Learning the Cranial Nerves!

Understanding the cranial nerves and their basic innervation is important for all SLPs. But if you’re like me, this type of learning does not come as easily as understanding topics such as child development or the latest trends in AAC.

Here are some GREAT resources for learning the cranial nerves:

1) A cut a glue cranial nerves clock made by yours truly. Download it here.

2) An excel style chart outlining the nerve, fibers, innvervation, functions, and brainstem nucleus. Great reference! Find the link here.

3) A great memory tool. It turns the numbers of each cranial nerve into the part of the face it innervates. Find the picture here.

4) Pinterest. You can see my ‘References’ board here, which contains many cranial nerve charts & visuals.

Hopefully that helps get you motivated! Good luck!

Information Sheets for SLP Graduate School

I always secretly feel kind of bad for the families at our clinic in the beginning of the semester. They need to adjust each semester to a new graduate clinician and sometimes even a new time, day, or supervisor. In order to help each family I work with, I created THREE handouts perfect for any and all graduate students in an SLP program! They could even be customized for new SLPs in a school or clinical setting as well! I should also mention that all three of these documents are FREE. Enjoy!

1) Given on the first day of clinic!

I’ve found that this one helps so the family can stick it to the fridge and have a easy visual for phone numbers, contact information, and dates regarding the beginning and of the semester (because we all know it rarely coincides with their children’s school schedules!!). I think it’s also helpful to give them extra copies in case grandma or a neighbor needs to bring the kiddo a day or two! They can easily handout a copy to those people who will then have an address for their GPS, and the times, etc…

The download for this handout can be found at my TPT Store here.

2) Given after your goals have been set!

I’ve found that both client’s and parents are interested to know the specific goals they/their child is working on in speech! But, sometimes our LONG Treatment Plan of Care documents are overwhelming, too clinical, and don’t give succinct information on what they can be doing at home to help with carryover and generalization! This document outlines the goals the client will be working on during the semester, and easy things they can do at home to help with progress!

You can download this file in my TpT Store here.

3) Given at the very end of the semester!

Similarly to the second documents, parents are often given paperwork at the end of the semester. Again, this paperwork is long, clinical, and not as helpful as we’d all like to think! This document could be filled in with the goals the client had for the semester, their progress, and what they can do over the break to continue to maintain that progress!

This last document can be found in my TpT Store here.

All of the files are in their original powerpoint format so all boxes can be edited for your personal specifications! Hope you and your clients find these helpful!

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at speechymusings@gmail.com! Thank you 🙂

Must Have FREE Apps for Every SLP or SLP Graduate Student

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So you got an iPad over the holidays? It’s all very exciting because you’ve heard so many great things about using it in therapy, right? But now what?!

This is exactly how I felt when I got my iPad. I’m a poor graduate student who honestly can’t afford very many popular but expensive applications. So, I set out on a mission to find adaptable, useful and FREE applications for my iPad.

If you are in the same boat, or simply looking to add to your collection of apps without spending money, read on 🙂

1) StoryCreator: I already did an entire blog post devoted to this app. You can read my post on StoryCreator here.

2) All of the Lingraphica applications.

How I Use Them:

These apps are great for adults with aphasia and/or apraxia. Most of them upen up to a screen similar to the screenshot shown above. Then when you press one of them, for example, /fr/, a video pops up of a person’s mouth saying fffrrr. It helps give focused stimulation both visually and auditorily! One of my clients practiced using this app as a cuing strategy for himself when he forgot things such a numbers, days of the week, or months of the year (there are apps for all of those!). This was great for him because it made him feel more independent and decrease his reliance on my cues! He could use this strategy out in the community independently! If you are working with people with aphasia, search for Lingraphica in the App Store!

3) Hungry, Hungry Hippos: A classic game that is just as addicting in iPad form!

How I Use It:

-This game can primarily be used as a reinforcer. It is very easy to operate and learn, even for those kiddos with poor fine motor control. Each game is also really fast so you won’t find yourself trying to pry the iPad away mid-game!

4) Talking Pierre, Talking Tom 2, and Talking Ginger: These apps are FANTASTIC for getting quiet kids to talk and have fun doing so! Thus far, my kiddos have enjoyed Talking Ginger the most!

How I Use It:

You can also practice basic pragmatics by giving the child a scenarios (ex: “asking another child to play”) and prompting them to practice with the animal in the app. Then, they can reflect on how the question sounds when it’s repeated back to them!

5) Image Search: Essential if you have apps that allow you to upload personal photos! (e.g.: StoryCreator)

This app allows you to do a Google Image Search and download the pictures directly onto your iPad! I use it to fill my books on Story Creator with pictures. You can also look up silly pictures for children to describe, etc… Definitely an essential, free app!

