Are you planning for a screening or informal assessment for selective mutism? What is selective mutism? According to Asha, selective mutism is a childhood anxiety disorder. It is also known as “situational speaking.” A primary characteristic is a child’s inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, like school. A child’s symptoms of reluctance to speak can vary… Read More
Spaghetti and meatballs S blends!
Updated 2/2022 I often work on teaching s blends and reducing the cluster reduction process of prevocalic and postvocalic s blends with younger (pre-k to k) children. From a phonological standpoint, we teach the child how to mark both sounds in the s blend to reduce the pattern of cluster reduction. I… Read More
Social Communication Therapy in Pretend Play Centers!
updated 1/2023 I stumbled upon working with my students with social communication delays in pretend play centers with a former 4K student. I had been pulling this student for small-group social skills instruction and practice. I was feeling stuck. He performed wonderfully in this structured, small group setting but his teacher reported social skills challenges during center times. … Read More
Interactive Notebooks: Preschoolers with Language Delays!
updated 1/2023 Do you use interactive notebooks with preschoolers with language delays? Your early intervention families will love this strategy! I use it with students with language delays in the home setting by incorporating an interactive notebook with my version of the “plan-do-review” approach. Parents and SLPs write target vocabulary words and images in the notebook and periodically review… Read More