What are the best toys for speech therapy?
Therapy is not one-size-fits-all. Anytime you ask that question of someone (including me), it’s important to remember that the answer will be based on another person’s opinion. Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with asking others their opinion- but I want to look at this topic from another angle…
What if, instead, we asked: “how do you choose the best toys for speech therapy?” and followed up with, “Why do you choose those toys?”
When you rephrase the question, you encourage the person you’ve asked to provide reasoning behind the toy. It will allow you to consider the information for yourself and your caseload.
The Best Toys for Your Caseload
When it comes to choosing the best toys for speech therapy, here are 3 questions you should also ask yourself:
- Can I be meaningful in my approach when I present this toy to the toddler?
- How many concepts can I target using the toy?
- How can I expand on this toy by incorporating other activities?
Consider ways that the toys can be modified to fit the current needs of the toddlers plus ways to encourage the progression of their development. We also want to be wise in our investments by being able to target multiple concepts and encourage development with the toy. Additionally, we want to be able to encourage carry-over and generalization through multiple activities with the toy.
Spoiler: most toys can target multiple concepts. They can also be easily incorporated with other activities and can be modified to fit the development of a toddler. You just have to look at them from a different angle.
Knowledge is power, my friend. The more you understand the why and how behind choosing the best toys for speech therapy for your caseload, the more confident you become in speech therapy for toddlers.
If you are curious about some of my personal favorite toys for speech therapy and looking for additional information on speech therapy for toddlers, be sure to check out my FREE Toddler Toolbox!
