It looked like just another mundane post...but it wasn't another mundane post!

This is a great and simple activity for identifying simple objects (some doozies in it "Great Horned Owl", "Angel"). After you read the book you can make your own spilt milk clouds!

Squeeze paint in the middle of the page (*I added sparkles for something special*), fold the page in half, press down and open.

I looked like a sheep....but it wasn't a sheep!

PROMPT:

*Use a carrier phrase "It looked like a ______, but was it?!" the child can respond "No"

Language:

Sequence, answer simple "WH" questions

Don't Let this post get by....

Mo Willems has done it, time and time again! Author and illustrator of the "Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" (caldecott honor) and many others.

I love this interactive book.  My kids love to yell "NO!" when the pigeon asks to drive the bus.  My strong willed preschoolers occasionally are swayed when the pigeon offers them $5 bucks...but are easily redirected when reminded, "The bus driver said, don't let the pigeon drive the bus!" They then enthusiastically yell, "NO!"

**Hello labial-facial control!**

Best yet, there's an app for that! "Don't let the pigeon run this app".  This allows the user to create their very own pigeon story! The "chick" makes up a different story every use, "little pigeon" allows the user to choose different items from a field of three and "big pigeon" allows the user to answer questions using their own words/voice!  The author Mo Willems even teaches you to draw the pigeon in a step-by-step!

PROMPT:
Labial-Facial control: no, mo

Language:
Answer "Wh" questions, simple sequence

Don't let this book and app pass you by!

Hungry for Summer!

Here's a few activities that keep my clients compliant and engaged throughout the entire session! Read the book, make some art and of course play on the iPad!

READ THE BOOK:
I've been on a "Hungry Caterpillar" kick!  First I read the story to my clients and tell them they will read the story.  All my Pre-Schoolers tell me, "But I can't read!" I assure them they can!  Then using felt pieces I made (A.C. Moore sells iron on paper! I just scan and iron onto white felt) my clients "read" the story.  It's great to see how proud they are when they finish and I get to tell them they read the story!

*Leave a comment with your e-mail address and I can send you a copy of the pieces so you don't have to scan!*

ART PROJECT:
A fun companion activity we do after is we make our own symmetrical butterflies.  Using scented dot markers (Wal-mart!) we make dots and designs and fold our paper in half to make symmetrical designs.  The kids think it's neat, I love the dot markers cause they don't make a mess and we get to explore some sensory integration with smell!

*Remember those great markers your elementary art teacher let you use! Check out all their products*

INCORPORATE THE BELOVED iPAD:
I was able to grab this app during a free app sensational sale (Check it out)! I have my kids follow directions and practice counting!

ARTICULATION
need, dot, more, me, same, mmmm, one, two

Mandibular control: dot, need
Labial-Facial control: more, me, same, mmmm
Lingual control: one, two

LANGUAGE

sequence; first/next/then/last, labeling (food items), counting, answering/asking "WH?", predicting ("What do you think yellow will smell like?"), follow directions

Smell ya later!

Make your own bubbles

Sunny days are ahead. My clients and I have been enjoying the weather during our sessions.  One of my new favorite activities is making bubbles.  That's right 4 easy steps to mixing up your very own bubble solution. I have included the recipe below, however I just estimate and add soap/glycerin until the solution is making bubbles that last.

1 gallon of water

2/3 cup of Dawn or Joy dishwashing liquid (Joy works better)

3 to 4 table spoons of glycerin (available at drugstores)

stir

*ta-da!* 

(recipe courtesy of Newsday 7/27/11)

PROMPT: labial-facial, mandibular, lingual control

pop, more, oh-no, gone, wand

LANGUAGE: sequence (cut out pictures above to make cards), WH? questions, requests, action words (stir/mix, pop, run, reach)

PRAGMATICS: turn-taking

Have a towel handy, things can get messy! 

(But not dirty, cause it's soap!)

Self-Study PROMPT Project: Flinging Frogs

Are you trolling the internet trying to find examples of PROMPT technique therapy? Trying to figure out how to plan and implement all the great new things you've learned through a PROMPT technique workshop?! Look no further. I want to share my PROMPT self-study activity and plan with the world.

This is my FAVORITE activity.  I work on these goals with a variety of clients, and everyone loves this game! (Bought it at Target for less than $5).

Check it out, see what you think! Let me know! If you like this one, try my Tea Party activity too!

