Expanding Communication Skills? There's an App for That!
What better way to get children excited to learn language and
communication skills than a birthday party? Toca Boca's "Birthday Party" is an interactive app that provides numerous
opportunities to help speech-language pathologists expand language use and teach social skills, as well as AAC skills, in a fun and motivating way.
Here' s how it works:
- Select
a birthday cake design from the following choices: Panda, Dragon or Rainbow.
- Select
the plates/dishes from the three choices provided.
- Select
one of three presents.
- Sing
"Happy Birthday" and blow out the candles (by touching them).
- Time
for the birthday party celebration! Eat the cake, pop the confetti, pour the
juice, put the cake on the plates, eat the cake, open the present, and drink
the juice.
- Once
all of the cake is eaten it's time to clean up and
wash the cups and dishes.
- The
birthday party is over!
Here's how I use it in
therapy:
- Requesting
items such as the type of cake, blow out candles, eat cake, pour juice, drink juice,
open present, pop confetti, wash dishes, and wash cups by using signs, PECS,
AAC systems or visual supports.
- To
practice labeling items.
- To
practice stating preferences: "I
like______."
- To
review and practice using core words like eat, drink, more, look, like and open.
- To
teach social language skills related to birthday parties.
- To
review the schedule of a birthday party.
- To
practice expected vs. unexpected behaviors at a party.
- To
work on asking questions such as "Do you want cake?" "Do you want juice?"
"Which juice do you want?" and much more.
- To
practice social skills related to birthday parties.
- To work
on turn-taking skills.