Super Duper

Let’s start with one of the giants in therapy materials, Super Duper.  You know and love their red boxes of happiness.  However, most of their materials are so pricey and funds in districts have been cut.  So, how can you build up your library for less?  I would suggest keeping an eye on sites like Zulily and the Facebook Marketplace.  Zulily is a site that offers discounted products from various sites/companies.  A few times a year, Super Duper products pop up on here for 40%+ off!  Also, keep an eye out on Super Duper’s Deal of the Week for occasional deals.

Dry Erase

I love using dry erase to engage all of my clients from a group at once.  They get more targets, are actively engaged, and we save paper and other resources.  A few of my Dry Erase Must-Haves include:

Dry Erase Pockets – Worksheets, visual scenes, or just a blank piece of paper for open-ended activities can all fit in here.  The ones pictured above have an elastic holder for the big expo markers as well.  This group of 6 pockets is about $9 and is one of my most-used purchases.  They will last you about 2+ years with frequent use.

Dry Erase Crayons – I preface this must-have by saying that I do NOT let my students use these.  I use these awesome dry erase crayons to add things to my board that I don’t want to easily erase.  This includes dates, reminders, visuals, etc.  Because they take a little more work to erase, I can even use regular dry erase markers in/around the crayon marks and erase the marker without erasing the crayon.  Careful though, if you press too hard you may crack a crayon (speaking from experience).  These will last you many years and cost $5-9 depending on your place of purchase.  Sometimes you can find it at US Toy, Target, Walmart, etc.

Dry Erase Markers – Because we use the dry erase sleeves for any written work in my therapy room and for many other activities, “skinny” dry erase markers are a must.  I have found these U Brands markers (amazon, target, etc.) with the eraser tops to be the best for my students.  They come in many colors and the included eraser is a life-saver… and that’s not just me being dramatic.  They sell for about $5 and, with respectful use by your clients, should last you 2+ years with frequent use.

Books are a huge part of my therapy but I’m pretty cheap when it comes to accumulating my library.  Sure, I occasionally shell out $10 on a great book for my students.  However, most of my library has been purchased for less than $1 per book.  This is going to take some detective work and a few antibacterial wipes but it’s worth it.  Purchase your books at a thrift store like Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army or at garage sales.  Most books are very gently used and in good shape.  When I was working in Early Intervention I found board books and even gave them away to families – I could spare 50 cents for my kids to have at least one book in their home!  While it’s a little crazy on the half-price days, this is another way to save even more. Most sale days are on Saturdays but I just hunker down by the books and go through them.  Eric Carle, Usborne, Jan Brett, Old Lady, and so many more.

Games (and toys) can be used in therapy in many ways.  From Blurt to Candyland, games are easily modified to fit therapy goals while also working on turn-taking and other life skills.  But, as you may have guessed, I’m not about that full-price purchasing life.  Most of the games I use in therapy have been purchased from thrift stores, garage sales, and from friends with kids who are getting too old for the games.  The majority of my games have been purchased for less than $4 and their retail prices are up to $40!  Again… this doesn’t include the price of antibacterial wipes/bleach baths to clean them.

Minis/Trinkets:

Toobs, minis, dinky doodads… these are all wonderful additions to your therapy room. You can use them in sensory bins, as visuals for books, describing activities, etc.  At regular price, they can be a bit pricey for such tiny additions to your materials.  While Dinky Doodads are likely going to be full price at all times, it’s much cheaper than finding the items on your own.  Toobs/Good Luck Minis from Safari Ltd can be purchased for 40-50% off at all times… using those lovely craft store coupons from Michael’s or others!  Yes, it may take several trips to build up your collection but Toobs are about $12 each so you are saving $5-6 per Toob with a coupon.  Minis retail for about $6 so you will save $2-3 per pack.

Apps:

If you use an iPad in therapy, you know that quality therapy apps can cost you quite a bit.  I don’t have any revolutionary tips here except to keep an eye out during BHSM and during the ASHA Convention.  During these and some other times/dedicated months, app companies discount their more expensive apps by up to 50%.  Also, install apps like Apps Gone Free to keep up with limited time free apps from companies. I have gotten nearly all of my Toca Boca apps and others for free or heavily discounted!  Some apps, particularly AAC apps, will provide free copies/trials to SLPs to use with their students.

Decor:

We all know of the dollar spot and other dollar-themed stores.  Other decor tips include contact paper-ing your desk and cabinets/shelves, using JoAnn’s or other coupons to get material to cover bulletin boards instead of using paper that fades, etc.

