There's an app for that.....ABA Flashcards - Alphabet

This app is one of the staple apps that I use almost everyday during sessions.  Kindergarten.com has made some incredible flashcards.  This is one of my favorites because it has a specific picture for every letter of the alphabet.  For example, the first flashcard is A for Apple.  It has audible voices that say the letter, the picture, and cute little animations for reinforcement.  You have the option to turn off the voices to allow your clients to identify the letters.  One of my favorite parts about the latest update is that it has a check mark and an X to keep a tally of what your client has answered correctly and incorrectly.  At the end of the alphabet, you can hit the info button at the top to email the results to yourself showing the percentage your client achieved.  I sing a little tune for each flashcard as we go through the alphabet.

My lyrics are as simple as can be with an easy melody attached:

A is for Apple, Apple, Apple
A is for Apple: A, A, A.

I continue this repetition for each letter and picture until we get to the end.  When they need help identifying the name of a letter, I sing the alphabet song with them and stop on the letter just before the correct answer, allowing them to fill it in.  This usually works really well to help refresh their memory about what letter comes next.

Check out this app for a great addition to your app collection!!!

There's an app for that...Garageband

Garageband for iPad is an amazing app that every music therapist should have.  It is great for creating your own songs, songs with clients, or playing some awesome virtual instruments.  Above I have taken a picture of a song that I covered.  I layered several recordings of my voice a capella to create "May It Be" from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack.  There are so many options.  I could have created background music by playing guitar, drums, or piano.  There are also different loops to choose from.  For this recording I decided to just use my voice.  I created the melody line at the top, the high background underneath, and the lower background at the bottom.  The two small recording were just some additions I made to make the voices last longer at the end.  It was a lot of fun creating this!  Below I have a video montage that I created for my husband for Valentine's Day.  He kept asking me to sing this song because he liked the way my voice fit.  So I gave it to him as a gift!  Click play below to here what Garageband helped me create.

Taking Turns with a Client

      So sorry for the long wait for my next blog post!  I have been transitioning into working and haven't found much time to blog.  Now that I have established more of routine, I am able to fit some time in the mornings to devote my time to blogging.  As I have started working with my new private clients, I have learned so much.  Every client is different and there is no universal instrument or song that they will all take to.  I have learned to throw my plan out the window sometimes and find what they need within that moment.  The funny thing is that the same client might need to work on something every week but then show another need that is of greater importance at the time.  So I am learning to become versatile and flexible.  It will definitely take some time to get there, but I feel more experienced already after just one month of work.  I can't wait to see where I am 6 months from now!

     So today I would like to share a video with you.  My client, Gaby, is so much fun to work with.  She surprises me everyday with her talents.  One of her goals is to work on taking turns, especially when she wants to do something and I am trying to work on something else.  She absolutely LOVES the iPad.  I throw it into our sessions every week as a reward for her hard work.  The video below is of us working on taking turns and working together.  She really surprised me with her responses and has a great rhythm that I didn't realize she had until now!  This makes me look forward to trying more advanced drum and rhythm activities with her!  And yes I received permission to post this video...just FYI. :)