Unlocking Progress: Strategies for Successful Carryover in School-Based Therapy
It's the last post of our Back to School Series, but I saved the best for last!
I have a special place in my heart for carryover, and it shows! In almost all of my materials you'll find a home carryover portion.
But why? 👀
Because we are only with our clients for a SMALL fraction of a time! If we want to see our caseloads grow smaller and make progress faster, we NEED to incorporate carryover. The schools present obstacles to this, as we don't have immediate access to caregivers in or right outside our sessions and our caseloads are typically HUGE in schools. I've brainstormed a few ways to tackle this issue 👇🏼
If you're looking to simplify your carryover this school year, be sure to check out my Speech Therapy Home Carryover Handouts and Carryover GROWING Bundle!
- Send home homework! This is the major one here. Sending home quick, easy homework is the easiest way to see carryover in the home. Paired with a handout explaining how to elicit sounds or work on a specific language strategy, this can make a substantial difference in your therapy goals.
- Save time and energy on your end by..sending home carryover work ONCE a week to address the entire week. Take time on the Friday before leaving school to make copies that will cover your caseload, distribute on Monday, and know that you're doing your part to increase goal progress while keeping parents involved! One sheet homework and feedback forms are a great way to get this involvement without a crazy amount of prep!
- Send a quick video! Sometimes a child will need a very particular strategy to produce a sound or use a strategy, and we may not have a specific handout on it. Making a quick video and texting or emailing it is a great way to show parents how to elicit this at home (just make sure you have the right permissions for video!).
- Get your Buy-in! At the child's IEP or at the school's back to school night, make it a point to emphasize how important carryover is to their progress in the school curriculum. A huge part of speech in the schools is that it is shown to be impacting their school performance. If that can't get you buy-in to carryover strategies, I don't know what will!
- Be Understanding! Sending home an opt-in note for home carryover or home programs for long breaks such as the winter and summer breaks where parents can decide if they want this or not is essential. Some parents may have a lot going on and simply can't take on more and we can understand that! This also helps us cut back on unnecessary material usage and valuable time.
What do you do to make carryover successful as a school-based speech therapist? Let me know in the comments below! I lobe hearing from you!
I've loved creating this series to share these strategies! I hope they help and I wish you the best school year! If you want more help, make sure to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, and hop inside The Speech Therapy Toolbox!
Happy Speeching!
👇🏼 Save this image to Pinterest so you can refer back to it later! 👇🏼
