One of the most disheartening things I’ve seen in clinical communities is how polarizing certain topics have become.
A topic on that list would be “following directions” goals.
While I’d agree that goals for following directions often end up being too compliance-focused in the way they’re implemented, I’d caution people from throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
For example, I’ve heard people say that answering questions or following directions is a “demand” and therefore not useful to address in language therapy.
I find comments like these very concerning.
Take a step back for a minute and think back to what you’ve done the last week or month.
Have you had to answer direct questions? For example, when you were out in public ordering food or at an appointment?
What about following directions? Have you had to listen to directive statements from another person for safety or for the purpose of completing an important task?
For example, if you had an appointment and had to complete paperwork or understand the protocol? Or if you were in a crowded facility and someone was ushering traffic?
What about asking for help?
Were there times you had to read a situation, listen to the instructions, and ask for clarification in order to advocate for what you needed in a way the other person could understand?
When someone asks me if they should focus on language skills (syntax, vocab, etc) or life skills, my response is that language skills ARE life skills.
That’s why I wanted to share two questions on this topic from a session done with my Language Therapy Advance Foundation’s members’ group.
In this session, I share:
✅Examples of complex syntax that may occur during functional tasks, like signing up for medical appointments, applying for a job, or grocery shopping.
✅Why effective vocabulary instruction in content areas, such as science and social studies, is essential for positive life outcomes.
✅Scaffolding syntactic study for nonreaders or emergent readers.
✅Does it make sense to do semantic feature analysis with a student who has an intellectual disability?
✅Following directions, topic maintenance, and self-advocacy: What language skills do we need to meet these type of goals, and should even we be writing IEP goals for these skills?
You can listen to the entire episode here
In this episode, I mention Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here.
If you’re already a member of either program and you refer a friend, tell them to email me at talktome@drkarenspeech.com if they join and let me know you referred them and I’ll send you a $100 referral bonus.