6) Book Apps: There are too many to list all of them, but if you want/need more book apps there are many good, free options. I have Toy Story, Lazy Larry, and The Artifacts. I would recommend all of them for working on topics such as story retell and comprehension.

7) Sort It Out: This is a good app for sorting into categories!

How I Use It:

I’ve used this app with the kiddos who are fairly good at basic, salient categories but need more work with subcategory work! For example, it would be at a good level for a child who could identify a ‘toy’ from an ‘animal’ but who has trouble identifying different toys such as a ‘ball’ vs a ‘vehicle’ vs a ‘stuffed animal’.

8) What If? – A great app with conversation starter questions.

How I Use It:

This conversation starter app can target carryover of articulation targets to the conversational level, asking and answering questions, stating opinions and giving reasons to support their opinion, topic maintenance, and grammar skills within conversation! It really helps when you’re low on question ideas!

9) Little Finder: An app that works on receptive language (at the word level) and vocabulary development.

How I Use It:

Once opened, the app lets you choose between 1 player or 2 players. Then, the game begins. It says a word out loud (and also shows the written form at the bottom of the screen). The child is timed to see how fast they can find the picture that matches each corresponding word. I love this game because its a more motivational way to teach basic vocabulary, listening skills, or to test receptive language at the word level!

10) WH Questions: A great app created by Super Duper that targets WH Questions. The free version only includes ‘who’ but it’s been really useful!

How I Use It:

Obviously for answering wh- questions! 🙂 This app is also awesome because the foil answers are tricky! They tend to be answers for other wh- question forms (see picture above). This forces the student into really understanding what ‘how’ means vs ‘when’ etc…

11) Mad Libs: Just like the old school paper version, but in iPad form!

How I Use It:

I’ve used this app as a fun break for many kids with language goals. It helps solidify the parts of speech (e.g.: nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc…) while being motivating and fun! There are 21 stories included in the free version, which should be enough to use in a clinical setting!

12) SeeTouchLearn: A must have application for anybody working on receptive language or vocabulary development!

How I Use It:

This app is amazing! It allows you to create ‘quizzes’ testing vocabulary and receptive language (see picture below).

It comes with a good library (as seen in the first photo). You can use the included templates or customize your own. You can choose the carrier phrase and even record your own voice for each page! After each quiz is completed, data is shown.

Download it and play around!

13) Comparative Adjectives

This application tests exactly what you’d guess: comparative adjectives! Each page verbally prompts the child to select one of the items on the page. Some are easier (see the first picture which stated, “find the smallest item”) while some are more difficult (see the second which stated, “find the lightest bucket”).

14) Name Things: This app targets naming items within a particular category.

One great feature about this app is that you are given the opportunity to select only the categories you want to test.

How I Use It:

I use this app for a wide variety of kids! I’ve used it for kids with some level of word finding troubles as well as children working on categories! I’m sure there are many other ways to use this!

Organizing all of those apps is also important! I organize my applications into topic folders. Click on the picture below to enlarge if it’s difficult to read!

Then when I open up a folder, for example, literacy, I see all of the applications/books I use for those kiddos. (PS: All of the apps you see below are FREE as well!)

Also: I know I said free apps in the title, but I thought I’d share the only two apps I’ve paid for as well because I LOVE both of them! I waited until each was 50% off and purchased! 🙂

First, I own Articulation Scenes which I would definitely recommend. All of the kids I’ve played it with have really enjoyed it. I mostly use it as a reward even though it’s articulation practice as well! That’s how much fun it can be! 🙂 The second app I’ve purchased is Choiceworks which I would also recommend if you are in the market for a schedule/timer app. It’s very comprehensive and works well for kiddos that need a little extra structure!

So there you have it! Have fun downloading and playing! Are there any amazing free apps I left out? I’d love to hear from YOU!

Thanks for reading! If you are interested in staying up to date on freebies, giveaways, and new posts, ‘like’ me on Facebook here.

**Update: Due to a great idea from a reader comment, I took screenshots in each folder on my iPad. You can see that post here. From there you should be able to see all of my apps and my organizational system!

**Ultra Edit: I’ll keep a list below of FREE apps I continue to find and love!

–Toca Kitchen Monsters and Toca Tailor Fairy Tales: Great for following directions and general reinforcements. Kids love these apps!

–Where Do I Go? – Good app for sorting at categorization. Students sort items into the correct room of the house.

–Build A Word Express – Great for phonological awareness and putting sounds together to make words!

