JCPSLP Vol 17 No 1 2015_lores

5 “Magic wand” and magnetic chips I first met this motivational

describes where to place objects on the base board in order to create a 3D scene. It can be used to develop receptive understanding of specific vocabulary, to

wonder in one of Super Duper Inc.’s “Chipper Chat” kits and now find it an invaluable tool on its own. A collection of translucent coloured circles about the size of 10-cent pieces with magnetic rims, the magnetic chips are marketed as “bingo chips” in a range of online stores. They can be used for any purpose for which you would use another type of token or counter and have an appeal that is far

enhance understanding of increasingly longer and more complex instructions, to develop the use of positional vocabulary, and to give complete and grammatically correct instructions. Overseas, I used this game, and my own locally created version, to help me learn local language, as well as to teach clients. There are farm and jungle versions of the game. Previously available via http://www.fishpond. com.au/Toys/Near-Far-Buki/0026304106712 but currently out of stock. 9 Magazines and “junk mail” What do you do with a mailbox loaded with advertising materials or boxes of donated newspapers or magazines? Cut them up for language therapy, of course! Categorising, picture description, matching, prepositions, articulation, and other basic concepts can all be targeted both expressively and receptively. In resource-poor settings, they have been my paper-based “Google images”. Families have frequently been heartened by the fact that such easily accessible materials can be used to develop their child’s skills, as have teachers and community-based workers. Paired with a trusty laminator, materials can be created for long-term use. I have memory games, barrier games, Guess Who?, What Am I? and many other games made with clippings from a range of different sources that have lasted for years. 10 Self-inking stamps I think I like stamps even more than stickers as rewards or tokens. For the same cost as a pack of stickers, a self-inking stamp will give literally thousands of impressions. Children with fine motor difficulties often have more success independently stamping than removing the back off stickers. Others with sensory aversions to sticky textures are likewise not bothered by stamps. As with the magnetic chips previously mentioned, stamps can be used for any task requiring counting or quantities. For example, stamps can represent syllables or phonemes in phonemic segmenting and blending activities. They can be used to track and reinforce positive behaviours or the number of turns in a game needed before a break. Best of all, for a speech pathologist on the move, they can fit in a pocket or tiny corner of a pencil case.

wider than I would have expected. For example, in some language groups I have run with boys in senior primary school, they have been a powerful currency for an extended period. Not only have participants tried to earn the most tokens but they have also come up with the most astonishing tricks and patterns for picking them up with the magnetic (magic) wand. Available from www.leisurelearning. com.au for A$9.90. 6 Webber ® Photo Cards – Verbs I think most speech pathologists have some favourite picture collections and visual stimuli that they use frequently. One of my favourite collections is the Webber® Photo Cards – Verbs. There are 62 pairs of cards with photo images ranging from simple high frequency verbs for young children, such as “eating” and “sleeping”, through to much lower frequency verbs such as “loading” the dishwasher and “arranging” flowers. The images have mostly been accessible to the people I have worked with in a range of cultural contexts, both in terms of the actions depicted and the range of people in the images. I have used them in some way to target almost any language goal, as well as occasional articulation goals and vocal modulation goals where these were used as part of a scale to represent different volume levels. Available from Brainstorm Educational and Special Needs Resources http://www.brainstormed.com.au/webber-photo-cards- verbs.html for A$45. 7 Key Word Sign Key Word Sign is one of the most useful, transferable, and easily implemented augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems available. Apart from the advantages of being visual and simplified to support spoken communication, no physical materials are needed. As it is not reliant on written language, it is particularly useful in oral cultures, where limited literacy can prove a barrier to some other AAC systems. In multilingual environments, such as Fiji and Vanuatu, Key Word Sign has provided a universal communication system, although for specific individuals the signs are paired with different spoken languages. 8 Near and Far board game “Near and Far” is a board game by Buki Ltd designed to help children understand and use prepositions. It is similar to a barrier game in that one player holds a picture and

Lydelle Joseph is currently the team leader for speech pathology at Irabina Autism Services.

Correspondence to: Lydelle Joseph CPSP, MIncEd, Speech Pathologist Irabina Autism Services, 193 Bayswater Rd Bayswater, VIC 3153 phone: (03) 9720 1118 email: lydellej@irabina.com

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JCPSLP Volume 17, Number 1 2015

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au