Who Can Mentor?

Not every SLP can and should mentor a CF.  According to ASHA, “if the clinical fellow expects to use the hours/experiences to apply for ASHA certification, the mentoring SLP must be an individual

• who holds a current CCC-SLP;
• whose ASHA certification is maintained throughout the entire CF experience;
• who is not related in any manner to the clinical fellow.”

Also, you will have many roles and responsibilities while mentoring.  You will provide important guidance, mentoring, and feedback to the CF. Also, as you may remember from being a CF, it is a huge learning and development year for a new SLP.  As the mentor, you will assist a CF in developing their independent clinical skills. You are also responsible for ongoing formal evaluations, using the Clinical Fellowship Skills Inventory.

Also, there are required mentoring obligations including 6 hours of direct supervision per segment (1/3 of the length of the CFY) and 6 indirect monitoring activities per segment.  Indirect monitoring involves activities like reviewing reports/plans/paperwork, monitoring the CF during IEP or other meetings, and/or  consulting with their colleagues or clients/families. After the CFY is complete, you will need to complete and submit the Clinical Fellowship Report and Rating Form to ASHA within 4 weeks of the CFY completion date.

Mentor Galore

On top of the technical requirements, there is the self-reflection and learning required to effectively mentor/coach other professionals.  Think about administrators, evaluators, and mentors that you have had in your career.  What made them good supervisors, coaches, and mentors to you?  What could they have done differently?  Thinking about supervisors in your career will help you to decide if you have what it takes to effectively mentor/supervise a CF.

While these are not “mandated” qualifications, most successful CF Mentors will

• have several years of experience in the setting they are a mentor in.  My first CF mentoring will happen during my 9th year.  You do not have to wait that long, but you should feel strong and confident in your population and location to take on mentoring.
• be truly available – Yes, you will need to do 12 hours of supervision per segment (approximately 1 hour per week over 36 weeks – totaling 36+ hours).  This means that you need to have the time to “spare”.  If you cannot spare an hour a week plus travel time to your CF, you should not mentor.  Also, if you are asked to mentor more than one CF – make sure you do the math for that time commitment and make sure it works in your schedule.
•  LEARN!  You are not going to be a perfect Mentor.  Reach out to other SLPs who have been a mentor – take PD – read some books.  As soon as you know you’ll have a CF, get crackin’!

Other Tips for Mentoring:

• Approach each mentorship individually – Every mentor/mentee relationship is unique. It is important to take the time to assess your own style and preparation.
• Determine expectations with your mentee before you begin.  Sit down together and go over expectations about what your mentee needs, what you will provide, and any mentorship styles you have to be on the same page.
• Get to know your mentee.  When you understand your mentee as a person, you will likely find it easier to provide feedback and assistance in a style that works for both of you.  Also, if your mentee knows you as a person, they will likely be more receptive to feedback from you.
• Open communication is important.  Find out what forms of communication work the best for both of you (phone, e-mail, text, etc.).  Also, how frequently does your mentee want communication from you and how often can you commit to communicating with them?
• Find balance.  There is a tricky balance between too distant and hovering.  Your CF mentee needs room and confidence to figure out their personal therapy style but may also need reassurances from you as well as some cheerleading.  We all need to be told that we aren’t messing it up too badly in our first year.  You may also need to be comfortable letting your mentee know if/when they need to improve or change something.  It’s a balance – communication will help!
• Listen! People who listen actively don’t simply sit back and hear words – They take notes, ask questions, repeat what they’ve heard to ensure understanding, provide non-verbal gestures, etc.  This will help your CF to feel heard and will help you to more fully understand and respond to their needs.
• Lead by example!  Be open to observations from your mentee but also make sure you are on top of your responsibilities with your caseload and at your facility.  You want to make sure that you are on top of it… set a good example for your CF to aspire to.  You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to be doing your job effectively.

Resources for Mentors

SLP Clinical Fellowship Binder

The SLP Starter Kit

ASHA’s SLPCF Page

SLPCF Report and Rating Form

Clinical Fellowship Skills Inventory (CFSI)

Completing the Clinical Fellowship Experience

SLPCF Report and Ratings Form: How to Avoid Common Errors

Code of Ethics

Issues in Ethics: Responsibilities of Individuals Who Mentor CFs in Speech-Language Pathology

NSSLHA Blog – Clinical Fellowship Questions? We’ve Got Answers.

Everything You Need to Know About the SLP Post-Graduate Clinical Fellowship Requirement

Do you have some mentor words of wisdom?  Share below so we can all learn from your experience too!

What are Podcasts?

If you are unfamiliar to the world of podcasts, think talk radio on demand… but better!  There are several ways to get podcasts.  Apple has a an app within their products that has access to all podcasts.  Other methods include Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, etc.

Why Podcasts?

Some of the only moments I have to myself are on my commute, while traveling, and during workouts.  Podcasts allow me to listen on-demand and pick up where I left off.  There are so many brilliant SLPs and other professionals participating in Podcasting.  It’s one of the easiest ways to hear from the top leaders and innovators in our field.

