''The Biggest Pizza Ever'' by JibJab Jr. is a fun book app that you can use to work on answering ''wh'' questions, teaching verbs, stating emotions and much much more.  Here's how it works: Choose who is going to be the main character of the book and then choose Create Character and add photo, name, and skin type. Now you are ready to ...

Many children we work with do not see a link between their behavior and immediate positive consequences they can receive, let alone the connection between their behaviors and their long-term impressions on others. As SLPs, these students can be challenging in many ways, not only because it can be difficult for us to get them to participate in ...

Every kid can benefit from the kind of positive reinforcement offered by the phrase, ''You did it!'' especially if it is offered in an exuberant voice. I say this because lately with a number of my younger and developmentally younger students I have been using the interactive book app Pat the Bunny, and the positive reinforcement ...

A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing Amazon, and a ''Recommended for You'' item popped up. It was the book, ''The Pirate Who Couldn't Say 'Arrr'''! I am trying to be a school-SLP-on-a-budget, but I couldn't resist. I impulsively clicked on the ''1-Click'' ordering button, and the book arrived two days later. The book is by Angie ...

I have spent a fair amount of time here complaining about winter, so it's a good time to let you know that I LOVE St. Patrick's Day, mostly because to me it is the beginning of spring. Also, I am Darn Well Irish (the MacSweeneys, one of them being my grandfather, hail from County Cork, Ireland). This is sort of a weird holiday to target ...

In my previous post, I mentioned the quiet winter we have had in the northeast, and how I don't mind it at all! However, it's always nice to have a ''snow day'' school cancellation to let you catch up on work (or relaxation). Snow Day, by Patricia Lakin and Scott Nash, is a cute little picture book in which a group of kids with the ...

Kids do! I was skimming the shelves at Barnes & Noble one day when I saw the cute little picture book ''When it Starts to Snow,'' by Phillis Gershator and Martin Matje. The title instantly made me think, ''temporal structure!'' Through adorable illustrations and rhyming text, the book describes what a variety of animals do when it starts ...

I've always loved reading classic fairy tales with my students. Not only are they great for their narrative structure, but they also play a big role in our culture.  Well, I really lucked out, because look what our librarian's daughter painted on the wall right outside my office!   As I walk to my room with my younger ...

Dear Kathie: ''Do you always take a language sample as part of an assessment with a verbal child or adult with ASD? If so, what do you look for and how do you elicit the conversation?'' - Adrian, speech-language pathologist My Response: Thank you for asking about the assessment aspect for a child/adult with ASD. I feel there are three ...

Books continue to be my heroes in my school position, sometimes showing up to save me from ennui when I least expect it. I was recently doing a pull-over sort of session in the literacy center (the kindergarten class is nearby and my room is, well, not), and spied the colorful cover of Alphabet Rescue, by Audrey Wood and her son, Bruce. ...