5 Ways To Get Moving With Speech and ABA Therapy

Sensory techniques are a huge part of every speech therapy routine.  Few things pique the senses like movement.  An article from the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that using physical activity in the teaching of academic lessons is a new, effective way of learning.  That same way of learning applies to speech and ABA therapy as well!

Here are some ways to get your student moving while they learn:

1. Use charades to act out different sporting events.
   Kids in Cleveland love Lebron James and Fransisco Lindor, so if your student is into sports, have them act out the moves that those athletes display during their games.
2. Tape worksheets to the wall and have your students stand while completing the tasks.
   If you have a smartwatch, you know it is constantly reminding you to stand.  The action doesn’t seem like it has much motion involved, but just standing up instead of sitting down can help reinforce learning in a whole new way.
3. Use activities to develop sequence patterns.
   Reinforce sequence and order of events by giving a set of actions and making sure one action is done before moving to the next.  For example, tell your student to do “2 hops after they touch their toes once” to see if they can master the sequence.
4. Go outside and play I Spy.
   Just being out of the room and looking at nature can spark the imagination, and I Spy is a great game to build recognition and cognitive skills.
5. Reward behavior with movement breaks.
   As a student finishes an activity or completes a task, reward them with a quick “dance party” or “nature break.”

The world is truly your classroom when you incorporate movement with learning.  At Peak Potential Therapy we know how important creativity is to your student’s development.  Contact us to learn more about how we use movement to help our students reach their peak potential!