From Echolalia and Scripting to Original Speech: Top Strategies for Gestalt Language Processors

“My child isn’t talking yet but he can sing songs or repeat lines/scripts from movies.”

Or…

“My child simply repeats what everyone else says.”

These are the kinds of things I hear from parents of children who are learning language….

….differently.

See, it turns out there are two main ways that children learn language.

Some children learn language one word at a time.

Other children, learn language in chunks by repeating whole sentences or scripts that they hear elsewhere.

These children are called Gestalt Language Processors.

I’m speech-language pathologist Carrie Clark and on today’s episode of The Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’m going to share my top 6 steps for helping those gestalt language processors find their voice.

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

What are Gestalt Language Processors?

Children who learn language in chunks or scripts known as “gestalts”.

They may repeat entire phrases, sentences, or scripts that they have heard from other places.

These still have meaning to them but it may not be the same meaning as the specific words would lead you to believe.

Signs that a Child May be a GLP:

Here’s where it gets tricky: if a child isn’t speaking much (or at all), it can be hard to tell which way they are learning language.

Here are some signs you may be working with a GLP (and therefore want to model more language chunks instead of single words):

• Melodic way of speaking with a lot of variation in intonation (even if you can’t understand the words)
• Tend to say things the same way every time
• Like to sing songs
• Love categories of language, like farm animals, shapes, letters, numbers, etc.
• Like to play the same way every time or re-enact scenes

GLP Strategy 1: Become a Detective!

Often the gestalts that children are saying are trying to convey something other than what the words literally mean.

For example, a child who says “do you wanna build a snowman” may not be trying to tell us about snowmen at all.

Maybe they are remembering how they saw that movie with their grandma and they want to talk about her instead.

Pay attention to the things the child is saying and try to guess what the actual meaning may be.

Even if you’re not sure, respond anyway!

These scripts are communication and we need to respond to the child to let them know we understand that they are trying to connect with us.

GLP Strategy 2: Follow the Child’s Lead and Imitate

Therapy for this group is not drill and practice.

It’s about letting the child lead the play or interaction and being there to model language along the way.

Imitate what the child does and says.

Respond to their communications even if you don’t understand.

GLP Strategy 3: Use Statements and Silence

GLPs grab chunks of language by listening for pauses on either end.

Model simple sentences with silence on either end, such as…

silence ~ It’s snack time. ~ silence

GLP Strategy 4: Play with Pitch and Emotion

Have you ever noticed that gestalt language processors (GLPs) tend to pick up more phrases and scripts that are full of excitement or emotion?

This is because they are tuned in to the intonation or the pitch of what is said.

Gestalts that vary from high pitch to low pitch are more fun to say and will stick with our GLPs better than a more monotone one.

GLP Strategy 5: Model Gestalts that Will be Easy to Use Later

Once the child has a large enough repertoire of gestalts, he will start breaking those down into their individual parts or words.

We can help facilitate this by modeling gestalts that are easy to break down into smaller part, and easy to use in a variety of situations.

Try modeling sentences that start like these:

• I’m thinking about…
• I’m ready to…
• Let’s…
• We’re going to….
• It’s time to…
• Where’s…
• Look at the….
• How about we…

GLP Strategy 6: Mix and Match Gestalts

Remember how I said we’d be breaking down those gestalts later?

As the child gets better at using gestalts to communicate, model mixing and matching parts of the gestalts like this:

Shorten Long Gestalts:

• Original Gestalt: “Up above the world so high”
• You model: “So high”

Recombine Smaller Chunks to Create New Utterances:

• Original Gestalts: “Let’s get out of here” and “Want some more?”
• You model: “Let’s get + some more?”

Get More Training and Materials!

Are you looking to learn more about supporting gestalt language processors?

We have a ton of great resources inside The Hub, including…

…courses

…therapy materials

…handouts

…and more!

Join us inside The Hub to get the best resources on helping the GLP in your life:

Access the Resources Inside The Hub (Free Trial Available)

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AAC Apps and How to Use Them

Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC) allows a child who can’t speak to let us know what they want or need.

It reduces frustration and increases communication.

And with smart devices being so readily available, AAC apps make it even easier to access these tools!

I’m speech-language pathologist Carrie Clark and on today’s episode of The Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’ll be telling you about a few of my favorite AAC apps and showing you how to use them to support a child who is struggling to speak.

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

The Best AAC Apps of 2025

Ok I’ll admit that I haven’t tried every AAC app out there so I’m sure I’m missing some.

But here are a few of my favorites based on the ones I’ve gotten my hands on:

• Grid AAC by SmartBox

• TouchChat AAC by Saltillo

• Proloquo2Go by AssistiveWare

• Avaz AAC App by Avaz Inc.

• Sonoflex by Tobii Dynavox

So Which one is the Best??

I know, I just gave you several choices and didn’t rank them.

But here’s the thing…

The best AAC app…

….is the one you have access to!

In all honesty, these AAC apps will all have the same basic features.

Yes, some may have a feature that you like more than others.

Or a look that appeals to you/the child more.

But they’re all basically the same.

