Practical Speech Therapy

Practical Speech Therapy recently took Kelly Mahler's Interoception Course. Check out the blog post on www.practicalspeech.com.

Ways to Incorporate Interoception into Speech Therapy
1. Introduce Body-Sensation Check-Ins
What to do: Start sessions with a brief body check-in. Ask questions like, “How does your stomach feel right now?” or “Is your heart beating fast or slow?”
Why it works: This primes clients to tune into their internal signals and connect them to descriptive language.
Example: Use visuals like body maps or diagrams for younger clients to identify where they feel sensations.

2. Use Emotion-Sensory Charts
What to do: Create charts linking emotions (e.g., happy, nervous, angry) to physical sensations (e.g., butterflies in the stomach, tense shoulders).
Why it works: Builds vocabulary and strengthens the ability to describe feelings using sensory-based language.
Example: Pair emotion cards with descriptions like “My cheeks feel hot when I’m embarrassed” to solidify understanding.

3. Incorporate Interoception into Narrative Language
What to do: During storytelling activities, encourage clients to describe what a character might feel in their body during specific events.
Why it works: Develops perspective-taking and emotional reasoning, key for social communication.
Example: “If the character is scared, what might they feel in their chest or stomach?”

4. Develop Coping Plans Using Interoceptive Cues
What to do: Teach clients to identify a sensation, name it, and develop a response.
Why it works: Supports self-regulation and problem-solving skills.
Example: “If you notice your stomach feels tight, what could you do? Take a deep breath, get a drink of water, or ask for a break.”

5. Use Movement Activities to Reinforce Awareness
What to do: Incorporate yoga poses, breathing exercises, or mindfulness activities that promote connection with internal signals.
Why it works: Physical activities often enhance awareness of the body’s sensations.
Example: Have clients notice their breathing before and after a calming exercise and describe the difference.

Focus on Function, LLC, my amazing office partners are hiring an OT! Please reach out to them if you are interested in working part or full-time. They are kind, compassionate, and supportive! You would be LUCKY to join this team!

Reminder - we are hiring! Full time and part time position available for immediate start. Will work at both Cu***ng and Alpharetta locations. Please spread the word! Our waitlist is growing and there are so many kids in need that we are trying to serve.

Online Shopping During Speech Therapy!

This week we used online shopping to target ALL sorts of speech/language skills! We used Doordash for grocery shopping and ordering food and Amazon for ordering household items and clothes. It was so fun and practical!

-Categorizing - Identify items in a category, and label items in a category.

-Expressive Language - State what we want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, state our likes and dislikes, and describe the food.

-Problem-solving - We only have $50 to spend on groceries and we are up to $75 in the cart. What do we do? The delivery driver cannot find your house. What do you do?

-Executive Functioning - Plan out the weekly meals, budget, and list out the steps to making dinner and ordering food.

Check out my blog on my website for more ideas! www.practicalspeech.com

New Blog Post Online Shopping During Speech Therapy!