Rise & Grind {+ summer multipurpose "Go-Fish" freebie}

Hello, hello. Wakey wakey! It's Thursday and we only have one more day left this week; almost there!

I literally have 15 minutes to type this before I have to start getting ready to be out the door for sessions so here was yesterday in a nutshell.

I did 7 sessions and spent the morning starting to organize my ish at home. Which consists of about a bazillion worksheets and resource materials that are finally starting to have a place in their own labeled file folders, making life way easier for me.

Protocols and artic materials.

Soon enough, as it always happens, I ran out of time and jolted for the door, where I had some new stickers, a PLS-5 Spanish and my favorite chocolate chip, bunny-shaped graham crackers by Annie's Organics waiting for me. I literally shove these in my mouth as I'm driving around town. 

Today I have 6 kiddos and a lot of different goals to target; that's why I made these new multi-purpose Summer "Go Fish" cards. You can target color recognition, bilabial/alveolar/velar letter and sound recognition (or letter recognition), "do" questions, social interaction skills, blah blah blah. And I made 'em free in my TpT if you'd like to give 'em a try! Let me know how they work out for you. Click the pic below to find them in my store. 

Multi-Purpose Summer "Go Fish" Cards

That's all I got for ya today! Stay cool out there. 

- LD

Chips, Ranch, & Easter Articulation Fun

Saturday. I've had a splitting headache since yesterday around 8pm and it has yet to completely go away.

That being said, I just had to make a run to Albertson's a little bit ago and pick up some tortilla chips, salsa and ranch dressing. If you're not from Texas or not from the South, you should know that this trifecta is highly addictive and popular among us women down here. You can find many of us sitting at Chili's just getting our chips and salsa on for hours. Personally, I started craving this yesterday at the onset of my headache and finally just decided to give in.

Now that my craving's been conquered and my head is throbbing just a little bit less, I wanted to let ya'll in on Friday therapy going-on's. All of my kiddos were "afternooner's" which gave me time to put together a fun, new Easter-themed game: "Articulation Easter Basket Hunt"!

Using our articulation words/bunny puppet from "Bunny Body Parts"...

Going on an egg hunt...

It's hard to see through my less-than-professional iPhone photography skills, but the idea is that you cut out the hole in the Easter basket and then the kid can move it across the other page and wait for either a carrot or egg to pop into the "viewfinder", so to speak. Then the kid simply produces their target word as many times as is indicated on the egg or carrot! I slowed the activity down by giving them an actually Easter egg to put in a bag as they produced their target word.

All my kiddos thought it was super fun and enjoyed moving the basket around in search of an egg (we only looked for eggs yesterday). Next week I'll be using the same game but have the kids look for carrots, instead.

You can download "Articulation Easter Basket Hunt" in my TpT for a buck or like & share the link on the blog's Facebook page for a chance to win it free! No one has shared the link yet so I will be extending the giveaway until tomorrow (Sunday) night at 6pm. So go share and be the first to grab it! Facebook page is HERE @ Speech-Love-Texas.

Is there a snack popular to your region that you just crave time to time? Is it my beloved chips and ranch?

Let me know in the comments along with your favorite Easter/Spring themed articulation activity floating around right now. :)

Have a fantastic weekend, ya'll!

Home-Health vs. Private Therapy Settings: A Review

Good morning everyone!

I am back with a monstrous headache today, that as the SLP part of my brain identified, is running from my frontal lobe all the way to my left temporal lobe. The weekend was just a little too crazy (in other words, non-routine) and I think my brain spent most of Monday trying to integrate everything and re-orient to the usual schedule. Man, change really screws me up. Sometimes I really identify with some of my kiddos in that way. :)

Anyways, as I have been fortunate to have been able to dip my toes into several SLP settings thus far, I wanted to give you all a short "review" of home health and compare it to a clinic or private setting if you are curious about switching to either.

