R.I.P. Rosie the Riveter

Naomi Fraley (nee Parker), the woman believed to be the inspiration behind J. Howard Miller's wartime "We Can Do It," poster died on Jan. 20, 2018 at 96 years of age.  Although there is some controversy around whether Naomi is in fact the model for the poster, it appears her claim is valid. Like many women during World War II, Naomi went to work as a machinist at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California. In 1942 while working in Alameda, a photographer for the Acme news agency photographed her as she leaned over a lathe. She was sporting the now iconic red bandana.  The original poster was meant to encourage employees at Westinghouse Electric.

The recognizable image of "Rosie" epitomizes feminine fortitude, spunk, and determination, which is exactly why I modeled my logo after her. As an SLP and a woman, I draw strength from the women who paved the way for me to be an independent, college educated professional.  With a flexed bicep held high, I say thank you Naomi. Rest in peace

The Instax Camera in Speech-Language Therapy

While visiting family at the Jersey Shore this summer, my nephew's wife was taking pictures with the neatest little camera. I was surprised when the film shot out the bottom and developed right before my eyes! It was a blast from the past! Of course many of you will recall Polaroid cameras that provided instant gratification with a pretty badly developed picture. Well, Fuji has developed a new and improved version, the instax mini. It is small and convenient and comes in some kicky little colors. The picture quality is much sharper with vivid colors, than the Polaroids of the past. A number of different types of frames are available including rainbow, stars, solids, comics, and more. I immediately thought how this little gem could be used in speech-language therapy, but at 50 plus dollars, I put it on the back burner.

This Christmas my wonderful nephew and his sweet wife bought my children each an instax of their very own. Nora didn't take hers to school with her when she returned and so I asked if I could borrow it. Of course, she obliged. I have only just begun to explore how I can use this camera in therapy. The film is fairly expensive (I ordered the value pack here), but I think with the right applications it will be a great investment. If today's therapy session is any indication of how effective and motivating therapy with the instax can be, it will be entirely worth it.
Today students posed in a way to help them remember to use "new" speech sounds and adhered the photos to decorated reminder signs with washi tape. Their excitement was barely contained!

These little ones are leaving these pictures as reminders on their desks.
I've been brainstorming other uses for the instax including:

• Students can write on an exit slip what they did or learned in speech-language therapy and take a photo. The picture can encourage discussion with peers, teachers, and parents and will be helpful in transfer of skills.
• I like the idea of having students write their therapy goal as an "I can" statement and snapping a pic. Again these pictures can be the springboard for discussion afterward as well as reminder of why they are coming to speech. I ask students every time they enter the speech speech room what "they are working on." I then write their I can statements on the whiteboard. Using the photo will provide more of a personal connection to what they are participating in.
• For social groups I thought it would be fun to take pictures of students showing different facial expressions or emotions.
• Pairing two items in one picture, students can then do comparisons.
• It might be fun to snap some candid shots and use them as the basis for a narrative.

I'm sure more ideas will come to me as I start using the instax, this is a pretty good start, though. I know you're all super creative SLPs, so if you have any ideas or suggestions, please comment. How would you use the instax in speech-language therapy?

A Handy Social Skill Acronym

I've noticed a lot of references to "Say it, Think it" activities on social media as well as at workshops, recently. While it's gone by different names, this is not a new concept. Say it, think it activities are really helpful for helping students with social-pragmatic difficulties become more aware of blurting tendencies as well as putting that social filter into action.  So many of our students just say the first thing that pops into their heads, which leads to breakdowns in communication, problems with teachers and parents, and misperceptions by peers. Activities that help our students access the impulse control switch in their minds will serve them well in both school, social arenas and the workforce (as much as we might like to, we can't tell our bosses what we really think). As SLPs we use whatever is motivating and works;  wind-up mouths, squishy brains and mouths, sticky notes, and thought and speech bubble signs.  I really like these thought bubble and speech bubble sticky notes found on Amazon. I found the pictured squishy toys at Walmart.  There was an eye as well, but at $6.88 a toy, I exercised some purchasing restraint. These seem to be all the rage with the kids and they are super satisfying to squish.

I introduce the concept of a social filter by explaining the difference between thoughts and spoken words. That's easy enough, the former are quiet, known only to the student, and can be memories, ideas, words, or pictures.  Words are spoken and heard by all around the student. They have power and can make others feel a certain way or think certain thoughts.