–Endless Alphabet – Love this app! Thanks to Rachel for commenting and pointing it out to me 🙂 It has really cute graphics also!

My Favorite Online Resources (by diagnosis) Part I

At the beginning of last semester, when I got my first clients, I panicked. I probably spent several hours for each client searching the internet for information on their diagnosis! While there are places online with resources by diagnosis, they were often too general, unrelated to speech & language, or they only took me to other websites. I was looking for articles and resources filled with evidence based practice and specific information regarding the diagnosis, it’s link to speech & language development, and hints/tips on what to actually do! So, I hope this blog post will be helpful for those of you like me.

**Note: Due to the overwhelming amount of information on a vast number of disorders, I limited this post to disorders primarily affecting children. I’ll do a post in the future regarding adults!

General (START HERE!!)

ASHA’s Preferred Practice Patterns for the Profession of Speech-Language Pathology (this resource contains ASHA’s policy’s on assessment, intervention, and screening for a variety of ages and diagnosis’)

Fragile X

A Lesson Planning Guide: 157 pages and super informative on all aspects of working with students with Fragile X

Fragile X Syndrome Speech & Language

Voice Disorders

http://voicedoctor.net/

Voice Disorders Basics

Down Syndrome

Speech & Language Therapy for Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children

Speech & Language Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome

Selective Mutism

ASHA Overview on Selective Mutism

Selective Mutism and the SLP in the Schools

Selective Mutism Resources

Stuttering

Benefits of SLP Services for Stuttering

List of Internet Resources for Working with Children Who Stutter

Speech Sound Disorders

ASHA’s Overview on Speech Sound Disorders

Evidence Based Practice in Speech Sound Disorders Powerpoint

Speech Sound Development Chart

The Process of Articulation Therapy

Childhood Apraxia of Speech

ASHA’s Overview on Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Childhood Apraxia of Speech Resource Guide (Basics)

CAS Resource Library

Cerebral Palsy

EBP for Young Children (0-3) with Cerebral Palsy

CDC’s Cerebral Palsy Information & Resources

Hearing Loss

ASHA’s Information On Hearing Loss

Effects of Hearing Loss on Development

Autism

ASHA’s Autism Basics

Articles Including Information on Echolalia and Natural Language Acquisition

SCERTS Model

How The Brain Thinks In Autism

Executive Function Disorder

A page of resources from Cognitive Connections

PediaStaff also has a clickable resource organized by diagnosis and also by therapy type. While this website can be overwhelming, I found some of this information helpful in my quest. The link for that is here.

Hopefully some of these links were helpful! These are my personal favorites 🙂 If you see any missing diagnosis’ that you need information on, or if you know of any other great resources that should be added, let me know!! Thanks for your support and feel free to email me at speechymusings@gmail.com.

If you are interested in staying up to date on freebies, giveaways, and new posts, ‘like’ me on Facebook here.

I see the light!

I’ve officially turned in ALL of my coursework for my first semester. All I have left is a few meetings and clinical paper checkout! Wahooooo! Oh… and some graduate assistant work. The undergraduate exams aren’t going to grade themselves!!

I’ve decided that I’m going to consider doing a thesis… I feel crazy even saying that. So tomorrow I’m meeting with the head honchos of our department to discuss possible topics. If anybody reading this has an opinion on doing a thesis or not, PLEASE email me (speechymusings@gmail.com).

For those of you still in the thick of finals and such, watch this video, memorize it, and find yourself a mirror! “You can do anything good!!!”.

How to Survive SLP Graduate School

My first semester of speech language pathology graduate school is over!! Boy, is that a mouthful or what?! I said goodbye to my clients yesterday, which was so so so sad. I honestly felt so lucky to be allowed into my client’s lives and to be able to spend so much time with them!

I’ve learned a lot, both inside and outside the classroom, and here is my take on surviving SLP graduate school:

1) STAY ORGANIZED. You can read how I kept my millions of articulation cards organized here. But, more importantly, keep your clinical paperwork organized! Each person will eventually find a system that works for them but the sooner the better!

What I do is… take data on the same sheet every session. Unfortunately, I lost the link to where I found my favorite but it’s really basic and could be replicated in Excel. After session, I compute the accuracies in red and three hole punch the data sheet.

The data sheet gets filed in a binder in it’s respective section (one for each client). That way, when I’m trying to analyze long term trends, I can flip through the pages and see all my data over time. I try and track the same goals in the same rows as well so /k/ initial in word accuracy is always first, and medial is always second, etc…. This helps SO much when writing end of the semester reports, or when writing the A section of my SOAP notes.

In my pictures, you’ll see exactly what I do. For my client with aphasia, you can see how many more informal, subjective notes I take vs my articulation client where it is mostly +/- based.