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite podcasts for SLPs!  I hope you’ll take a listen and find a new way to learn on the go.

Teach Me to Talk

When I was working in Early Intervention, this was my go-to for great ideas and information.  I often recommended it to parents (it is definitely parent-friendly) for Pre-K and Early Intervention clients.  There are over 300 episodes available!  The titles describe the topic discussed so you can easily find the topic you are interested in.

StutterTalk

Dedicated to talking openly about stuttering, StutterTalk is the first and longest-running podcast on stuttering. They have published more than 600 episodes to in over 10 years of podcasting.  I recently listened to “Should Speech-Language Pathologists Treat People Who Stutter?” and it was very interesting!

ASHA Podcast Series

These are very short episodes from ASHA.  Every three or four weeks, they feature a new interview for SLPs and AUDs. There are about 20 episodes available currently.

Speech Science

Speech Science interviews leaders in the field of speech and language therapy, individuals who are making a difference in the lives of others with disabilities, and individuals who have overcome deficits in their own lives. This is a weekly podcast, released on Tuesdays, that offers news stories related to field and critical reviews of literature, tools, and ideas related to speech and language therapy and audiology.

Talking with Tech

This podcasts focuses on Technology.  Each week they answer questions, discuss relevant research, and give updates on the latest and greatest in AAC, assistive tech, and education apps. Interviews with industry thought-leaders, clinicians, parents, researchers and app developers keep us on the pulse of technology that is helping students be more engaged in the learning process.

Strength in Words

This “family enrichment” program discusses various topics on development in infants and toddlers. This podcast delivers weekly sessions of music, play and developmental information for both parents, professionals, babies/young children.

Conversations in Speech Pathology

This show covers various topics.  Interviewees include SLPs, OTs, Psychologists, etc. With nearly 50 episodes, there are many to choose from and many great guests to learn from.

Stuttering is Cool

This podcast is hosted by Daniele Rossi who has stuttered since he was a kid and tries to never to let it hold him back. The mission of his podcast is to encourage the same in his fellow stutterers.  There are currently about 130 episodes of this podcast, so fun!

Start a Therapy Practice

With about 80 episodes available, Start a Therapy Practice Podcast is created by an OT and the owner of two therapy practices. The podcast gives specific tips about being an independent therapist, starting a therapy clinic, and running/operating a therapy practice or therapy clinic. Tips about being a better entrepreneur and small business owner are covered as well.

XceptionalED

XceptionalED is preparing to release some great podcasts. I have had the opportunity to listen to the content and can’t wait for it to be public.  Bookmark it now, there is a great surprise brewing too… stay tuned!

Podcasts aren’t all learning and no fun… A few of my go-to, Non-SLP podcasts include TED Radio Hour, Better Leaders Better Schools, The School Leadership Show, How I Built This, and even My Favorite Murder (Don’t judge… have I mentioned I take 19-hour long drives home a few times a year? No good radio in Kansas!)

Which Podcasts are your favorite?  Drop a few in the comments below!

1 – Story Champs Intervention

I utilize Story Champs with so many of my students.  I wrote a review of it last year as well that you can view here.  Story Champs is flexible and I’ve seen really good growth from utilizing it.  In my mixed language/articulation groups, I’m able to target story grammar, vocabulary, articulation, and more with this tool.  There is also a Spanish Bilingual version available now.

Cost: $298.00

2 – iPad/Apps

I’ll just get this out of the way here.  I do utilize my iPad and apps frequently as therapy tools.  My iPad is much easier to take around to my quick artic sessions, screenings, etc. than a pile of artic cards or paper screeners.  I utilize it in various ways as well, using apps that aren’t solely for therapy as well.  I will say that we don’t ALWAYS use the iPad and I never let my students just “play” on it (unless they’ve earned free time after an assessment).  I typically sit next to them when we use it and I always hold it and have control in the session.  There are many great apps out there that can unleash your creativity as a clinician and apply speech/language skills in a different way.  I would recommend attending the upcoming XceptionalED Special Apps Update conference if you are interested in learning more.

Cost: iPad $329-1149  Apps: Vary $0-90

3 – Books

We use books constantly in therapy.  They are wonderful for mixed groups, themes, etc.  I typically find my books at thrift stores because they are so affordable there.  Occasionally I splurge on new literature.  There are so many great books that I won’t be naming them.  However – here are a few great lists by some of my favorite bloggers: Crazy Speech World; Speechy Musings Book Lists by Speech Sound and Books for Teaching Story Grammar in Speech Therapy; The Speech Space; etc.

