David Kinnane

No-Prep Auditory Bombardment /ch/ Pack: to help eliminate deaffrication and voicing errors

7 March 2018 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

It’s hard for a child to say a sound if they can’t hear it properly, or distinguish it from other speech sounds. But it can be fiddly and time-consuming to coordinate word lists, with matching pictures and high quality audio recording – especially for children who have not yet learned to read.

“Auditory bombardment” – also known as “focused auditory stimulation” – is an evidence-based practice to help children focus on the target sound or sound combination. It can be used:

with the Cycles Phonological Remediation Approach (Barbara Hodson); or
as an add-on to traditional articulation therapy or phonological treatments, e.g. auditory discrimination work, minimal pairs or multiple oppositions treatments.

This pack is all you need to implement an auditory bombardment program for the /ch/ sound. It includes:

word lists using high frequency, simple vocabulary;
beautiful, engaging photo flashcards illustrating each word on the list; and
audio recordings(Australian-accented female voice) in easy-to-use M4A format, which can be played on your phone, iPad, or computer, and emailed to clients after the session.

Evidence tells us that you need as few as 3-5 examples of a sound for children to pick up the pattern. This pack includes 6 lists of words – 30 words in all – showcasing the target sound at the start, middle and the end of words.

To download the pack, go here. Then simply print the cards, download the audio file, and go!

No-Prep Auditory Bombardment /f/ Pack: words, pictures and audio recordings – /f/ sound (initial, middle, final)

7 February 2018 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

“Auditory bombardment” – also known as “focused auditory stimulation” – is an evidence-based practice to help children focus on the target sound or sound combination. It can be used:

with the Cycles Phonological Remediation Approach (Barbara Hodson); or
as an add-on to traditional articulation therapy or phonological treatments, e.g. auditory discrimination work, minimal pairs or multiple oppositions treatments.

This pack is all you need to implement an auditory bombardment program for the /f/ sound. It includes:

word lists using high frequency, simple vocabulary;
beautiful, engaging photo flashcards illustrating each word on the list; and
audio recordings in easy-to-use M4A format, which can be played on your phone, iPad, or computer, and emailed to clients after the session.

Simply print the cards, download the audio file, and go!

SLP Three-Piece Thursday 7: on productivity, the death of expertise, and more sleep!

14 December 2017 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

On productivity: Being productive isn’t the same thing as doing more things or being busy. It’s doing the right things. Time, energy and attention are not unlimited: you should be stingy with each. Start with a purpose: three things you want to achieve each month, week and day. Reward yourself for finishing tough tasks. Work less than 50 hours a week. Write down every outstanding task you can think of to free-up brain power. More: check out Chris Bailey.
On the death of expertise: Information wants to be free and is almost infinite these days. The days of making a good living by using ‘secret’ information are ending. But there are some problems. There is too much conflicting information out there on many topics. Many people – especially vulnerable people – have insufficient tools to sift facts from lies; evidence from fiction. Having less skill at a task can make you less likely to recognise your own incompetence. People pay more attention to information that supports what we think is true (confirmation bias). These factors create blind spots: we can miss the obvious. There’s never been a better time to add value by fact-checking and educating people on how to process information. But experts are frequently wrong. For more, read Tom Nichols’ book The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters.
On sleep: Too many of us are exhausted! Sleep more. Rid your bedroom of electronic devices and invest in black-out blinds. Keep a sleep schedule. Set an alarm for bedtime (not just wake-up time). Wake up at the same time every day (even weekends). Nap more during the day. For more, check out Chris Winter’s The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It.

