July 4th Speech Therapy Ideas
July 4th Speech Therapy Ideas
I love July 4th. It’s actually my favorite holiday. I love being outside, celebrating with family and friends, eating delicious food, and being on the lake listening to music with an ice-cold beer.
However, July 4th can be stressful for our friends who have special needs. There are a lot of social, language, and sensory demands. For example, children with sensory processing issues may be overwhelmed by the loud sound of fireworks. People with mild autism may be stressed by large family gatherings and having to make small talk.
Social Skills
To prepare your child for small talk, discuss the people who may be at the July 4th celebration and brainstorm topics to discuss. Add in role-playing; pretend you are the other family member or friend and have your child practice their side of the dialogue.
Suggested small talk topics
- Hobbies
- Sports
- Climate
- Movies
- Video games
- Travel
- Interests
- The location
- Current events
- Updates since the last family event
Language Skills
In small talk, there may be new vocabulary words that your child hasn’t been exposed to. Below are common words that are associated with July 4. Discuss these with your child and their meaning. Have the child generate additional words and categories. This is an easy car game you can do on the way to the celebration. 🎇
After discussing the vocabulary and meanings, practice using them in small talk. For example, one topic could be about the food at the picnic and what you love or what you love about July 4 and how being together makes you feel.
| Food | History | Traditions | Emotions/Sounds |
| BBQ | American flag | Fireworks | Boom |
| Corn | White House | Bonfire | Crack |
| Pie | Government | Carnival | Happy |
| Cookies | Betsy Ross | Celebration | Joyful |
| Hamburgers | Independence Day | Music | Grateful |
| Potato salad | National anthem | Sparklers | Thankful |
| Ribs | Freedom | Parade | Peaceful |
| Watermelon | Liberty bell | Picnic | Content |
| Baked beans | Founding fathers | Family reunion | Proud |
| Coleslaw | George Washington | Grilling | Relaxed |
Sensory
Occupational Therapists (OTs) have tons of tips on sensory regulation and calming techniques. Check out The OT Butterfly’s blog for resources.
For ideas on using Google in speech therapy sessions, check out my blog post. What other are other vocabulary words do you think are important for July 4? Let us know in the comments below.
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