IKEA is a great place to get frames, art prints, and other various furniture items.  I also love their selection of artificial plants for about $5 each to help green up my room a bit without the upkeep.  And if you have a very small “office”, IKEA can help you get organized.  I have also found some IKEA busy on the Facebook marketplace and craigslist for less.  (With receipt, IKEA items can be returned for 1 year!)

TeachersPayTeachers:

TpT is a wonderful way to find creative and helpful resources for decor, therapy, organization, PD, and more.  SLPs can take advantage of the SLP Must-Have sales on the 7th of each month during the school year.  Check out social media for what your favorite SLP-authors are offering.  Also, TpT has incredible sales a few times a year.  I typically just add a billion things to my wishlist throughout the year.  During sales I will use my TpT credits as well – these are the credits you get for leaving feedback on items you have purchased.  Also, bundles and introductory prices are a great way to get items for a lower price.  Some authors offer the ability to edit their products in exchange for the product for free.  Also, check out TpT for Schools and let your admins know how they can purchase items for your therapy sessions using this system.

Free!

Free is always great, right?  Here are some free resources for your therapy room:

Kahoot! – use Kahoot for comprehension activities, PD, etc.

YouTube – use YouTube to find readings of books that are not in your library, find interactive videos of topics from themes you are covering, etc.  You can also use YouTube to create videos accessible only with a link/unlisted to families if you send home instructional videos for articulation or other tips.

Gift Cards – Okay, not exactly free for the person who buys it but Gift Cards are a great way to get things for your classroom.  During the holidays and other times, you may find deals on gift cards which is free money! (e.g. Buy one gift card, get one 20% off. Getting $30 of gift cards for $25.)  Every little bit helps.

DonorsChooose – Every district has rules about using Donors Choose but it is a wonderful way to fund larger projects for your room.  Some projects I have seen for SLPs include iPads/Apps, Libraries, AAC devices/switch toys, etc.  When I do campaigns, I make sure to donate when my money is being doubled by a promo or matching donation source.  This helps get projects funded fully.

Professional Development – PD is changing.  SLP Summit, XceptionalED, and more are revolutionizing how we attain our professional development.  Many of these offer CMH (Certificate Maintenance Hours) for free.  While these would not count towards an ACE award through ASHA, they can be submitted for your CCCs maintenance!  Plus, in my opinion, they are so engaging and useful!

Other useful links with hacks and other money-saving ideas:

SLP Life Hacks from The Speech Bubble SLP

5 SLP Hacks that will Save You Time & Money from Nicole Allison Speech Peeps

Instagram #SLPHacks

What are your budget-friendly must-haves?  Share below so we can all be in the know, links welcome.

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!

Easy speech/language decoration activities:

My students LOVE to decorate my room for the seasons.  I have found a very easy way to make this a speech/language activity.  I simply find a line-art image(s) to print out large enough (1/2-full sheet) to be written on and decorated.  For my language groups we encorporate a book or activity into the decorating.  We may write vocab words, answers, etc. onto the graphics.  For articulation we write season-themed words onto the decorations and practice them before decorating.  The decorating is only 3-5 minutes of the session because we use paint daubers to decorate.

When completed, I cut them out an put them up on my cabinet.  They love this activity and will come in to find their decoration in future sessions – I may review the items on the decoration, have them say their words again, etc.  Easy!

Finger Lights:

We all know that card decks get stale very quickly.  We spice them up with these cheap finger lights from the party favor section of Target.  (You can find them elsewhere too)  I give each student one light and they use them to point to things on the card/book, point to their answer, etc.

I have really seen an increase in participation from students during their turn as well as during other students’ turns.  They don’t need another motivator during the session when these beauts are involved.

Spinners and Tallies:

Never underestimate the simplicity of tally points.  I simply printed off this chart for my groups of students and place it into a dry erase sleeve.  After their turn, they get to spin (eliminates the pesky dice roll which takes too long) and add the points to their total.  We often have a 2-minute drill at the end where we have the first person to accurately answer getting a point and go until the session is over.  Who knew that it just takes tallies?

Friendly Competition:

In my therapy room we use several apps and articulation activities in small groups or quick individual sessions.  I selected a few of those to display record-holders on our board.  We utilize Listen Close & Missing Letter apps from Erik X. Raj, Cup Stack Challenge (how many cups they can stack from our Articulation Towers), and a 5-minute challenge.  During the 5-minute challenge a student says their words independently and we count how many correct productions are made in 5 minutes.  They are very motivated to get their names onto the board and keep them there.  And by doing this, they are motivated to say as many accurate productions of their words in short sessions!  Win-Win!

