SLP Q&A's (from my email) Memory Therapy Task Ideas

Hi guys!

I get a lot of email questions from young SLPs.  I thought it might be fun to start posting their questions and my responses.  Feel free to add your own comments!

-Kristin

Hi Kristin,

I just graduated with my Masters in speech in May from the University of (withheld).  I'm now working for a hospital there where I was previously a student.  I mainly see inpatients, however my outpatient caseload is growing.  Ive been seeing one of my outpatients since I was a student and I was wondering if you had any tips for functional working memory therapy tasks that might spice up my therapy sessions.  Thank you for your time!  I am looking forward to any ideas/tips you may have!

Sincerely,

Haley S.

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 Hi Haley,

Do you mind if I post your question on the blog?
Ummm, how about the following:

1)  I'll ask them to imagine a 4x4 matrix and I  name 4 letters and 4 categories.  (this is a high level task).
I'll have them mentally fill in the chart.  They have to remember the letters and categories on their own.  (E.g., for slot 1, they'd name an animal that starts with B)

2)  I'll ask them to listen to 3-5 words, and then repeat them back in alphabetical order

3)  Same task as #2, but repeat them back in reverse order

4)  Mental math problems where they have to remember the problem's elements as they work it out.

That's just a quick list.  I'm trying to be working memory-specific here.  I can think of a lot of other short term memory tasks I like (most of which focus on some aspect of compensatory strategy retraining).  Does this help?

Thanks for reading!

Kristin

***note:  Haley did agree to let me post her question.  :)
Can you add some more memory task ideas?  Also see my 2 other memory task posts!

Advice for SLPs going to ASHA! or "What I wish I'd known before I went to ASHA..."

Hi, it's Kristin. I’m so jealous of all of you who are going to ASHA!!!  Deeply jealous.

Well, just for fun, I made a list last year of all the things I learned and wanted to do in future years.  Let me know if you have anything to add!!

• Carry business cards.  There are so many situations where you want to give them out.  You meet new friends and connections.  AND so many booths have contests where you can either fill out their form OR drop a card in the jar!  Duh- why didn’t I bring mine?  Bring a TON. I also saw many people bring a sheet of labels or a stack of small papers with all their info to drop in context and info boxes, etc.    (Include name, workplace, address, and email.)  Smart! 
• Meet people for lunch each day (It’s a great time to catch up and review what you learned.  It’s so easy not to make plans and then just eat on your own otherwise.  Lame.
• Pick classes early (beforehand) and bring the “My planner” printouts and the ASHA leader insert.  Write your schedule out including back-up classes with room numbers so you don’t have to look things up throughout the day.
• Print out your handouts early (via ASHA.org)- or at least as many as you can.
• Plan on bringing home extra stuff!  Like freebies, SLP garb you buy in the booths and stores, papers papers papers...

•            Carry snacks, gum, sunglasses!
•       Go to the presentations by the “famous” presenters.  It makes a difference.
•       Do the “Short Courses.”  They tend to be excellent. 
•        Do the ASHA boxed lunches (on your registration sheet).
•       Keep a list of attended courses as you attend for easy CEU entry afterward.
•       Schedule time for exhibit hall browsing. 
•       AND save time for poster sessions.  Did you know you can get CEUs for time in poster sessions?
•       However, you don’t have to go to poster sessions while the presentation is actually being given.
•       Grab a “Daily Update” each morning from the info booths to learn about fun events and cancelled sessions. 
•             Bring your iPad or smart phone for contests, etc.  There are sessions ABOUT therapeutic apps.  You’ll want to have your device there to practice IN-session. 
•             Wear shoes AND socks.  Seriously, there is a LOT of walking.  I got blisters.
•       Dress nice.  Jeans are ok, but wear a nice shirt.  I think about these things…  
•       The classrooms were chilly.  Wear a jacket and long sleeves.

Hotels:

•       Stay somewhere nice (I tried to save a buck and stay in a really cheap place.  Bad idea in more ways than one),
•       Stay near the Convention Center
•       Need to be frugal?  Get a room then post on the roommate forum so others can join you and split the cost.
•       Watch out for flaky people on the roommate forum!  I got ditched by someone at the last minute (it was she who had the hotel room) and that’s why nothing was left and I had to go to that crappy motel.
•       Consider getting a group together and renting a condo (search “rental by owner.”)  My friends did this – genius!!
•       You can also stay with a local person (roommate forum)?  I had fun doing this for part of my stay, and I made a new friend.
•       Bring workout clothes and go running in an awesome place in the city!

 Do you have suggestions of your own, ASHA-savvy folks?  Post your comments.  Have fun at ASHA.  Tell me what you learn!

XOXO,

Kristin

SLP Vlogging

Hey all!  It's Kristin.

I'm sure many of you know how big the vlogging world is getting.  (Vlog = a video blog.)  For example my mom just did the HCG diet and discovered a whole community of buddies through the youtube hcg channels.  They motivated eachother, and gave tips, came up with their own HCG jargon, and they commented on eachothers' vlogs.  My mom had a blast getting into that "world."  Here's a little sample of one I liked- The ABCs of HCG.  I figured I would start exploring the vlogging world I'm into too, including SLP vlogs.

Well, I'm sure I am just BARELY tapping the surface on what's out there as far as SLP blogs go, but I thought I'd share and also see if any of you have any faves.  I got an email from linguahealth talking about their vidoes and thought they were interesting.  Here's one on choosing a graduate program for you undergrad students out there:

http://www.youtube.com/linguahealth#p/a/u/1/WRb53hbvhsQ

They I found a vlog by the SpeechPathway.  I also want to share with those who are not-so-Youtube-savvy that you can look at other SLP's vids by clicking on some of the followers listed below his video, either in his Friends, Subscriptions, or Comments sections. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/thespeechpathway

I'm hoping to narrow my search more and find more medically-based vlogs.  So many of them are pediatric/education SLP-based.  Let me know if you have any good ones!  When you find a vlogger (video-maker person) you like, you can click "subscribe" and you will actually be emailed occasionally a list of the new posts by your favorite vloggers.

Hope this launches a few of you into the youtube SLP world.  If you find anything great, let us know and we may even post it for others too!

XOXO
~K