I have a lot of speech therapy materials. In fact, our garage in England couldn’t hold our car because it basically functioned as a storage space for all my speech therapy stuff! But there are a few things I kept in my speech room that I used daily AND that don’t really have much to do with speech therapy as you know it. Here are
5 Non-therapy Things You Should Have in Your Speech Room
1. Jacket – When the weather changed our school often took a few days to catch up with the thermostat. It was nice to have a light jacket on those days when you could get a little bit chilled. I have one from ASHA that I bought years ago. They now have this really cute half-zip pullover and an adorable cardigan.
2. Small fan/heater – My speech room did not have its own climate control. I was actually connected to the library control so my speech room would fluctuate a lot. I kept a small space heater and two fans for the heat in the spring and summer. These are available with an Amazon Affiliate link.
3. Fingernail clippers – I have used these on myself (I can’t type with long nails!) and to help youngsters with pesky hangnails. I have also called parents and asked permission to trim fingernails, especially those of my AAC users.
4. New chap stick – This will be handy for a last-minute reinforcement (what 2nd-4th grade girl doesn’t love a new lippie?!) and it is also nice to hand to that kiddo who can’t stop licking his/her lips. (I know you know the one!)
5. Pocket Screwdriver/Allen Wrench set – I actually won my screwdriver set as a door prize at a Thirty-One party, and it has been so helpful! I’ve used it to replace game batteries and repair eyeglasses. It’s also been used to unstick papers from the electronic hole punch in the workroom.
The Allen Wrench set has been handy for wheel chair adjustments as well as AAC mounts.
BONUS:
Flashlight – I’m sure many of you have these in your rooms already. Flashlights are a great therapy tool. I keep a penlight for oral mechanism exams, but I also have a small flashlight for emergencies. I was lucky enough to have a window in my room the past two years, but have found myself in an interior room when the power went out.
My flashlight was super useful then!
I’ve also been able to use it to help a boy with Autism. He was terrified of the dark and was escalating quickly on a stormy day. I lent him my flashlight and he was happy to continue working knowing he had a plan.
Did you already have these things in your therapy space? Will you be adding them now? What is something you think I should add to this list?
