Nowadays, it is not uncommon for a school-based therapist to struggle with basic tasks, such as coming up with teaching methods, creating lesson plans, and organizing their weekly schedules. Luckily, there are top technological tools for school-based therapists that can help with all of those problems. And in our increasingly technological world, it’s becoming increasingly important for school-based therapists to utilize these top technology tools to help streamline their workload. Here are a few new methods that can help add some control to your daily routine.
Google Drive
This may seem like an overly obvious choice, but don’t overlook the amazing benefits provided by Google Drive. Google Drive, otherwise known as “Drive,” is an online application that provides services similar to that of Microsoft Office but is accessible from any computer with internet access.
In your role as a speech therapist, occupational therapist, or physical therapist, keeping track of all of your appointments can be cumbersome. Google Drive has an application called “Google Calendars,” which allows you to set up appointments with email and phone notifications to remind you of an impending meeting.
Another benefit of Google Drive is the online spreadsheet and slide show application. Using these tools, you can easily create individual spreadsheets to track student progress. Best of all, it is compatible with Microsoft Office, so you can download your files directly from Drive to your computer. You can sign up for Google Drive using your Gmail account.
My Storybook
Whether you are a speech and language therapist or a behavioral therapist, storytelling and writing are great outlets for providing therapy. They allow children to have some degree of control over what they are learning, making it more of a game. One awesome solution for this is called “My Storybook.” This is a website where you can write stories or have your students write stories.
“My Storybook” provides a game-like approach to teaching and storytelling by allowing you to interact directly with and manipulate characters in the story to fit your specific lesson. You can use this website to incorporate targeted vocabulary words or to reenact various scenarios. Web applications like this are especially helpful when you are dealing with younger children, who might have difficulty concentrating on the task at hand.
Augmentative & Alternative Communication Devices
Augmentative Communication Devices, or ACCs, give nonverbal patients a way to communicate. Especially useful in speech therapy jobs when assisting younger patients with autism, ACCs can open patients to communication and, ideally, even speaking. ACCs allow the user to have the device speak for them or even have preprogrammed images and buttons that represent a phrase or action. Highly customizable, ACCs can be used with all kinds of patients.
Tablets & SMART Boards
A growing trend among many schools is the addition of tablets and SMART Boards. These devices provide an interactive approach to teaching and learning. SMART Boards can be used for simple learning games and to allow the instructor to display content on a large screen that they can interact with directly. SMART Boards can also be used to view video content or even to display slides from your new Google Drive account.
Similar to a SMART Board, you can also use tablets as a teaching tool. A tablet has many educational applications that can be used for school-based therapists of all types. For example, a speech and language pathologist can use the “Articulation Station” app to teach children about pronunciation, labeling, and word association. Those with jobs in occupational therapy can use the ADVANCE application to practice dexterity and provide visual aids for exercises.
With technology choices ranging from applications that can help you organize your weekly schedule to devices that can help you create lesson plans and provide educational games, there is no limit to the number of technological tools that can help you in your role as a pediatric school-based therapist. If you haven’t yet begun implementing some of the top technological tools used above, it’s never too late to ask your administration if these are devices they are open to letting you employ.
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