Cost: $0.50-$20

4 – Super Duper

Honestly, for the most part I have moved away from the games and card decks from companies like Super Duper.  However, there are a few products that are flexible enough to be used for many goals and groups.  These are the products I pull on occasion to target 4-5 different goals in a session: “WH” Chipper Chat; Pirate Talk, What Do You Say…What Do You Do… At School?; The Question Challenge Card Game; Turtle Talk Fluency and Language Game

Cost: $55-70

5 – Board Games

We don’t play a lot of games but when we do, they address goals!  Now, I preface this by saying that most of these will need some adaptations made to make it work in therapy.  But that’s why we do the therapy and the material doesn’t do it.  Some of my favorites include Hedbanz, Blurt, 5 Second Rule Jr, Riddle Moo This, and others.  Again, I hunt thrift stores for these as I would much rather spend $3 on a gently used game than $15 on a new one.

Cost: $12-20

6 – Teachers Pay Teachers

I would be lying if I didn’t say that I utilize many wonderful materials from TpT.  Not everything on TpT is created equal and I highly suggest reading information and reviews carefully.  Also look for any information about the use of the product from the seller or others.  Some of my go-to resources include Editable SLP Assessment Templates; Cycles for Phonology Toolkit; Grab N’ Go “WH” Questions; Nyms-O; Nonfiction Texts Targeting Articulation and Language

Cost: $3-30

7 – Your School Campus

There is no reason to keep yourself inside the therapy room at all times.  Get out of there!  Within your school and on your campus are great opportunities for language and articulation.  We have done attribute searches (find something red, find something square), sound walks (find your articulation sound), and more.  Some of our favorite places to visit are bulletin boards, the playground, and my administrators (we like to ask them questions or tell them stories using our good articulation for example).  A big part of our job is moving the skills we work on from isolation into the general education environment.  These structured therapy times outside of the speech room can do just this.

Cost: Free

8 – Maps

A lot of my students have not been outside of the city they are growing up in.  They may travel to a nearby state or to Mexico to visit family occasionally.  We like to use maps – the bigger, the better – in my speech room.  We can use these to plan a road trip and read about/discuss attractions along the way.  We can hunt for cities that have their speech sound in the name.  We can talk about what we see around a place on the map (river, highway, city, park, etc.).  Maps are very interesting to kids in my experience.  They also love to use google maps to explore place they haven’t been or are just interested in.  We’ve used google maps to look at the house I grew up in – they LOVED that!  You can often get maps for free from local tourism shops, services like AAA, or from relatives who don’t want that atlas any longer.

Cost: Free

9 – Sensory Materials

I love integrating sensory bins and materials with my “everyday” speech materials.  We love using kinetic sand, fake snow, water beads, etc. to create a sensory component of our sessions.  I will often hide thematic/sound-based dinky doodads and other tiny items in sand and excavate them.  We may close our eyes and describe what we feel using our description details.  We might just put some laminated TpT cards or other stimuli in the sensory item and work on those.  Regardless of the activity, my students love working with sensory materials.

Cost: Free – $10

10 – Box of Highly-Preferred toys/items

If you work with students using PECS or other AAC devices/systems, having many highly-preferred items at your fingertips can be the key to unlocking their language skills.  I often keep several varieties of wind-up toys, light-up toys, poppers, sensory items, etc. nearby.  This allows me to quickly have students requesting with attributes and working on describing their items.  This can also help in motivating younger students to complete tasks and earn a preferred item.  I recommend looking in the dollar sections, holiday clearance, thrift stores, and even fast food meal toys.  Pro tip: keep these out of reach/sight if you aren’t using them or you may have a distracted and upset child on your hands.

Cost: Free – $4 each

Therapy is not all about the material you use.  It’s important to remember that the material is not the therapy, YOU provide the therapy and may utilize a material/tool in doing so.  What are some of your go-to therapy materials… share below!

The holidays are over and we’re still in the early days of winter – sigh.  I’m sure that many of you are shivering as you read this post.  So… what are some books to use in therapy that are NOT holiday books?  What can we pull out of our Mary Poppins bag and use with our clients until the Earth tilts back towards the sun and we can start planning spring therapy?

Here are 7 of my favorites:

Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

This is easily one of my top books to use.  We typically use it in conjunction with snow-themed sensory bins, creating instant fake snow, or other activities. Snowy Day can be used for inferencing (e.g. What did he find sticking out of the snow to make a third track?  What will happen when he hits the snow with his stick? Where did the snowball go?), narrative retell, vocabulary (slowly, firm, heaping, deep, drag), and more.  It’s a classic and easily adaptable for most elementary client ages.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro

Of course I have to mention a “There Was an Old Lady” (when will she ever learn and does she have pica?!?) in this list.  Aside from some of the snow-based activities listed above, we use this book to work on vocabulary, answering “why” and other wh- questions, and pairs well with various TpT activities like this one from Jenn Alcorn of Crazy Speech World.

The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D.

