Entry the First: Some Things You Need to Know about Me!

Alright.  I’ve been talking about, I’ve been thinking about it and now I’m finally doing it.  World of Blogging here I come!

Since this is my first official entry I guess it’s only fair that I tell you a little about me.  I go by all sorts of names and titles including, but seemingly not limited to: Liz, Ms. Liz, Ms. H, the other Ms. Liz, speech language pathologist, speech therapist, speech clinician, speech teacher and as one of my first graders excitedly shouts every time she sees me – “that’s my speech!”.

Currently, I’m working with kids in grades Kindergarten through 10^th grade.  As my school expands its preschool and is considering starting a birth to three program; I have the possibility of working with birth to age 21.   I work with two other SLPs, the other Liz and Laura who both are wonderful.

I’m in my third year working in the public schools.  I got both my graduate and undergraduate degrees in Minnesota.  My first year was spent in Pennsylvania and from there I moved back to MN and I’m in my second district here.   

My Clinical Fellowship year was a trial by fire at best begging for death at worst.  I was in three schools and had over 90 kids.  I completed 43 evaluation reports and only had the OWLS, GFTA, and the CASL in my position.  I’m pretty sure I can still give parts of the first edition of the OWLS in my sleep.   

I had very few materials available at my schools.  The school I shared with another therapist (a full half day a week) had a lot of great items, however I was not as lucky at my primary schools.  Between the two buildings, I inherited a file cabinet full of “ditto machine” copies, an original Temple-Grandin and other equally useful odds and ends.  I won a hundred dollar gift certificate from SuperDuper courtesy of my employer (EBS Healthcare) so I was fortunate enough to start the year with Webber’s artic drill book, a sequencing deck, an opposites deck and an imagination question deck.  I also purchased some pictures and manipualbles from Lakeshore Learning and a handful of games from Target.  As you may imagine, I often relied heavily on my wits, hopes, and the glorious bounty of resources the internet had to offer.  This blog is my attempt to add to the resources available for other therapists.   

I’ve spent a lot of time creatively thinking through activities and researching what’s out there.  From my professors, CF supervisors through current coworkers one of my great strengths is in selecting materials and using them creatively.  I rarely encounter a game, activity or speech resource I haven’t modified in some way.  That being said, while many of my ideas are original, others are adapted from someone/somewhere else.  I am a big fan of giving credit where credit is due.  If I do miss something (and I probably will), or can’t find it again and it’s yours or you know where I got it, PLEASE tell me so I can add it.