FREE CEUs!

Starting today, registration opens for ASHA's FREE CEUs!  Don't miss out on this great opportunity.  If you like free CEUs, here are some additional websites that you should check out! 

• http://satpac.com/free-ceus-online-course - This site offers a free 3 hour presentation about /r/ and /s/ remediation using the SATPAC approach. 
• http://www.passy-muir.com/ceu - This site offers many different webinars that are each worth 0.1 CEUs.  Webinar topics include tracheostomy information, valve information and more!
• http://freecme4me.com/speech-therapist/ - Visit this site to learn about online software for memory, listening and comprehension or early intervention for ventilated patients.  Each course is 0.1 CEUS.
• http://www.superduperinc.com/CEU/courses/default.aspx - Don't miss out on these great courses geared toward SLPs in the schools and SLPs who work with children.  Each course is 0.1 CEUs.

Happy (and free) learning!

Makeover Madness!

When I started making therapy games and activities for my students, I didn't really know how to make them look as exciting as they really were.  At the time, I thought they were amazing and so did my students...thankfully.  Well, in the past year, I have learned a lot about how to make these games and activities look amazing.  So, my goal in the next year is to redo some of these therapy materials.  I have been putting off this large endeavor, until now!  Emily Yost, from Third In Hollywood, has set out a challenge (Makeover Madness) to makeover one of your current products.  I accepted the challenge, so here is the first of many upcoming product makeovers. 

The game that I chose was my 'Sports Themed Games for Basic Concepts'.  I absolutely loved this product and it was one of the favorites among the kids that I worked with.  They loved to pick out the game board (there are 5 options) and game pieces (there are 4 options).  I picked the game cards based on what goals the group was working on (feelings, antonyms/synonyms, prepositions, sequence words, following directions, size/quantity or colors/shapes).  There are 329 game cards, so this game never gets old for me or my students! 

Even though I loved this game, there were a few things that I did not like.  Here are the things that I didn't like. 

After a few hours of revamping, I kept the basic items in the games, but redid some backgrounds, graphics and text.  Here are the results!

If you like this product or would like to know more about it, you can purchase it at My Teachers Pay Teachers Store.  To view other teacher's and therapist's product makeovers, visit Third In Hollywood. 

Speech Therapy...It's Not Just A Job!

Being a speech therapist isn't just a job, but it's a part of my every day life!  People always say not to bring work home, but as a speech therapist AND a mom, it's pretty much impossible.  I, personally, have struggled with this concept since my kids were born!  Here's how I bring my work home...

•  I narrate everything that I do for my daughter and son.  For example, I am doing the dishes...I am washing the plate...etc.  Now, my 3 year old narrates everything that she does, including going to the bathroom!
• I have brought the Preschool Language Scale home to test my kids...multiple times.
• All of the toys or gifts that I buy have something to do with developmental needs, such as speech, fine motor or gross motor. 
• I use conversational turn taking with my 6 month old and actually wonder what he is really trying to say back.
• Sometimes I find myself telling my husband to, 'Use Your Words' when he is motioning something to me. 
• I secretly assess all kids that I come in contact with.
• I find myself using IPA when it is completely unnecessary.

I have realized that maybe bringing my work home as a speech pathologist isn't such a bad thing after all.  In fact, I think that if you love your job, then bringing your work home could actually be a great thing! 

Comment below with examples of how you bring your work home!

One Special Moment

Clip Art By Creative Clips

It's the end of the year and as the paperwork is stacked in front of me, I think back about what (if anything) I did for my students this year.  Between paperwork, field trips, specials, absences, etc., it is so hard for me to feel like I made a difference.  However, I know that I tried my best and worked as hard as I could to help every student on my caseload.  That was my whole reason for becoming an SLP in the first place, to help kids.  So, I decided to pick a specific moment from this year that exemplified my reason for becoming an SLP.  Here it is:

I see a 3 year old child who is brought to speech by his grandmother every week.  When he began working with me, he had a total of 10 words.  He has made significant progress and his grandma has helped with his success.  During one session, we were playing with blocks. As he handed his grandma one of the blocks, he said, 'Here grandma'.  It was a clear and simple phrase that didn't really mean anything, but to his grandma it had meant the world.  As soon as he said it, his grandma began to cry saying, 'He said grandma!'.  That simple phrase meant so much to her because he had called her 'Grandma'.  This was such a touching moment to me because I knew that I had helped this moment become a reality.
 

That is why I became an SLP.  

Link up and share your one moment from this year that exemplifies why you became an SLP!