Projecting Activities for Speech Therapy

Funded May 5, 2021

Going into the 2021 school year, I knew I would be faced with new and unique challenges due to COVID-19. The materials and manipulatives I had traditionally used to provide therapy to students were no longer appropriate in these circumstances. Having the ability to project activities/books has completely transformed the way my therapy is delivered and put my fears to rest. Thanks to your generous donation, my students have been able to actively engage in therapy activities while maintaining a safe distance.

At first, I was worried about my students' level of engagement by providing activities in this manner since they are used to using physical cards and manipulatives. I have been pleasantly surprised to see that my students have been highly engaged during our sessions. It is helpful to have endless options of content, books, and videos to access at our fingertips. Projecting virtual versions of our story books has allowed all students an equal opportunity to view the pictures/information that would have been extremely difficult to see otherwise. The students have especially enjoyed coming up to the board and drawing/writing on projected images. This has significantly increased their attention and motivation during sessions. This year has posed additional challenges due to using facial coverings. As a speech therapist, I rely heavily on visual cues/modeling to help students with speech sound disorders. This is a crucial part of therapy which is hindered by the masking protocols in place. Through use of this technology, I have been able to successfully provide these cues through various pre-recorded videos. My students have been extremely receptive to these videos and has been an integral part of their success in therapy.

One of the most important and challenging parts of speech therapy is the generalization or carry-over of learned skills to the classroom and in the home. Thanks to your generous donation, I have been able to provide students with home practice activities specific to the skills there are working on. In addition, I now have access to a wide range of resources that can be accessed virtually that can be used in therapy or sent to parents so they can work on their target skills at home. Thank you again for your generosity.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Krista