“Hi, I’m Amy and I’m a recovering perfectionist.” I really wish we had meetings for us recovering perfectionists! The daily battle to accept my imperfections and mistakes is often isolating and I’d love time and space to talk about it with the many who can relate. I know some would be my fellow SLPs. SLP …
I think this is my patients’ favorite game! Although many Toca Boca games are free, this one costs $3.99. I usually use it for social inferencing (identifying each pets’ feelings and the cause of those feelings), but I use it for irregular past-tense verbs, too. As we play the game I’ll ask the kids questions …
This is honestly the tool I use most often. These cushions are like magic for children who have trouble sitting still like those who have ADHD or are just more active. Each cushion has 2 sides: on is bumpy and one is smooth. They usually come with a pump to inflate them and I like …
With so many of my patients now vaccinated I wanted to make sure I had lots of supports to help them sort through their emotions about the ongoing pandemic, continued inconsistency, and returning to in-person appointments. So I created a “tune-in corner” (though I usually just call it a “quiet corner,” but I’m using it …
I love the Zones of Regulation! The curriculum has taught me so much about regulation and the tools have helped so many of my patients engage in speech and language treatment! I have colleagues who hate the Zones of Regulation because it gets confusing for kids whose teachers use the color-coded behavior charts. to be …
When I was helping parents of children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder around the state I often made these envelope visual schedules and first-then schedules. They’re not too big to carry around and you can fit the tokens, icons, and/or a marker into the envelope. Once I was working in the schools I found them …
My patients love using Calico Critters, Li’l Woodzeez, and Honey Bee Acres during treatment! And I love that the kids are motivated to do their work while we play with them. There are so many less expensive dollhouse sets! Yet, these are the most motivating that I’ve found. My patients have always tired of the …
I’m constantly reminded that bubbles and pinwheels are therapeutic. Not just because children love them, but also because both blowing bubbles and pinwheels and popping bubbles forces deep breathing and mindfulness. I love using bubbles with children who are having difficulty staying in the calm and ready-to-learn green zone. Since the pandemic started I’ve yet …
“Brain Cells” is a game that my aunt, Jeanne Jurgensen, developed and generously gifted to me. Kids can bounce or throw koosh or ping-pong balls into the box, which is divided into “cells.” The word inside the box is the word we then work on by talking about its meaning, making a sentence with it, …
I’m noticing that children who were born shortly before the pandemic are taking longer to warm up to me than the 2-year-olds I’ve seen prior to “these unprecedented times”. So I’m implementing the same rules I use for children who are demonstrating signs of anxiety, such as those with selective mutism: talking is rewarded, but …
