5 Ways to Simplify Fall Transitions for Students —and SLPs, Too

Transitioning to the school routine after the summer break can challenge anyone. Any child might struggle with pushing bedtime back when it’s still light out and adjusting to eating lunch at a new time. Those with speech-language or social communication deficits find the shift in routine especially difficult. As speech-language pathologists working with children, we can help our clients or students tackle this transition every year. During my more than 20 years working with children, I’ve discovered a few strategies to lay the groundwork for a more productive fall. Admit and recognize that transitioning is hard. Students and SLPs face big changes in their routines. Accepting that we all find change challenging helps create more realistic expectations during the first weeks of the school year. Give clients or students credit for showing up, moving from space to space, and interacting with peers as an excellent start. I find this transition time also works well for establishing or re-establishing rapport. Reviewing and sharing goals with each student is also an effective place to begin the school year. Ease into the school year by reminiscing about summer fun. Use stories of what they did over the summer to practice verb tense, sequencing, descriptive language, and articulation and phonology skills. I create activities incorporating positive aspects of summer and recall of fun. Some popular examples include a felt-board activity with animals they saw at the zoo or a car-was...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Academia & Research Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Source Type: blogs