Tag Archives: Therapy Tips

Coaching the Parent Who Doesn’t Attend Therapy

Due to family schedules, it’s usually the same parent or caregiver who is able to attend therapy with the child each week. Each session, this “present parent” receives coaching, modeling, and guidance in becoming their child’s first and best teacher. In a two-parent family, how do we as therapists also provide this same level ofContinue reading “Coaching the Parent Who Doesn’t Attend Therapy”

Just Right Challenge

Psychologist Lev Vygotsky is credited with identifying the concept of the “Zone of Proximal Development.”  This “ZPD” is the area between what a learner can do without help and what a learner can do with help — that is, it’s the zone where growth and learning really happen.  Zone of Proximal Development sounds impressive, but forContinue reading “Just Right Challenge”

Five Strategies to Encourage Your Child to Talk

  Here are five simple strategies you can use to encourage your child to expand their expressive language at home.  At first, it may seem overwhelming to keep them all in your “toolbox.”  That’s okay!  I suggest focusing on implementing just one new strategy at day for a week.  As you practice and gain confidence,Continue reading “Five Strategies to Encourage Your Child to Talk”

Making Things Sticky

Many parents have had the experience of walking out of a great therapy session and then thinking one day later, “How were we supposed to work on that goal again?”  Likewise, many therapists have had the experience of déjà vu when they feel like their session is just a repeat of last week’s, with noContinue reading “Making Things Sticky”

Asking All the Right Questions

It’s said that there’s no such thing as a stupid question.  But for therapists who want to communicate well with the families they serve, there are certainly some ways to ask the questions that are smarter than others.  How can therapists ask the questions they need to get crucial information from families, and how can families askContinue reading “Asking All the Right Questions”

“That Kid” Who Won’t Sit Still: 12 Tips for Making Therapy Work

We’ve all met “That Kid.”  The one who has seemingly endless energy.  The one you have to brace yourself for before he enters the room.  The one who can never, ever seem to sit still for therapy.  What’s a therapist (or parent!) to do?

Get Me Outta Here! When It’s Time to Change Activities

The child is getting fussy, the parent is getting bored, and the therapist is starting to sweat.  It’s time to change activities, and stat.  But it’s not as simple as pulling out a new toy.  How you make the change makes a big difference.

How to Plan and Implement a Successful Auditory Verbal Therapy Session

In the past, I’ve provided a “behind the scenes” look at the anatomy of an AVT session geared toward parents, but what if the responsibility for running the session is on your shoulders?  What does it take to actually plan and execute a successful AV session as the therapist?

Just One Hurdle: A Strategy for Teaching New Skills

On your mark… get set… go! In a track and field competition, runners race around the track, jumping hurdle after hurdle in an attempt to be the first to the finish line.  It’s an incredible sight.  When we’re teaching children with hearing loss a new listening, speech, or language skill, however, we’re running a differentContinue reading “Just One Hurdle: A Strategy for Teaching New Skills”