EP 142 - Sensory Strategies for Speech Therapy Sessions

This episode is about sensory strategies for speech therapy sessions. It opens with an acknowledgement that OTs are the primary sensory experts, and offers resources for reviewing sensory basics. The episode then discusses the difference between being “sensory-defensive” and “sensory-seeking,” reviews the sensory system, and then moves into a discussion of strategies to support students with sensory differences or a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder. These strategies come from SLP and researcher Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin. The first strategy is addressing students’ physical comfort, the second strategy is including movement in speech therapy sessions, and the third strategy is supporting students during transition times. The episode then discusses the connections between interoception and emotions, and offers three strategies to help students begin to notice and understand these connections in their own bodies. These strategies come from occupational therapist Kelly Mahler, and they are objective labeling, “I wonder” statements, and descriptive language.