I wanted to share this video to show you how you c I wanted to share this video to show you how you can break up minimal pairs therapy with a meaningful and fun activity!

We are working on /s/ cluster reduction, and took a break from “the cards” to work on nap vs. snap using an iPad game (we also practiced no vs. snow).

We pretended our hands were the machine and said “snap” and then the reinforcer is to tap the screen and pick up (or “snap”) the snow.

I find that kids really respond to these meaningful tasks as it emphasises how our words have meaning, and you can get a lot of organic practice trials in 💪🏻

BTW... I just ❤️ my kids!!!

#speechtherapy #speechpathology #slp #slpeeps #minimalpairs #speechdevelopment #privatepracticeslp #preschoolslp
I am just LOVING this prosody cues deck! I’ve g I am just LOVING this prosody cues deck!

I’ve got three on my caseload at the moment who respond so well to the emotion visuals, and it’s so lovely to hear some change in their voice vs. a monotone, robot-like voice!!

CARDS: @bjoremspeech @iowaspeechie @bjoremspeechpublications

#apraxiaofspeech #slpeeps #childhoodapraxiaofspeech #speechtherapy
Binding. It’s a simple little joy that makes my Binding.

It’s a simple little joy that makes my SLP life easier.

And no, I don’t have a binding machine... I take it to my local office shop and it costs me around $5 to do!!!

Any other binding fans out there???

#binding #slpsofinstagram #slplife #slpeeps #slpsontpt #speechies #slporganization
Just because you are contrasting /t/ vs. /k/ words Just because you are contrasting /t/ vs. /k/ words using minimal pairs, DOESN’T mean that you are forbidden from using any other cues!

Many times, my kids need some additional types of cues, whether it be gestures (point to the throat), a mirror (to see the tongue go back), metaphors (front vs. back sounds), or placement cues (move your tongue back) to help them be accurate so that they aren’t frustrated.

Many times those cues get dropped pretty quickly... but I still use a pragmatic cue where I question what the child means (did you mean tea or key?).

And yes, I used fronting as my example because GOSH IT’S A STUBBORN PATTERN sometimes. And I need aaaaaalllll the cues 🤣 do you agree??

#adventuresinspeechpathology #speechpathology #slpsofinstagram #slpeeps #slp #speechtherapy #speechdelay #preschoolslp
Have you ever felt like you don’t know what you Have you ever felt like you don’t know what you NEED to know when implementing a new therapy approach?

I made this Minimal Pairs Therapy plan to help make sure you have thought of, and planned, the elements to implement the approach.

This means choosing the approach, picking the patterns and sounds that will make the most impact, completing generalization probes, and REALLY thinking about your treatment intensity.

So many times I have people say the child isn’t generalizing, and I wonder if they have planned for all of these elements?

Is it really the child, or has the SLP not planned the therapy correctly????

TAKEN FROM: the Minimal Pairs Handbook

#Adventuresinspeechpathology #minimalpairshandbook #phonology #slp2b #slpgradstudent #speechdelay #slpeeps #preschoolslp #ebpslp #speechtherapy #speechpathologist
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You don’t need fancy toys to do minimal pair tasks!

I upload minimal pair resources to my iPad so I can bring them up when I’m on my school visits.

We literally put animal figurines in the sections, and then after we “earned” them all, we picked them up and tried to throw them back in the container.

Also.... love how this little one correctly said “go” after we had that communication breakdown. The POWER of minimal pairs therapy 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

#minimalpairs #speechdelay #speechpathology #speechtherapy #preschoolslp #schoolslp #privatepracticeslp #adventuresinspeechpathology
I pulled out this shopping game (again) today for I pulled out this shopping game (again) today for minimal pairs!

We practice our pairs, then flip a picture over to see what the item is, and who’s list it belongs to.

Simple, but very motivating for Miss 4 today!!!

#minimalpairs #speechtherapy #slp #speechdelay #speechpathologist #Adventuresinspeechpathology #preschoolslp
Here are some truths: 1. I always wanted to be a p Here are some truths:
1. I always wanted to be a psychologist
2. I never wanted to work with kids

Then I changed degrees and
3. I thought I’d be a medical SLP

Then I realised I didn’t like dysphagia and brain stuff as much as I thought so
4. I thought I’d enjoy working with complex communication needs

Then I really found a love for:
5. Social communication ❤️ I still enjoy everything I learned, and gosh did I do a lot of PD. But I felt like my kids never moved off my caseload.