Dauber Sheets:

There are a TON of these sheets available on TpT.  General reinforcers, 100 challenge pages, etc. are great for keeping students focused and motivated.  On articulation sheets I either have them say their words as they dot them or I have them keep track of accuracy with two colors of daubers for correct and incorrect responses.  They love seeing how many they can finish in a session and when they are finished I let them hang them up for a week.

(Pictured activity from Busy Bee Speech found here)

Erasers:

Have you seen those cheap $1 packs of erasers at Target?  Grab a few packs for therapy.  We use them in many ways but one that we use a lot is as a general reinforcer.  Simply have students spin/roll after a turn and collect that many erasers as “points”.  I suggest a small bowl or container to put them in or they will likely be played with by students.  Other uses include coverings for 100 challenges if you don’t want to paint dot them, bingo chips, etc.  These can also be found on sites like Oriental Trading and Amazon.  EASY!

Motivating doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.  It is not necessary to play games as a reinforcer.  Something simple like the motivators above will be easy to implement and will increase the motivation of your students.

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR STUDENTS?

I wanted to take a minute, or several, to reflect on my 5th Blogiversary which occurred this week!  There are so many parts to this post and to my reflections on blogging.  I was initially going to do this privately, reflecting and making goals for myself.  However, one goal I have for the year ahead is more transparency and connection with you.  So here it is, my blogiversary reflections, celebrations, goals, and… a gift from me to each of you!  Read on!

Reflections:

I began blogging in 2012.  So much has changed since then.  For one thing, my logo has had a few facelifts:

Another change has been me!  I began blogging during my second year of being an SLP.  I began blogging because I was adapting so many “ancient” materials while trying to engage my students and I wanted to share my ideas with anybody else who cared to see them.  Now, in my 7th year as an SLP, feeling more “seasoned” (or insert another less-negative word for being about 1/4 of my way to retirement) I have had so many more experiences as an SLP and as a blogger than I could have ever imagined.  I have worked at 11 school buildings and countless homes while working in Early Intervention.  I have had my own office, shared with others, and had an “office on wheels” when in EI and while working in Chicago between schools.  Each of these experiences have shaped my blogging and I hope you have enjoyed learning from each of them.

I’ve also learned that blogging is hard work if you’re going to do it well and consistently.  I can say that most years I have done both of these.  However, 2016 has been an exceptionally busy year for me with juggling 7 school sites in the spring as an itinerant SLP and then moving to Phoenix over the summer.  I have learned to give myself permission to take breaks when needed and focus on other areas of my life when needed.  It has led to fewer blog posts in 2016 which has, if we’re being transparent, given me so many feelings of guilt and failure.  I am a person who wants to give 100% to each area of my life and blogging has not received even close to that this year.

My last reflection involves reactions and transparency.  I try to be as “real” as I can through my blog posts and social media, letting you see me as I am.  Truthfully, it’s terrifying to put yourself out there for thousands of people to critique.  I’ve been so fortunate to meet so many supportive people through this blog.  I have met some of my best friends and fellow bloggers through networking and have met SLPs from all over the world through social media and conferences.  I have learned to have a thicker skin when errors are exploited and to be okay with failure as long as intentions were good.  I know how to keep moving, dig deep, and work hard.  Blogging is a great teacher!

Celebrations:

Since my last blogiversary I have celebrated so many great milestones and achievements including 8K Instagramers following @sublimespeech, 100th material posted on TpT, presenting at ASHA 2016, figuring out snapchat filters (hey, don’t laugh, you remember when you finally figured this out!), and more!  Each time I read feedback on TpT I see a small celebration in helping you to help the clients that you work with.  I have always wanted to be a traveling SLP and, in some way, I see that I have traveled all over the world through the materials I have created and that you have felt were beneficial to your clients.  Thank you for each of these celebrations, I hope for many more!

