Four Ways to Start Motor Speech Therapy Off Right

Full transcript

Good morning, it's Nicole from the NYU Motor Speech Lab. I want to talk quickly about those first motor speech therapy sessions with your kiddos. We have a new cohort for the fall semester, and I want to tell you some of the things I'm doing to set up for success.

The first thing I'm doing is explaining what the sessions will look like: "Okay, you're going to come in, we're going to say a word or two, and then we'll get to throw the ball. Then you'll come back and we'll practice more words, and then we can go get a sticker." I talk them through it so they understand the expectations.

The other thing I'm doing, and this is consistent with the principles of motor learning, is giving high praise, and lots of it. I'm specifically praising the behaviors I know will make them successful in this treatment over time: "I love the way you're sitting and looking at me. I love how you're watching my mouth when we say the word together. I love how you're moving with me." I'm continuously praising them. I'm also giving specific feedback about their movements, but this is a little different, because I just want them to feel really good about themselves.

Another thing I'm doing is shortening the blocks if I have to. I know the ideal is 10 to 20 productions per block, but sometimes you can't get that. Five repetitions is okay, with the idea that you'll work up to longer blocks with that target.

Lastly, I'm using a cloze technique with these first targets, because I know we'll eventually get to spontaneous production and I want to set that up. One of the words right now is "day." I say to her, "Today is a really great... let's work on 'day.'" She hears that phrase over and over, so when we've been working for a while and get to spontaneous, I can just say, "Oh my gosh, today is such a great..." and she'll know to say "day." I'm doing that with all the targets: "I really love... avocados." "Avocado toast." Something like that.