First just let me say, I love home-health. But I truly believe (like any setting) that the company, district, or management makes all the difference. It is definitely possible I would not be quite as happy working for another home-health company. And as we all know, every setting has their horror stories. The company I work for, however, is extremely ethical, caring, and an advocate for their therapists on a professional and personal level. I have been with them since my first semester of grad school starting out as an SLPA, through my Clinical Fellowship, and now as a certified SLP. I am blessed to be a part of the work they are doing. We offer ST, OT and PT, but the majority of our therapists are SLPs and SLPAs.

Pros:
- You can set your own schedule.
Only want to work 4 days a week? Only want to work mornings from 8-1? You got it. Provided you stay within the guidelines set by insurance (some require 2 sessions per week from day Y to day Z, cough cough, TMHP) and work with parent schedules, you can make clients fit into your preferred work hours.

- You can work as little or as much as you want to.
This is ideal for therapists who have children or want to split home-health with another setting. You can take on a part-time or full-time caseload depending on your availability. Full-time caseload is currently around 15 kiddos in my world. You can also pick up evaluations for extra money in nearby locations for treating therapists who do not have time to evaluate for whatever reason.

- You can choose to accept or decline a client (within reason).
Even if you choose to evaluate a child, you may be able to decline accepting them onto your caseload if you feel your caseload is too heavy or time restraints currently make it difficult to fit them in.

- Sessions are typically shorter.
In my experience, I found that while all my home-health sessions lasted 30 minutes in length, often my private setting sessions lasted up to 45.

- Compensation rates may be higher, depending on the company.
This may be relative on a case-by-case basis, but I hear many home-health therapists agree with this statement.

- You can target goals in the child's natural setting.
To me, this is one of the biggest pros. I love being able to show a parent how to integrate HEP (Home Exercise Program) into activities using the child's own toys and environment.

- Scrubs.
One word: comfy.

- You can stop at Starbucks in the middle of the day.
Self-explanatory.


Cons:
- You're in the car. All. The. Time.
Sure, you get to have some great car dance sessions, and you better believe I've had the time of my life during the summers belting out some Blink-182 while sipping an Icee on the way to sessions. But believe me, it gets old, and when your friends/boyfriend/husband mentions driving somewhere after work, even if it's 20 minutes away, you'll feel like bursting into tears.

- Some companies may not reimburse you for gas or travel expenses.
My company does not. However, I do believe my session rate is higher to compensate for this. I also use my personal vehicle for visits which obviously puts me at a greater risk for traffic violations, accidents, etc.

- You may not have access to a wide-range of materials or more expensive programs such as Boardmaker, like you would in a clinic.
Seriously, I am dying to get my hands on a copy of Boardmaker.

- The rooms of your home and backseats/trunk of your car will be filled with toys.
As I tell my boyfriend, I am a traveling preschool. I miss having an adult bedroom.

- You are isolated from other therapists/adults.
One thing I definitely miss about the private/clinical setting is daily interaction with other therapists, including OTs and PTs. Home-health can be lonely and you will have to make the effort to stay in contact with friends and other therapists so you don't get too bummed out.

- Parents may take advantage of the fact you are coming to them instead of the other way around.
I have experienced more cancellations in home-health than in private settings, in general. Because my company works with Medicaid only, I believe some families take advantage of the "free" nature of the evaluations, sessions, etc. and will cancel moments before you arrive.

- Every home is different in terms of cleanliness and overall atmosphere.
I have been in homes where I have fought off roaches while reading a story as well as homes that are nicer than those in North Dallas. It really is hit or miss. You just have to be willing to deal.

- You may have to fight the urge to stop at Starbucks in the middle of the day.
You don't need a grande Java Chip frappucino with no whip and extra drizzle every day after that session with Little Johnny but by golly yes you DO.

So there you have it. For me, the pros definitely out weight the cons currently in home-health. I know at some point I will attempt the schools again (I only did my internship there in grad school) but for now I am happy right where I am.

