• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Speech Language Pirates

A Fun Little Speech Blog with a Pirate Problem

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Therapy Materials
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Therapy Materials

When the SLP knows too much…

July 8, 2020

ShareTweetGooglePinterestMail

It’s about to get pretty vulnerable up in here. For those that don’t know, I’m a mother of two. I have a 4 year old daughter and my son will turn two on July 18. From the moment my son was born – at 40 weeks, 5 days after an induction – his pediatrician made an educated guess that our dates were wrong and he was actually born at 38 weeks gestation. He was on the small side, especially for his gestational age, but regardless, he was healthy, beautiful, and perfect.

He met milestones within the normal range, though slightly later than his older sister. Boys – right?! He could roll in both directions, but didn’t do it often. He didn’t love tummy time and in hindsight, I didn’t do it enough. It seemed I was always shuffling him somewhere in order to get his sister to an activity. That, or he was napping. Second kid problems to the fullest! He was able to sit up by himself at 6 months, but never got there on his own and didn’t move out of a seated position on his own. He struggled to learn to drink from a straw cup, despite repeated exposure. (My daughter did it at 5 months literally the first time I gave her a straw cup!) Although he crossed midline with numerous toys, he never put anything to his mouth (except his pacifier) and didn’t self-feed – but he loved eating! Isn’t it funny how we assess crossing midline in our own children?!

From about 8 months on, I realized his gross motor skills should be progressing more than they were. Well-meaning family members assured me that “he’s healthy and thriving” – as if the only reason a child would not learn to crawl or walk on time was if they were sick. Yes, he was happy, engaged with others, was clearly learning new skills, and overall a healthy child. I think they thought I was worrying for no reason, or that I was worried about some scary, alphabet soup-filled acronym of sorts that meant my son had some underlying condition that would have taken me to doctor’s appointment after doctor’s appointment, only to be told he was fine. Because to them – he looked fine, so he must be fine. Obviously there can be delays or reasons for struggles that we can’t see – even if we never truly know the reason for them after they’re long gone.

Now, this isn’t going to be a post about how you shouldn’t be afraid to get your own child evaluated; you’re still a great SLP if your kid needs services; you didn’t do anything to cause this; etc. I know you know all of that.

This is a post about how we, as SLPs, know that evaluating too early or too late is a real concern. You know you’ve gotten a referral and a kid has shown up a few days before their fourth birthday, only to miss qualifying by a couple points. If only the eval had been done a week later! We, as SLPs, know that those scoring charts according to years;months matter GREATLY in terms of qualifying or not qualifying. One day could literally make ALL the difference. I knew this all too well.

When Daniel reached 11 months old and wasn’t even close to crawling (not even able to go into a quadraped position) I knew he was behind. But I struggled so greatly with whether or not he would score low *enough* to qualify for my county’s EI program. I also struggled with whether I’d already waited too long. If I have him evaluated a little too early, then I’ve got to wait another 6 months for another evaluation. That could mean 3-5 months of wasted time! In his short little life so far, that would be a lot of time! Or what if he qualified by a landslide? That would mean he could have probably been in therapy already. More wasted time. After going back and forth in my SLP brain for months about too soon/too late, I decided that I’d make the call to EI at 11 months old. (I had already asked a friend to show her PT friend a video of him. That PT recommended an eval. Thank goodness for all of these connections!)

The PT and special educator came to my house to evaluate my son. When I told them all of the strategies I’d been doing to encourage his skills, they asked if I was a therapist! I shared that I was an SLP and I had no concerns with his communication. Though, as part of the general developmental testing they asked if he responded to “No.” And, come to think of it, for what reason would I tell a baby would doesn’t move on his own and doesn’t bring things to his mouth “no”? I don’t think he’d ever heard it, therefore had no reason to respond to it! He never crawled toward a step, put something tiny in his mouth, stood to grab something hot off a counter, etc. It’s something I, even as an SLP knowing language and developmental milestones, had never thought of.

It turns out that my son did not qualify for Early Intervention services. His gross motor skills were within the first percentile (see?! Maybe I had wasted some time?) but his fine motor skills were average. My county had recently decided, within the last year, that fine and gross motor skills were going to be viewed as one – “physical development” – and therefore both must be delayed in order to qualify. It seems criminal to me that babies in the first percentile for gross motor skills do not qualify, but such is our education system, I suppose.

