Childhood Apraxia of Speech: 5 Favorites for Speech Therapy Sessions

This week’s topic: Childhood Apraxia of Speech: 5 Favorites for Speech Therapy Sessions describes five of my favorite items and activities to use in speech therapy sessions with children with CAS. If you’d like to know more about Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), you can read more by scrolling back to previous posts.

Are you looking for suggestions for toys and activities to help children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)?

Would you like more activities and suggestions for working on sounds with your child with CAS at home?

Although the possibilities for activities and materials could be endless, I do have my go-to items and activities for speech therapy sessions. When I’m working with children with CAS in my clinic, I find I have five main items/activities that I love to use. My favorites need to be easy to find (or easy to make!) and inexpensive. Over time, I’ve found I go back to activities and materials that are portable, easy to use, and result in good outcomes for clients.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech: 5 Favorites for Speech Therapy Sessions

Sometimes in speech therapy, you just have to shake things up. Other times, it is best to go with tried-and-true activities. If you are looking for materials or strategies to work with a child with CAS, this is a list of my standards, which give many opportunities to practice speech sounds.

As you’ll see from my list, my favorite resource is books! I’ll list three different kinds of books that are good for speech sound practice for children with CAS. In addition, I’ll give suggestions for books to buy (or make) and I’ll also describe why movement and amplification may help your child.

1. Homemade Picture Books

First of all, I have a lot of fun making clients individualized picture books. In addition to being motivating for clients (who get their own personalized book), I can also load these books with target sounds and words. For example, I may be working on the target “cow” with one child. I’ll have “cow” on each page with varying phrases (big cow, little cow, short cow, tall cow…).

Most importantly, these books include many productions of target words. Also, this has been a fun and engaging way to get lots of practice with several treatment words.

First, I make sure to choose simple words for the books. Typically I choose Consonant-Vowel words (moo, baa) or Consonant-Vowel-Consonant words (cow, duck) as target words. Second, I try to make the books as repetitive as possible. Most of all, make sure there are target words on each page.

Using these individualized picture books is fun. Kids like having their very own book! In addition, this is a great item to take home for practice.

These books can be highly adapted to the level of individual clients and their needs.

2. Syllable Flip Books

If a client is imitating, a flip book can be helpful. This can be a real book (usually with spine binding) that you can buy or make yourself. These books include common vowel and consonant sounds. For example, you may flip to an “a” sound and then flip to a variety of consonant sounds before the “a” to practice Consonant-Vowel combinations.
If you prefer using technology (I’m raising my own hand high here!) Speech FlipBook is an app that can do that for you. You choose the vowel and consonant targets, and it’ll flip through different combinations.

3. Amplification

Sometimes, offering a child to hear their own voice a bit more loudly is an opportunity for them to hear how they are producing speech sounds.

Using a paper towel roll or an echo microphone to amplify my client’s voice can be a fun way to practice sounds. First of all, children are more engaged when they can hear their own voices. In addition, this provides some great auditory feedback for clients.

I prefer using a toilet paper roll or a paper towel roll, because I can recycle them after use. After all, most of us have paper towel rolls lying around anyway. You can certainly buy something that will do a better job, but I haven’t found my free solution lacking yet.

If you prefer using technology, Talking Tom is an app that will repeat your voice back to you. My clients love this app!

4. Repetitive Books

Repetitive books can present fun opportunities to get many productions of target words. Some ideas of what to look for are books with:

– Funny noises (splat! pop! swish!)

– Repetitive counting books

– Phrases that repeat (for example, “Are You My Mother?”)

These books are good because children have many opportunities to practice target words.

Some examples of repetitive books I’ve used:

– Moo Baa La La La

– Goodnight Moon

– Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

– Are You My Mother?

– Is Your Mama a Llama?

5. Movement

I’ve used a variety of movement activities to help motivate children to produce new speech sounds. For example using a spinning chair, tube, or swing can be an engaging way to play and move while practicing sounds. Many children benefit from learning speech sounds paired with movement.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Favorites List Suggested Further Reading

In conclusion, by using a variety of approaches, you can find what works best for your client (if you are an SLP) or child (if you are a parent). I hope you find a few of these suggestions helpful for your child!

Finally, if you’d like to read more on this topic, you can read lots more about apraxia by reading previous articles on this blog.

I hope this article helped you learn some of the foundational skills to work on with children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). If you have a child with CAS (or who might have CAS) and live in the Rogue Valley, feel free to get in touch. I love working with clients with CAS and seeing their ability to communicate improve! 

Links 5: Articles to Read for Parents and Educators

Welcome to our link up series, April Links: Articles to Read for Parents and Educators. This is the fourth installment in a series where I share what I’ve come across on the internet lately of interest to parents and educators alike.