Stage:	III. Mandibular control (with anterior lingual and labial-facial control mapping)
Plane:	Vertical
PROMPT Types:	Parameter, surface, some mapping
Words:	Put, on, me hop, top, pad, he, in
Phrases:	“Put in”, “Put on”, “Oh-no”, “He hop”, “On Pad”, “On top”, “He hop on”, “One, two, hop”
Materials:	“Big Little Game” Flinging Frogs
Procedure:	·      Set up pool and lily pads.  Prompt child to say “put on”.  ·      Repeat until lily pad tower is complete. ·      Divide Frogs.  Prompt child to say “me”.  Take turns choosing frogs. ·      Make frogs hop. Prompt child to say phrases depending on where frogs land.  Alternating turns. ·      Clean up materials.  Prompt child to say “put in”.
Turn Taking:	Clinician and child will take turns for the entire activity.  Clinician will model words/phrases during her turn. *Please note video edited to allow for maximum PROMPT technique viewing
Variation:	Use similar game “Flying Frogs” or “Pop-up Pirate”; target words change from “hop” to “pop”.

GOOD LUCK! KEEP PROMPT-ing!

APP-Y HOUR: TalkBoard

TalkBoard: $16.99

TalkBoard allows you to access your iPad's photos and utilize them in a custom board! Make a 1X1 board, or a 10X10 board! Add pictures, text, timer (for scan feature), branching (have app move from one board to another with the tap of a finger!) and of course sound!

This app has helped me many times when a client has forgotten a communication device, or did not have one accessible. In less than 5 minutes I was able to create a personal board for the client!

Self-Study PROMPT Project: Toca Boca Tea Party app

I was able to work with wonderful mentors who helped me complete my PROMPT technique self-study project! I wanted to share an activity, as it's difficult as a new PROMPT trained clinician to find inspiration and ideas for PROMPT technique therapy!

Use the Toca Boca Tea Party app:

Stage:	V. Lingual Control (with labial-facial mapping)
Plane:	Anterior/Horizontal
PROMPT Types:	Parameter, surface, complex, syllable some mapping
Phonemes:	/t/, /d/, /n/
Words:	On, tap, set/put, tea, eat, need, me, one, oops, more
Phrases:	“Need tea”, “Need one”, “Oh-no”, "put out"
Materials:	iPad with Toca Boca Tea Party app
Procedure:	·      Turn on the iPad.  Prompt child to say “on” ·      Locate app.  Clinician takes turn to model “tap”.  Clinician prompts child to say “tap” to enter game. ·      Set the table.  Clinician prompts child to say “set” or "put/put out".  Clinician and child take turns to set a total of 3 plate(s)/cup(s)/dessert(s). ·      PARTY! Clinician and child participate in a tea party where they sip drinks, eat food and sometimes spill their tea. ·      Clean up.  After tea party is finished, Clinician and child will take turns loading the sink.  Clinician will prompt the child to say “put in”.
Turn Taking:	Clinician and child will take turns for the entire activity.  Clinician will model words/phrases during her turn.
Variation:	Use a real toy tea set

Good Luck! I hope this helps you in your own PROMPT journey!

APP-Y HOUR: Bubbles

Bubbles (.99 cents)

Totally worth the money. I have used this app for EVERYTHING! I use this app with children who are unfamiliar with the iPad.  I have had a lot of success with teaching skills used, such as drag/tap with the appropriate pressure.

Reinforcement (earn the game)

**Teach pre-iPad skills (drag and tap with the appropriate amount of force/pressure)

Articulation: (labial facial control, mandibular control, lingual control)

         -"Pop" 

         -"More" 

         -"oh-no", "uh-oh"

        -"Me"

Language:

         -Turn taking (You make bubbles, I make bubbles)

         -Requests (More bubbles please!)

         -WH?

Pop-on friends.

APP-Y HOUR: Glowcoloring

Glowcoloring

I love to use this with one of my school aged clients.  We practice writing spelling words, and she loves to pick a color to write in (one only, otherwise we would be picking colors ALL day!)

This is a great app not only for free-hand drawing, but for coloring/worksheets! Yes. You can import any picture from your photo album and bam! Boring old sheet because super fun and exciting with colors and stamps.  I use Dropbox to store all my exciting papers.

What are you waiting for. "Glow" and download it!

10 Reasons to Learn PROMPT

Reasons to Learn PROMPT

10) An excuse to buy every scent hand sanitizer made.

9) You don't mind being occasionally licked by your client.

8) An excuse to color [the MSH].

7) If you have to print/laminate another set of sound cards, your head will explode.

6) An excuse for the massive gallons of hand lotion you have in your possession.

5) An excuse to always have your nails manicured and colored.

4) Because everyone else is doing it.

Face it, after this persuasive post everyone WILL be doing it!

3) Your personal space bubble is non-existent.

2) To never be able to have a normal conversation with a toddler/child/adult with a speech impediment, as you will be constantly analyzing them using the SOA/MSH.