The last thing I do to help stay organized is use one clipboard binder for each client. That way I can keep things I use every week (e.g., visuals) in that client’s binder! As I prepare things throughout the week for a session, I can keep it in a binder so worksheets, papers, and games don’t get lost in piles on my desk! Can you ever imagine how I’d lose anything on this desk?!

Bottom line: find a system that works for you and stick with it! Taking data on scrap sheets will only make your job harder when it comes time to analyze the semester!

2) Make a friend. While sometimes grad school can feel a bit clicky for my tastes, I’ve made one friend that I know has my back no matter what. I think having somebody to talk things over with and vent to can make all the difference. If you don’t feel like you are fitting in with your class, don’t despair. Make a skype date with one of your friends every Saturday and warn them you might need to vent for 20 minutes. Talk to your mom on the phone. Send emails to your boyfriend. Make an SLP friend over the internet. Whatever you have to do! But don’t try and do this program alone. Knowing somebody has my back has been really important to me.

3) Spend time with your professors. And be really honest with them! Before my first day with my client with aphasia I was reallly nervous. I had no prior adult experience and felt out of my element. I told my supervisor that and she really calmed my nerves. She also told me she appreciated knowing how I felt, so she could provide appropriate feedback to help me! Also, if you have personal circumstances that might delay you turning in a SOAP note or something, I’ve found that it’s always a good idea to talk it over with your supervisor.

Bottom line: If you spend time with your professors, they will understand your needs better. They will be more forgiving of mistakes. They will be able to give you better advice and criticism.

4) Drink wine. Okay you all don’t have to drink wine… but I do think it’s important to take time for yourself and have fun once and a while! My roommate and I are excellent at this and keep a chilled bottle of wine available at all times. I’ve also fallen in love with frozen yogurt because it’s a great way to take a break from school for 20 minutes and eat something delicious!

5) Stay ahead. You’ve probably heard this a million times, but it is CRITICAL to do in graduate school. When you get an assignment, do it right away! The people I know who are the most stressed in school are the ones up really late finishing an assignment due the next day. Which brings me to my next point…

6) Maintain a regular sleeping schedule. And eat well! This one probably doesn’t need to be elaborated on, but I’ve found that I wake up easier, go to bed easier, and don’t need coffee in the morning if I go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

7) Stay inspired. What we do is important and I think sometimes in the stress of school and tests and exams and SOAPs and paperwork and meetings we lose sight of that. I have a binder with clear sheet protectors where I keep notes, drawings, cards, etc… Anything that makes me realize that I’m appreciated and my work is important! When I’m feeling down I look through it and think back to all of the amazing people I’ve gotten the opportunity to work with and the impact I’ve made.

For those of you that haven’t had any life changing experiences, try and get some! Go out there and volunteer for a weekend at a camp for children with special needs! Ask a hospital SLP if you can shadow! Get involved so you can feel inspired when you hit your lows.

8) Keep things in perspective. You may be stressed about a test or a paper, but most of the client’s you are working with really have bigger concerns. They may have just had a stroke, had a child diagnosed with Autism, or they may be teased endlessly at school. Never forget that you are in a human service field. Grad school will end, but your client will need to communicate with others every single day of their lives. You might be the only person in a day who truly listens to them! Take that honor seriously, and don’t let it be overshadowed by a paper or exam.

So the take home lesson is stay positive, word hard, and stay thankful for being in a growing field that makes a positive impact on people’s lives! We are all so lucky 🙂

Thanks for reading and have an amazing weekend all of you fellow speechies! I truly appreciate your support.

Things I Learned From My First Semester of Graduate School

Hey ya’ll,

My first semester in graduate school is winding down and I have some time to reflect and think about the past 4 months. In that time, I relocated across the country, made new friends, started graduate school, and somehow managed a long-distance relationship thrown in there. Here’s some of what I’ve learned:

1) Different parts of the country can be really different. Before this big move, I had only ever moved within a 2 hour radius of my hometown. While I have traveled, I’ve never experienced a different culture within my own country. People now say I’m the one with a dialect! Things are certainly different, but I’ve found them to be okay. Different, but okay.

2) Learning can be fun! It almost hurts me to type that, because I honestly didn’t really enjoy my undergraduate classes at all, but graduate school is totally different. I enjoy (most of) my classes and find my homework and clinical paperwork to be useful and functional. I am constantly learning. Once I feel comfortable, I am aware of even more facets of language I never paid attention to before. 