Luckily, my family and I had the means to pay for private therapy via a health savings account from my husband’s job. I was confident my son needed PT and so thankful that we had this account to use, because our insurance didn’t cover PT services.

He started outpatient services, once per week, in early July, 2019. I participated in all of the sessions in a near-empty gym. Thank goodness that most clients didn’t want that 12:00/12:30 slot, but that was the sweet spot between naps for him! And on December 2, 2019 Daniel took his first steps. (We actually were able to catch it via our Nest camera in our living room!) From December 13 on, he started walking for real and didn’t stop. He was just 5 days shy of his 17 month birthday.

I can tell he’s still a bit behind his cousins (who are each a few months older and a few months younger) as far as gross motor skills go, though now he’s within the normal range. However, he doesn’t take off running so much so that I can barely catch him like his cousins do to their moms. I’ll take that as a plus right now!

Being an SLP and a parent brings knowledge that not all parents have. It can come with its own unique challenges, as well. I don’t have any inspiring words for you, like “go with your gut” or “you’ll know when the time is right”. I will say to utilize all of the resources you do have, like friends and colleagues, to get their expertise in your specific area of concern. And most of all – love your kid and all of his cute milestones when they come <3 (It also wouldn’t hurt to wire your entire house with cameras to capture everything 😉 Did I go too far on that suggestion?)

  • Share this:

    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

    Tagged With: early intervention, gross motor, parenthood, physical therapy, SLP mom

    Previous Post: « My Favorite Fidgets
    Next Post: The Best Halloween Videos for Speech Therapy »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    I accept the Privacy Policy

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Instagram

    speechlanguagepirates

    Speech Language Pathologist bringing you useful, effective materials you can use now with your whole caseload.

    Denise Ferremi, MS CCC-SLP | pediatric speech therapy ideas
    It’s the holiday season and we’re all EXHAUSTE It’s the holiday season and we’re all EXHAUSTED! Save time and energy by using no prep, cut and glue, winter themed craft worksheets for 7 of your most common language goals!

And it’s 25% off today for the #TpTCybermondaySale! Use code CYBER23 today and tomorrow! Comment ⛄️ if you want the link!🔗
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram
    It’s a good thing we’re all still stuffed from It’s a good thing we’re all still stuffed from Thanksgiving…

Shop.SpeechLanguagePirates.com to find everything 25% off!!!
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers tagspeech3 #CyberMonday #TpTCyberMonday
    #Squaregles are magnetic blocks that come in theme #Squaregles are magnetic blocks that come in themed sets. The blocks included are more than just flat squares, rectangles, and triangles, so there’s more vocabulary, concepts, and imagination possible than other magnetic sets. 

Here are my thoughts:
👍🏻Pros:
•Sooooooo many opportunities for seeing abstract concepts in action, like across, through, etc. Way more than a static picture card could ever illustrate! 
•Very unique pieces!
•It includes balls/heads and bodies that can serve a variety of functions for play and imagination
•Comes with suggested story and question prompts to elicit language
•Clips make your builds stronger so the pieces are less likely to separate during play

👎🏻Cons:
•The heads are not magnetic to attach to the bodies. You NEED to use the hat/helmet and the ball doesn’t stay situated within its “holder” so the eyes don’t always align. This frustrated my 5yo. 
•The intricate pieces aren’t magnetic until they’re snapped into the clear, square frames. Getting them in was a bit tough for me. I could see this as a struggle for some students with fine motor difficulties or low muscle tone. I could also envision them being broken by some of our *less gentle* friends. 
•Even with the addition of the clips, the builds still came apart fairly easily during play - especially when I utilized the stairs in this set. 
•I think using two sets together, so there are plenty of square frames available for support would be the best (most sturdy/least frustrating) way to play.
•The square frames are larger than most other magnetic blocks sets, so you can’t use them in conjunction with each other. 
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #BuildingSet
    Just some of the many ways I incorporate movement Just some of the many ways I incorporate movement into a session using Twister. The board is basically one big bunch of visual cues! 🙌🏻

I’m using speech sound cues and cluster cues decks from @bjoremspeech 
Adding movement, such as jumping or dragging your feet to connect the sounds in the cluster is just 👩‍🍳💋
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #bjoremspeech #bjoremspeechsoundcues
    Today is the #Nov2023HalfOffSpeech sale and my Fal Today is the #Nov2023HalfOffSpeech sale and my Fall dot pages are 50% off! 
✅The cheapest you’ll find them.
✅No prep
✅A huge variety of goals & themes
✅Use with markers, stickers, mini objects, and more!

