A favorite game in my speech room is Apples to Apples–it’s one of those games that has me scratching my head wondering “why didn’t I think of that?” It’s a great activity to build linguistic and cognitive skills. Not only does it develop vocabulary, but allows kids to “think outside of the box” and deepen comprehension of conceptual overlap. Best… Read More
Social “Monsters”
I’m sure you will agree that most of our best therapy ideas are inspired by our students. In my private practice our focus is on social skills, where one client described his struggles as “having a little monster inside–I guess I need to train him”. As soon as those words escaped his mouth, I was on to the idea for… Read More
Emotions Match Up
Many of the students I work with have difficulty with emotional regulation skills. A challenge has been to find engaging activities and materials for older students. That’s why I created this activity to reinforce emotional regulation concepts that they are learning in our sessions. After dealing the cards (I printed mine out on card stock and quickly cut up), students… Read More
Operation: Teaching Emotional Regulation Skills
Like most of my fellow SLP’s, I try to use games in creative ways that target therapy goals. I have so many students in both my school setting and private practice that struggle with emotional regulation issues, so that’s been a huge focus of my therapy lately. A challenge is to make abstract concepts tangible and visible to my students…. Read More
Calming Techiniques for Children
Children who struggle with emotional regulation skills are often described as impulsive and reactive. Their emotional and sensory “engines” are in high gear. There are internal and external distractions that vie for their attention. That’s why it’s important to develop calming techniques for children. It’s also important to understand the foundational skills necessary to help children solve social problems. … Read More
5 Skills to Help Children Solve Social Problems
When I ask parents what their concerns are about their child’s social communication and interaction skills, most express worries over their child’s ability to get along with others, make friends, regulate emotions and make good choices. The common thread I am hearing is that parents want their children to be able to make solve social problems and resolve conflicts–whether this… Read More