May is Better Hearing and Speech Month! Each May is a chance to raise awareness about the field of speech-language pathology and audiology, along with the different types of communication disorders that we diagnose and treat.
For some background context, I’m a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) and currently service pediatric clients through telehealth services in the school setting. In this setting, we work on trying to identify disorders early on through screenings and evaluations. We work closely with teachers and parents, and receive therapy referrals from them based on their concerns. We provide individualized therapies focusing on various areas including articulation, language, voice, fluency, and social communication. Throughout this post, I will be sharing different ways we can raise awareness this month!
ASHA Resources: On the ASHA website, they list a few different resources to choose from. They have bookmarks that can be handed out to clients and staff, coloring pages to complete, and “Love the Profession” signs that can be filled out and posted in your therapy room! Out of all of these resources, my favorite one would have to be the profession signs. Going through responses from clients is a great way to reflect on the impact we can make in their lives.
Trivia Game: Another fun way to get the staff involved is by using this freebie from TeachersPayTeachers (TPT). This can be put up outside your therapy room so that staff members can try to answer questions when walking by. There is one question for each day of the month so it can be changed at the end of each day! To make things more fun, you could offer a small prize at the end of the month for the staff member with the highest correct answers.
Aside from these ideas, there are many ways to get involved this month and raise awareness! Take a moment to look though Pinterest and TPT for more inspiration on therapy ideas, in-services, and resources for Better Hearing and Speech Month!
Author: Nava Shahidi, M.S., CCC-SLP
Sources:
● https://www.asha.org/bhsm/ (ASHA Resources)
● FREE-Better-Hearing-and-Speech-Month-Trivia-Game-3109725 (Trivia Freebie)