Technology can feel intimidating, but there are so many tools available on your common devices that you might not even consider using them in therapy. Joan Green is an SLP, assistive technology specialist, and online tech advisor. In this episode, she shares 10 tech tips that anyone can use to utilize technology and enrich your therapy sessions. 

As SLPs, it's important for us to know and understand the assistive apps and accessibility features available, especially functions that are useful across the lifespan. As Joan explains these tips, she shares examples, scenarios, and easy ways to integrate these technology features into therapy with various ages.

Ten Tech Tips:

1. Maps: show your learner about their neighborhood, city or other places they might be interested in.
2. Photos: This can be a leisure activity by looking through photos or even a way to communicate by snapping pictures and sending them.
3. Calendar: scheduling and visual calendars like the iOS or Google Calendar are great tools that can be used across the lifespan.
4. Speech to text: visual power of words; let your learner see the words they are speaking.
5. Text to Speech: This feature can make any digitally written word become read aloud.
6. Captions: this is an important accessibility feature, available for free on most devices and audio platforms.
7. Video Calls: this can help with visual cues in a phone call format and empower individuals to make calls.
8. Smart Assistance: Alexa, Siri, and Google can all be used with voice commands and can be empowering to impact action and have voice recognition.
9. Engaging activities with fun learning apps: these are great ways to use side by side with accessibility devices for joint attention, Joan recommends Khan Academy Kids on iOS and Android.
10. AAC devices and apps: these devices and applications can give your learner a voice, or assist when speech may be stressful in certain circumstances.

Joan offers a ton of information on technology and some awesome ways she helps professionals in the field. Be sure to download the free PDF for today’s listeners to learn all about these 10 tech tips and check out her platforms online.

 #autism #speectherapy

What’s Inside:

• 10 tech tips for your therapy sessions today.
• Understanding important accessibility features.
• How can simple, everyday tech be used in therapy?
• How to incorporate devices into therapy?
• How to utilize AAC devices and apps for different situations.

Mentioned In This Episode:
10 Tech Tips to Enhance Communication
Innovative Speech Therapy
IST Tech Savvy Solutions Public Group | Facebook
Amazon.com: Assistive Technology in Special Education: Resources to Support Literacy, Communication, and Learning Differences
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