Halloween & Teletherapy:

October 15, 2020
By: Kaleigh McKnight, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCBA, LBA

So we've been at this teletherapy thing for how long? Are you getting bored of your therapy materials? I know I am!

Here are a few of the materials I'm using this month to keep my kids engaged and having fun during their sessions! Comment below what activities you're looking forward to using this month!

Read an online book!

You don't have to stop reading books just because you can't turn the pages together in person! Have you signed up for Epic! yet? Its an online library of books and you can access it for free! The site has books at a variety of reading levels and I can't wait to find books for my teletherapy sessions. Here are a few I'm looking forward to:

National Geographic Readers: Halloween, by Laura Marsh (Level: I)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/15140

Me and My Dragon: Scared of Halloween, By David Biedrzycki (Level: J)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/40913

Too Many Pumpkins, By Linda White (Level M)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/41326

Drawing Pumpkins (…kicking things old school)

I know it's not teletherapy specific, but this season brings up some specific vocabulary that we can target just through drawing! And drawing pumpkins can help you target so much more than vocabulary:

  • Shape and body part expressive and receptive vocabulary ("Make the eyes triangles”)
  • Following directions ("Draw one small nose!”)
  • Expanding leisure activities
  • Requesting or making choices ("Do you want circle eyes or triangle eyes?”)
  • Requesting for help ("Help me draw the body)

Make your pumpkin instructions as easy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPOMbgS4lk4) or difficult ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7LbC_MYkPc) as you like for your learner's skill level!

Online Search & Finds!

Search and finds are a great activity that can be used to target so many skills!

  • Visual perceptual skills (scanning)
  • Expanding utterance length with carrier phrases ("I see a ___"_
  • Descriptive vocabulary ("I found aBIGspider”)
  • Turn taking ("Its my turn to find the items”)

I'm really liking this boom card deck from TPT: Halloween BOOM Cards – Search & Find !

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-BOOM-Cards-Search-Find--4850872

Singing Songs

Songs are one of my favorite ways to get my learners engaged! It can be a little strange to just sing into the computer (for me at least!), but I've started to use some simple online videos as one way to incorporate music into my sessions. Here's one example: Five Little Pumpkins (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trDl36m9pgA)

The best parts of this song are using it to work on:

  • Fun fill ins (pause and have the child fill in the next part)
  • Answering wh- questions ("Where are the pumpkins?” or "How many are left?)
  • And engagement with the parent. (I use it as an opportunity to coach parents on using the song for engagement later and singing it with hand movements instead of the video)

Don't want to use Halloween themed activities in your sessions? That's ok! Its not a part of all of our clients' home cultures. Check out our list of fall teletherapy activities coming out soon!

See you soon!

Kaleigh

Please note this is not an endorsement for the makers of any paid products and we were not sponsored or otherwise incentivized to include those produce. They are simply products I enjoy using and am looking forward to using the rest of the month!