We then practice. I present either a picture or a verbal scenario and give kids the opportunity to "blurt" the first thing they think of in the privacy and safety of the speech room. In doing so we can look at the impact of what they said on them personally and those around them. True story; I showed a video from the Everyday Social series to a student in speech therapy. It featured middle school students. My student's first thought (said aloud, of course) upon seeing the video was, "Well, he's never gonna get laid." This opened the door to the notion that a lot of what we think should not be uttered. In the context of speech therapy it is much easier to engage the social filter than when a student is emotionally triggered or trying to fit in socially.

Enter O.T.M. About twenty-five years ago, I was working in Hillsdale, NJ and I worked with an exceptional SLP. Geri, had created the aforementioned acronym and I use it to this day. O.T.M. stands for "keep It on The Mind, not Out The Mouth." I pair the acronym with the gesture of my index finger moving from forehead along the side of my face and out from my mouth. I like practicing this concept while doing in-class lessons. The whole class benefits and the teacher has some common language to reinforce the skill.

I can also dovetail using a social filter with plain old kindness. I really like the acronym THINK; is it true; is it helpful, is it inspiring, is it necessary, is it kind? Here is a little poster freebie for you highlighting the THINK  strategy. Click the picture or the link to be redirected to the download.

Well, I hope the O.T.M. strategy is something you bring to your speech programs and that you and your students find it productive. I'd love to hear if you use it!!

One Little Word 2018

For the past few years, I have participated in the One Little Word® project. Ali Edwards, the originator of "One Little Word," sums it this way:

A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow.

In 2006 I began a tradition of choosing one word for myself each January – a word to focus on, meditate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. My words have included play, peace, vitality, nurture, story, light, up, open, thrive, give, and whole. These words have each become a part of my life in one way or another. They've been embedded into who I am and into who I'm becoming. They've been what I've needed most (and didn't know I needed). They've helped me to breathe deeper, to see clearer, to navigate challenges, and to grow.

The task in focusing on a word, as opposed to a resolution, is to encourage meditating on one concept that can have far reaching effect in my (and your) life. That concept can permeate how I view my relationships, my job, my past and my future. Becoming intentional with decisions after viewing them through a consistent lens allows me to interact with my story as I write and create around a theme.

After much contemplation, I have chosen the word discipline. I don't mean discipline in a legalistic, unyielding, have to, need to, must, sort of way. I mean discipline in a "I choose to be disciplined in this because it will bear out results or I will feel temperate, accomplished or strong afterward."  

Pondering this word should be fairly straightforward. Applying the concept to my life is going to require discipline. One thing I have learned over the course of 56 years is, in order for me to grow I need to practice another little word. Can you guess which hand is mine?

I encourage you to find your word.

It is Definitely Winter

Winter has arrived! In fact, it has arrived all across the country. There is snow in states that rarely see snow. In NH we have had 3 snow days already. January 2nd was our scheduled return to school. We had a two-hour delay due to cold (it was -22)! Last night it was -100 atop Mount Washington. That's some frosty weather. Yes, winter has arrived and in NH, it sticks around into April. This video captures the trip to my car yesterday!

After the frenzy and inconsistency of December, school-based SLPs are contending with more of the same because of weather and student absences. Next week I will be getting a little help from my friends who have authored some fun and therapeutically effective winter-themed materials. I decided to do a therapy week round up in order to "snowcase" these wonderful therapy activities. Since I will be using these activities next week, I don't have pictures of the products in action. Sorry. (My husband did get me a beautiful new camera for Christmas, so my pictures should be improving) All of these items can be accessed by clicking the respective images.

The first is Gold Country Speech's All Around a Winter Wonderland. Tracy's candyland-based game is perfect for mixed groups and more. She has included cards targeting problem solving, describing, wh-questions, multiple meaning words, following directions, articulation, AND a design your own option. Click here to grab this amazing product.

Laura, of All Y'All Need has created a series of jokes that are so fun to use in therapy. I've used her jokes for articulation, social pragmatics, fluency, and targeting ambiguities. They are "snow" punny and offer wonderful opportunities for discussion. Winter Jokes can be found right here.

Are you "yeti" for this one? Sparklle SLP's materials are the carrot for my snowman. She always includes a variety of materials that are perfect for mixed groups. "Mixed groups" seems to be the term du jour for how my groups have been for 35 years.  Homogeneous grouping is extremely difficult in our line of work, so I've always had to tailor my activities for multiple targets. Sparklle's Yeti packet targets "snow" much including: describing, comprehension, tier 2 vocabulary, informational text passages with QR code links, grammar and syntax practice, analogies, conjunctions, spatial concepts, positive reinforcement, AND recipes for snow and snow paint. To add an extra element of fun, this packet can be used as a complement to the game Yeti in My Spaghetti. Sled on over here to find it.