🔗Let me know if you need the link! 🤗
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #FallSpeechTherapy #ThanksgivingSpeechTherapy
    My favorite part of this activity? Most kids can’t do it! (My 5 yo struggled and my 7 go’s attempt wasn’t super “strong”.)

That means they need to request help from you/engage with you to make it happen. 

Win-win 🙌🏻

Some words/phrases for common artic/phono/apraxia goals:
🍫pop/pop it
🍫go
🍫wow/whoa
🍫close/closed

You can also place mini objects inside to target whatever goals you need! 
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #HalloweenCandy #M&Ms
    Does your Sunday include a trip to a home improvem Does your Sunday include a trip to a home improvement store? (Seems like most do these days😏)

If yes, don’t forget to grab some green paint samples to make these adorable and simple Frankensteins! They’re the perfect simple craft for Monday and Tuesday and require very little prep work. (I.e. just cutting!)

Read more about them on my blog, which includes a link to the freebie I use. Comment if you’d like me to send you the link!
    My all time favorite sensory bin! Those neon color My all time favorite sensory bin! Those neon colors just can’t be beat 😍

❓Have you ever incorporated the wire mesh stuff from the dollar store into a sensory bin??? 

It’s the coolest stuff and something kids probably haven’t experienced before. Definitely a fun addition to any sensory bin!
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #halloween #sensorybin #halloweensensorybin
    Last week I said that attaching a stick to story p Last week I said that attaching a stick to story props was the best. But what about HATS?! 

You can turn any little people toy into a witch and teach them how to fly on these adorable brooms!

Then use the brooms in a sensory bin, for sweeping in a doll house, to make cool imprints in play Doh, and more!

🧙🏼‍♀️Let me know if you’d like the link to these accessories that pair perfectly with the book! 
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #witches #witchbook #scholastic
    When another book in the “Turkey Trouble” seri When another book in the “Turkey Trouble” series comes out, you know I’ve got to grab it! 

My latest book companion has all of the costumes you’ll need to dress up Turkey, plus activities for articulation, early phrases, vocab, yes/no and wh- questions, categories, comparing/contrasting, and tons of no prep options!

It’s still 40% off for the rest of the day. Let me know if you’d like the link!🦃
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram
    Ok, so it’s not peer-reviewed data. But all of m Ok, so it’s not peer-reviewed data. But all of my research points to YES👍🏻

These story props are from my ✨BRAND NEW✨ companion for “Turkey Trick or Treat” (from the “Turkey Trouble” series). And just like all of my companions from that series, I include his costumes as props to dress up Turkey as you read along!

It’s on sale for 40% off for the first 48 hours! Comment 🦃 if you’d like the link!
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #TurkeyTrouble #TurkeyTrickOrTreat
    Fun fact: I wore stilettos or really high heeled b Fun fact: I wore stilettos or really high heeled boots at almost every day of my first school job, for the first 4 ish years. I was notorious for going after the FAST eloper in super high heels.

One friend liked to break glass/ceramic. He ran into the room next to mine and I got to him as he held that teacher’s mug of pens with this look on his face: 👀

Another time I had to kick open a set of double doors because my colleague and I both had our hands (literally) full with a self-injurious child.

Ahhh, to be young again 😆

Now, thankfully, sneakers are trendy.👟

❓Have you ever worn heels to school? Or am I just crazy?🤣
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram
    Let your AAC users participate in a fun trick or t Let your AAC users participate in a fun trick or treating activity while hearing tons of core vocab, as well as working on inferencing, who questions, expanding utterances, and more! 

This interactive book also comes with a Boom version and is perfect for mixed groups.

It’s half off today only, as part of the #Oct2023HalfOffSpeech sale! 