So go with the one that you can access!

Price, device type, and other factors may impact what you can get your hands on.

So try not to get too hung up on which one is best and just grab one to get started.

And if they have a free trial or version, even better!

If you have access to a speech-language pathologist who has experience in the different platforms, you can have that person recommend a specific app as well.

I’ve reviewed the features of some of these AAC apps here.

How to Use AAC Apps to Help a Child Communicate

So let’s dive into how to use these apps to help children!

The idea is that the child will be able to push a button to tell you what they want or need if they can’t speak their message in a way that is understood by others.

How does this help?

• It reduces frustration
• It bypasses intelligibility or motor planning issues
• It gives children a way to practice and learn language skills until their mouths catch up

And no, research shows that using AAC will NOT stop a child from learning to speak.

Model, Model, Model

I’m going to simplify this down as much as possible.

The best way to teach a child to communicate using an AAC app, is through modeling.

When you are talking to the child, push a button that corresponds to what you’re saying.

Push those buttons all day long!

Push one button at a time.

Combine two buttons together to make a longer utterance.

Show them where things are on the device.

And yes, this means you need to get to know the app yourself and figure out where stuff is.

What if they are Just Pushing Random Buttons?

Awesome!

You know what that is?

Babbling.

All babies do it.

They may have missed that step.

They need to learn what the app can do, and that means pushing random buttons.

Allow time for that.

Provide Communication Temptations

In addition to modeling, you also need to provide reason for the child to use the device.

Put a snack they want in a sealed jar and model “open” on the device.

Then wait, and see if they push that button themselves.

If not, provide some prompts, like pointing at the button or nudging their hand in that general direction.

If they get frustrated, model again and do the thing they want.

Focus on Words they can Use in a Variety of Situations

There are many words that you could teach them on their AAC app.

But not all of them are equally helpful.

“Car” is only helpful if there is a car present.

But “go” could be used in literally any situation with movement.

Focus on these general words first.

We call these “Core Words” and they’re generally found on the front/main page of the AAC app.

Get More Training!

We have so much more information on using AAC with children!

In fact, I have full courses and AAC therapy kits inside The Hub

Come join us inside The Hub to access our courses and AAC starter kit:

Access the Resources Inside The Hub (Free Trial Available)

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The Future of Speech and Language Kids (and our Profession)

There is a lot of uncertainty in the world of education right now.

And even before talks of reducing funding for education, speech-language professionals were overworked and under-supported.

But amidst this stress and uncertainty, I bring you a message of hope.

Because this is also a time of unparalleled technological advancements.

New technologies have the potential to save us, if we’re willing to try something new.

I’m Carrie Clark and on today’s episode of The Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’m going to show you that together, we can use these emerging technologies to find solutions to our profession’s biggest problems.

And find ways to support our clients, our families, and ourselves in ways that we didn’t even know were possible.

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

Remember what it was like in 2020?

I want to take you back to the year 2020.

I remember first hearing about Coronavirus, just a chuckle during a meeting when someone told of others doubting that they should be traveling to China right now and everyone else thinking those people were overreacting.

I remember feeling that fear grow as the virus spread.

And I remember when it finally hit that my kids weren’t going back to school and we were all locking down.

My first reaction was fear for myself and my family.

But once that initial fear wore off and we were hunkered down, I realized I had an amazing opportunity to help all of you.

Because you were suddenly thrust into a world of online therapy with zero time to prepare or get trained.

I started out with a simple “crash course in teletherapy” video and it spread like wildfire.

You guys were drowning and you latched onto that video like a life preserver.

And so we made more.

And we continued to grow and support you through the new situation you found yourselves in.

Welcome to 2025…

Well…I think that today, 5 years later, we find ourselves at the brink of a new reality shift.

You’re all drowning again, though it looks different this time.

And many of you seem like you’re on the brink of burning out or quitting.

Meanwhile more and more kids are needing our support.

So once again I find myself with an opportunity…or maybe….and obligation….

to throw you a life preserver.

Hope through Technology

Yes the world is chaotic.

Yes things are stressful.

But I find an amazing amount of hope in the new technologies that are available to us and improving at a breakneck pace!

Computers and artificial intelligence (AI) can now provide us with quicker and easier ways to do the “grunt work” parts of our job so that we can spend our time and energies on helping the kids.

There are emerging technologies that have the potential to save us hours of work per week…if we use them well.

And yes, of course there are ways that these technologies could be used irresponsibly.

But that’s all the more reason for you and I to step in now and start leading the way in using these new technologies the right way.

But I Can’t Do this Alone.

I know that you don’t have the time to sift through these new technologies and learn how to make them work for you.

I know you don’t have the time to build out the tools and resources necessary to make your job easier.

Just like you didn’t have the time to research and reinvent therapy to meet the sudden requirements to do teletherapy in 2020.

So I’m here to help!

I can dive into these technologies and make them work for us as long as you continue to support me!

These technologies are too costly (in time, energy, and money) for one SLP to build alone.

But when we combine the forces of the full Speech and Language Kids Hub (10,500 members and counting!), we can divide the efforts.