Then I realised
6. I get A LOT of joy assessing and figuring out speech patterns and seeing kids make fast progress week-to-week targeting their speech sounds.

So here I am!

It’s definitely NOT the place I thought I’d be, but sometimes you have to try different things to know what’s right for you!

#adventuresinspeechpathology #slplife #slpsofinstagram
Nothing gets me up at 5:45am on a Saturday morning Nothing gets me up at 5:45am on a Saturday morning like the excitement of a new resource.

Seriously.

I’m a morning bird and do my best work when the whole house is asleep.

I don’t even have a coffee 😲😲😲

Sooooo..... I’m still taking requests for my next set of minimal pair toolkit resources. Drop them below 👇🏻

#adventuresinspeechpathology #minimalpairs #speechtherapy #slpeeps #slpsontpt #slpsofinstagram #preschoolslp
I have been hearing this phrase OVER and OVER agai I have been hearing this phrase OVER and OVER again lately!!

Many of you have been trying minimal pairs therapy either for the 1st time, or you’re implementing it differently...

... and the amount of times that I read a DM or feedback on TpT saying that things literally just “clicked” in a session was high enough that it warrants its own IG post 😂

See, THIS is why I love treating SSD, and I love the minimal pairs approach. Your child can make HUGE LEAPS within one session.

It’s amazing! It’s encouraging. And gosh it makes your job satisfaction high!

Do you know what I’m taking about? Have you ever seen things “click” with a child?
Tell me how 👇🏻

#speechtherapy #speechdelay #slpeeps #slp #slp2b #speechpathology #slpsofinstagram #phonology #ebpslp #schoolslp #privatepracticeslp
I wanted to share this video to show you how you c I wanted to share this video to show you how you can break up minimal pairs therapy with a meaningful and fun activity!

We are working on /s/ cluster reduction, and took a break from “the cards” to work on nap vs. snap using an iPad game (we also practiced no vs. snow).

We pretended our hands were the machine and said “snap” and then the reinforcer is to tap the screen and pick up (or “snap”) the snow.

I find that kids really respond to these meaningful tasks as it emphasises how our words have meaning, and you can get a lot of organic practice trials in 💪🏻

BTW... I just ❤️ my kids!!!

#speechtherapy #speechpathology #slp #slpeeps #minimalpairs #speechdevelopment #privatepracticeslp #preschoolslp
I am just LOVING this prosody cues deck! I’ve g I am just LOVING this prosody cues deck!

I’ve got three on my caseload at the moment who respond so well to the emotion visuals, and it’s so lovely to hear some change in their voice vs. a monotone, robot-like voice!!

CARDS: @bjoremspeech @iowaspeechie @bjoremspeechpublications

#apraxiaofspeech #slpeeps #childhoodapraxiaofspeech #speechtherapy
Binding. It’s a simple little joy that makes my Binding.

It’s a simple little joy that makes my SLP life easier.

And no, I don’t have a binding machine... I take it to my local office shop and it costs me around $5 to do!!!

Any other binding fans out there???

#binding #slpsofinstagram #slplife #slpeeps #slpsontpt #speechies #slporganization
Just because you are contrasting /t/ vs. /k/ words Just because you are contrasting /t/ vs. /k/ words using minimal pairs, DOESN’T mean that you are forbidden from using any other cues!

Many times, my kids need some additional types of cues, whether it be gestures (point to the throat), a mirror (to see the tongue go back), metaphors (front vs. back sounds), or placement cues (move your tongue back) to help them be accurate so that they aren’t frustrated.

Many times those cues get dropped pretty quickly... but I still use a pragmatic cue where I question what the child means (did you mean tea or key?).

And yes, I used fronting as my example because GOSH IT’S A STUBBORN PATTERN sometimes. And I need aaaaaalllll the cues 🤣 do you agree??