If you have upper elementary clients or clients in middle/high school, take a look at this book.  It is more nonfiction with a little flair with great vocabulary and is a good way to work on comprehension of science texts in the therapy setting.  I like to use it as a transition from more “young” fiction texts to the textbooks that my students are learning from.  It’s  a nice bridge between the two.  This book can be read in chunks and activities planned for each area of the book.  Also, there is a “How To Catch Your Own Snow Crystals” experiment which wouldn’t work well for me in Phoenix but if you’re allowed to go outside with your clients in colder climates, could be great for you as a follow-through activity.

Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows

Hibernation is a big winter-related topic for many of our clients in their classrooms.  Here is a nice and slightly different book that looks more into the topic of hibernation.  I love that the animals are wearing pajamas and the cute illustrations.  There are problems to solve within the book and a lot of good “sound” words and animal vocabulary.

A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson

I will confess… my mom gifted this book to our speech/language room this year, it wasn’t my find.  The illustrations alone are hilarious and useful for therapy.  I love the “sound” and vocabulary words included, the emotions discussed, figuring out just why “tortoises don’t like winter”, and the overall message of this fun little book.  A quick read and easy to pair with animal, snow, or winter activities.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle

Of course I have to mention this gem.  If you work with younger clients, including pre-K and even EI, this book is truly wonderful.  It is even better if you’ve used Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? with the client before.  There are oodles and oodles of TpT and other materials to pair with this book – no need to re-invent the wheel.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

The wonderful SLP that I have the privilege of sharing a caseload with this year introduced me to Bear Snores On. This book pairs wonderful illustrations with descriptive vocabulary and rhyming words that make this book a sing-song read.  I love to pair this book with a book companion from Shannon Werbeckes of Speechy Musings and mix and match the skills depending on my groups.

There are, of course, many other wonderful winter books to use in therapy, please share your favorites below!  I can’t say how much the use of literature has improved my therapy provision and I highly recommend the use of books in therapy.  Happy winter and have a wonderful 2018!

To start off the month, I would like to give you a sneak peak into The Hanen Centre‘s great booklet series called Make Play R.O.C.K and give you a chance to win a set (see below)!  These booklets are designed to for parents (and therapists) to assist young children with autism who have difficulty learning to play.  This great series of booklets (50-80 pages each) give parents and clinicians practical, research-based strategies for helping children expand their play skills through everyday activities!

Because play skills have been linked to the development of skills such as language, vocabulary, social skills, and problem-solving, it is an incredibly important part of a child’s life.  As a therapist, particularly when I was providing early intervention and Pre-K services, it was important to empower parents to be their child’s therapist in many ways.  They spend the most amount of time with their children.  However, I always found that teaching parents how to play with their children in a beneficial way was always a surprisingly difficult task.  These booklets could be very helpful for this purpose.

Booklet 1: Plan for People Play

This booklet discusses ideas for building a child’s interaction and communication skills by playing games that focus on interaction over toys.  I love the language that this, and the other booklets are written in – so parent-friendly!  This booklet has a nice “People Play Interaction Checklist” which help parents to identify what their children can already do and what next steps will be.  The booklet also discusses Hanen’s “O.W.L.” technique (Observe Wait Listen) to help parents interact in the most beneficial ways.  It also introduces the Repeat, Offer opportunities, Cue, and Keep techniques which make up the R.O.C.K. method.  It gives great examples of what this method would look like.  Additionally, the book references the sensory needs of young children with autism.  Finally, it begins to walk parents through some games at each stage of play.  The booklet also includes a “People Game Plan” for parents to develop a plan for their children.

Booklet 2: Take Out the Toys

In the second booklet, toy play skills are discussed.  This booklet discusses typical toy stages for children and how children with ASD may differ in their development.  Again, this booklet includes a “What’s My Play Style” quiz to assist parents in parents in finding their style of play and adjusting as needed to help their child.  The booklet then gives incredibly parent-friendly tips on facilitating play.  I always found myself giving these tips to parents during sessions and modeling it.  I think this would have been a very nice supplement to my sessions for parents to continue the work during the week.  Another section of the booklet discusses next steps for play.  Parents determine how their children currently play and what next steps for them are.  There are also great suggestions for types of toys to help facilitate the acquisition of certain toy skills.  Finally, the booklet discusses ways to R.O.C.K. the child’s play and examples of that before concluding with a “Toy Play Plan” for parents to complete.

Booklet 3: Put Pretending into Your Child’s Play

This booklet builds upon the previous booklets, or stands alone, as a resource to help parents expand their child’s pretend play skills during everyday activities.  This booklet begins by discussing pretend play and the importance of those skills, sequence of pretend play development, and how pretend play may differ in children on the autism spectrum.  The booklet then discusses next steps, including a mini checklist of for parents to determine how their child plays and what steps would be next for their play style/skills.  There is also a checklist for parents to determine what their play style with their children is and ways to adjust those styles to benefit their children.  Like the other booklets, this discusses R.O.C.K. and examples of implementing that technique.  The booklet wraps up with a “Pretend Play Plan” for parents to complete.

