My son just started Speech Therapy. It has been a few weeks, and he is having a very hard time paying attention and participating. I'm trying to find things I can do to motivate him to work better (and added bonus if I can use them for potty training). I don't think I can do candy because he can't eat and do his speech at the same time. But he could earn candy. Somehow...
He is 2 and 9 months old.
Any ideas?
eggplant / 11824 posts
What is he interested in most? What would be a high value item to him?
Would it work at all to use a phrase or short conversation/something to help refocus him during speech therapy? Like, ask him where his mouth is, and when he stop and points to his mouth, tell him he’s right and great for knowing that, and then ask him what we use a mouth for (talking) and then ask him to show you where his ears are and ask him what we use ears for (listening), and tell him he needs to use ears first and then mouth? Does this make any sense? 
We are thinking about potty training rewards and thinking about using gummy vitamins (LO already thinks they are candy/a special treat) or stickers of her favorite character, or something else small that would be a high value item (for LO, it would be food, a crayon/marker/colored pencil, anything Elmo-related, etc.)
apricot / 431 posts
Is the therapist concerned at all with his lack of participation/attention? Hopefully she (or he!) has some tricks up her sleeve. I know as a parent you really want your child to cooperate but from a therapist standpoint this is so, so common. Speech therapy can really be difficult for these young guys, especially when it's something new. As therapists we need to get their "buy in" & then essentially train them how to do therapy, which is a lot for a little one! While I think you could use a reward system and work with the therapist (I use candy in some situations), I also think it may improve on it's own once he "gets" what is expected of him & perhaps even has some success. Hope this helps!
grapefruit / 4110 posts
@yoursilverlining: That is the problem right there. I can't think of anything high value to him (other than cartoons and he can't watch those during speech). Maybe Skittles but even then he isn't food motivated.
@MommySLP: I don't feel like she has been particularly prepared for him the last few weeks. The first week she brought some toys and stuff and these last weeks she hasn't had anything. So there isn't really any release time that he is interested. Not that he is interested in toys but it gets him to release for a moment and go back.
Part of my issue is that he seems so miserable. He sits there and sighs and puts his head on the desk and really seems to hate it. He needs to do it but I don't want him to hate it because then he won't continue. He definitely shows signs of distress while there.
cherry / 220 posts
A Lightening McQueen sticker chart worked for potty training for my LO at that age. I drew a race track on posterboard with 10 spaces on it and he got a Lightening McQueen sticker every time he sat on the potty to put in one of the spaces. When he got the 10th sticker, Lightening won the race and LO won a toy car. You could start with 5 spaces if that would be easier. I hope things improve for you both!
apricot / 431 posts
@brownie: ugh! That's not good. She should have lots and lots of toys/activities for him so he will want to play with her. A lot of time with my really young ones I'll spend the first several sessions building some rapport and getting that "buy in" because you're right, if he finds it miserable now, he won't want to continue. It's disappointing that the therapist isn't seeing this. Do you feel comfortable enough to say anything to her? What a tough spot for you to be in!
ETA: I guess the silver lining is that since he is almost 3, once that happens he'll transfer over to your local school
District for therapy. (You're in CA, right?). At least then he'll have a new therapist....
pomegranate / 3383 posts
This is tough because it sounds like your SLP isn't doing enough to engage your son and sustain his attention. How is each session structured? Does she use visuals at all?
Something I like to do with younger kids is alternate between activities that are my choice and activities that are their choice. I use a visual task strip and when each choice has been completed, they put it in a finished pocket. The kids' choices are timed (usually 3 minutes long) and I limit what they can choose from but it's often a toy (e.g. Light up car or something that flashes and makes noise). When the timer goes off then I say "my choice" and they transition quite easily and are able to complete my task without issue (I'm an OT so it's usually a fine motor activity).
Are you looking for rewards that you can use throughout the session to motivate him to complete each small task or a bigger reward for the end of the session?
My son loves bubbles and temporary tattoos. 
grapefruit / 4110 posts
@oscarthegoon: This may work if I can find something of high enough value...
@MommySLP: Yeah. I can see that it must be a bit tough for her as well. When we did the evaluation, it was one area of expressive language he had an issue with. The lady he did the evaluation with said at this age they are mostly working on language and he has a lot of words he just doesn't say or use them appropriately or spontaneously. So they are working on more articulation and some of the boring things with him. So it is kind of a catch twenty two. It's also only been 3 different sessions so I am trying to see if it is a pattern or not.
One thing I need to talk to them about since schedules are changing in January is possibly a 2 pm time slot instead of 3 pm. Then he can do gymnastics afterwards at 3:30. This may motivate him as long as I am willing to not take him. But I can't even use that right now.
grapefruit / 4110 posts
@MommySLP: LOL the local school district. That just makes me laugh. He won't qualify for services no matter what. We are doing this at a private location. My friend whose son is on the high functioning end of autistic (diagnosed) can't even qualify for services.
grapefruit / 4110 posts
@Sammyfab: I am looking for ideas for both. I would like to start working toward something that is a little bit of a delayed reaction with an immediate action. So like a sticker now, and so many earns an x. Except that x doesn't motivate him.
I'm not sure there is a lot of visual stimulation. He has problems that are most commonly not worked with until the older ages. So many of the tools are more like reading sentences. Which are older than him.
I must also admit, I don't think he does a lot of "hard" things like this. Most things come easy to him. He is in Montessori so it is his choice and his other school is very play based and he is one of the oldest in the room. So his "hard" things are speech and potty.
pomegranate / 3383 posts
Hmmm...can I ask which articulation errors he's working on? The SLP I worked with used a lot of different tools to encourage specific sounds which I think were motivators because they could see and hear the end product (hope that makes sense).
grapefruit / 4110 posts
@Sammyfab: Right now we are focusing on fronting and putting multiple syllable, words together. He just started putting 3 word sentences together BUT most people (including me) cannot understand him. Then when we don't understand he gives up or cries. He swears he is saying it correctly.
ETA - It is strange because some words and phrases are crystal clear but the same sounds are impossible in other words.
grapefruit / 4110 posts
So after all of this, his session was cancelled for tomorrow because his therapist quit. So they will call next week to find out who and when we will have a session.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
You wouldn't believe it, but my son would do almost anything for a stamp on his hand lol. Maybe that?
grapefruit / 4110 posts
@Boogs: I haven't tried those, I will have to find one and try it for sure. It is cheap and easy.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
@brownie: Our local consignment store sells stamp pads and stamps for a great price.
grapefruit / 4110 posts
@Boogs: I have some ideas on where. I have a whole week reprieve since they cancelled his appointment this week.
grapefruit / 4110 posts
So after all of that, we have a new therapist (for now) and she was amazing with him. He played the whole time and talked up a storm.
He decided this week talking was cool and has been saying the craziest things.
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