Why don't we get the subject of paperwork out of the way? I hate it. What?! you say? You thought this was a positive post?! Well, it is, which is why I'm going to END on positive things and begin with the super crappy ones. See? I have good logic, no? Well, you can always move on to the next blog on your list if you disagree. So anyway, paperwork. What a huge pain the @$$ designed to make us see kids less and do more work frantically outside of the school day. And meetings. And the like. So paperwork, you can suck it. I know it's there to keep us in check, keep things legal, all that jazz, and really, I don't mind some. However, we seem to keep getting more/new/revised-to-be-much-more-difficult-to-write paperwork and I'm just about tired of it. So instead, I will whine about it to my fellow SLPs who get it and complete it all anyway b/c it's part of a deadline and I rarely miss one of those. :) You can call me "Super SLP" anytime now.
Articulation kids. You know, the ones who don't "sound right" as so many of my teachers come up to me and say? "What sounds are they missing," I ask. "IDK, they just talk funny" or "IDK, shouldn't they have /r/ by now (about their Kindergarten student - NONONO btw)"...that sort of thing. I get it that my ear is SUPER trained to a fault and I can diagnose someone with an artic disorder from about 2.4 miles away if the wind is just right. All that said, I love my artic kids. Many SLPs don't care for this part of our job, but I love it (95% of the time) b/c I can SEE/HEAR progress, it's easy to measure, and typically, these kids graduate from speech and it's obvious when this is to happen. Plus, I love the looks on their faces when they can say something correctly they've never said and sound just like their friends. Or their own name correctly. Priceless.
Language kids. These kids often hide under the radar unless they're super obvious and are frequently missed by teachers for referrals b/c they don't realize I work on expressive (talking) and receptive (understanding) language. No problem. They surface eventually. I don't often drum up business, guys. I have plenty. That all said, this group of kids (which make up a fair amount of my caseload) is my Everest. Wait - my thisclosetofirst Everest. I have a different one. Or two. Oh boy. I digress. Language. Yes. Last week I went to this conference by Laura Justice (who wouldn't have even COME to our agency this year if I hadn't strongly suggested we TRY to get her in even though our supervisor was sure we wouldn't be able to get her until 2 years from now) about vocabulary and how to help these kids with low language skills improve. You guys, I was doing some of the things she said already - but it was nice to have confirmation that I'm not the suckiest SLP out there (which I know isn't true, but some days it sure feels like it). However, I feel like I took a TON away from that conference and have been having the BEST time trying these new techniques with my language kiddos. I feel like they're grasping their vocabulary words better and I'm doing a much better job helping to develop their lexicons (brain maps) so this stuff sticks with them. I've been having tons of fun with this group now and am eager to keep trying more things that I haven't even touched on yet b/c my brain was too full for the time being.
Fluency...geez.You guys, fluency/stuttering can be the hardest to treat ever. And sometimes the most fun....at times. It depends on the kiddo and the one I have right now is great when we're working together...and then it's gone after that. I wish I was more of an expert on that but since this takes up such a small amount of my caseload typically, it's hard to get really good at it. Dear Speech Fairies - that does not mean I would like 5 more fluency cases to pop up at my schools, please. Love, Melissa
Nonverbal/Level 3 kids. Here's my other Everest. These kids can be SO hard from an SLP's perspective. I love mine dearly. They have been making nice gains, love those who work with them (typically...), and I just want to help them as much as I can but again, this is where I feel my expertise is a bit low and I feel like I don't get it right a lot of the time. These students make me SO VERY THANKFUL for my fellow SLPs who I network with every day (truly. every. single. day.) who know so much and help me be more effective with my tough kiddos. We've all got tough kids we work with in education. I only wish I could do more.
There are other kids who don't fit in these categories. I have just really been enjoying my students lately (between all the awful paperwork) and felt the need to just say how much they make my worker-bee life totally worth it.
Something I must say is this if you're still with me - TALK TO YOUR KIDS. As soon as they're born, flood their little ears FULL of words. I don't care if you're talking about the fact that your baby's socks are green and red striped and they're constantly falling off and why can't your toes stay in and where is the other one now? Talk to your kids. They don't have to be babies. Talk about what you see out the car window. Ask what color plate they want. Talk talk talk. I won't bore you with research but ::stands higher on soapbox:: there is SO MUCH research out there to state that you're going to give your kid a leg up on LIFE, essentially, by flooding their brains full of words...they don't even have to be big words. Really. So talk to your kids - best gift you could give them ever.*
And I will end (I heard you sigh relief, those of you silly ones who've stuck with me) with these great stories from Preschool this week. Again - I love my job
Story #1: I was at the
private preK re-screening a kiddo yesterday and as I was leaving a different kid all but grabbed my arm from
his chair and said this –
Kid: “Hey! Hey!!!”
Me: “Yes?”
Kid with the straightest face
I’ve ever seen: “I love you.”
Me: laughs, “You do?”
Kid: “YES. I love you.”
Which of course brings ‘I love
yous’ from almost every kid in earshot
Kid, loudly: “BUT I LOVE YOU THE
BESTEST!!!”
Story #2 – Today, walk-in PreK student who just turned 4,
smart little guy but with pretty messed up articulation…
We decided at the end
of his session to practice the word TOYS since he says KOYS and it’s going to
be Christmas in 2 minutes and KOYS makes no sense unless you're a SLP which still doesn't mean anything b/c his mom had to tell me what he said. So I’m drilling him and
drilling him and breaking the word, different vowels, imitate imitate imitate
and it’s toys toys COYs toys toys COYS all over the place and finally I said, “t-
t- TOYS” and he stopped, looked at me, and said…“HOLA.” Hola!?!?!? A
non-spanish-speaking little guy. I took that as “I’m done, crazy lady” and we
laughed like mad (mom and I) and he was done for the day. Hola. What?!!?
Sometimes I love preschoolers.
*Disclaimer - by talk, I don't mean yelling at them for being little sassipants kids (like I do on a regular basis in my perfect household ha ha ha...) - there's a whole other body of research on that but since I've filled your brains full of GOO already, we'll leave that for another day.
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