If you haven't used Small Talk SLP's Find it on the Go materials, ski, don't snowshoe, to get one. They are perfect for younger students and the format is easy to use and motivating.  Add to that a plethora of speech and language targets and you've got a winner. Pam has included multiple targets in three areas: concepts, receptive language and expressive language. While I don't laminate all my seasonal materials (I am trying to consider the environment before I wrap everything in plastic), I have laminated this one. I give my students a wipe-off marker and they draw right on the pages. It can be found here.

Mary of Old School Speech has put the "bomb" in "bomb cyclone" with her Joke Dominoes.  This game is played like traditional dominoes, which is fun because kids will then know how to play traditional dominoes! Joke Dominoes is a wonderful way to address articulation, fluency, social-pragmatics, multiple meaning meaning words, and more. It is easy to prep and easy to use and the price is right at $1.00. This winter staple can be found here.

I "met" Mia many years ago, as a TpT customer. I have files on my computer named Mia. I remember a snow day many years ago, when I received an email from her, whereby she sent me her most recent winter product for free. She wrote something along the lines of, "You've been such a good customer, I want you to have this." It was the start of a lifelong friendship. Mia has created a wonderful series of interactive books that encourage true language interaction. Each interactive book comes with cue cards explaining what each wh-question answers. She then provides information about the theme and targets various questions along the way. I like her interactive books because they create a very naturalistic context for language therapy. Grab this Louisiana girl's All About Winter Interactive Book here.

I hope you see this post is about more than winter-themed products; it's about friendships and support. It's about how we all can try to make life a little easier for each other in a very demanding job. Oh, and for your wintry viewing pleasure here is the video of my return trek up the mountain to home.

Star Wars, Stuttering, and Stereotypes

June 18, 1977 was the day before my sixteenth birthday. Three weeks earlier, on May 25th, the movie phenomena, Star Wars was released and we decided to go see it for my birthday. We developed a strategy in order to save time on serpentine lines that coiled around buildings, half of us holding a place on the ticket holders line while half waited to purchase tickets on the ticket buyers line. Once the tickets were purchased we would reconvene on the ticket holders line. Our intent was to watch the 9:00 p.m. show. That show sold out before we got our tickets and we remained on line finally getting tickets for the midnight show. When I left that theater, I was sixteen and a Star Wars fan for life.

I love Star Wars, although, I love some episodes more than others. The Empire Strikes Back was my least favorite. I also find their adherence to a plot format tiresome. This post, however, is not a movie review, per se, so I'll spare you the particulars of my opinion on the Star Wars dynasty, because love an episode or hate an episode, I'll go see every single one and I'll watch them again and again. This post is more of an observation from The Last Jedi and the introduction of one of the most villainous Star Wars characters, I think has been developed.

Enter Benicio Del Toro's code breaker, DJ. DJ, it appears, is an enigma. One initially wonders whether he is a rakish, yet ultimately heroic character, like Han Solo or Lando Calrissian. At the conclusion of the movie, it would appear not. He is amoral, sidling up to, not necessarily the highest bidder, but the party that will ultimately allow him success in his machinations. DJ is really someone who we might know or meet. He could be our neighbor, a coworker, or a guy on the bus. He is self-serving and arrogant AND he stutters.

In The Star Wars saga, one is immersed in a world that exists long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away and a plot and characters who become friends and foes. While it is pure fiction, the writing and character portrayals draw on our biases and cultural mores and those are woven throughout the story and create a powerful subtext. Our personal experiences and background knowledge are fused with a story. Hence my struggle with Benicio Del Toro's DJ. A deplorable, disreputable, opportunistic mercenary who is portrayed with a stutter.

I broached this matter with my SLP friends and one shared a more optimistic view, Del Toro's portrayal offered the notion that stuttering is "universal," literally. I would agree if the characters Finn or Poe stuttered, but no, it was the villain. I would assert, that yes, stuttering is universal and so is the shame that has been assigned to it. Art imitates life and DJ's speech sent a clear and powerful message, that stuttering is a dark flaw attributed to villainous characters. I would have hoped that in 2017, with all we know about stuttering, that greater sensitivity would be offered when developing the persona of a character. Movie makers and actors alike do bear a level of responsibility when creating works that reach billions in perpetuity. Now when I see DJ on the screen, I will forever be struck by his loathsome behavior and the disregard with which the actor chose to portray his speech.

Yes, art does imitate life, yet I truly believe there needs to be greater awareness and sensitivity in how actors portray their characters. Del Toro's DJ would still be abhorrent without stuttering and an entire segment of our society wouldn't be, once again, having to explain "stuttering is what we do, not who we are."