Therapy Tip: Making the Most of School Speech Therapy

Therapy Thursday is back!! This is the day that I share a tip based upon my experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist and the mother of a child with special needs. Today's tip is important for parents who have children in speech therapy in the school:

Making the Most of Speech Therapy Sessions During the School Year

It's that time of year when school is starting back. If you have a child with an IEP who will be receiving speech therapy this school year, then you need to know how to maximize your child's therapy. Speech therapy from the school is an important part of a child's education, since the child must be exhibiting some sort of delay or problem to receive it.

Although parents are part of the IEP team and planning process, parents are often left out of the day-to-day business that actually happens to work on the fulfillment of the IEP goals. Hopefully, your child's speech-language pathologist (SLP) keeps you informed of your child's progress, current targets, and allows times for conversations. If not, here's how you can make the most of it:

1. First, update the SLP. If something significant happened this summer to your child that could impact therapy, please let your child's SLP know. If your child had teeth pulled, ear infections, ear tubes placed, a tonsillectomy, hearing evaluations, or anything else dealing with the mouth/nose/ears, then please share this information with your child's SLP. This is information the SLP would want to know.

2. Find out what your child is working on in therapy. This information should be in your child's IEP. If you have lost it, you can ask for another copy. You need to know what your child is working on, so that you can help your child at home.

3. Find out when your child will receive therapy. SLPs have different ways of scheduling sessions, but I am guessing most SLPs have a set time that your child is penciled in for every week. You can ask your child's SLP if they are receiving speech therapy on a certain day/time. If you know when your child receives therapy, then you can try to avoid scheduling appointments during days that would result in missing school/therapy. The SLP may have a very full caseload and may not be able to make up the session if your child misses school that particular day.

4. Ask for updates. I hope your child's SLP is sending 'homework' practice or other notes home periodically (at least once a quarter) to let you know what your child is currently working on in sessions. If not, you can ask the SLP for updates. If you do request updates, please keep one thing in mind. The SLP is very busy and most likely has a large number of children on her caseload. The SLP is probably unable to check in with you every week or every session. When I say, feel free to ask for updates, please be reasonable. You can ask for an update every few weeks, every month, or every quarter so that you can stay in the loop. You may offer to do this in emails, texts, or a notebook that can be passed between the two of you.

5. Reinforce speech goals during homework. There are many ways to work on a target skill in reading, spelling, or other subjects. This is especially true if your child is working on fluency for stuttering treatment or a specific speech sound (i.e. /r/). If you are unsure of how to support your child's progress at home, then ask your SLP. Reinforcement at home is key to getting your child to progress faster. If you aren't involved in your child's treatment in some small way at home, then there is a missing element that needs to be addressed.


I hope your child's speech therapy will be beneficial this year, and that you and the SLP can work together to achieve those goals. Have a great school year!

Therapy Thursday is for educational purposes only and not intended as therapeutic advice.

Can a Person with Down Syndrome win a Tony Award?

I'm honored to have author, speaker, mother, and advocate-Mardra Sikora- as a guest writer here today!

“What is your goal?”

The keynote speaker, Dakota Johns, asked. Then he asked us to share this goal with those sitting around us. One person at our table said, “To write a book,” another said, “Take a family vacation.” My son, Marcus, said, “To win a Tony Award.”  

This is the first I’ve heard Marcus articulate this specific goal, although it didn’t surprise me. It may have surprised the others at the table. Then again maybe not, because Dakota Johns, the young man giving the keynote about how to achieve your dreams, has Down syndrome, as does Marcus.

Both of them have faced challenges and both of them have big dreams.  Dakota is giving speeches around the country and Marcus has already published his first storybook for children, Black Day: The Monster Rock Band. So why not?

Why not a Tony Award?

After all, Marcus has been working on writing for Broadway for, well, about as long as I can remember. Plus, this year’s Tony Awards seemed to speak directly to aspiring young people, by repeatedly spotlighting two things: possibility and support.

From the opening number, which focused on the idea of a young boy and his dreams, to the diversity of performers both featured and nominated. The awards were a welcome breath of reach. The theme that no matter who you are, in this realm, your dreams are possible, frankly brought me to tears. Tears of recognition for the possible.

The other common theme was support. This came from two very different places in our communal experience. The first because the Tony Awards were held on Sunday June 12^th, the day our country reeled from the horrific massacre in Orlando. Frank Langella’s acceptance speech included, “Today in Orlando, we had a hideous dose of reality. I urge you, Orlando, to be strong, because I’m standing in a room full of the most generous human beings on Earth, and we will be with you every step of the way.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda, an icon worth emulating, accepted his award with a sonnet that included, “We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall and light from dying embers remembrance that hope and love last longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love…”   

This support as a community, a palpable and essential social consciousness, encourages healing and growing and improving.

The other kind of support that was evident was the personal support that winners acknowledged. Daveed Diggs recounted that, “My mom gave me permission to do something that everyone else wasn’t doing and my dad supported me and made it possible, and I think a lot of us are here because people in our lives did that.”

Thomas Kail said, “I’m here because so many people said, ‘Why not this?’”  He also reminded us all to keep telling stories.  

SO WHY NOT THIS?

That is a way of thinking that Marcus embraces. He’s not afraid to try what he loves. He’s not afraid to visualize his dreams. He’s not afraid of failure and, more importantly, he’s not afraid of success. He says, “Alright, I’ll try.”

The thing is, there are very few winners without a team.

Acceptance speeches go on because there are so many people who are part of the “winner.” Olympic medalists do not get to the podium alone. Because Marcus has an intellectual disability, assumptions are more often made about his “cant’s” than his “cans” – which is a shame, because his talents are valid and beautiful and deserve to be celebrated. Everyone needs a team; everyone needs support, that does not discount what each person can and does with their own talents.  

So, back to Marcus’ goal to win a Tony. Can a Person with Down Syndrome win a Tony Award? 

If it’s his dream, then why not?

WHY THE HECK NOT?

This is a slightly revised post originally published by Mardra Sikora on GrownUpsAndDowns.com. Since this post originally “aired” I’d like to note that we have a few friends with Ds who have won Emmy’s, so…there ya go.

Thanks for sharing, Mardra! I hope he achieves his goal!- Evana

This post is for Down syndrome Awareness Month where bloggers write for all 31 days of October for Trisomy 21. I am part of this 31 for 21 challenge. During the month of October, the NDSS asks that we celebrate people with Down syndrome and make others aware of abilities and accomplishments. Individuals with Down syndrome have abilities that need to be celebrated!