3) Graduate school isn’t as scary as I once thought. Honestly, before I moved here, I was dreading it. I cried often thinking about moving away from my friends, boyfriend, and family. I had panic attacks just thinking about all of the school work and having no free time! Which leads me to my next thing…

4) Stay organized. I cannot say this enough. Have a place for each type of paper. Take data on organized forms. Line them up. Keep everything! Make things you can use again!

5) There will be someone. And more importantly, when there’s not, you’ll still be okay. I was terrified about being alone, not making friends, and feeling isolated. While I can’t say I’ve never felt that way, the majority of the time, someone has been there for me. And when somebody hasn’t, I’ve been okay. I’ve spent more time alone this semester than ever before, and learned more about myself than ever before as well. Coincidence? I think not! 

6) I’m good at things. This may sound like a silly one, but it’s not. I’ve learned so much about things that I’m good at. I’ve also learned about things I’m not so good at, but it keeps me striving and improving. 

7) Distance doesn’t have to spoil friendship. This one is self explanatory… True friends will be there when you come back. 

8) Sometimes, people spend more time stressing about doing things than actually doing things. Don’t be one of those people.

9) I can advocate for myself. Enough said. 

10) I need to learn to accept compliments! I used to always blow off compliments. “Oh no! I’m not great! I just got it easy”. “This outfit?! It’s nothing!”. NO! Take it, smile, say thanks. Don’t put yourself down! I’ve learned when a supervisor says I’m doing a good job, that I’m probably doing a good job. Just take the compliment.

Overall, this semester of graduate school has been the best I could have ever imagined. I have three amazing clients, and professors and supervisors who truly care about my experience and my learning! So lucky to be where I am!

Hope everybody is having a good week. I’ll be back home in my big, comfy bed in two weeks and I cannot wait 🙂 I promise I’ll be posting more therapy ideas and freebies soon!

The Graduate School Application Process

By far, the most stressful period of my life thus far was applying to graduate school. To be honest, I didn’t have the best GPA out there, but I was passionate. I was lucky enough to obtain an SLP-A position during my undergrad years, as well as doing Autism therapy and numerous other relatable jobs. I understand the stress involved in the entire process! Here are my bits of advice:

1) Start early! I know you’ve heard this a million times, but if you start an application at the last minute, it will show!

2) Don’t get too hung up on the numbers, but realize the numbers do count. I got into multiple universities with less than average statistics! It can be done, but realize if you have less than average numbers (i.e., GPA, GRE scores), you will need to make it up elsewhere if your application! Make sure you’ve volunteered or worked at relatable places. Make sure you have amazing letters of recommendation from professors in the department. And make sure your application is flawless. My advisor in graduate school told me that you wouldn’t believe how many people turn in applications with typos. Don’t be one of those people!

3) Have multiple people edit your essay! Do everything you can to find family, friends, colleagues, or supervisors that will edit your essay. Do not use fluffy language such as, “I want to help people” or “I’ve wanted to do this forever”. Really tell the admissions committee what you will contribute to their graduate class. Everybody wants to help people… What is unique and amazing about you?

4) DO YOUR RESEARCH. This is in caps for a reason. If you are nervous about getting in, DO NOT apply to all of the same schools as your friends. I know in my home state, almost everybody I knew applied to the same 5 schools. Use this website to search through all of the graduate programs in the United States. Email them! Find out what type of students they are looking for. Learn about their resources and their areas of specialty! Don’t be afraid to apply to smaller schools.

5) Take good care of the people writing you recommendations. Make each of them a packet containing organized information about each school they will need to send a recommendation to. Include the deadline for each school in addition how they should submit their recommendation (online, in the mail, or give back to you). Do send them a nice and thoughtful thank you note afterwards!

6) Don’t look at GradCafe. Resist the urges! It will only make you feel inferior. So many of my panic attacks were induced by GradCafe. If you don’t know what GradCafe is… good! Do not go look and thank me for saving you much stress!

Well, hope that helps! For me, the application process was more stressful than graduate school itself! If you want any advice or help during the process, don’t hesitate to email me at speechymusings@gmail.com. I’ll do the best I can to point you in the right direction. At the end of the day, be proud of the work you’ve put in to get to where you are!

My first blog post!

Welcome to my blog!

I am a first-year graduate student in Speech-Language Pathology at a small university in the South. I love hiking, bright colors, crafting, frozen yogurt, and anything soft and comfy. I love children and hope to work as an SLP in the school system after I graduate! I’m so excited to share my journey with you!

I hope you’ll find my blog informative, creative, and helpful. I love feedback, so if you have any comments or questions, don’t hesitate to email me at speechymusings@gmail.com! Have a wonderful day! Here is a throwback that always makes me smile 🙂