In the 3 years since I developed the Conversation Paths and CPPEV, our field has seen lots of changes. We’ve been moving forward at a rapid pace, with new ideas becoming integrated into our clinical framework and becoming…well, not so new anymore. An indication of progress. Of where we are in this moment and where we hope to go in the future.

Perhaps as you are reading this, you are resting and recuperating from a long stretch of hard work. Maybe you are in a new locale (or a favorite familiar one) shopping for and eating food that’s different from your usual, walking around in places that amaze you, having new experiences and adventures with those you love. Or maybe that’s next week or a dream for the future. In any case, for a minute, take a pause and consider….conversation.

As the school year draws to a close, some of the students I see get a bit antsy. Yours too? A good time to bring out some new materials to battle that “what……X again?” refrain you may hear from your students. I also find that students seem more tired (ok, maybe me too,) whether from finals, little league gearing up, the heat, or being in cars trying to avoid construction traffic!

May is a crazy month- there’s so much going on. Perhaps time to take a break with some relaxing retail therapy! It’s never too early to do some shopping in preparation for the new-but-for-now-seemingly-far-off school year. Just imagine how relaxed and pleased with yourself you’ll be when you start the year with new materials.

Summer is approaching. Camps are being selected. Vacation plans are moving toward completion. New backyard fun is being purchased (and put together!) Sunscreen is being bought in large quantities. With all of this change on the way, it’s a wonderful time to think about and work with our students on some super important mental state verbs (MSV) – I haven’t talked about those for a few months! Verbs such as “hope,” “plan,” and “miss.”

Last month, I talked about the importance of using strength-based frameworks as we explore student conversations. With the end of the school year in our sights, many of us are in the process of re-assessments, 3-year reviews, and IEPs. Ok, it actually is “IEP season” all year long, but let’s take a pause in our hectic days to think about…rubrics and goals. As Tony Robbins, author, business strategist and motivational speaker reminds us, “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

As I write this, I’ve just returned from 4 days at the CSHA (California Speech Language & Hearing Association) conference. So great to meet in person! This year, I noticed several themes cropping up across presentations: the far-reaching effects of COVID and a continuing appreciation of strength-based assessment and treatment. In some ways, these two go hand-in-hand. After all, in times of stress and anxiety, don’t we all appreciate being seen as individuals with strengths that we share with others and draw upon when resilience is required?

Two people at a bus stop laughing over a movie they’ve both seen. A circle of friends sharing memories while gathered around a table sharing a special meal. Three students at recess negotiating those ever-changing rules of 4-square. So often, where we see people together, we hear or see conversation. It happens as we stand, sit, move, dance, or just lounge. It happens at all hours and in so many different places. As Martin Buber reminds us, “All actual life is encounter.”

We, humans, are creatures of habit. Every morning I drag downstairs, turn on the espresso machine, return about 5 minutes later to make coffee, etc., etc., etc. So much of what I do – especially Mon-Fri is framed by recurring actions. It’s probably the same for you. In some ways these rituals are comforting, but they can also be boringly repetitive and sometimes pretty uninspired. Our patterns are sometimes obvious, other times less so. Some are acceptable, but others might do well to be challenged. Conversations are one aspect of our lives that often follow predictable, habitual patterns.

I’m recently back from a wonderful 10 day (!) trip to Hawaii – more about that later… On my return, I found this question in my mailbox: “Students are really enjoying working with the Conversation Paths, but how can I support them in using more comments in their conversations – those seem to be the hardest for the students I work with.”

Hopefully, we have all settled into 2022 – in both our personal and work lives. In my last blog, paired with my free resource of the Best of 2021 featuring Maca & Roni, I focused on various visual supports with those animations. Let’s stay with the Maca & Roni theme again, but this time focus on some of the interpersonal social and relationship experiences that give us great material.

January. And a new calendar year. A time to begin fresh, with ideas and resolutions to enrich our lives. Also, the mid-point of the school year. A time to take a deep breath and gear up for the months that will bring us to summer!

November and December bring us an assortment of holidays. Time to gather with family and friends, enjoy and create family traditions, and perhaps engage in some gift-giving and getting. But no matter what lovely memories come out of these celebrations, November and December (ok, January also) bring with them many feelings. Some comfortable, others, not so much.

Are you looking for a new activity to roll out in your social cognition sessions? Something to grab your students’ attention in those weeks coming up to everyone’s much-needed winter break? Conversation in Real Time (CRT) is a lively and effective way to work on conversation – and all the complexities that conversation includes.

Last time, I wrote about mental state verbs (MSV) and their role in cognitive and communicative growth. Now let’s think about how MSV influence conversational competence.

Whether you are seeing students in person, solely via teletherapy, or some combination of the two, revitalize your social cognition and language work with some wonderful animations. If you need ideas and activities, check out my resouces at the end of the list. As always, please preview CAREFULLY to make sure they are a good fit for your particular students. These are in no particular order. Enjoy!

I am excited to announce that I will be participating in the 7th Annual Innovators in Education Conference. Psychologists, Speech & Language Pathologists, Social Workers and OT’s will receive CE.

I wanted to let you know that, later this month, I will be part of ADHD in Middle School Summit – a virtual meeting bringing together over 40 experts in the field of ADHD to share their best tips, strategies, and ideas for helping your child with ADHD thrive through the Middle School years. 

In the past months, I've talked to lots of therapists, parents and students about how teletherapy has been working for them. And I hear mixed results. Some love it. Some have grown to put up with it or even enjoy it, and some absolutely despise it. Honestly, I have had days/hours/sessions when I have felt all those feelings!  

Learn how to integrate a range of conversational building blocks, including questions, 4 starters, answers, comments, interjections, bridges, greetings and departures, all in a fast-paced format that will keep your students engaged.