Coffee Corner 3.0
What I’m Reading
The A.D.A at 30: Beyond the Law’s Promise: In honor of the 30-year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law, the New York Times released a series of articles on what it means to live with a disability in America. What I love about this series is that it’s written by individuals with disabilities. In addition to reviewing the history of the disability rights movement, the articles included in this series also discuss the current experiences of people with disabilities in our country as well as changes that can positively impact inclusion for those with disabilities in the future.
Confused by CDC’s changing guidance on school reopening?: There is so much unknown surrounding schools reopening this fall. Each state and school district seem to have different guidelines, which makes everything more confusing. It will be interesting to see what the fall brings.
The Echo Effect: I completed one of my clinical placements in graduate school at the Communication Aids and Systems Clinic (CASC) at the Waisman Center in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s so inspiring to read all about how these amazing SLPs are using video-conferencing technology to provide AAC education and case consultations for individuals whose AAC needs are not met by local clinics. I can’t wait to follow their Echo AAC journey, as I know we all can learn from these leaders as they continue with this project!
Atomic Habits by James Clear: I started reading Atomic Habits back in January and absolutely loved it! I finally had some down time to read last weekend and couldn’t seem to put this book down. I’ve spent time reflecting on my own habits and thinking about why habits I’ve wanted to introduce haven’t stuck while struggling to get rid of other less than ideal habits (e.g., chewing gum, picking my nails, etc.). I’ve also been thinking of ways I can better support parents in making strategies to support their child’s language development (e.g., aided language input, incorporating pauses, asking less questions, etc.) a habit and integrated into everyday routines.
A Covid Patient Goes Home After a Rare Double Lung Transplant: I was speechless after reading this article. There is so much that is still unknown about the long-term effects of COVID-19, yet it’s incredible that a double lung transplant is even an option for some patients who face irreversible lung damage as a result of this disease. I think it’s important to know that even those who have “recovered” from COVID-19 potentially face a lifelong negative impact.
What I’m Listening To
The Marie Forleo Podcast - From Beyonce to QVC: How Mally Roncal Built a Makeup Empire: I’m a big fan of Marie Forleo, especially her book, Everything is Figureoutable. While this podcast episode is not related to speech therapy, it was so interesting to hear Mally Roncal’s story. It was particularly inspiring to hear how her passion for makeup, love for connecting with people, and work ethic drove her to become one of the most successful makeup artists. Her story is a true testimony to how hard work and passion lead to results in whatever you set out to do!
The Michelle Obama Podcast: Barack is Michelle’s first guest on her new podcast and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Their conversation is incredibly candid as they talk all about the importance of community. I honestly felt like I was having a cup of coffee with them as I listened. Now wouldn’t that be the best?
What I’m Buying & Resources I’m Loving
Sago Mini Zoo: I’m a big fan of the Sago Mini Road Trip app, but recently added the Zoo version to my collection of apps. I’ve been using this app with a lot of my younger kiddos over teletherapy. Not only is this app engaging, it’s great for modeling language and having kids use words and phrases to direct your actions. I’m always a fan of an activity that allows kids to use their language for functions beyond requesting.
Cost: $3.99
Moo, Baa, La La La! app: Moo, Baa, La La La! may be one of my favorite books to use in therapy and I absolutely love the animated app version. This is another great app to incorporate in teletherapy sessions. I often use this app/book to model environmental and animal sounds (e.g., “Moo,” “Baa,” “Oink,” “Woah,” etc.), address following simple directions directions (e.g., “Turn the page”), target identification of animals and other familiar objects, and model core vocabulary words (e.g., “Go,” “Turn,” “More,” “Like,”), nouns (e.g., “Farm,” “Pig,” “Hat”), verbs (e.g., “Open,” “Sing,” “Go”), and comments (e.g., “That’s so silly!” “Funny pigs!”).
Cost: $2.99
Ultimate List of Speech and Language Activities: This is a comprehensive list of summer speech and language activities that are broken down by theme (e.g., pirates, beach, etc.) and age. For therapists who are looking for some teletherapy inspiration, check this out!
Cost: Free! Cost of activities within the list vary in cost.
Social Thinking Free Resources: Social Thinking recently shared a variety of free resources, including articles, book read alouds, and handouts. For therapists that have kiddos with pragmatic language goals, check this out!
Cost: Free!