Hide and Seek: Office

Thirteen bloggers are hiding–hiding on different blogs and hiding in the school.  They’re here to show you that you can (and probably do) do therapy everywhere and that each locale has it’s own benefits.  For all their tips, hop from blog to blog.  While you’re there, jot down the author’s blog/school location listed at the bottom of each post to enter into Rafflecopter.  

Sorry, I’m not here right now-but I’m pretty excited about who is-Ashley is a great speech language pathologist who I met in Las Vegas this summer!  I know you will love her great speech and language ideas for what you can do in the office!  
I am a product of the public school main office. I probably spent more time there than anywhere else in the building. I was present for each early morning detention AND every after school detention. Why? I was always in trouble the principal’s daughter!

The main office is a busy place, but with some pre-planning and good working relationships, it can be a great location for speech therapy. Here are some of the ways I’ve used this area as a treatment space:

For Language:

• Social – have students with pragmatic goals greet/guide visitors. This is also nice for problem solving and executive functioning skills. When someone comes into the office with a question, the students can help to seek solutions.
• Functional skills – allow students to help sort mail each day, refill the paper trays on the copy machine, sharpen pencils and stuff envelopes. These jobs make the students feel successful and free up time for the office staff.
• Giving directions – Give your students a starting point and make the office the destination. Students have to give you instructions on how to reach the office. It is more challenging (and fun) than they think.
• Asking and answering questions – Where can I find the nurse’s office? Who is in charge of the school? The office has a ton of WH question material.

For Articulation:

• Word/sound hunt – the main office is a must have on any building scavenger hunt.
• Intercom – I once had a student practice the school motto and the Pledge of Allegiance so he could say it correctly for the morning announcements.
• Carryover – I have often taken artic students to the office during their session so I could “run an errand.” Little did they know, I had enlisted the administrative assistants to strike up a conversation so that I could listen for carryover of speech sounds! Sneaky? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely!

For AAC:

• Word of the Week – last week we targeted the core word “go” and took many trips to the office.
• Using these simple (and editable!) AAC cards, office staff can become more involved with our students by asking questions. This is a great way to help students practice their skills in a structured, yet natural exchange.

For Fluency:

• Phone conversations are typically a troublesome conversational task for students who stutter. I’m fortunate to have a phone in my office. One of my favorite activities is to send students to the front office to place calls to me in my speech room. Then we can practice phone conversations and etiquette in real time. We might be pretending to order a pizza, but the distance between the office and the therapy room makes the experience more realistic.

Ashley’s home base is Sweet Speech, but today she’s in the: OFFICE!

To enter the Hide and Seek Blog Hop raffle, collect the names of the participating blogs and where they are hiding and enter them here.