Through your support, I can focus my time on building out these new tools for you to use.

And with 10,000+ people to try them out and give feedback, I can get them to where they need to be in much less time.

So What’s Coming for Speech and Language Kids, Then?

I’m going to be using my Speech and Language Kids Hub as a launchpad for these new technologies and ideas.

I’ve already created 7 infinite material generators, a goal-wording generator, and an accommodations and modifications generator.

These tools are already running for our full, paid members!

But I have so many more ideas still to come!

My next idea is a session planner.

And I’d love to eventually create tools to help you manage your caseload and paperwork as well!

But to do that, I need a huge member base to support me and be ready to test these new technologies so we can test and iterate and perfect them.

But it’s Not all about the Technology!

Don’t worry, I’m not just jumping straight into technology and leaving the personal touch behind!

I’ll also be creating more and more no-prep therapy kits inside The Hub so that you have pre-made therapy materials ready to use in therapy.

And since I can also use technology to assist with MY grunt work, I’ll be able to create resources faster than ever!

AND….

…those kits that I’m creating will be fed back into my AI tools to make sure that the therapy resources you get from the tools are based on evidence-based methods.

It’s a win-win-win!

Join The Hub!

Now’s the time to hop into The Hub if you’re not already a member.

I’ll be asking my members what they want and letting each and every one of you decide the future of these tools we’re building.

I’ll be making sure you have therapy materials for every session and tools to make your job easier.

Because I know that you can’t do this alone.

And neither can I.

But together….

….I’m pretty sure we can change this profession and help more kids than ever before.

Join The Movement Inside The Hub

The post The Future of Speech and Language Kids (and our Profession) appeared first on Speech And Language Kids.

Speech Therapy Ideas for Functional Communication: Communicating Wants and Needs

How do you help a child who can’t speak to tell you what they need?

What about a little one who has meltdowns and tantrums but can’t tell you why?

How can we teach a child some basic, functional communication skills that will help them connect with the world around them and communicate their wants and needs?

I’m Carrie Clark and on today’s episode of The Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’m going to give you some simple ideas to help a child learn functional communication so we can alleviate that frustration!

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

The Two Different Ways that Children Learn Language

We can’t talk about functional communication without mentioning that there are two very distinct ways that children learn language.

And then we can talk about how some children do a combination of both…so that’s not confusing at all.

But here are the two different ways:

• One Word at a Time: Some children acquire language one word at a time. They may say “up” or “more” to tell you what they want. These are called analytic language processors.
• In chunks or scripts: Other children learn language in chunks or scripts known as “gestalts”. They may repeat entire phrases, sentences, or scripts that they have heard from other places. These still have meaning to them but it may not be the same meaning as the specific words would lead you to believe. These are called gestalt language processors

When we know which way a child leans toward, we can provide models that follow that approach.

How to Tell if a Child is a GLP:

Here’s where it gets tricky: if a child isn’t speaking much (or at all), it can be hard to tell which way they are learning language.

Here are some signs you may be working with a GLP (and therefore want to model more language chunks instead of single words):

• Melodic way of speaking with a lot of variation in intonation (even if you can’t understand the words)
• Tend to say things the same way every time
• Like to sing songs
• Love categories of language, like farm animals, shapes, letters, numbers, etc.
• Like to play the same way every time or re-enact scenes

How to Model Language Based on the Child’s Learning Style:

Once you know which way the child is learning language, you can provide the child with models that make sense to them!

(If you’re not sure, do a little of both)

Here’s how to model language for each type:

• For Analytic Language Processors: Model a lot of single words. When they are paying attention to something, label it with one word, like “ball”. If they seem like they are trying to communicate something to you, say that word out loud, like “more”.
• For Gestalt Language Processors: Model a lot of phrases or sentences with variation in pitch and emotion. Imitate the actions and sounds that the child makes and then use your own phrases and sentences to describe what the child is doing, what you’re doing, and what you think they may be trying to communicate to you. Use sentence starters like “I’m…”, “Let’s…”, “Where’s…” and “Look!” These can all be reused later to create new sentences.

Consider Other Ways for the Child to Communicate

Sometimes children aren’t speaking because they just aren’t capable of it yet.

And that’s OK!

We can offer children alternative ways of communicating to get them started, such as by using sign language, communication devices, talking buttons, picture boards, etc. (Called Alternative-Augmentative Communication or AAC)

You can model using these the same way you would model spoken language.

In fact, use them at the same time that you are speaking your language models!

See if the child picks up on any of them.

So What Does Speech Therapy Look Like for Functional Communication?

It looks like play!

Super fun, engaging play!

And that’s the good news, because this type of therapy is easy to do without any special tools or materials.