Goals:

2017 is a new year and I’m always so happy that my blogiversaries happen at this time of year when goal-making is fresh on my mind.  Over winter break I spent 20 HOURS driving to and from Kansas City.  Needless to say, many podcasts were finished and a lot of thinking occurred.  I have set some personal and blogging goals for this year and beyond.  One of them is to be 98% transparent with you.  No, not 100%.  I’m probably going to still re-record some videos, I’ll probably not take videos and pictures when I wake up on Saturday mornings looking like I got in a fight with my bed, and I’ll probably not tell you EXACTLY how I feel about everything.  But, I don’t think you’d want to see all of that anyway.  I’ll show you the good, the bad, and the “oh my heavens” of my SLP life.  I also have a goal to finish many of the materials that I have started.  We won’t go into details here (there’s a whole calendar shindig going on in my blogging planner right now) but just expect to see some new beauts making their debut very soon!  (Right after progress notes and medicaid billing, let’s be real here!)  And, finally, I will be blogging a whole lot more.  You should see my draft folder on my blog.  There are 25 draft posts in there, abandoned at varying points of completion.  My goal is to finish as many as possible as well as authoring new ones about how we are twisting up speech & language therapy this year.  We’ve gotten creative and I can’t wait to show you what sort of activities and techniques we’ve been using!

Gifts:

I promised a gift for each of you.  I wouldn’t let you down, no party host ever should.  First of all, I want to thank you.  Each of you.  It always humbles me to know people care what I have to say and share.  Thank you for your time, for your comments, for the laughs, for purchasing and downloading materials, and for sharing this crazy SLP life with me.  I truly appreciate you!  To say thank you and celebrate our 5 years together, please head over to this link to download a free resource to help assessments, IEPs, etc. go more smoothly.  Pass along the link to this blog post to any friends who may want to access the freebie as well, I’d love to meet some new people this year!

Have a great 2017, I’ll see you around!

~Danielle

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!

Happy Better Hearing & Speech Month!

This is the month where SLPs shine in their knowledge of Communication!  I wanted to provide a post which better described some resources available to you during BHSM and tell you about some great products!

First, here is my BHSM Packet for 2014.  It is available at TpT for FREE!  Lots of goodies in here!

ASHA has a great site dedicated to BHSM with a lot of fun things going on this month:

Google+ Hangout – May 6, 2014, 1:30-2:30 p.m. EST

Twitter Party – May 20, 2014, Noon-1:00 p.m. EST

Instagram Contest – May 1-12, 2014

Your SLP bloggers also have some great resources for the month:

Better Hearing and Speech Month Calendar 2014 from Jenna Rayburn

Better Hearing and Speech Month 2014 Bookmarks from Big Apple Speech

Busy Bee Speech’s 2013 BHSM post has tons of goodies!

Looking for cheaper apps during BHSM?  Keep an eye out on Smart Apps for Kids for daily updates!

No matter what you do… spread the word about BHSM this month!  It’s one reason that we do what we do!

Are you on Twitter?  Then head there and check out the #BHSM tagged tweets!

Professional Development Session (1+ hours):
If you are lucky enough to be given time to sit down with teachers or support staff, take it!  Getting everybody on the same page regarding introductory AAC information as well as basic implementation strategies is priceless.  Make sure to make it informative and interactive.  Basic information should include:

• What is AAC and examples of types.  Bring with you any available devices and low/mid/high tech AAC examples that you can find.
• Basic implementation strategies including vocabulary, ways to elicit communication, and more.
• Why AAC implementation is important.  I like to make this portion interactive by having staff attempt to communicate with a partner about something as simple as what they had for lunch or their favorite movie.  One staff member can talk, one cannot talk, and one can utilize low or high tech AAC to communicate.  We then discuss the activity.
• We then do a Q&A or celebrations/struggles roundtable discussion.  A roundtable may also include other SLPs, parents, teachers, etc.

Classroom meeting (>1 hour):
Having a classroom or team meeting time to discuss AAC is also a valuable amount of time.  While you have considerably less time than a full PD session, a lot of information can be covered in less than an hour.  Again, keep this time informative and interactive:

• What is AAC and examples of types.  Bring with you devices and low/mid/high tech AAC examples that are pertinent to the students that the staff work directly with.
• Basic implementation strategies including vocabulary, ways to elicit communication, etc.
• Why AAC implementation is important.  I use a shortened version of the PD session activity.  I ask one staff member a question that they answer.  Then I ask another question to a different staff member after instructing them that they are not able to use their hands or mouth to communicate their answer.  Finally, I provide a device or low-tech AAC option to a third staff member and ask them a question.  A brief discussion of this follows.
• Finally a Q&A and/or brief training on the AAC used by students that the staff works directly with.  This can be done as a 1-on-1 training or a group discussion and training depending on needs.