1) You will (literally) have ways of making people talk.

***I advise not going up to people at the bar and demonstrating this ability, cute individuals are frightened when you grab their face and PROMPT, "Will you go to dinner with me?"***

APP-Y HOUR: Questionit

Questionit (LITE/$24.99)

Users answer: who, what doing, where, when questions.  There are different areas to answer these questions: sorting, sentences (basic/advanced) and paragraphs.    Within the areas there are 3 levels.  Level (1) is easy and color coded for easier sorting, Level (2) is medium as only the borders are color coded and Level (3) is the hardest with no color hint.

I have used this with various students (preschool, school aged, adolescent and even adults!) The school aged students don't even know they're learning "WH" questions and categorization skills! We are able to learn and have fun.

Can you believe they pay me to have fun?!

APP-Y HOUR: Sparklefish

SparkleFish (FREE!)

I know you're thinking, "What is that scary fish from Disney's Finding Nemo doing on a children's app?!" And why does he look like he's got a disco ball on his head? Is he trying to lure John Travolta instead of Marlin and Dory? (Disco ball look-alike is actually a microphone).

Sparkle Fish is an interactive mad libs!  Choose a story to create.  The user is provided with a list of 10 mixed vocabulary (adjective, noun, verb, adverb, etc.).  Record your answers and "Sparkle Fish it".  The app inserts the vocabulary into the story to create a silly tale, that's never the same!

Just keep swimming. pinning. blogging. whatever.

APP-Y HOUR: PEPI Bath

PEPI Bath: (Lite, $1.99)

PEPI Bath allows the user to work on activities of daily living.  There is a choice between a boy and a girl.

In the LITE version there are 2 scenes available.  Laundry and brushing teeth.  The upgrade provides an additional 2 scenes: toilet and bath.

Users can wash and hang their clothes during the laundry activity.  Then at the sink the user can: brush PEPI's teeth/hair, trim their nail, wash their hands and blow their nose!

This apps provides opportunities to: follow directions, sequence, use pronouns (he/she/his/her) and discuss ADL's/bathroom behavior.

APP-Y HOUR: BabyDJ

BabyDJ (FREE + additional songs for purchase $.99 cents)

Welcome to Club Speech!

BabyDJ is 9 animals in colored circles.  Each has their own unique sound.  Tape a variety of animals and create your own jam.  Record it. Dance around!

Great in collaboration with teachings animals and colors.

LANGUAGE: Where do they live? What has feathers?, match animals to picture cards, follow directions (press the animal with a long nose, press the animal in a red circle).

Make your song and dance like the different animals!

APP-Y HOUR: Token Board

Token Board ($3.99 iTunes,)

Story unrelated to review, scroll down to find what you came here for:
Personally, I have always had success with a token board.  (Sometimes not TOO much, but enough to be headed in the right direction).

During my student teaching stint, children with autism would come to speech with their laminated boards in tow.  They moved 5 "pieces" or "tokens" (spongebob, thomas, etc.) in order to earn what they desired (bubbles, a *BIG* potato chip, cookies, beanbag, etc.) It would change from day to day depending on what they felt like.

After graduation and my CF started, on my caseload was a child who would not listen! No matter how many bubbles I blew, or stickers I offered he was self directed.  I came across "Token Board" and thought $3.99?! No way.  I own a laminator. Construction paper. Glue. Velcro. I will make my own!

Days past and here I am under the table with this child, promising him that if he accepts the PROMPT facial cues I will blow bubbles until the cows come home!

Weeks later another child gets added to my caseload more self directed than the last.  He runs out of the room. Cries. Face plants into the couch.  Rolls on the floor. Hits his mother. Demands "OUK!"

WHY HAVEN'T I MADE THAT !@#$%^&* board.  I cave. I buy it instead of being Martha Stewart, I am Daddy Warbucks (+ hair).

REVIEW:

I LOVE THIS APP.  I use it for a variety of clients and it allows me to instantly change what we work for.  Oh you want to work for bubbles? No problem.  Changed your mind to "Elefun"? Not a problem! Oh you want to work for chips? Hmm...I don't seem to have a picture of that, let me just ::SNAP:: insert new picture, TA-DA!

Best part, my self directed clients are so happy to be "playing" on the iPad they forget what they were refusing to do in the first place.  They love the different celebrations when they achieve the desired number of trials.  Horns play.  Man yells, "congratulations!".  My little ones are excited and eager to work, I mean play.

You are able to customize not only what you are trying to earn, but how many trials it will take.  Need some instant gratification 1.  Want to try more, 10?  

Ready. Set. Enjoy!