Simply let the child lead the play and do the following:

• Model: Like a billion times. Keep modeling. Over. And over. And over.
• Imitate: Repeat back any sound the child makes and imitate what they are doing. This will help them see you as a part of their world.
• Expand: If the child says something, repeat it back to them but add one word. Or, if they communicate something to you without words, label it with a word. Use spoken language and AAC if appropriate.
• Use Pausing and Silence: Don’t fill the silence with models! You also need to give them time to process and respond or imitate you!
• Create Communication Temptations: Create opportunities for them to tell you something. Don’t automatically assume what they need, ask the question and pause to give them time to think. Stick their snack inside a clear jar with a tight lid and wait. Will they ask for help? If they don’t, model “help” anyway and then open it for them. But give them a chance! Give them their cereal but with no spoon. Place something up high that they can’t reach. Wind up a toy for them and then let it wind down and pause to see if they will ask you to do it again. Be creative with the ways you tempt the child to communicate with you!

Free Sign Language Flashcards:

Sign language is a really great way to get started with offering alternative ways for little ones to communicate.

You can download our free sign language flashcards for the most common first words inside The Hub.

This resource is included in the “Freebies” membership plan!

Click Here to Get the Free Sign Language Flashcards
Inside The Hub

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The Cycles Therapy Approach for Children who are Very Hard to Understand

If you haven’t tried the Cycles Approach to phonology therapy yet, you’re missing out!

This is an amazing therapy method that is especially designed for children who are highly unintelligible and who have multiple phonological processes, or sound errors.

The idea is that you take all of the speech skills they need to work on, and you cycle through targeting each one for a week or two before moving onto the next.

The result is that these children make faster progress and their WHOLE speech system improves more quickly than if you’re only targeting one sound.

I’m Carrie Clark and on this episode of The Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’m going to tell you exactly how to use The Cycles Approach in therapy and show you where you can download some pre-made materials to make it happen.

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

What is The Cycles Approach to Phonology?

The Cycles Phonological Remediation Approach was created by Barbara Hodson as a way to help children with many phonological processes make faster progress in speech therapy.

Her research showed that children can improve intelligibility faster by cycling through all of the different phonological processes that they need to target.

Each phonological process (or sound error pattern) that they struggle with is targeted for a short time before moving on to the next one.

Hodson laid out an amazing program that walks you through the steps.

What Phonological Processes Do you Target First?

Hodson was very specific on this!

You start with the primary set.

The key is to only include targets that the child is stimulable for, meaning that they can do it if you help them.

If they are completely incapable of saying a certain sound, you don’t include that on round one. You can check it again for round two.

What are the Primary Set Targets for the Cycles Approach?

1. Syllable deletion: make sure each syllable is marked, even if not all sounds are present
2. Sound deletion (FCD, ICD)
3. /s/ clusters: significantly improves intelligibility
4. Fronting/Backing (Anterior/Posterior Contrasts): Work on velars if fronting or alveolars/labials if backing
5. Liquids are targeted at the end of each cycle even if they aren’t stimulable (this is the only exception to the stimulability rule): Target /l/ and /r/ (by emphasizing vowel to suppress the /w/ substitution, go for an approximation)

Start Round One:

Include any of the targets on the primary set list above that they are currently struggling with in conversation and that they are stimulable for.

For each process you choose, choose at least 2 phonemes to practice with (make sure they are stimulable).

For example, if you are targeting final consonant deletion, you could pick final /t/ and final /p/.

Each phoneme you choose is targeted for 60 minutes of therapy (about 1-2 weeks).

Here’s the planning page from our therapy kit. You can see that you simply check 1-3 phonemes/targets for each process they’re struggling with and that’s what you’ll use for your first cycle:

What to Do in Therapy During the Cycles Approach

As I mentioned, each phoneme will be targeted for one week or 60 minutes of therapy.

Here’s what to do during each session:

1. Review: review previous session’s words
2. Auditory Bombardment: Clinician reads list of 12 words that contain the target for 1-2 minutes
3. Target Word Cards: Choose 3-5 words that contain the target that the child is able to say with help. Paste them onto index cards
4. Practice: Practice those 3-5 words over and over again during play
5. Stimulability Probe: Take a few minutes to probe for stimulability on next week’s words so you know what to print out for next week.
6. Auditory Bombardment: Repeat step 2
7. Home Program: Send home the flashcards you made with instructions to have parents practice those words 2 minutes per day.

What to do Next:

After you get through round one, you see how they are doing in conversation.

For round two, you check for stimulability again and repeat any processes that aren’t yet mastered in their conversational speech.

There are specific requirements they must meet to move on to secondary set.

 

Course and Materials Kit Available:

This was your crash course to give you a taste!

If you’re ready to learn more about the Cycles approach, check out our course and materials kit inside The Hub

Check Out the Cycles Approach Course and Materials Kit Inside The Full Hub Membership

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Using AI to Generate Custom Materials for Speech/Language Therapy

Imagine being able to snap your fingers and instantly create a 3rd grade reading passage that’s all about Minecraft and is packed full of /r/ words.

Do you have anyone on your caseload that could use that?

What about a word list of 6th grade science vocab that all use prefixes?

Or a custom social story specific to the exact behavior that your client is struggling with?

Well…it may not come at the snap of a finger, but with some careful use of artificial intelligence, that reality is already here!