Overall, these booklets are an incredible resource for parents and for clinicians.  I found the parent-friendly language and progression to be very easy to follow.  I could see these being used by parents of children with autism as well as children with general developmental delays.  The complete set sells for $42 (before taxes and shipping).  I feel that this price is fair for the amount of information received in these booklets.  It would make a practical addition to the libraries of clinicians working in Early Intervention and Pre-K as well.

Now, to our giveaway from Hanen… Enter below!  But don’t worry, everybody is a winner with their Autism Awareness Month coupon codes – Save on More Than Words, TalkAbility and the Make Play ROCK booklets with “AAM2017” on their Teaching Tuning In, Coaching Parents in How to Play or Starting Early e-Seminars with “AAMSEM17”.

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About The Hanen Centre:  Founded more than 35 years ago, The Hanen Centre is a Canadian charitable organization with a global reach. Their mission is to provide parents, caregivers, early childhood educators and speech-language pathologists with the knowledge and training they need to help young children develop the best possible language, social and literacy skills. This includes children with or at risk of language delays and those with developmental challenges such as Autism Spectrum Disorder.  They fulfill their mission by:

Summer is full of sun and fun… and language opportunities.  Whether you are looking for language-rich activities to recommend to the parents of children that you work with or for your own children, the following list will help you seek out the perfect activity for those sunny (or rainy) summer days.

Farmers Market:

Farmers Markets can be found across the world.  Local markets typically occur on weekend mornings but in some areas they may be on weekdays.  Farmers markets are incredible opportunities for vocabulary growth including nouns, attributes, categories (fruits, flowers, meat), etc.  This is also a great opportunity for children to work on requesting items from a vendor to target speech sounds, social skills, question formation, voice volume, and other skills.  Search for nearby farmers markets here.

Sporting Events:

Summer is a great time to take in a professional or minor league sporting event.  You may not realize but there are 160 Minor League teams playing in 42 US States and 1 Canadian province from April to September.  You can also catch pre-season baseball and football camps and have greater access to players.  These events also allow for increased opportunities to learn and use language in a way that children don’t each day.  From the car ride to the event, the snacks at the event, and the goings-ons during the event, children can learn and use many new words and practice other skills in a new and fun environment.  Local MiLB baseball teams can be found here, United Soccer League teams here, or search online for local teams in your area.

Zoo/Petting Zoo:

Local zoos and festivals offer a great opportunity for children to see various animals up close.  They can see their behaviors, attributes, food, living environment, etc.  This gives great context to children as they continue to develop their vocabulary and understanding of books that they read/hear, information learned in school, and more.  If you have the opportunity to visit a zoo, stop in at guest services to check to see if there are any kid-specific programming that day (shows of animals with zookeepers, feedings, etc.) that you can attend.  The majority of activities within zoos are free after initial admission which is typically minimal or free for children.

Theater:

Summer is full of outdoor theater activities.  Children typically enjoy music and the interaction that live theater provides.  Local theater companies produce many shows in the summer to large audiences at parks, outdoor theaters, etc.  There are also camps for children available in many cities.  Theater productions introduce children to different worlds, stories, music, vocabulary, etc.

Garden/Conservatories/Nature Centers:

Summer is a great time to visit a local outdoor garden/nature center or indoor conservatory.  These environments provide a great opportunity for discussing plants, flowers, bugs, weather, etc.  Again, many of these gardens provide activities for children in the summer including talks, crafts, walks, camps, and more.  Public gardens are typically free or donation-only areas and provide a great opportunity for children of all ages.

Water:

If you are lucky enough to live near an ocean, lake, or river, summer is a great time to explore these areas.  These are places where you can discuss animals that live in these environments, discover new plant life and animals/insects, and learn about a different environment.  Hunting for shells and rocks in these locations provides an opportunity to discuss attributes of these objects (smooth, black, small, etc.) and discuss how that item got to where you found it (animal that lived in it, etc.).

Parks/National Parks:

There are 58 National Parks, 6,624 State Parks, and countless local parks in the US.  Many local, state, and National Parks offer free programs for children in the summer and other months.  You can find local state parks here, national parks here, or search for all park types near you/a zip code using this site.  At parks, you can of course discuss the landscape, habitats, animals, plant life, weather, and more.  These parks offer endless opportunities for language expansion opportunities.

Art Festival:

Summer brings street festivals.  Many of these include music and vendors.  However, one of the best festival types for language is an art festival.  Many small and large cities offer opportunities for local artists to show and sell their work.  You will see every type of art from painting to photography to sculpture and more.  Children love art and are drawn to these pieces.  While these festivals require a great amount of supervision for children (so they do not touch/break pieces) they can provide incredible opportunities for children to view varying types of art.  There will be interesting mediums used, colors, scenes, etc that lend themselves to discussion, interpretation, inferencing, and more.  I love using art to discuss opinions and subject matters.  Art Festivals are a particularly good location to take older children who can more deeply understand and discuss the work.  It also provides an opportunity for them to interact with the artists (formulating questions, social skills) as well as participate in crafts for children (following directions, creating).