First, the Zen Teacher addresses burnout – why it happens, and what to do about it. His strategy on how to deal is brilliant yet oh so simple.

Next, we’ll discover the speech scientists who are creating real voices for those without one. Computerized voices are no longer the only option!
Finally, we discuss social and emotional learning. We will learn why it should be attended to in schools, and how children grow as a result.

Focus on the Margins in your Life to Replenish Your Soul

Whether you are a parent, SLP, or teacher – your title requires a lot of yourself. Our lives are often overscheduled and undernourished. It’s crucial to carve out time to just be, so that we have enough of ourselves left to give to our children and students.

The Zen Teacher, Dan Tricario, uses the analogy of margins on paper with the margins (aka boundaries) we set in our lives. Just setting a little time each week for yourself for simple enjoyment is all it takes. A morning at the coffeeshop, hot brew and buttered croissant, unrushed…it’s the small things in life!

Assistive Technology Users: Ditching the Digital Voice for  a Unique One

A huge drawback of many voice output devices is that they sound robotic. Children may be reluctant to use them because it makes them stand out from their peers. Fortunately, this dilemma  is being solved with innovative technology.

VocaliD, a Boston based company, mixes donor voice recordings with the client’s vocalizations. The new creation results in a voice unique to that person!

Social and Emotional Learning: Opportunities for Growth Beyond Academics

We all know there is much more to the school experience than academic achievements. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an important piece of the puzzle. Areas of SEL, such as self help and relationship skills, are non-negotiable. These are lifelong skills! That’s why it’s important to foster a learning environment conducive to their growth.

Through SEL, children experience positive changes in school, themselves, and peer interactions. When taught in schools, behavioral problems are reduced, along with depression and stress. Of course, the challenge is then how to add it into an already packed school day.

This article give tips on how to teach SEL skills at home as well.

Links 4: Articles to Read for Parents and Educators Wrap Up

I hope you found something useful in this month’s link up series. Personally, I am trying to get better at setting some time each week for simple pleasures. If you have ever experienced burnout (who hasn’t?), I urge you to put those “margins” to use.

We also learned about new technology within the realm of speech and language. Real voices for those who cannot speak is a step towards freedom. It breaks the barrier that comes with using a computerized voice, and that is truly exciting.

Finally, we talked a bit about the benefits of social and emotional learning in the classroom. I’m sure you’ll agree that SEL skills are critical for school success. Children will become more efficient at understanding themselves and their peers as they understand their own emotions. This is important now even more than ever.

How To Begin Speech Therapy in 5 Easy Steps

How to Start Speech Therapy in 5 Easy Steps describes how to begin speech therapy at a private practice clinic, like mine. I walk you through the process from the first phone call to our first appointment together.

How to Start Speech Therapy

Starting speech therapy can be a confusing process. There are a variety of steps, and insurance often adds another layer of complexity.

At what point do you call the clinic?

When do you do the intake paperwork?

How important is your insurance in the early steps?

What needs to happen before your first appointment?

Between insurance, referrals, types of clinics, and specialties – the process can seem complex and confusing. That is because the process is complex and confusing!

To simplify things, I created an infographic to outline the steps to begin speech therapy at my clinic. This visual aid starts at that first phone call, and takes you to our first appointment together. By the end of this post, you’ll be able to understand the process of starting speech therapy at my clinic.

Unfortunately, I can’t fast forward the process for you (oh, if I could!). Although the process involves quite a few steps, it doesn’t have to be confusing. Once you know what to expect, the process seems much easier!

 How To Begin Speech Therapy in 5 Easy Steps

Let’s Begin Speech Therapy – A Conclusion

There are many ways to do the intake process. This blog post outlines mine. I hope this post has given you some ideas of what to expect as you start speech therapy.

In some clinics, you may do the intake documents during your first session. In other clinics, you may do the intake documents before any of the other steps.

Even so, this is the process I usually use for new clients. By understanding what to expect, you can make sure you understand what will happen next. You’ll have your eye on the prize (that first appointment), and clarity about your next step.

I wish you all the best as you work towards that first speech therapy appointment!

I hope this article gave you some clarity as you start speech therapy. My clinic serves the Rogue Valley, Oregon area (Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford). If you are looking for an SLP, you can check out my FAQ to read about insurance plans I accept and contact me. Let’s make your intake process as smooth as possible!

Speech Clinic Tour

Welcome to my speech clinic tour!

Today I’d like to give you a virtual tour of my beloved speech clinic. I rent a little less than 150 square feet in a shared office building. I’ve tried my best to create an environment that is cozy, inviting, and functional.

Many speech-language pathologists work in cramped and chaotic workspaces due to space or budget constraints. Cluttered, cramped, noisy – we have seen it all. This is especially true in the school setting. Several years ago, I even conducted speech therapy in an unused boy’s shower room. (I know, I know. A true story.) So it goes without saying that this new space feels like a real treat.

