Marcel came to session with a list of words that have been difficult for him. We targeted the er and ar words using comparison of the sounds to help make needed adjustments. Marcel does not like being filmed but seeing himself on video helps him identify the changes that need to be made. Marcel had a productive session and seemed to have an "A-HA" moment and understands that practice each day will make this easier.

Marcel was feeling better after having so much work the previous week. He was not as stressed but asked to use the book for Positive Thinking to practice our /R/ sounds. First, we went to most frequently used /R/ sounds that includes the words that Marcel used often and wants to perfect first. He has them on his text message so he can access them anytime. We discussed like anything we want to get good at, we need to practice regularly. Marcel responds well to the tennis analogy so to become a more consistent player, you have to hit a lot of tennis balls. To master our /R/ with consistency, we need to practice a lot of words. Even a few minutes each day, makes a difference.

Jonathan was frustrated by the way recess went after lunch so we discussed creating a new game for the friends to play at lunch. Together we designed an "Among Us" real life game with different tasks. While taking notes on the rules, we identified target /S/ sounds. Jonathan was feeling more confident with airflow today since losing a tooth.

Christopher was in a great mood during lunch and all the boys were on their electronics sharing funny videos they had made. Christopher was all smiles being "heard and validated" by his peers. Once we moved outside, the dynamic changed a bit when the kids did not want to play his first choice for a game. He got frustrated and was reminded that he could take a break by grabbing a drink of water, sitting in the shade, taking a walk, or talking to a teacher or kid who was not engaged in the game. That seemed to be a good strategy and he regrouped nicely. After recess, during the pow-wow, Christopher said that is went well outside and he will try it again. But sometimes when he gets so mad, he says it is hard to remember those tricks.

Richard was tired after his OT session and needed something to motivate him. We set a goal of saying 50 words and earning Pokemon cards for each strong word said. Once we hit 50, Richard was excited to teach me the Pokemon card game and how to play. He was frustrated that I was not understanding the rules so we had a laugh about "see, it's hard to be the teacher." I asked him to slow down and give me step by step directions which was an excellent way to target his sequencing skills and some executive functioning of organization.

Jonathan was eager to get outside for some fresh air which has been our routine for speech therapy. With masks off, he can watch the therapist's mouth for correct placement of the tongue for /s/. Placement is pretty strong, it's the air flow that gets tricky. Losing teeth also challenges Jonathan especially when he finds his groove and then has to practice it again. We made a comparison to a day at the beach flying a kite, surfing or sailing...we just have to adjust the sails. The slightest adjustment helps achieve the target we want. Jonathan is a star student and very conscientious and detail-oriented about his learning.

Session began during recess where Richard loves playing games with the older kids. In tag like games, Richard is often tagged first as "It" and that gets him frustrated. In previous sessions, we rehearsed advocating for ourselves and making suggestions of other games when we feel a game is not enjoyable. Aspects of group dynamics can be tricky so we discuss how to be a detective and work together with the group. It is also ok to stick up for yourself and say "I'm going to get a drink of water" or " I will be right back" when we are unhappy and need to take a break. During speech practice, Richard was targeting blends and multi syllable words. He gets in the habit of talking too fast and dropping sounds in conversation. We took a few steps back to slow down and practice correct placement of the sounds and practice them at a slower rate so he could hear all the sounds. Using a video helped him see the difference and make corrections.

Marcel appeared a little stressed out about all the work he had to do. We targeted some of the positive thinking and coping skills for stress and anxiety by using a book "Positive Thinking for Teens". Targeting /R/ sounds we listed the things, people, and parts of our life for which we are grateful. Marcel is able to produce the target sound but reports that it feels weird to him even when it sounds great.

Richard was greeted in his classroom at 9:00am. The phones/internets were down therefore a reason was not provided for late arrival. Today was a limited session however many goals were still targeted. We began the session going over date/days of week. Richard demonstrated some difficulty with this today however responded well to verbal cues. We were working on /s/ and /s/ blends in conversational speech. There were an increase in errors with a lingual lisp noted. When brought to his attention, Richard improved the /s/ production significantly.It is important to provide verbal cues in other environments to slow down and use his "good s sound" at home and at school as he continues to carry over this skill. We targeted social skills (topic initiation, maintenance and appropriate greetings) today. He is very excited for spring break! Have a great week and I will see him when we return.

Santino was greeted in his classroom, while he was finishing his reading session with his previous teacher. I had asked his teacher not to provide his supplement drink right before our session therefore she reported when he requested his drink, he was redirected until our session. He transitioned well to the table. Both mango and blueberry yogurts were offered and he was given a choice - Santino chose blueberry. Throughout the session he consumed ~3/4 jar of oui yogurt. He accepted spoonfuls from me as well as self fed when cued to do so. There was no independent initiation of eating however he did self feed when prompted to do so. We started working on wiping the bottom of the spoon on the jar to avoid yogurt falling on him each spoonful. He was receptive. He continues to take very small bites with his upper lip, making it to be a longer meal time however functional. Retrograde flow of food back into his mouth (after eating) is noticeable and may be reflux which can negatively effect feeding. When water bottle (that was sent from home) was presented, Santino immediately pushed it away with refusal. With a model, he willingly "gave high five" to the bottle and kissed the water bottle top and eventually opened for very small single sips x5. With gummies (sent from home), there was immediate refusal and pushing away. He did place them on a plate with his fingers given a model. Eye contact to the food was fleeting and minimal. When asked to name the colors, he did so with hesitation. HE placed them in the garbage can without looking at them. Aversion was evident with this food. We will start to eat his preferred foods in new environments next week.