March 1, 2025 · 1:22 · DTTC · Practice
End Every Block on a Positive Note
A DTTC pro tip: before a break, step back down to a level where the child succeeds, even a whisper or just mouthing, so every block ends with real praise.
Full transcript
Hi, it's Nicole coming in from the NYU Motor Speech Lab with a quick pro tip, something I find myself saying a lot. When you're doing DTTC therapy, try to end each block of practice on a positive note.
What do I mean by that? We know this is intense therapy, and these children are struggling with these targets. We want to meet them at their challenge points, so we're giving them multisensory cues and all that feedback to help them get the targets. That being said, when you're in a block and it's really challenging, the child knows they're having a hard time.
So one thing I always like to do before I stop the block, take a quick break, and come back to more focused practice, is bring it back down to a level where they're successful. That might be a whisper, or a slow simultaneous whisper with me. It might be them just mouthing the target with me, or even just watching me say the target. Something where I can say, "Wonderful job! Great job working with me. Great job moving your mouth with mine." And we end on a positive note.
It goes a really long way in therapy sessions, and it keeps them engaged with you. I hope that's helpful.
