you survive the wild ride! Get ready to thrive during your first year as a working speech therapist!
I'm working on left and right with one of my clients. Here are 24 flash cards that we will pair with a fun game like Pop-Up Pirate! Click here to download!
Get more out of the Naming Therapy app with these 10 easy aphasia activities to teach and practice strategies for word finding for anomia after stroke.
During my first few segments in the 'SLP 101' series, I've mentioned 'Working Folders'. I thought I'd explain what that means to me! I actually have 3 different systems this year because I'm in 3
Are you a speech pathologist that works with 4th and 5th graders? Do you need tips on how to work best with your upper elementary students? This is the ultimate SLP Guide for working with 4th and 5th grade in a school setting! In this blog post, I'm going to share some of my favorite
I made this worksheet to work on recalling two details in a sentence by answering wh comprehension questions. I work on this goal before working on recalling details in short (3-4 sentence) paragraphs and then in longer stories. Click here to download!
I currently have four students with a stuttering disorder on my caseload. One is in first grade, and the others are in second and third. They each have speech on their own this year. One-on-one therapy, for all four! All of the kids are in different classes, and that is just how the schedule worked out. It is really nice having 30minutes every week for each of them, plus I think they like having the undivided attention. The older three have been working on a project for a few weeks to learn about speech helpers. The idea is that when they can name and understand what part of their body is affected by a stuttering moment, it aides in teaching them how to use fluency enhancing strategies. This is our first unit of the year, and we will move onto strategies next week. As described in previous posts, Halloween crafts during therapy is in full swing in the speech room. My fluency kids made a cadaver to add to the scary decorations. The cadaver, of course, was a means to an end to teach about speech helpers. I combined a lot of ideas from a lot of sources. I have a few documents to share with you as well through Google Docs. Here are the steps to the project! We started with the mouth. I found this version here. I enlarged it to show the detail and allow room for the marshmallow teeth and balloon tongue. I bought pink balloons and the students filled them with marshmallows for the tongue. The marshmallows gave it a soft and squishy texture, sorta like a real tongue. Next, after the student cut out the mouth, I cut a slit in the paper to attach the tongue with tape on the back. Next, marshmallow teeth were added, and a few eaten. I mean really, I couldn't expect them to just glue them! This is where I saw this idea, although there are many different versions on Pinterest. An old lipstick was used to enhance the lips. This lipstick will never touch my lips again and forever live with my fluency supplies! With the inside of the mouth done, it was time to make a side-view of the cadaver. I found this paper version here. More lipstick and marshmallows, as well as a pink balloon, were used for the additional body parts. The nose is made a plastic pencil sharpener that I had in my prize box. I think I got them from Target. The students cut out the lungs, that I found here, and glued them to the chart. Bubble wrap was added next, to represent the alveoli, which were painted pink with watercolors. Here is where I got that idea. I was surprised that the watercolors stayed on so well. I attached the bubble wrap with a stapler. Rolled up pink paper was used for the trachea and bronchi. The vocal folds/cords is a dry tortellini glued to the top of the airway. Now for brains! They are ramen noodles painted pink, and then hot-glued onto the page. Easy and realistic. The final step was adding labels to each speech helper, as well as the description of how we speak. I got help with this from here and here. I have a copy of my version of the labels and "How we Speak" statement for you: here and here. Here is the cadaver in all of it's gross glory! This was a lot of work, both for me and the students. I spent a lot of time collecting items, formulating my ideas, trouble shooting, and creating parts of the project. But, it was worth it! I am so proud of these kiddos.
My first semester of speech language pathology graduate school is over!! Boy, is that a mouthful or what?! I said goodbye to my clients yesterday, which was so so so sad. I honestly felt so lucky t…
Step up your caseload management with these tried and true tips from a school-based SLP!
I hope you have been enjoying reading this series as much as I have been enjoying writing it. Today we look at a few tips and tricks to elicit SH and CH. Certainly, this is not everything you need to know. These are just some tips that have been proven useful and I wanted to share them. ... Read more
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A lot of people ask questions about my SLP planner. Hopefully, some of these ansers will help you get the best use out of your SLP planner.
Need help with collaborative services and planning themed therapy? This is a speech therapy blog dedicated to helping school SLPs.
Need help with collaborative services and planning themed therapy? This is a speech therapy blog dedicated to helping school SLPs.
Are you starting as an SLP at a new school? You may be a seasoned SLP or a brand new grad, either way, you are embarking on a new journey. At least it feels like that! I have left the comfort of a school that I was a part of for ten years and moved on to other schools and assignments in my same district. With this change comes some anxiety. You have to meet new staff and get to know all new students. You also have to figure out the culture of the school. But first, you have to find your room! This is the first of a series that chronicles how to navigate a new school and caseload. This will be helpful for new grads venturing into their first job and seasoned veterans who may be switching things up a bit. So, what are the steps you need to take first? Here is a list of things to do before you even see your new room. 1. Make Contact- The first thing you can do is contact your new principal to introduce yourself by email. You can leave your cell phone number in the email, and let them know you would be excited to talk with them before the school year starts. 2. Find the New School- This may seem like a no-brainer, but figure out where your new school is so that you know where you are going! You'll want to look at the traffic patterns in the morning so you can know exactly how long it will typically take you to get there. Best to not be late when you set up a time to meet with your new principal or other staff. 3. Set Up a Time to Meet- It is a good idea to contact your new principal to set up a time to meet them and get a tour of the school. This is a great opportunity to meet the secretaries or other office staff as well as possibly some other teachers setting up their rooms and the very important custodians. All of these people will be instrumental in helping you to feel comfortable in your new space. 4. Shop For Supplies- Ok, so this one isn't really necessary at this point, but who can resist the great sales before the school year starts? 50 cents for a 24 pack of Crayolas? That's awesome! I like to grab all of my basic speech room supplies before they get too picked over. I always grab crayons, markers, glue sticks, pencils, pens, sharpies, and colored folders before the school year begins. These staples always seem to go up in price after the school year starts. Plus, if you are a crayon/materials snob like me (hello, Crayola!!) you can grab the brands and colors that you like and not have to rely on your school for these items. These four items should get you started, and then you can move on to organizing your materials in your new room! If you are moving into a preschool speech and language position, you may also be interested in learning about how to structure your preschool speech and language space.
Welcome! I view my therapy room as my “home away from home” so I try to make it warm and inviting. Students need to feel accepted and safe and that’s what I want my room to portray. I hope you’ll look around and maybe get some ideas for your space! There are many times I […]
