The weather is beginning to change and it’s that time of year when you just want to be outside! Here is a list of fun activities to do with you children to elicit tons of language!

Start a Garden:

•  Grab seeds, pots, a shovel, and a some soil to start your plants inside.
• Make a plan of what to do and then follow the steps! (working on planning, sequencing and following directions)
• Talk about the different parts of the plants when they start to grow and the tools you use to help the plants. (working on vocabulary)

* Don’t forget to water them and keep them in the sun! *

Easy Plants to start from seeds: SunFlowers, Marigolds, Basil, Tomatoes

Fly a Kite:

• Grab a kite on a windy day, take it outside and watch it fly!
• Talk about the different parts of the Kite (working on vocabulary)
• Talk about what you are doing and what would happen if you let it go. (working on cause and effect and expressive language)

Go on a Picnic

• Pack lunch and a blanket and have a picnic outside!
• Play I Spy with the new surroundings (working on vocabulary , and receptive and expressive language)
• Talk about what you are going to do after you’re done eating (working on future thinking and expressive language)

Tags:  Speech    Language    Gardening    Vocabulary     Spring Activities      Capable Kids

Is your Speech Language Pathologist always talking in acronyms and it’s hard to keep up? Here is a list of the most common acronyms that most SLPs use.

SLP – Speech Language Pathologist

OT – Occupational Therapy

PT – Physical Therapy

ASHA – American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

CCC – Certificate of Clinical Competence (The letters that come after a SLP’s title)

DX – Diagnosis

EI – Early Intervention

MA or MS – Masters Degree

Acronyms used in the schools

ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act

BOE – Board of Education

BIP/BMP – Behavior Intervention/Management Plan

ELL – English Language Learner

ESL – English as a Second Language

ESY – Extended School Year

FAPE – Free Appropriate Public Education

FERPA – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEP- Individual Education Plan

IFSP – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

ITP – Individual Transition Plan

LRE – Least Restrictive Environment

NCLB – No Child Left Behind Act

RTI – Response to Intervention

SPED – Special Education

Acronyms that have to do with therapy

TX – Therapy or Treatment

ABA – Applied Behavior Analysis

FBA – Functional Behavior Assessment

Acronyms for disorders

ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder

ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

AOS- Apraxia of Speech

APD – Auditory Processing Disorder

ASD- Autism Spectrum Disorder

CAS-  Childhood Apraxia of Speech

CAPD – Central Auditory Processing Disorder

CP – Cerebral Palsy

DD- Developmental Disability

EBD – Emotional and Behavioral Disorder

HI – Hearing Impaired

HOH – Hard of Hearing

LD – Learning Disability

OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

OHI – Other Health Impaired

SLD – Specific Learning Disability

Acronyms for communication forms

AAC- Augmentative and Alternative Communication

ASL – American Sign Language

AT – Assistive Technology

PECS- Picture Exchange Communication System

Feel free to comment more acronyms that you have come across!