SLP Three-Piece Thursday 6: on being original, managing your anger, and making it big

7 December 2017 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

Be original. Both the quantity and quality of your new ideas are important. You never know which one will be a hit. Sometimes, a good way to generate ideas is to procrastinate. Leaving things to the last minute forces you to improvise and stops tasks expanding to fill the time available. To test your ideas, try to convince people why an idea is a bad one – talk up the shortcomings and see if you can convince yourself. To sell a radical idea: (a) repeated exposure is required, so speak up and repeat yourself; and (b) tie it to something that already exists. Avoid group think and echo chambers – in the real world, and online. Surround yourself with critical thinkers who will tell you the truth. Surround yourself with people who are dissatisfied with the way things are. For more, watch Adam Grant at TED2016 – The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers.
Manage your anger. Rage can be healthy, e.g. if you are trying to work up the courage to make a big change. But it can also damage your relationships and health. Know yourself: know the signs you are losing your temper (e.g. blushing, sweating, shallow breathing), and take control before boil-over point. Send yourself to “Time Out”. Schedule brooding time. Focus on the positive. Recognise that many set backs are temporary and solvable. Meditate. Exercise. Sleep. Recast problems as challenges. Focus on what you can control; on solutions or mitigants. Make lists of things you are grateful for in life. Tweak habits to reduce things that trigger stress and anger. For more, see Charles Elliott and Laura Smith’s “Anger Management for Dummies“.
Make it big. Fame and fortune aren’t always awarded on merit. Being in the right place at the right time can make a big difference to outcomes. Clients are attracted to objects, products and services that are novel, but familiar (recognisable). People are attracted to repetition with slight variations, e.g. in music (verse-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge). The best marketing can’t help a poor service. Being too popular can trigger a backlash, e.g. when you scale and lose exclusivity. People look to others for validation, which is why Charles Douglas pioneered the use of laugh tracks into TV comedies. 90% of tweets don’t get shared; and only 1% get shared more than 7 times. Popularity can be boosted by exposure, the proper balance of familiarity and novelty, and repetition but, in the end, chance plays an important role. You have to be in it to win it though! For more, watch Derek Thompson – Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction.

The value of speech – 14 hot tips, from 107 1/2 years ago

16 November 2017 By David Kinnane Leave a Comment

Back when I was a pompous lawyer – with lots of books but no time to read – my wife bought me an embossed, original, 9-volume set comprising the “International University Course”. Exactly the kind of thing that looks good on a shelf, but no-one ever reads.

Until now.

With (slightly) more time on my hands as a (slightly) less pompous speech pathologist, I’ve cracked open volume 1. And, ignoring the regular blasts of British Imperial propaganda, several gold nuggets glint inside, including an address by Lord Bryce to the State University of Iowa back in 1910 called “The Value of Speech”.

Lord Bryce had 14 tips for speakers. Most of them are spot on for 2017. Paraphrased for a post-Colonial, ‘politically modern’ readership, here they stand for your inspection:

Always have something to say.
Always know what you mean to say.
Always arrange your remarks in some sort of order.
At all hazards, be clear. Make your meaning plain to your audience.
In controversial speaking (e.g. in a lawsuit or when arguing with the government), always think of what your opponent will say and anticipate his/her answers. Meet your opponent’s jests with earnest, and earnest with jest.
Know your audience and be prepared to adapt/discard your prepared speech to suit them.
Never speak down to your audience, “whatever you may think of their intellectual attainments”.
Be sparing of literary ornament.
When you tell a story, plan it out, make it relevant, and don’t overdo the humour, even if you’re good at it.
Never, if you can help it, be dull.
Remember, delivery matters. “Articulation, modulation and expression may all be cultivated”. Make sure people can hear you. Do not shout. Don’t wear out your voice. Vary your pitch. Speak slowly.
Never read from a script if you can help it. The fewer notes the better, unless you’ve got a terrible memory.
Always memorise the last two of three sentences of your speech.
Never weary your audience. If they are tired before you start, cut your talk short, unless your speech is good enough to freshen them up.

True to his tips, Lord Bryce finished his address with panache. Paraphrased and em-bulleted for your modern attention span and disposition:

Remember the purpose of your speech. Are you trying to persuade or entertain (or both)?
You will sometimes fail – no-one is always at his/her best.
Don’t give up. If you stuff up a speech, try to fix it next time!

Source: Lord Bryce (1910). The Value of Speech. Address to the State University of Iowa, April 1910, in Volume 1, International University Reading Course, International University Society, London.

Image: https://tinyurl.com/ycly9vk9