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Saturday, June 22, 2013

Clinical Skills Confidence: What Materials Should I Use?



This time, Clinical Skills Confidence focuses on choosing therapy materials. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here, as there can be so many factors. Budgets (or lack thereof), ages of your students, abilities of your students, goal targets...

I will share with you how I choose therapy materials and where I tend to look for them. I don't think I go anywhere or look at anything without thinking "how could I use this in therapy?" 

Places I Look For Materials
*Super Duper Publications (check out their overstock items which change weekly and are 40% off OR their weekly special items which are 50% off) 
*Target - since I visit this store slightly obsessively (read: Ode to Target), I always check the Dollar Spot, toy section, seasonal section, and end caps - sometimes I find awesome clearance items 
*Consignment stores - I have found awesome toys/books for low prices here
*Dollar stores
*Party stores - favors can be used in all sorts of fun ways!

How I Choose Materials:
*cost
*can I use it for multiple students and goals?
*durability - will it last for awhile?
*Fun-o-meter Level: will it be FUN for my students?
*will it be used as a reinforcer or the primary activity? (games tend to fall in the reinforcer category)
*size - sometimes this is a factor if your therapy room doesn't have a lot of storage space
*would I recommend it to parents? 
*can it be used year round?

How do you choose therapy materials? 

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing! I appreciate posts that inform and provide insight. Very helpful to newbies and some of us "golden oldies," too!

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    1. Thanks Pat! I do too, so I'm adding more of these types of posts to my lineup!

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  2. Amazon and eBay are another couple of my faves! You can often find some big name stuff at a lesser price :)

    Jenn
    Crazy Speech World

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    1. Oh yes, Jenn!! Forgot to mention those! Thanks for visiting!

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