Speech Clinic Tour – Play Space

I’ve got a window, floor space for young clients, and storage for toys. This is my favorite little nook, where I work with my younger clients. This is a fun space to play and learn. I particularly enjoy the natural light from the window and the mountain views.

Speech Clinic Tour – The Parent’s Space

This little corner is where parents and siblings can hang out while I work with my client. I love using lamps to make the space warm and unintimidating for even the shyest of clients. Even so, I’d like to add a bit more color to this nook. I’m thinking of adding something to the walls. Any suggestions?

Speech Clinic Tour – Speech Therapy Table

Here is my space for older clients (and sometimes younger clients, too, for shorter bursts of time). I like that it’s uncluttered and allows space for clients to focus and work. The framed print on the wall is of the Loch Ness Monster, which says “The important thing is that I believe in myself.” It was a gift from my sister, and I smile when I see it. If the Loch Ness Monster can believe in himself, you can too. That is at least what I tell my clients!

Speech Therapy Room Tour

I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour of my speech therapy space. It’s a work in progress, but I do enjoy sharing photos. It’s sometimes nice to visualize the space before visiting. If you are a parent and you are considering coming to my clinic, feel free to share these photos with your child.

Thank you for your interest in seeing my speech clinic!

Links 4: Articles to Read for Parents and Educators

Welcome to our link up series, Links 4: Articles to Read for Parents and Educators. This is the fourth installation of this series.

We will kick off the month with a book list for little ones and their not-so-little emotions. Talking about feelings doesn’t have to be complicated. This book list keeps it even simpler by taking the guesswork out of book hunting.

Also, we will discuss why we should no longer force boys to sit still. You’ll learn how to embrace boy’s fidgety nature and catapult that energy into good use.

Last, we have a little something for the SLP’s out there. We will discuss why it’s a good idea to incorporate OT strategies into our therapy sessions, and how to do so. These tips are fun and will help amp up the energy in future therapy sessions.

Help Preschoolers Conquer Emotions With These Books

Emotions are often tough to harness, even for adults. But young children especially need our guidance on feelings. That’s what makes emotions such a great subject for children’s books. Wondering which books to choose? This handy list of books on emotions for preschoolers is your time saver! This roundup of ideas was very helpful.

Help boys succeed: Stop forcing them to be still

Sometimes, boys get into trouble when the expectation is they will sit still at school. A big part of this is that when some children can’t sit still, teachers see it as disruptive. But let’s not pretend, here. Teaching a classroom that is half full of fidgeting and restlessness is distracting! So, what’s the solution?

Based on a global survey, a good approach is welcoming the energy that children have, rather than fighting it. Of course, learning through physical activity is an obvious choice. Also on the list are competitive activities, teamwork, and teaching their peers. The result is a more natural and positive learning experience for everyone! This article is several years old, but I stumbled upon it recently. It’s certainly still just as relevant now as when it was published in 2013. You can read the complete Atlantic article here.

OT in the Spotlight: Tactics Speech Therapists Will Love

You might ask, “Why would speech therapists use OT strategies?” As you doubtless know, some clients see physical and occupational therapists, too. So, why not maximize our time by incorporating these techniques into our sessions? You don’t need to have extensive knowledge in occupational therapy for these techniques.

In my own clinic, it’s been a goal of mine to add more movement and tactile play into sessions for my clients. I’ve worked hard to increase my opportunities for movement at my clinic, such as the activities I mention in this blog post. On the Crazy Speech World blog, Jenn takes this one step further. Jenn incorporates specific sensory input, movement, and activities of daily living in her speech sessions. I loved her ideas, which will challenge me to keep increasing these opportunities in my own sessions.

CrazySpeechWorld’s therapy ideas include:

fine motor activities using sensory bins

daily living activities like tying shoes (great for sequencing)

fun movement, like Simon Says (great for high repetition, following directions).

I’m positive you’ll find something that will make you say, “I need to try that!”

Wrap Up of Links 4

I hope you have found something enjoyable to read in this month’s link up series.

I’ll bet you have found some new activities via the OT strategies link that you can use. I enjoy using Play Dough in my sessions, for proprioceptive input. I’m challenging myself to try a few of Jenn’s suggestions this month for even more sensory opportunities.

Book lists always save me so much time and guesswork, and I’m hoping it will do the same for you. My favorite on the list is Todd Parr’s The Feelings Book. Kids enjoy his colorful illustrations and silly yet honest perspective (ok, and so do I).

Reconsidering how we teach boys left me thinking, why did it take so long to come to this point? Still, I am optimistic that we can change our approach and help boys reach their full potential.