I’m Carrie Clark and on this episode of The Speech and Language Kids podcast, I’m going to show you how you can use artificial intelligence, or AI, to generate custom therapy materials in the blink of an eye!

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the field of study that focuses on creating machines and computers that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.

AI is all around us, built into many computer systems that we already use.

But within the last few years, it has become more accessible to the average person through use of platforms like ChatGPT.

Now, we can ask questions and the AI can scan the internet and give us a pretty darn good answer in seconds.

Or, it can create something totally new based on the information it gathers and the prompts we give it.

How Can AI Be Used for Material Generation for Speech/Language Therapy?

There are some really exciting ways to use AI in our profession, and one of them is creating therapy materials.

Our clients benefit from the repetition of being able to work on skills over and over and over again.

And they also benefit when we can use therapy materials that are specific to their interests.

Through AI, we can generate custom word lists, reading passages, and even images that include their target skill and incorporate their interests.

And since these AI systems are generative, we can create new ones all day long!

What are the Dangers of Using AI for Therapy Material Generation?

As exciting as this is, we need to be very careful about how we’re using these tools.

AI can’t “think” the way humans do.

AI doesn’t know the difference between good advice and bad advice.

It doesn’t understand how words sound.

And if it can’t find an answer, it will often make one up that sounds good but may not be actually based on research.

Take for example this AI-generated checklist for getting ready in the morning. It looks good at first glance, but when you take a closer look….

Not so great, huh?

How to Safely Use AI for Material Generation:

Here are some tips for how you can safely use AI tools to generate materials:

1. Don’t ask the AI to create something that you don’t already know.  You shouldn’t be asking it to tell you how to do therapy or how to teach a skill.  Instead, ask it to create a material based on a therapy skill that you already know.
2. Review everything that comes out of the AI. Use your professional judgement to tell if the material created will help your client or not.
3. Don’t enter personal or identifying information into AI. These tools are not HIPAA or FERPA compliant, so don’t type in the client’s name, date of birth, or any other identifying information.
4. Watch for Cultural Biases. The AI doesn’t know if it has created something offensive.  Make sure you check everything over before using.

How Do I Make Therapy Materials Using AI?

There are a few different options for using AI to make materials.

Tools like ChatGPT have free or low cost options that will allow you to create your own materials.

Speak to the AI in a conversational tone and provide many details about what you want included in your material.

The more specific you are, the better!

Continue the conversation with the AI to get it to continue to tweak it until you have what you need.

Or, use a pre-built tool like ours inside The Hub (see the next section).

Ideas for Different Types of Materials that AI Can Create for You:

 

Here are some ideas for how you could use AI to generate therapy materials.

We’ve already created AI tools inside The Hub that will do this for you.

Click on the links below to be taken to that tool inside The Hub (must have a full, paid membership to access).

• Word List Generator: Generate a list of words based on the client’s therapy targets and interests.
• Sentence/Prompt Generator: Create a list of sentences or prompts that include the clients target sounds or skills (like following directions, answering questions, etc.).
• Reading Passage Generator: Create a simple reading passage for each client based on their therapy goals, reading level, and interests.
• Image Generator: This one is my favorite! Tell the AI what you need included in the image and it will make one! Stack it full of items that contain your target sound or that focus on your target skill. But be warned….they get super silly! AI-generated images are hilariously weird and your clients will LOVE getting to tell you all of the things that are wrong.
• Conversational Prompt Generator: Working on a skill in conversation? Enter the client’s interests and what level of conversation they’re working at and you’ll get a list of prompts to get you going.
• Social Scenario Generator: Working on social skills? Generate sample scenarios that target that skill in a specific setting. Then talk through them with your client and ask “how would you navigate this situation?
• Social Story Text Generator: Need a social story for a client? Enter the grade level and the skill/situation/behavior and we’ll generate the text for a simple social story that teaches that skill. Copy and paste it into a word document to add your own images and customize it to the child.

Click Here to Grab Membership to The Hub to Access These Generators!

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Sensory and Movement Ideas for Better Participation and Behavior

Little Alex comes into your therapy space like a Tasmanian Devil!

He hasn’t stopped moving since he stepped foot in the door and he’s touched everything in reach.

In fact, half of your stuff is already on the floor.

What’s a therapist to do?

Never fear, my friends! I’m speech-language pathologist Carrie Clark and in this episode of The Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’m going to show you how to use incorporate sensory and movement into your speech/language therapy sessions for better participation and behavior.

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

How to Tell when a Child is Sensory Seeking

So many of our clients just seem…off.

Dysregulated.

And often that’s because their little bodies are just not getting the input that they need.

When we see children doing things with their bodies that are outside the “expected” behaviors, we have found our first cue that they need something different.

And if we observe and pay attention to their bodies, we can usually tell what it is.

How to Tell when a Child is Sensory Avoiding

Just as our students are sometime seeking sensory input….

….they may also be trying to avoid a sensory input.

Maybe they cover their ears or eyes.

Maybe they spit out a certain food or refuse to try it.

Maybe they pull away from our touch or have trouble wearing certain types of clothing.

