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Carryover

Carryover is the generalization of a skill/ or skills learned in the clinic to outside settings.  While it is important to come to therapy sessions, it is also just as important to PRACTICE your skills at home. As the old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.”  Increased practice and time on a skill will improve an individual’s success and rate of mastery.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”– Colin Powell

Ways to carryover at home:

1. Homework (Carryover for children/adults)- Put effort into the homework that is sent home by the clinician (from practicing your oral motor exercises to targeting language goals or compensatory strategies). This is a great way to spend time on a skill and practice a skill at your own pace. If you have any questions or concerns about your homework, tell the clinician! Clinicians love feedback. Also, if you have a skill that you want to work on…voice your opinion! Tell your clinician what is important to you.
2. READ (Carryover for children/adults)- Whether you are an adult coming for therapy or your child is coming for therapy, a great way to build knowledge is to read! If you are an adult coming for therapy such as… voice therapy, I recommend you do some research and read about ‘the voice’…familiarize yourself with the topic. Furthermore, let’s say your child is coming for language therapy. A great carryover technique to use at home is to read a book with your child… ask WH- questions (who, what, where, when, why?), have your child sequence events in a story, recall an event that happened, and/or make predictions.
3. Crafty project (Carryover for children) – Do a craft with your child. Have fun! Have them follow 1 step directions. If you notice the child is doing well with directions try out 2-3 step directions. Talk about the craft, and increase vocabulary. Increasing vocabulary and following directions will benefit your child.
4. Set a good example (Carryover for children)- Model good language and discipline. Show your child that it is important to practice, do it with them, and show them that you are there for support.
5. Reinforcement (Carryover for children/adults)- Work hard play hard is a great motto to live by. Encourage yourself to practice. For adults reading this… TREAT YOURSELF! Say to yourself that if you practice, you will (not only be more successful at the skill) treat yourself to something you love! Maybe frozen yogurt? A manicure? A good movie? For children, come up with a sticker chart/ reward chart. Let’s say they practice 3 times a day for 7 days. Practicing will  then  allow them to pick out a new toy from the toy store, or get to go out for ice cream.

Pamela Leibowitz MA CF SLP TSSLD