As a pediatric SLP, you know that treatment breakthroughs and new methods are bursting onto the scene every day. To make the biggest and most lasting impact on the lives of your littlest patients, you must keep up. It’s always important to take steps towards digging deeper into topics that interest you and uncovering new ideas for improving the ways you do what you do.
One way to do this, of course, is through continuing education. Luckily, the abundance of online courses makes this easier than ever! Here are some great online speech therapy programs specifically created to help you inspire amazing progress among children working to overcome speech and language difficulties.
- The Necessity of Play in Language Development
This pediatric SLP continuing education course offered by Speech Therapy University (slpceuonline.com). We like this because it focuses on what children naturally do best—play! This course is a great reminder that in our academic/technological/sports-obsessed culture, good old-fashioned play remains one of the most important aspects of language and social development.
The course addresses the necessity of both unstructured free play and structured purposeful play to foster skills like turn-taking and role-playing. Tips for how to create language-rich environments and educate/coach parents to do so are included. The course also demonstrates how as children move through the different stages of play, curiosity, concentration, creativity, and family connections are cultivated, fueling early literacy development
At the conclusion of the course, participants will be able to:
- List two types of play essential to every child’s language development and learning.
- Identify three language skills that are fostered through play.
Northern Speech Services (www.northernspeech.com), offers an impressive catalog of online courses for SLPs. You can search by various criteria, and there is a detailed review system with feedback from other professionals in the field. Here are a few stand-out courses you’ll want to check out:
- Increasing Frequency and Intensity of Language Intervention Through Parent Training and Involvement.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could get all parents involved in intervention? Here’s a course designed to help you bridge the gap between therapy and home. It details the when, why, and how to get parents involved in the speech/language education process. When parents are trained to become integral parts of intervention, everyone benefits! After attending, you’ll be better equipped to address time, confidence, and intimidation issues that many parents face. You’ll also learn important differences to consider in relation to individual backgrounds, experiences, education and culture, as well as how SLPs can facilitate parent participation through play-based interventions. This is a not-to-miss opportunity for any pediatric SLP working with bilingual families or in multicultural areas/schools.
See what some of the reviewers had to say:
“I liked her personal experiences of bilingualism and how she related the content. She shared that special bond between her parents and her children since they all speak Portuguese.” – L.M., 10/23/2016
“The multilingual family section was helpful. It’s often hard to know what to suggest to families that speak multiple languages, and they’re adamant about their child not understanding, so they want to only speak the language that they (parent) may not be fluent in.” – K.W., 10/7/2016
“Going over how to be not intimidating while at the same time giving the parents information in facilitating their children’s language was most beneficial. I enjoyed the concrete examples in how to show everyday activities for the parents to use to promote their children’s language growth.” – K.K., 9/21/2016
- Eight Behavioral Teaching Strategies for Treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech
As a pediatric SLP, there’s a strong chance your daily duties include helping those with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) become effective vocal communicators. This course discusses eight evidence-based behavioral teaching strategies and motor learning principles that support the use of the Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol (K-SLP). They include defining the behavior to change, establishing motivation, shaping, cueing, implementing reinforcement/feedback, errorless teaching, mixing and varying tasks, and practicing within the natural environment.
Here are some recent reviews:
“Videos are always helpful, but in general, the different approach to eliciting speech and approximating words is invaluable. I have never, in 20 years, had a CE course with this much value.” – M.S. (Jan. 2017)
“I appreciated the 5-word lists to work on with children who struggle with very low intelligibility. I feel like I was previously just choosing words that I thought would work best. I liked the video models of using the information in therapy, too.” – L.B. (Dec. 2016)
“Everything was excellent. The videos were great. Tying the information to an ABA framework. Terrific course!” – C.F. (Dec. 2016)
“Very thorough, covers things that SLPs and parents may not always think about, e.g. too many questions, mixing it up, scripting after anticipating a child’s response. I especially enjoyed the discussions on common SLP mistakes, pivot phrases, and types of language to be scripted.” – L.H. (Nov. 2016)
“This has been by far the most beneficial course I have taken regarding what I do daily working as an SLP in an ABA therapy school.” – C.M. (Nov. 2016)
- Managing Cluttering: From Diagnosis to Carryover
Cluttering (also called tachyphemia or tachyphrasia) is characterized by a rapid rate of speech, erratic rhythm, and poor syntax or grammar, making speech difficult to understand. This new and multi-faceted course is designed to give pediatric SLPs a better understanding of this disorder and a clear path to diagnosing and treating it. Participants will learn:
- The current working definition of Cluttering
- Basics of assessment and differential diagnosis between Cluttering and Stuttering
- Strategies for teasing out symptoms to achieve a differential diagnosis
- Planning and goal writing for appropriate targets
- A problem-solving based approach to accurately pinpoint fluency concerns as well as testing hypotheses in various settings over time
- Treatment principles and strategies for managing Cluttering with concomitant disorders, successful carryover techniques, and ways to motivate clients who lack awareness of Cluttering
What are other professionals are saying about this SLP course offering?
“This is a well-prepared course and is filled with excellent and current information regarding the assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment of Cluttering!” – M.P.R. (Jan. 2017)
“Excellent course!!! Cluttering has been confusing for many years, but this course lays it out from definition, through evaluation, to treatment and carry-over. The course information is clear and presented concisely and very ‘user-friendly’. This course is highly relevant for all practicing SLPs – it’s informative, practical, and well-delivered.” – R.G. (Jan. 2017)
We hope some of our suggestions inspire you to continue your quest for SLP courses and knowledge this month and beyond.
If you’ve taken any online courses to further your education and would like to share your experience, please take a moment to tell us about them!
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