The Different Sensory Input Systems

When trying to identify what sensory input a child is craving, we can consider these different sensory systems:

• Visual: A child who is seeking visual input may enjoy staring at things that are spinning, flashing, sparkling, etc. They may watch things out of the corner of their eye. Or they may close their eyes to them all together if they are avoiding a visual input.
• Auditory: Our auditory seekers may enjoy making certain noises or they may be drawn toward sources of sound. Our avoiders may cover their ears or scream to cover up a sound they don’t like.
• Smell/Taste: Seekers may smell or taste things that you wouldn’t expect. Avoiders may refuse to eat certain things or may gag uncontrollably.
• Touch: Those seeking a touch input may enjoy rubbing or feeling certain textures or fabrics. They may need something in their hands like a fidget. Our avoiders may refuse certain touches, whether from other people or from objects like clothing, seatbelts, chairs, etc.
• Vestibular: Our vestibular systems help us regulate our balance and movement. Children who are seeking this input may love jumping, spinning, swinging, crashing, falling, and going upside down. Alternatively, a child who is avoiding these things may become very agitated when they are not firmly attached to solid ground, such as when on a swing, in a car, or standing on something tall.
• Proprioceptive: This system tells our body where we are in space. It tells us that our arms are out to the side or that our legs are curled up underneath us. If a child has low awareness of their body, they may feel better when they get heavy pressure against their bodies, as it helps them feel their body better. Our seekers may bump or crash into people or objects excessively. They may love deep pressure, hugs, squeezes, or tight clothes. They may sleep nestled in between a billion stuffed animals and toys on their beds. Avoiders will react negatively to touch and pressure.

How to Incorporate Sensory and Movement into Therapy:

If we can tell what type of input a child needs, we can provide that at the beginning of our session or during our sessions to help them stay engaged with our learning.

But even if we’re not sure what type they need, we can still try different activities to see which ones help!

Some children will become overstimulated by an activity.

Others will calm down by it.

Trial and error is key here!

Sensory and Movement Activity 1: Heavy Work

Any activity that requires the child to use their muscles can be effective at helping them focus!

Consider jobs that require strength, such as carrying, pushing, stacking, lifting, etc.

If they feel like they are helping, they are more likely to do it than if they feel like it’s a meaningless task.

Ideas:

• Carry the materials (something heavy) to the speech room
• Push a box/laundry basket down the hall to take it to the office (while you practice their speech skill)
• Taking down and stacking chairs
• Rearranging furniture
• Wiping down tables or dry erase boards
• Punching paper with a 3-hole punch
• Sharpening pencils

Sensory and Movement Activity 2: Playground or Gym

Therapy on the playground or gym is my favorite!

Allow the students to free play as long as they agree to work with you while they do it!

Follow them around and find ways to work their speech into the play.

Or have them freeze and do a certain number of reps to unfreeze.

Draw things in sidewalk chalk to help them practice their skill.

Sensory and Movement Activity 3: Fine Motor/Sensory Play

Slime.

Putty.

Playdough.

A bin full of dried rice and beans.

There are so many things that kids can stick their hands into that will light up a totally different part of their brains!

Sensory and Movement Activity 4: Alternative Seating

Find different ways for kids to sit (or stand) to make drill and practice more appealing:

• Wiggle seats
• Wobble stools
• Balance boards
• Exercise ball
• Beanbag chair
• Swing/Hammock
• Hanging

Sensory and Movement Activity 5: Two-Person Movement Activities

If you can figure out what type of input a child needs, you can find ways to give them even more of that input in a way that they would need your help for.

If they like swinging, push them on the swing to go higher!

If they like bouncing, sit on an exercise ball with them on your lap and bounce HIGH!

If they like spinning, spin them in an office chair.

Once they know you can get them what they need, they’ll be more willing to communicate with you to get it or work to get more.

Free Sensory Resources!

We have free sensory resources inside The Hub!

Here are a few of our favorites for sensory-seekers or avoiders:

• Reinforcer Idea Cheat Sheet: Ideas for Sensory Activities to use as Reinforcement
• Behavior Analysis Tracking Sheet
• Stimming Analysis Workbook
• Ideas for Making Drill and Practice more Fun

Click Here to Grab a Freebies Membership to Access These Resources!

The post Sensory and Movement Ideas for Better Participation and Behavior appeared first on Speech And Language Kids.

No-Prep Ideas for Language Therapy

It’s No-Prep December and that means that I’m challenging you NOT to prep any therapy activities for the whole month.

But how do we do that for language therapy?

How do we do it for younger children?

Or teenagers?

Or elementary-aged students?

Is it possible to go no-prep for language therapy??

Well, I’m speech-language pathologist Carrie Clark and in this episode of The Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’m going to answer all of these questions with three easy ways to do no-prep therapy for language skills.

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

No-Prep Language Therapy Step 1: Choose a Skill

When starting off with no-prep language therapy, the first thing to do is to choose a skill to target.

You can choose one skill to dive deep on or a few that you’ll work on as they come up.

You’ll hold in your mind the level of the skill you’ll be working at (scaffolding) or what cues you’ll use.

