http://slpslwstl.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/you-know-youre-an-slp-when-2/ This phrase pops up a lot in my search engine terms so I thought I’d compile an extensive list of some of my favorite SLP inside-jokes. Here we go: You know you’re a Speech-Language Pathologist when… …you speak entirely in abbreviations …you are often caught spending endless amounts of money in the dollar store and yelling “WHAT?! Its for my JOB, ok?!?!” …you...

Here are a few key points to get you started: Self Love: Don’t forget that being a Speech Therapist is a heavy burden sometimes.  We are hard working and perform a lot of miracles but this can’t be done with out a little bit of self love.  Take care of yourself this year. Positive Feedback: Remember that when things get difficult to always provide positive feedback, no matter how frustrating a case may be.  Even if it’s...

Getting the attention from a group is done easily with inhale and exhale pose.  Use your oceanic breath. You simply say, Inhale and raise your arms up, exhale, bring arms down by your sides as  you say exhale and release. This will help calm your group of children and center their minds to enable them to focus on the task at hand and you. Often times we tell the class to be quiet and pay attention, clap our hands, make threats such as: (If...

It is important especially during therapy with /r/, that we as SLP’s are aware of the type of /r/ we are making when we produce the /r/ sound. We are skilled speakers and our tongue moves in the correct manner unconsciously. Our students, with /r/ mis-productions, however, need to be shown how to move the tongue in a skillful manner. We can start first with knowing what our tongue does when we produce the /r/ sound. Say the word star with...

I want to focus on a theme today. Let’s focus on, “What is your default when things in life, especially the job of a SLP, get difficult or overwhelming?”   Do you flee, distract or indulge yourself, become angry, have fear?  How do we know what our default is?  We do this by first: becoming aware of what we perceive to be a difficult situation and secondly: being mindful and learning to become an observer of how we react to various...

Did you see The Entire World of R in the June 27, 2011 cover story of Advance Magazine for Speech-Language Pathologists? The authors Lila Carson, Susan Miller and Karen Noll from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia present some very useful information on how to use vowel drills to facilitate /r/ production. We were very pleased that they used The Entire World of R Advanced Screening as their pre- and post-test assessment. The...