DIY MATERIALS : TOY STORY

I'm working with my first client this semester!  He's such a joy to work with, and I'm having so much fun planning activities for him and seeing him improve.  I've been trying to personalize a lot of my articulation activities according to his interests.  He loves Pixar movies so I recently incorporated some Toy Story themed games into a speech session.  Although I always enjoy the newest Pixar movies, the first two Toy Story movies came out when I was in the target age range, so they definitely bring out my inner child.  I think I probably get as excited about these types of activities as my client!  Here is what we did:

The Claw:
First, I made a rocket out of construction paper, leaving a square cut out in the middle.  Next, I taped a plastic sandwich bag behind the square cut out.  I printed Toy Story aliens on card stock, cut them out, taped target words on their backs, and put them in the plastic bag.  My client used a clothespin (the claw), to pull out aliens and produce the corresponding words.

Andy's Toy Chest:
This was very simple to put together.  I folded brown construction paper to form an envelope for the chest.  Then I printed Toy Story characters on card stock, cut them out, and taped target words on their backs.  I placed the characters all over the room, and my client cleaned up Andy's toys by putting them in the toy chest and saying the target words along the way.

DIY MATERIALS : HALLOWEEN

Happy Halloween!  I hope your day is filled with spooky cheer and lots of candy!  And while you munch on sweets, here are a few Halloween themed speech activities.

Decorate a Jack-O-Lantern:
I printed a large picture of a pumpkin on card stock for the background.  Then I cut jack-o-lantern parts out of black foam with a sticky back.  After my client said a target word, he chose a piece, peeled off the back, and stuck it on his jack-o-lantern.  I cut out funny mouths, eyes, noses, as well as a spider, a lightning bolt, a bat, and a witch's hat and broom.  My client really enjoyed this activity.

Glow in the Dark Ring Toss:
I put two glow in the dark bracelets together to form rings, then attached target words to each of them.  I put some marbles in the bottom of a water bottle, then a glow in the dark bracelet.  We turned the lights off, and my client threw the rings around the water bottle.  Since we are working on carrier phrases, when he threw a ring he said, "_____ hit it."

Monster Ball:
I cut open tissue boxes to make wide mouths for the "monsters."  I cut out pieces of an egg carton, and drew black circles in the middle, for eyes.  Next, I cut white card stock to form sharp teeth.  I attached target words to balls that my client then threw into the monsters' mouths.

Wrap a Mummy:
My client LOVED this activity.  Each time he correctly said a target word, I wrapped a few layers of toilet paper around him, until he was completely covered like a mummy, except for his eyes.  At the end, he got to bust out of the toilet paper, which he really enjoyed.

Happy Articulating!

MINDFUL MEDIA : THINKING IN PICTURES

This summer I worked as a counselor at a day camp for children with Autism.  It was a physical, emotional, inspiring, eye opening experience, and I loved every minute of it.  Speech Pathologists are working increasingly with people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  According to AutismSpeaks.org, "these disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors."  Before I had personal experience with individuals with Autism, I was inspired by reading Temple Grandin's book, Thinking in Pictures: and Other Reports from My Life with Autism.  She is an animal scientist who has revolutionized the design of live-stock handling facilities.  She is also an advocate of people with Autism, lecturing nationwide about how she experiences thoughts, feelings, and the world at large much differently than most people.  There are several interesting stories, facts, etc. in this book that I would like to share with you, but what would be the point in retyping the whole book?  So, here are a few of my favorites...

1.  I consider myself somewhat of a visual learner, therefore, somewhat of a visual thinker.  However, Grandin takes this to a whole new level, in that she associates each word with a picture, or symbol.  This is easy enough with nouns that directly relate to pictures, but proves difficult with abstract words such as peace, or honesty.  When she reads or listens to someone speaking, the words are instantly translated into full-color, full-sound movies that run through her mind like a VCR tape.  Her visual thinking and related visual spatial skills, both highly common in the autistic community, have given her a definite advantage in her line of work.

2.  Grandin's emotions are more like those of a child, than an adult.  She understands simple emotions like happiness, sadness, fear, and anger, but cannot comprehend complex emotions.  She explains, "I don't understand how a person can love someone one minute and want to kill him in a jealous rage the next.  I don't understand being happy and sad at the same time."  She adds, "I know I am missing something when other people swoon over a beautiful sunset.  Intellectually I know it is beautiful, but I don't feel it."  Also, unlike many people who let their emotions distort the facts, her mind can always separate the two.