No-Prep Language Therapy Step 2: Choose a Type of Activity

There are three levels of no-prep therapy to choose from.

The level you choose will depend on the age and developmental level of the child along with how things seem to be going that day.

Here are the levels:

1. Through Play: Model the language skill during play.  Provide communication temptations for the child to use the skill.  Use expansions and recasting to correct the child’s use of the skill.
2. Through Drill & Practice: Explicitly teach the skill and then practice it in isolation.
3. Through Natural Interactions: Talk about the skill explicitly but then wait for it to come up naturally through conversation, reading, writing, homework, playing games, etc.

Keep in mind that you may find yourself moving from one level to another throughout the session, based on how things are going.

But you should at least have an idea of where you’ll start.

No-Prep Language Therapy Step 3: Follow the Child’s Lead

Now comes the part where you have to learn to let go.

It may feel uncomfortable at first but I promise that when you allow the child to lead the activity, you’ll get better buy-in and they’ll make faster progress.

Plus, you’ll be spending less time up front on planning and prepping elaborate activities.

Let the child choose the toys, games, or activities.

Have them bring in something they are reading or an assignment they’re working on.

Ask them if they’d like to go for a walk.

Ask them if there is anything they’d like to talk about.

Ask them about their interests.

Invest in them as a human first, then work the communication skills into it.

No-Prep Language Therapy Example!

Let’s go over a few examples to help you understand what we mean:

Example: Pronouns

• Play: play with dolls, action figures, puppets, etc.  Model use of the pronouns “she is sliding, weeeee”.  Provide communication temptations: “what is Molly doing?”  Recast incorrect productions: “SHE is sliding!  Yes!”
• Drill & Practice: Look at pictures on the iPad of children doing different things.  Use sentences to describe what they are doing.  Emphasis on correct pronoun use.
• Natural Interactions: Have the student tell you about their day, use a signal to indicate when a pronoun needs to be corrected.  Or edit and revise a writing assignment for pronoun use.  Or read a book together and point out pronouns.  Retell that section of the story with correct pronoun use.

A Pre-Made Language Curriculum
(that’s also no-prep!)

Our Core Language Program is a 16-week oral language curriculum with 16 no-prep lessons.

Over the course of 16 weeks, our pre-made curriculum will teach…

• Vocabulary
• Syntax/Grammar
• Following Directions
• Asking and Answering Questions
• Retelling and Forming Narratives
• Stating Opinions
• Retelling or Providing Information

Click Here to Learn More about our Core Language Program

The post No-Prep Ideas for Language Therapy appeared first on Speech And Language Kids.

No-Prep Group Speech/Language Therapy Ideas

When you’re a speech-language pathologist with a caseload of 70 or more kids, group therapy is a necessary evil.

Sometimes it feels like group speech/language therapy only happens because we don’t have enough time to see each child individually.

But there are actually a lot of really great benefits to group therapy!

Kids are much more likely to work on these hard skills when they see other kids working on them, too.

And hearing it in others’ speech can improve their awareness of their own speech.

Plus, we get a ton of practice on navigating interpersonal skills.

But running a speech/language group can also be daunting.

I’m speech-language pathologist Carrie Clark and in today’s episode of the Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’m going to show you some quick and easy ways to run your speech/language therapy groups with NO prep time at all!

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

How to Get Set Up for No-Prep Groups

• Plan which 1-3 skills you will target for each student for the month (see our Monthly Planning Page inside The Hub)
• Grab no-prep kits for those skills and drop them in the students’ folders (see our resources on Setting Up Speech Folders)
• Have a selection of general activities that are appropriate for your population (games, crafts, toys, outside gear, etc.)

How to Run your Groups

1. Students come in and grab their folders
2. They practice their skill quietly to themselves while everyone is coming in
3. You walk around and provide feedback and support
4. When everyone is getting squirrely, have the group decide on a game or activity to do
5. Continue to practice their skills during the activity

OR…Try the Stations Approach

1. Students come in and grab their folders
2. They go to a station (aka a quick activity that’s sitting somewhere in the room)
3. They practice their skill independently at that station. One station is yours! You help one student directly while the rest do independent practice.
4. After a set amount of time, they rotate to the next station

Station Ideas

• Speech/Language Professional Station
• Fine Motor Station (stacking blocks, assembling small manipulatives
• Gross Motor Station (stand on one foot, jump up and down, touch toes, etc.)
• Yoga Station (hold yoga poses)
• Writing/Tracing Station (dry erase boards or pages)
• Sensory Station (tactile material)

OR…Try the 5-Minute Approach

If groups are still getting you down, consider 5-minute sessions instead!

For this approach, you see each child from the group for 5 minutes independently instead of for 30 minutes in a group (or whatever your original schedule was).

You can still see the same number of students during that time block but each student will get in more repetitions in less time.

The short nature of the session means you don’t have to provide games or activities.

You simply drill for 5 minutes and then send them on their way.

The research shows PHENOMENAL gains when using this approach!

You’ll need to rework their IEPs to reflect the lower minutes but then you’ll see faster progress in less time.