Museums:

For those rainy days, local museums are a must.  Even the smallest local history museum can provide several hours of language opportunities for children.  Children’s museums, aquariums, art museums, and others can be great opportunities for discussing various topics.  The best way to increase language at all museums is to follow a child’s lead to what they are interested in, ask follow up questions, discuss opinions, model language, and discuss content-specific vocabulary with children.  Particularly with items and experiences that are new and unknown to children, take time to imbed definitions of new vocabulary when discussing various items in the museum.  Again, many museums will offer day camps and activities as well as special talks for children and families throughout the summer.  US Museums can be searched for here and Children’s Museums can be searched for here.

Other Summer Toys & Activities:

Summer is a great time for these outdoor activities in back yards and local locations across the world.  Some of the best language-stimulating activities and toys for summer include:

Bubbles  –  Pools  –  Walks  –  Camping  –  Picnics  –  Water Fight  –  Sensory/Water Tables  –  Gardening  –  Crafts  –  Sidewalk Chalk  –  Sports  –  & More!

Finding activities and toys to keep kids engaged, developing, and entertained during the summer is important.  For children with language, speech, social skills, and other developmental difficulties/delays, imbedding these skills into the summer activities is crucial.  The more that you practice working on language during these activities, the more natural it will become and the easier it will be to do so with nearly any activity that you do with your child.

In addition to those listed above, Care.Com provides a great list of ideas to keep kids busy and engaged in the summer months.  There are also many books and websites that list great local ideas for your specific city.  Simply search online to find these resources.  Enjoy your summer!

More times than I would like to count, I have failed.  I have failed to be my best, failed to leave personal issues at my speech room door, failed to educate a family adequately, failed to engage my clients, failed to take adequate data, failed to complete paperwork on time, failed at many things.  If you are reading this, I hope you have failed too. (Spoiler Alert: You have failed!)  That may sound like a terrible thing to say, but I promise that it is not.

Failure is one of the most important learning tools you will ever encounter.

When I was in my CFY I expected that I should know everything and was extremely hard on myself when I made mistakes or didn’t know an answer.  What did all of those letters after my name mean if I didn’t know how to do everything perfectly?  Failure scared me and made me feel insecure.  Thankfully, as I have continued in this career, and in life, my outlook on mistakes and failure has changed drastically.  I found out that mistakes didn’t mean the end of the world.  Nothing exploded… or imploded.

I learned from my failures.

Every time I fail, I learn.  I learn new techniques, new approaches, new facts, new methods, and more.  And that makes me a better SLP.  Did you catch that?  Failure makes me better.  We are often so afraid of failure, of mistakes, of anything less-than-perfect that we don’t take risks.

I get it, we don’t like to look ridiculous or uninformed or unworthy of those 8 letters behind our name.  But, you must take risks, it’s an important part of our lives.  Nothing incredible can come without risks – even the tiniest of risks!

Risk a new technique.  Risk acting silly.  Risk becoming “too” invested.  Risk a different approach, a new activity, a parent phone call, and changing “how you’ve always done things”.  You might fail enormously.  Or you might succeed enormously.  Either way, you’ll learn an incredible amount about yourself and your strengths, weaknesses, and techniques.  You’ll be better prepared for the next situation and a better SLP.

We all have days that we count as failures.  Days like those are only a true failure if we refuse to learn from them.

So, what are the best failures teachers you have had?

For the past year, I have been providing Early Intervention speech services in client homes and daycares.  I spend 30 or more hours per week seeing clients and another 9-10 hours in my car traveling around the city of Chicago (traffic dictates the time of course) to each of those sessions.  There is a lot that I have learned about being a traveling SLP over the past year.  One of the things I have learned is what I need to have to make my “Speechmobile” a functioning “office” during the day.  Here are my top 10 must-haves for every SLP who travels between clients/buildings/etc.

10. Emergency Roadside Kit – Yes, I realize that this makes me sound like your mother.  However, a roadside kit can save your day and your paycheck!  I found a great all-in-one kit at Costco with an included first aid box!  Of course, having weather-related tools is also a must.  Here in Chicago we go from needing a sun shade in the summer to a shovel and all-weather floor mats in the snowy winter months.

9. Lunch Box – Lunch on the road is difficult to plan for.  I have been very guilty of skipping meals or grabbing convenience foods along my routes.  However, with this new lunch box, I should be ready to go!  You freeze the entire lunchbox so that it keeps food cold all day!

8. iPad/Computer – We utilize WebPT for notes and I know how behind I can get on paperwork if I don’t have a way to access this during the day.  There are also occasional last-minute cancellations which leave valuable time for report-writing, etc. that may go unused without tech.  I utilize free wifi hotspots, Starbucks, etc. to access information and do paperwork in my “free” time to decrease time spent doing paperwork at home.

