This week’s blog is guest written by Rachel Arntson, who is a Speech-Language Pathologist. I actually initially trained as a Speech-Language Pathologist, but I could never learn to say it properly, so I went into Audiology. Also, I also could never remember whether “language” was spelled as language or langauge…
As it turns out, Rachel will be giving a talk shortly in the Toronto area and I was very taken with the topic. Unfortunately I will be out of the country for her talk, so I thought that this would be the second best thing (for me) and possibly the best thing for you.
Rachel Arntson, M.S., CCC-SLP, has been practicing in the greater Minneapolis area since 1980, with a specific interest in using music to enhance the speech and language skills of children. Rachel has recorded nine critically acclaimed CDs (2 in Spanish) and written a parent training book entitled, WE CAN TALK as well as other related products that serve as simple, engaging speech and language practice for young children. She co-founded Kids’ Express Train, LLC in 2002, and in August 2012, began a new company entitled TALK IT ROCK IT, LLC. Rachel is excited to continue following her passion for providing practical speech and language materials and songs to help children develop stronger communication skills. Rachel works full time with infants, toddlers, and their families in an early intervention program in Minnesota. In addition, she presents nationally and internationally, sharing her passion for music through creative and interactive workshops.
Check out her website at www.TalkItRockIt.com or contact her at [email protected].
Practice! That’s what children often need to improve their speech and language skills. But where do we find practice tools that are so enjoyable and so motivating that a child would independently choose to practice each day? What kind of tools can provide the necessary practice for our children while allowing and encouraging participation by their parents and siblings?
Is there a tool out there that can help children with oral motor planning needs, articulation problems, receptive and expressive language delay, interaction and engagement issues, and poor turn-taking and imitation skills? I have one great answer to that HUGE question: Do It With a Song!
With almost every child and with every speech and language challenge I have faced, there has been a song that could have been used to help.
This journey of finding the power of music to help children with speech and language began many years ago with a little boy named John. John was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and was fixated on certain objects – especially fish and ducks. John also loved music, and I did my best to engage him in songs. He was interested and attentive to music but was never able to sing the songs I sang to him. Honestly, it was a one-sided conversation. His lack of verbal participation initiated my journey of finding music, and subsequently writing songs based on children’s interests. My goal and dream were to entice and empower my students to practice speech on days when I did not see them for therapy.
My search for songs that would improve verbal skills was frustrating at first. There were many songs on the market, but there were very few that would meet the verbal needs of my students. The sentences were too long, the vocabulary was too complex, and the rate was too fast. There was no room in them for children to imitate, to respond, and to take turns. They listened, but no verbal practice was achieved. Consequently, my song-search for John came to a screeching halt. I never found a song that could reach him, but I always kept John in mind…
There was no choice but to write my own songs, and years later, I am still writing songs – a new song whenever I see a child with a different need or different motivation. Let me give you some examples.
One of my students, James, omitted final consonant sounds and needed more opportunities to practice. Because of him, I wrote “Put the Sound on the End” – a song that has been helpful not only to him but to many other children.
Then there was Sam, who didn’t understand or use action words. Inspired by his love for puppies, I wrote the “Puppy Song.” This song, better than any other tool I could have used, taught him the actions of run, jump, sit, eat, and talk. His mom and dad would sing the song with him and use a stuffed animal to demonstrate the actions. Such activities were motivating to him and became a part of his daily practice.
There was also Ben, who needed simple verbal practice of vowel sounds and simple words. The result was the song “Drive a Car.”
From Kelsey’s need to imitate practice at a more reflexive level came yet another song, “Noisy, Noisy, Noisy,” where she was encouraged to imitate sounds such as a kiss, a sneeze, or a cough.
The benefits of these songs became far-reaching as they created an opportunity for interaction, turn-taking, and FUN with parents and siblings. They gave the children something to listen to and to practice during daily activities, like riding in the car. They gave children new vocabulary to use in certain situations. For example, my little friend David was able to say “Owie all gone” to his mom for the first time after listening repeatedly to our “Owie Song”.
You may be thinking, “I can’t write music, so this is not for me!” Quite to the contrary. Studies show that children do not mind how you sing. They only care that you attempt to sing, and that you do it with them. They just want to be engaged with you. They simply want a simple song that they can… putting it simply: sing!
The key word here is SIMPLE. In my musical journey, I have explored what makes a song truly enticing for a child. What do I look for in a song that I know will create verbal practice in children? Well, that depends on the needs of each child, and that has been my journey with my first company, Kids’ Express Train, and my present company, Talk It Rock It.
My job as a speech-language pathologist does not always include music, but to ignore the obvious gift of music is to ignore a power that can do so much for us in our work. Remember that every moment is a note, every situation a song, and every person is a player. If you hold on to that thought, your mind will be open to the endless possibilities that every day of your life brings, and you will reap the benefits.
What about Fish and Ducks and John?
Whatever happened to the little boy with ASD who was overly hooked on fish and ducks? I am happy to say that he is a young adult now and going to college. I wrote a song called “Fish, Sharks, and Shells” in his honor, and have been teaching it to children ever since. Was I a good speech-language pathologist for John? Yes, I think I was. Would I be better now? No doubt, because I have many more tools now than I had back then, and the biggest one of all is the power of music and knowing how to use it.