#adventuresinspeechpathology #speechpathology #slpsofinstagram #slpeeps #slp #speechtherapy #speechdelay #preschoolslp
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Adventures in Speech Pathology

Feel confident treating speech sound disorders

Uncategorized · January 24, 2017

Why this SLP was afraid of little kids

Why this SLP was afraid

Get down off that chair and Be Brave SLP!

When you are a student, you learn a little bit of everything in your field and then are expected to go out into the workforce and know what to do. I worked with school-aged children in my first job and SLP life was working out for me. I built rapport easily, was confident in therapy and was developing some special interests. And then a two-year-old popped up on my caseload and my first thought was ‘sh*t’ …let’s move on to my second thought, or rather feeling. It was anxious. I remember scrambling through my cupboard for the right assessment and toys, googling ‘early intervention’ and feeling totally out of my depth. I felt like I had come to the point where most of my kids required minimal planning because therapy was natural and ingrained, the therapy plan seemed imprinted in my subconscious. But what was I supposed to do with this two-year-old?

Most of these feelings were because I had high expectations of myself and hated that I felt uncertain and doubted my skills. I didn’t want to admit this to anyone because I had a couple of years experience and felt like a student on my first day of prac. I felt like I was meant to work with school-aged kids, that we ‘clicked’ and I’m my best SLP when I was with this group. Call it feeling awkward, call it not wanting to be up for the SLP challenge but I didn’t feel like I understood little kids.

More little ones came and I took it personally when they wouldn’t talk to me or hid behind their mum, especially as I could build rapport so quickly with other ages. I started to get a complex that they knew I wasn’t comfortable around them. As if they had this extra sense like a dog and could smell my fear. And that’s exactly what it was. Fear. I was afraid of little kids.

I was afraid of them because I thought that I wasn’t fun enough, that I wasn’t playing ‘right’, I couldn’t name the Peppa Pig or Octonaut characters of the day and I didn’t know enough nursery rhymes. I was hard on myself because early intervention just didn’t come naturally and I thought that it should. I remember one day thinking ‘what is so exciting about stacking cups? How can you just keep doing this over and over again?’.

I started to overcompensate and had toys everywhere, hoping that they would find at least something fun, because I didn’t understand what they liked. This feeling had gone on for too long, so I knew that I had to do something because little kids would always be coming my way. I decided to take a proactive approach. The SLP world has blossomed since I felt this way eight years ago, so here is what you can do now:

  1. Ask colleagues in your setting or school district if you can observe their sessions. If you see what therapy can look like, then maybe you will feel more comfortable.
  2. Google toys for age ranges, browse the toy section at Target, ask any SLP colleagues or preschool teachers what their kids love. Katie from Playing With Words 365 has written a fabulous series about toy recommendations I highly recommend.
  3. Open up to SLP buddies, find a forum or join a Facebook group and be honest about your feelings. Just talking about it can feel like a relief and you probably aren’t alone.
  4. If you can’t attend a Hanen course, they have some great online eSeminars that you can take. You can also buy some of their Guidebooks and DVDs.
  5. Search for different charts and checklists about play stages and development so that you have a framework to reference.
  6. When you are doing an assessment, write some notes about questions to ask or things to look for so that you won’t forget, such as turn-taking and joint attention.

I’m happy to say that I’ve come through the other side and don’t batter an eyelid when I have little ones. I understand them now and they don’t scare me one bit (even if they won’t talk to me in their first session). I was only afraid of them because I doubted myself and my skills, which I shouldn’t have. So whether it’s little kids or it’s something else, like AAC or Autism, don’t hold on to that fear.

I learned three important lessons:

  1. I can’t be the best at everything
  2. There is always room to develop my skills.
  3. It is important (and healthy) to admit that you need help or support.

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Previous Post: « Putting the play back into AAC
Next Post: Lessons I’ve learned dabbling in Social Thinking® »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Zain A says

    April 7, 2020 at 6:37 am

    I’m a student SLT and totally relate to this – especially the thought, “I’m not fun enough”! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Reinking says

      April 10, 2020 at 12:47 pm

      We can’t be the best at everything!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Rebecca.
I encourage SLPs to feel more confident treating speech sound disorders, and make faster progress with their students.

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