7. Organizers – I love a good trunk or car organizer!  It fills that little void left by desk organizers!  When you’re on the road, a few things always need organization: Snacks, trash, and materials.  Here are a few of my favorites:

The Puff ‘n Stuff Tissue Dispenser from the Container Store holds trash AND the all-important disinfectant wipes or drink bottle.  I like the utility and that it hangs to the back of the front seat leaving more room in the front seat!

I also love this Foldable Box from the Container Store.  It folds up nearly-flat and easily opens.  The site states that it holds up to 65 lbs but I haven’t tested that.  I can use it to organize materials, files, snacks, groceries, etc.  I can also use it to bring things into my home if I need to clear out the car or take stuff into a home.  It’s pretty small (less than 2ft. wide) but sturdy.

6. Water Bottle – Staying hydrated is incredibly difficult when you are on the road.  Unless I pack a gallon jug of water each day, keeping hydrated is tough.  I like to make sure I have a full glass of water at the start of my day and have found that many restaurants or families don’t mind if you re-fill during your session or break.  This Tervis goodie is my personal favorite:

5. Travel-friendly Office Supplies – You may not need a laminator, printer, copier, etc. on the road but you do need some basic supplies.  My favorites are Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pens, Case-it Z-Binder 2-in-1 binder, Post-it Page markers (smaller than post-its but just as useful), college-lined composition notebooks, and a planner.

4. Snacks – Car-friendly snacks are non-perishable, melt-proof, and nutritious.  My favorites include almonds, granola, PB2 (powdered peanut butter!), apples, dried fruit, popcorn, etc.

3. A Great Bag – I’ve been through my fair share of bags over the years.  Now I need one that can easily carry laptop and other paperwork goodies as well as a toy or two if I take any in with me to a family.  Each SLP is different.  Some enjoy a good rolling cart/bag, others a tote.  Take time to find the one you like – bring it home and stuff it with your items.  Take it back if you have any doubts!

2. Podcasts – Hours in the car… there’s only so much T Swift a person can listen to.  I have switched to NPR which helps but I also enjoy catching up on some great Podcasts.  Some of my favorites are Teach Me to Talk, TED Radio Hour, and Conversations in Speech Pathology.  Even if you don’t work from your car, these are great podcasts for you to listen to on your commute.

1. GPS & Mileage Tracker Apps – Depending on where you live, a quality GPS app that utilizes real-time traffic can help you arrive on time for appointments and avoid headaches.  I love the Waze app for this.  It utilizes user reports of issues along with real-time data to take you the best route.  This has saved me so much time in Chicago!  Some companies reimburse for mileage and others do not.  Regardless, a good mileage tracker is worth it!  I utilize MileIQ now and it has been reliable and easy to use.

What is on your must-have travel list?  Comment below!

10. Preschool Quick Probes – Lauren LaCour

These are great for Pre-K or even young Elementary students. Quick probes to see where they are with regards to understanding of functions, categories, basic concepts, associations, and prepositions.

9. Fishy Following Directions – Maureen Wilson

I have never had a caseload without students who needed work on following directions.  This is a great freebie with 1/2/3-step directions included.  Great for early elementary or Pre-K.

8. Informal Speech and Language Assessment Guide – Kim Jarvis

This is a very nice informal screener/assessment packet that can help you see where a student may need further assessment.  You could also use this as a progress monitoring tool.  As with all assessment/screening tools, please make sure to use your OWN clinical judgement in decisions regarding qualification for services, goals, minutes, etc.  

7. Parent & Colleague Handouts for Developmental Norms of Elementary Students /Communication Checklists for Children – Danielle Reed

ASHA has great information regarding developmental norms on their website but I found the format to be less-than-pleasing to the eye.  So I put them in an easy-to-print format for you.  These are great for IEP meetings, those teachers who believe Johnny is delayed, etc.  Again, these are just a reference – use your own clinical judgement!

If you work 0-5 this would be a better reference.

6. Book Lists by Speech Sound Printable Half Sheets – Shannon Lisowe

If you work with articulation, books are a GREAT resource.  Speechy Musings lists recommended books by each speech sound!  Awesome resource for you or teachers/parents!

5. 180 Questions and Prompts to Build Expressive & Receptive Language – Sasha Long

A product like this can be used in so many ways.  Language, articulation carry-over, social skills practice, etc.  There are wh-, categorization, and labeling included.

4. My First Week in Speech – Nicole Allison

A great way to start the year with elementary and even some secondary students.  You can also refer back to this booklet with students throughout the year to see what they perceive their progress to be and can be sent home to parents as well as communication.

3. Speech Violation Cards – Felice Clark

Motivation and behavior management are tough as a new SLP.  This is one of the most creative ways I’ve seen for curtailing those behaviors in a way that is appropriate and leads to more practice!

2. Editable Organization Kit – Shannon Lisowe

Another great organization kit for SLPs.  Editable and includes binder covers/spines, to-do lists, poster, etc.

