Preparing for Clinical Practicum

[aaaslp]

I'm stating my child clinic this upcoming semester. I was hoping to gain insight from current or past grad students as to how they prepared for clinic or what they wish they had prepared before beginning their clinical work. Any and all tips are appreciated! Thank you.

[slpisthedream]

Hello! I would recommend really knowing how to assess expressive and receptive language informally. The standardized test aren't going to be your best friend if you have a nonverbal/minimally verbal kid but they could still work! The children I have worked with so far in grad school have been really young or they were young children with autism and I provided play therapy. I needed to learn how to play again and I had to change the way I spoke. I was speaking in less than 4 word utterances. I also needed to really work towards being the reinforcer for the kids because tokens weren't enough. 

I don't know the way your clinical experience is set up but I had a bunch of toys to choose from. I would fill up a bin of toys and sit on the ground. The child would pick a toy and I needed to come up with a way to implement that toy and their goals on the spot. 

Some kids really benefit from having a visual schedule, stations, "first/then" schedules, timers. Things that give the time you have with them structure. 

If you just have an artic kid who is a little older and has no behavioral problems it can be really chill lol. It really is just drill and kill those sounds, some tokens, and provide a short play break to keep them motivated. I've seen some clinicians do an artic jeopardy game to make it more fun for the kids!

Working with the kids is a lot of fun! Enjoy it, hope I helped! :) 

[bibliophile222]

The hardest thing for me is coming up with activities. This is course depends on the age of the kids you will be seeing, but look online, ask classmates, fo whatever you can to brainstorm possible activities and how you can relate them to goals. Compile a list so it's easy to just pick and choose when the time comes.

Another thing that is tougher for me is behavior management. I tend to be a bit permissive and am working on maintaining a calm but firm approach when a kiddo is distracted or cranky. You might be able to prep for this aspect in advance by coming up with plans for certain scenarios (but then again, each kid is different so you might have to completely scrap the plan) or just look up behavior management tips online or ask your supervisor.

[bibliophile222]

4 minutes ago, bibliophile222 said:

The hardest thing for me is coming up with activities. This is course depends on the age of the kids you will be seeing, but look online, ask classmates, fo whatever you can to brainstorm possible activities and how you can relate them to goals. Compile a list so it's easy to just pick and choose when the time comes.

Another thing that is tougher for me is behavior management. I tend to be a bit permissive and am working on maintaining a calm but firm approach when a kiddo is distracted or cranky. You might be able to prep for this aspect in advance by coming up with plans for certain scenarios (but then again, each kid is different so you might have to completely scrap the plan) or just look up behavior management tips online or ask your supervisor.

Another thing I recommend is to have a well-organized data sheet. The setup will vary based on the child's goals, so you might have to wait to make one, then adjust as needed. It can make it so much easier to analyze data and write progress reports! I also sometimes write myself reminders and personal goals that I can look at during the session.

Edit: please excuse the double post!

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by bibliophile222