What setting are ya'll a part of right now? I'd love to hear along with a pro/con or two:)

Little Bit of Real Life

"Real life" is a great thing. It's different than the imagined version of our lives we create in our minds where everything is beautiful because it's perfect. "Real life" is beautiful because of its simplicity...at least for me. The things that aren't a product of me "doing" anything. The little things. Yesterday was a little bit of real life for me. And it felt really good.

I didn't have sessions in the morning so I took my time making organic chicken/maple sausages and my Zen green tea. I enjoyed them post-folding laundry and watching re-runs of Teen Mom 2 with my kitty nearby. Oh yeah. I have a kitty. She became part of the family about two weeks ago, around Valentine's Day. Meet Ava. That's her handsome Dad, behind her. ;)

Afterwards, I turned on Spotify and ran a bubble bath (I use Fair For Life: Everday Shea Lavender Bubble Bath from Whole Foods) while I let my new hair color sink in...finally I am a dark brunnette again! I have been an auburn color for awhile now but it hasn't really felt like me. While in the tub I enjoyed the book, "The Honest Life" by Jessica Alba. Lots of great info regarding all-natural living.

Once my hair was done and I invested in a spray tan, I wrote up some therapy notes, made some phone calls and headed out to a session about 40 minutes away. I decided to stop at my parent's new home also, which is in the general area. I have been concerned that their new home won't feel like "home" to me...but I was surprised to find that all I wanted to do when I got there was lay on the couch I had never seen before and listen to my Mom unpack boxes. God really quieted my fears in that moment. There is nothing like the calmness of home.

I completed my session (which was largely focused on attention) and then went back to my parent's house where I picked up my sewing machine from my Dad (I need it to make my Etsy products). While in the process of loading it into my car, my Dad decided to try and pass off some other boxes they've been keeping for me; you know, boxes of memory items from highschool and college. I spent the next couple of hours just pouring through old journals from as early as age 8 and college acceptance letters from my Senior year of highschool. Man, if I had only known the journey I was about to embark on.

One of my favorite finds was this great work of fiction I wrote in 2001:

"A STORY ABOUT ALCOHOL" LOL. Yeah. But I got a 100 and man did I deserve it with all those colored illustrations.

After leaving my parents, I treated myself to a little birthday ice cream at Coldstone Creamery at the harbor nearby. Appropriately I chose "Birthday Cake Remix". I'm pretty sure the "remix" is that afterwards you feel like dying, on your day of birth. But it was yummy none the less.

I enjoyed my treat in front of this gorgeous fountain just soaking up the Texas sunshine. I have missed the sun SO much and it was great to feel the heat "beating" down at 75 degrees.

That was about the end of my excursions for the day. I MAY have stopped at Garden Ridge on the way home for bags of Popcorn Indiana Dark Fudge Chocolate Chip Kettlecorn...but you can't prove that, can you? CAN YOU. Haha.

Overall, it was a wonderful, relaxing day. I am about to head off to some sessions during which I will be jamming to this amazing new album by Jillian Edwards, "Daydream":

It is perfect, breezy Spring-time singer-songwriter-ness.

I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday.

I will leave you with this embarrassing relic from my childhood.

10 Things To Do With a Page of Artic Pictures

There have been many days I forgot to throw my iPad in my car for therapy or just did not have the toy I planned on using for a given session. Those days I usually have at least a page of artic pictures on hand, like these ones from Mommy Speech Therapy.

Here are some go-to ideas when you just have to make it work:


1) Skittles Artic Therapy:

A summer favorite. Child produces a target word 3X each in accordance with their particular goal (word, phrase, sentence, etc.) and then receives a Skittle to place on the word.

You can both be a different color of Skittle and attempt to get the most "correct" productions while incorporating auditory awareness and self-monitoring or the child can attempt to fill in the entire page himself.

2) Tic-Tac-Toe:

You and the child take turns placing X's and O's on words produced correctly __ number of times. Whoever gets a row first or the most number of rows by the time the page is completed wins.

3) Wh- Questions:

Who makes the sound "meow"? (/c/at); "What do you put on when it's cold outside?" (/c/oat). Great way to incorporate drill into a language-based activity. Using the phrase, "I spy something that..." is often more well-received by kids as you're tricking them into thinking you're playing a game. Like always.

