Keep Your Eye on the Birdie: Speech Therapy and Setting Goals

August 21, 2014

Setting goals is crucial for clients,
patients, caregivers, and people
with speaking difficulties.
We are all responsible to
make and keep those goals

Photographers of old used to have a stuffed birdie on the end of a stick.  When a client for photography would come to the studio, the photographer would make sure everything was just so; everyone dressed appropriately, shirts tucked in, hair coiffed or combed to perfection, and the appropriate composition achieved.  He would then take out his bird on a stick and hopefully everyone in the group would all focus on the bird at the same time, and click, the shutter would open, light would fall onto the photographic plate, and an image was obtained.

Much the same happens when setting goals.  I had the pleasure of befriending Yvonne last evening and I have found that she speaks with much wisdom.  Wisdom that every therapist and health care practitioner could benefit from.  She speaks of goals for whatever it is you are striving for.  Are you striving to walk or talk?  Do you have an easily obtainable goal that you are striving for today, and then another one tomorrow?  It doesn’t even have to be easily obtainable.  It can be a goal that is quite difficult if you want.

The key I believe to what Yvonne is saying is to make sure you have in your sights the exact vision of how far you are going to walk, or how many words and phrases you are going to utter. Pease make sure you have it very clear in your mind how much time and effort your are going to give to it.   If you have no goal of the vision for today,  it rarely occurs, and then it’s just another woe is me day!

(And by the way, this is an article for caregivers, those with speaking difficulties and speech language pathologists.  We must all have a goal each day; for many, the caregiver will have to set a goal for how often he or she is going to stimulate the loved one with the speaking difficulty at home.  The SLP must make sure that everyone is following through with goals at home.  (As long as they are training family members to stimulate speech and language at home with very concrete goals and expectations.)

For anyone having a problem with this, i know caregivers who work regularly with their loved ones, and speaking improves.  (Don’t hesitate to inquire.)

Please come by and see us at Facebook Teaching of Talking and visit our website at http://www.teachingoftalking.com where you can find interesting articles and videos and how to order The Teaching of Talking in either the soft cover or audio edition.  If you would like to communicate with me regarding any questions or concerns please do so at markittleman@teachingoftalking.com Thanks so much for reading and continuing your quest for speaking improvement!


Mark A. Ittleman, M.S., CCC/SLP
Senior Speech Language Pathologist
Author:  Teaching of Talking

See the original article:

Keep Your Eye on the Birdie:
Speech Therapy and Setting Goals

in

The Teaching of Talking