Click Here to Learn More about 5-Minute Sessions inside The Hub

Need some help?

We have all of the tools and resources you need to make this happen!

Just join us inside The Hub and take “The Way”.

In this series of videos, I’ll show you exactly how to get set up for this Way of doing speech therapy.

I’ll even give you the data pages!

Come let me help you!

Click Here to Join The Hub and Start The Way

The post No-Prep Group Speech/Language Therapy Ideas appeared first on Speech And Language Kids.

How to NOT Take Data during Speech/Language Therapy

Data or it didn’t happen, right??

As speech-language professionals, it is crucial that we collect data to know exactly how our clients are doing.

Or is it?

Today we’re going to explore the questions of how much data do you ACTUALLY need to collect and how can you streamline your data collection processes.

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

How Often do you Really Need to Collect Data?

• Every time they say the sound or do the skill?
• Once per session?
• Once per week?
• Once per month?
• Once per year?

Carrie’s Sweet Spot for Collecting Data

Our students don’t usually make such fast progress that you need to collect full data more than once per month.

Their performance next week will look very similar to their performance this week.

And copious amounts of time on data collection reduces the quality of your therapy (meaning they make even slower progress).

That’s why I only collect full data once per month!

What about the Rest of the Month?

Just because you’re not collecting data on every repetition, doesn’t mean you don’t know what’s going on.

With caseloads nearing 100 kids sometimes, we can’t be expected to remember each and every session we do and how the child was doing.

Instead, we can take a quick note at the end of every session that tells us how the child was doing without taking up much time.

Carrie’s Super Awesome Daily Notes Page for Speech-Language Professionals

Daily Notes Page Available for Download inside The Hub

 

If I’m not doing a full data day, this is the only data I collect.

I rate the student’s performance on a scale from 1-5.

I add a quick note so I remember what cue I did or what I want to try next time.

That’s it!

I do it during my session so I’m not taking work home.

Click Here to Join The Hub to Download the Daily Notes Page!

But what about data for Medicaid/Billing/Whatever Else?

This is the biggest hesitation that I hear about this approach.

How can I bill medicaid/insurance/etc. if I don’t have numeric data?

Well…

you do.

4 out of 5 is 80%

3 out of 5 is 60%

As long as you are still taking your detailed data at least once per month, you’ll be able to stay on track.

And the billing machines will appreciate their numeric data.

DISCLAIMER!  I’m not an expert when it comes to billing.  Please check with your billing company before taking this advice!  

What if my employer requires data on every repetition?

Tell them I said that’s silly.

Ok, don’t really do that.

I don’t need angry calls.

But in all seriousness, this is not best practice.

It does not help the kids.

It does not support you.

If this requirement is being forced on you, then your job becomes to advocate for yourself and your clients and ask for an alternative option.

So How Does this Look in Practice?

1. At the beginning of the month, choose 1-3 skills to target for each student.
2. For the first three weeks of the month, take only rubric-style data on the notes page.
3. For the last week of the month, take your full data during your sessions and jot down 1-3 skills for next month.

Need some help?

We have all of the tools and resources you need to make this happen!

Just join us inside The Hub and take “The Way”.

In this series of videos, I’ll show you exactly how to get set up for this Way of doing speech therapy.

I’ll even give you the data pages!

Come let me help you!

Click Here to Join The Hub to Download the Daily Notes Page!

The post How to NOT Take Data during Speech/Language Therapy appeared first on Speech And Language Kids.

No-Prep December Challenge! I Challenge you to do Less

Do you think you could go a full month without prepping any activities for therapy?

Would you like to try?

December is a notoriously busy month and usually our clients and students are all zany with that “pre-holiday” energy.

So how about this year, you give yourself some slack?

We’re doing a no-prep challenge this year and it’s going to change the way you look at therapy!

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

Rules for the No-Prep December Challenge

1. You may not prep any therapy activities during the month of December
2. You may not take elaborate data on student progress more than once in December (use rubric-data instead)

How to Prep for the No-Prep December Challenge

1. Set up your speech folders (see last week’s podcast episode)
2. Choose 1-3 skills to target for each student in December
3. Grab no-prep kits or other no-prep materials and drop in their folders
4. Print out a rubric-style data sheet for each student and put in your data binder
5. Watch the webinar on the 25th for more details

What your Sessions will Look like Instead:

1. Students come in and grab their folder
2. Students practice their skill by itself for a few minutes
3. Students grab a game, craft, or other activity off the shelf
4. You continue to practice their skill during that activity

Tools for Success for the No-Prep December Challenge

Don’t worry, I have everything you need to make this easier!

Inside The Hub, I’ll give you…

• No-Prep Kits to put in your folders
• Monthly Planning Page to keep track of who is working on what
• Rubric-Style Data Sheets to make data collection a breeze
• Webinar on Nov. 25th to walk you through setting it all up
• More Videos on how to do no-prep therapy for various skills

Click Here to Join The Hub
and Start Today!

Free plans available!

The post No-Prep December Challenge! I Challenge You to Do Less appeared first on Speech And Language Kids.