4) Hide-N-Seek:

Cut pictures apart (or tear them apart if you're really unprepared, like me sometimes ;)) and hide them in various places around the room or child's home. Having fun targeting prepositions, past tense verbs, artic drill at the same time! Works great for phrase or carrier phrase-level work ("I found a _______!", "I saw a _______!")

5) Accordion Drill:

Fold paper up like an accordion so there is only one row showing at a time. Let child pick a favorite color marker and mark through each picture with a shape of their choice (heart, circle, x) as they produce in X-number of times and then "unfold" the paper as each row is finished. Great for kids who are intimated by a huge sheet of pictures for drill and like fine-motor activities such as coloring).

6) Word Hunt:

Search for each object in the child's room or home (parent permitting). Talk about each object's function or if it is an abstract object or idea such as "hot" you might talk about it simply through conversation.

7) Sound Hunt (does not need pictures):

Great for auditory awareness. Move throughout the room and label objects with a single word, asking the child to identify the presence of their target sound with a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down".

8) Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: 

Produce each word picture both correctly and incorrectly (but not one following the other). Ask the child to be the teacher and identify your productions as correct or incorrect with "thumbs up" or "thumbs down".

9) Go-Fish/Matching:

Print off two pages of said artic pictures and cut them up to form a quick and easy matching or Go-Fish game.

10) Something Blue/Red/Green, etc.

Target colors while identifying target words and incorporating drill. May need to fold up the page of pictures to reduce the number of possibilities so the child is not overwhelmed.

What is one of your go-to activities for artic drill?

There is nothing wrong with you.

I am going to try and tie this post into something speech-related so it makes sense in the context of this blog; however I believe this applies to the much bigger picture we're all familiar with known as life.

There is nothing wrong with you.

Ah, perfectionism. Being a perfectionist has its pros and cons.

The pros include always striving for the best version of yourself and striving to view yourself analytically.

The cons include always striving for the best version of yourself and striving to view yourself analytically.

Yes, these are both good and bad things in my opinion, simultaneously.

I grew up in a household that sought to make me feel accepted and loved for who I was, but at the same time never hesitated to point out where I feel short. Constructive criticism, you may say. But it instilled in me a very real sense that unless I attempted to alter myself in certain ways, I would not be deserving of love. Or support. Or acceptance. This is an exhausting, mental juxtoposition, one that the Christian faith attempts to soften with the concept of grace.

Society tells us to love ourselves for who we are but to never stop striving to better ourselves. When are you, as is, enough?

All I ever needed to know was that even if I didn't change, even if I didn't do this one thing, I would be loved and life would not cease to be fulfilling.

I had a youth pastor growing up who said something to me that has always remained lodged in my heart and has been a comfort in the face of such pressure.

He said, "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more than he does right now."

My friends, there is nothing wrong with you.

You are a human, and being human is hard. We have not been put here not to torture ourselves with internal and external pressures but to rest in the grace that God offers that says we are enough. 

We beat ourselves up for lack of achievements but hey, you are still living! You are still working at this thing called life! And God has not forgotten you.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with formulating and working towards goals. That is an integral part of my life as an SLP.

But when those goals become so significant that they cloud our ability to appreciate ourselves for who we are today, I think it's time to sit back and rest in the knowledge that you will never be the best. Or the worst. And no one expects you or thinks you to be either. It really doesn't matter.

Happiness matters. You matter. So before you internalize outside pressures or expectations, sit back and remind yourself that the only one putting that pressure on you is you.

I am seeking to live life in balance. And I believe remembering that regardless of whether you got that workout in, or felt like you blew that evaluation or session, you are simply human. Which is nothing to be ashamed of.

There is nothing wrong with you.

"...i mean really. what is the the thing you are good at? what's your thing? what's the thing you use to make you feel like you're great? take it away, do you still think you're great? because you are." - jillian edwards chapman (http://ifyoufeellikereadingit.blogspot.com)