🍭🍫🍬Comment CANDY if you want the link!
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram
    By the fourth “wiggle wiggle”, I’m 😴 *Th By the fourth “wiggle wiggle”, I’m 😴

*This is, however, my favorite October book. It’s not too Halloween if you can’t do holidays. Let me know if you’d like the link to this book companion! 
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #BooksInSpeech
    Wondering what to do with all of those extra craft Wondering what to do with all of those extra craft pieces? If you’re like me, you do the same crafts every year. I always cut a bunch of extras, because I like the kids to have choices…

🧹When I make scarecrows, the kids choose what color every article of clothing will be. This helps them pair colors with nouns to make phrases (e.g. orange hat).
🧌When we make the monsters, I cut a bunch of facial features. They tell me if their monster should have 1, 2, or 3 eyes, etc. 
🎃When we make square pumpkins there are many options for speech and language targets for insides, or extra green and brown paper from cutting leaves and stems.

Cutting so many options leaves me with extras each year, even after everyone has made theirs. This is how I store them!

Each craft gets all of the pieces placed in a sheet protector. I store them all in a big binder, in the order in which they’re usually completed - September through June.

These are the 3 crafts I do in October! Let me know if you’d like a link to any of these! One is a freebie template in my store🤗
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #FallCrafts #OctoberCrafts #SpeechCrafts
    I’m the type of person that just can’t stop so I’m the type of person that just can’t stop something when I’m on a roll. So, I stayed up until 12:30 last night updating the graphics on all of the artic targets for my square pumpkin craft resource.

➕I also added two new targets: multisyllabic words & shaped pumpkins. 

⬇️ If you already own this, go redownload!
🔗 If you need the link, comment 🎃
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #SquarePumpkin #KidCrafts #CraftsInSpeech
    My favorite crafts of the year are always fall rel My favorite crafts of the year are always fall related!🎃

If you’re not ready to embrace the spooky vibes yet, or if you can’t do specifically Halloween in your room, this square pumpkin is PERFECT!👌🏻

📙Pair it with the book and you’ve got a week’s worth of plans!

✅ Simple
✅ Low prep
✅ Covers all your goals
✅ Can reuse it to target goals after you’ve completed it
✅ Use to decorate your room/hallway
✅ Send home for carryover 🙌🏻

🗣️Comment PUMPKIN if you want the link!
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #SquarePumpkin
    You can never go wrong with a sensory bin! The add You can never go wrong with a sensory bin! The addition of the 🐿️ tweezers is just 👌🏻

I love using my #flisattable with two smaller bins: one for the sensory bin and one for my visuals. Here, my visuals are @bjoremspeech cluster cues!

Inside the @learningresources acorns are mini objects with the target sounds.

❓What’s your favorite fall sensory bin filler?
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #sensorybin #sensoryplay #sblendd #fallsensorybin
    Are you set for Talk Like a Pirate Day on Tuesday? Are you set for Talk Like a Pirate Day on Tuesday???

If you’ve got nothing planned, this will work for you. All you need for the craft is brown and yellow paper and glue! (You could use glitter to make it fun. Plus, a circle punch makes cutting the coins quick.)

These are SO cute to hang on your door or on a bulletin board. 

Comment TREASURE if you need the link!🏴‍☠️
•
•
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #teachersoftpt #tpt #teacher #teachers #iteach #iteachtoo #teacherlife #igteachers #teachersoninstagram #slpsfollowslps #SLPsonInstagram #TalkLikeAPirateDay #PirateDay
    Don’t forget that Tuesday, September 19 is Talk Don’t forget that Tuesday, September 19 is Talk Like a Pirate Day!🏴‍☠️

To celebrate I created a quick, no prep, one page pirate-themed activity for increasing MLU. You can grab it FREE if you join my email list!

The link is in my bio! Or comment here if you want it and I can DM it to you!
•
•
#SLPeeps #instaSLP #ASHAigers #SpeechTherapy #SLPonTpT #SLPsonTpT #Preschool #PreschoolSpeech #PreschoolTherapy #schoolSLP #SLP2b #Teachersfollowteachers tagspeech3 #TalkLikeAPirateDay #Freebie
    Load More Follow on Instagram

    Pinterest

    Site Footer

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2023 — Speech Language Pirates • All rights reserved.
    Site customised by Peace of Africa Designs

     

    Loading Comments...