1. SLP Starter Kit – Danielle Reed

Getting organized and ready for the year can be pretty difficult during your first year(s).  In this freebie you have important documents ready to print like student referral forms, caseload scheduler, session planners, therapy notes, data forms, progress charts, communication logs, and IEP documents.

Freebies are a great way to see if a seller has quality materials and if those materials fit your “style” of therapy.  When you’re ready to make the purchase plunge, make sure to read ratings, download any previews, and refer to catalogs like “The Best of SLPs on TpT – Summer Catalog 2015” or “Road Maps: Free Lesson Plans by Month” for ideas on purchases or stores.

I hope these Top 10, as well as other quality TpT materials, help to make your first year as an SLP a great one!

So, overall, going bagless has been great.  I’m so excited to see how this transition continues to benefit my families and the children that I see.  There has been less of a focus on me “playing” with the children and more about integrating techniques into daily routines.  However, it has been far from a perfect transition.  In all honesty, some of my families that I transitioned to bagless have had a difficult time with the adjustment.  Here are some things in my transition to bagless that have not been “perfect” according to true bagless therapy:

• I still have a few toys/materials in my trunk.  Now, as you can see below, there are FAR fewer toys and materials in my trunk.  However, I allowed myself to keep one box-ish of toys including a few items:
  • Bubbles (aka the “Session Saver”)
  • Mr. Potato Head
  • Wind-up toys and pull-back cars
  • Interactive books
  • Squigz
  • Brown Bear slide book and other rotating books.
  • Oral Motor tools
  • Symbol communication book
  • Cariboo (with First 100 Words to use)
  • Kinetic Sand
  • iPad
  • Wipes
  • Other rotating toys & puzzles if needed – rare!

•  I’m just going to say it… Going bagless is more difficult than going in with a bag of goodies.  Some days it’s harder than I’d like.  Finding ways to implant language techniques in daily routines is not as comfortable to me as pulling out a great toy and imbedding language therapy into play with that item.  Because it’s harder, it’s easy to slip back into the comfort of a bag full of toys.  I’ve not been “perfect” in leaving toys behind completely.
• I’m still learning the best ways to counsel families and find routines to discuss.  As much as I have learned about RBI and bagless EI services, I still sometimes have the feeling like I did during my first IEP meeting.
• Sometimes there is so much to address that it’s difficult to choose just one routine to start with.
• Yes, some of my families do not have many, if any, toys.  If they do have toys, some of them have toys that are not very educational (a lot of cars, action figures, kids meal toys, etc.).  It can be difficult to find ways that the families can interact with the child and their toys that can assist their language.

It hasn’t been perfect.  It’s been pretty messy on some days.  But for the most part, going bagless continues to be a great choice for my families.  Despite being less than textbook perfection, here are the ways that I’m learning to overcome those imperfections and moving forward:

• I have tried to limit myself to bubbles and perhaps some wind-up toys or a book.  On occasion, if a parent is receptive to purchasing toys for their child, I will introduce a toy that I removed from my trunk as a “trial” before they purchase.  It allows me to show how to utilize a type of toy with their child.  Otherwise, I do my best to reduce the number of items I bring in and utilize them only if necessary.
• I have allowed myself to make mistakes and learn from them.  When something doesn’t go as well as I’d like in a session, I make it a priority to read more about the topic or find new resources to use or offer to the parents.  I have learned from these “mistakes” of course!
• I have been developing and printing handouts for families.  I have also started to leave “homework/session review” sheets with families to remind them of the week’s targets or techniques.  It isn’t always followed through on but visual reminders help some families.
• I have trusted the families’ priorities more.  I have followed their lead in selecting the routine that they would like help with or ideas for.  Sometimes they need suggestions or options, but they can usually pick one from that.
• While I still love finding a great deal at thrift stores, I have begun to “lend” those materials to families if they are duplicates.  I fully expect that the majority of these will not return in their original condition, if at all.  But hearing “wow, look… it’s your FIRST BOOK!” come out of a mother’s mouth when I left behind an Eric Carle book behind that I found for $0.59 at Goodwill and watching the child toddle around clasping this book makes it 59 cents VERY WELL spent!  And maybe, just maybe, that family will spend a little more time reading or talking about a great book with their child!
• Seeking training.  I am hungry for more knowledge in this topic and am in the process of finding and enrolling in applicable training sessions!  A huge part of being an SLP is continuing to learn.  Sometimes it can be a burden to get 30 hours every 3 years for ASHA… but then again, it can be just the spark we need to continue to provide the best therapy possible!

So, after looking back at the past 2 months and this change that I’ve made would I say that it’s worth it?  Of course!  The research and my experiences allow me to be confident in continuing with my bagless therapy.  As I continue forward, new clients will be approached entirely bagless.  I will be able to fully implement this with them as they are acquired.  I challenge you to do the same.  It’s not easy but it’s research-based and worth it!

So… what questions or comments do you have about this topic?

Check out the previous posts in this series here: