Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) is the time of year when speech-language pathologists and audiologists get to take center stage and bask in the glow while we shine a light on the many incredible things that these professionals do every.single.day. all.year.long. every.year.
To a layperson such as myself, the idea of a stage lends itself well to the daily work of our clinicians at The Hello Clinic. These energetic SLPs are like actors. Kids often come in bouncing off the walls, full of wiggly energy, or the opposite, barely awake after falling asleep in the car. They can be so hungry they are having a meltdown. Or, they might feel peeved that their parents are making them come to speech therapy. We see such a wide variety of feelings, energy, and attitudes enter our waiting room. Right then, as if on cue, our therapists enter the stage. They assess the state of their client and meet them right where they are. Sometimes they talk out the feelings the client might be having difficulty expressing, sometimes they dance or hop to engage and transition the client to therapy. In short, they improvise and direct, and demonstrate an amazing ability to make it look effortless, as many artists do. Bravo!
So for this BHSM, I asked our SLPs to think about what they are doing better. We hope you enjoy and can learn from what our clinicians shared in our efforts to grow, stretch and laugh with our clinic friends.
Jenny
We have a 10-year-old client who is working on his /r/ sound. Yesterday we came up with some questions and interviewed Kim M. Check out the interview below! And if you’re working on the /r/ sound too, feel free use these questions (and add your own!) to interview someone in your life. And…you’re welcome, we italicized all the Rs for you 🙂
- What is your name? Kim M.
- What is your favorite animal? Oh, that would have to be a sloth or a narwhal.
- What is the yummiest thing you’ve ever eaten? That’s a hard one! I love ice cream, so it was probably some delicious ice cream.
- What is the grossest thing you’ve ever eaten? Squid! It was rubbery.
- What are you scared of? Definitely snakes.
- When were you born? October .
- What is your favorite breakfast? Anything with bacon, maybe add eggs and hash browns.
- What is your dream vacation? I happen to be going on my dream vacation…to Iceland.
- Do you have a pet? Yes, a cat.
- What’s three x three? Ha, 9.
Kim T.

Lori
The sun is out and it is testing season in schools, which means that lots of kids are feeling extra wiggly. We bring movement into our sessions to let our bodies move while we practice our speech and language skills!
Laura
I tried something new today: shaving cream mirror racing during a co-treat SLP/OT session. We were helping a client get used to the texture and messiness of shaving cream while using highly motivating objects for this kiddo (“shake ‘n go” cars and the mirror) while also working on requesting the continuation of an activity. It was a giant mess but super fun!

Alice
As spring blooms and the end of the school year approaches, my school age clients have enjoyed opportunities to leave the table and move around the room. We’ve done everything from tossing a koosh ball to doing burpees, but the biggest hit has been throwing a suction cup ball at the window. I tape pictures to my window and we practice articulation or language goals using the voice the ball lands nearest to. The most popular voices have been monster, baby, and robot.
Alice also recently worked with a teenage client to create a poster for National Stuttering Awareness Week. We hope you check it out and share.
Kim M. and Christina
Sarah
