Why Summer is a Great Time to Start Speech Therapy
I can't believe it's already mid-May. You know what that means?! I’ve got summer on the brain!
I started my career in the public schools and still work there a few days a week alongside my private practice. That means I've had a summer break every year since I was 5 - through school, college, grad school, and 9 years as a school-based SLP. Summer rocks!
This is my first summer running my private practice, and it has me thinking about summer differently. For the first time in my career, I am genuinely eager to keep working through the summer and grow my practice. Which got me asking…why summer speech therapy?
The Scheduling Problem (and Why Summer Solves It)
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed in the private practice world is that everyone wants after-school session times. Or families are so booked with after-school activities that there's only one tiny window open for therapy - which usually means sitting on a waitlist for months until a clinic's after-school spot opens up.
Summer flips that!
Here are my three reasons starting speech therapy this summer might be a great fit for your family.
1. Your Kid's Schedule Actually Opens Up
No more adding a therapy session in after an already long day at school.
During summer, your child isn't exhausted and you're not racing between pickup, activities, and dinner. There's room to actually do therapy without it feeling like one more thing.
Why not try a 10am session where we embed AAC into making a morning snack? Or a 1:30pm session using AAC to get ready for your family’s visit to the pool at 2:30? There are so many opportunities when you aren’t limited to a 4pm slot!
2. Summer Is a Time for FUN (and that's exactly when we should be using AAC!)
My therapy style is child-led. A big reason I offer in-home speech therapy in Seattle is so I can tailor sessions to the things your kid actually loves to do.
AAC makes the most sense when it's embedded into meaningful parts of your day, and what's more meaningful than your kid's favorite summer activities?
Let's do speech in your backyard - we can use AAC while hunting for bugs or drawing robots with chalk!
Let’s use AAC to talk while we bake cookies or make lemonade with the family!
Let’s do speech at your kid’s favorite park and use AAC to talk about all the fun toys and people!
Summer is the perfect season to start exploring AAC, because the meaningful moments are everywhere.
3. Get Yourself Geared Up as a Parent Before School Starts
Maybe you aren't looking for speech therapy throughout the school year. That's okay. Use the summer to do 4–8 focused sessions with a heavy parent training component running alongside therapy. By the time school starts back up, you'll feel empowered to support your child's AAC journey at home, even when there's no time for after-school therapy.
Bonus: My Schedule Opens Up Too
Because I work part-time in the schools, summer is when I have the most availability too.
If you're looking for summer AAC support in Seattle, click the link below to schedule a free 20 minute call. I offer in-home speech therapy, as well as virtual parent coaching sessions.
Inclusive Summer Resources in the Greater Seattle Area
These are organizations I've discovered or connected with since starting my private practice. I haven't personally worked with any of them, but I wanted to pass along what looks like meaningful, inclusive programming for Seattle families. As always, reach out to each program directly to find the best fit for your kid.
AIM - Adaptive & Inclusive Art Center - AIM offers “Adaptive Arts & Movement camps are a welcoming and creative space for community members who identify as Neurodivergent or Disabled. Each includes a variety of adaptive dance, music, theater, visual arts, or other arts experiences, opportunities to connect with peers, and artistic self expression.”
Seattle Play Garden - Seattle Play Garden offers “fully inclusive nature-based summer camp experiences for children and youth with and without disabilities ages 3.5-21.” They also offer free play hours.
Seattle Parks & Recreation Specialized Programs - Seattle Parks & Rec offers a variety of specialized summer camps across several Seattle neighborhoods.
Disclaimer: This blog provides general educational information related to speech and language development and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Content reflects a combination of cited resources, clinical experience, and professional expertise. It is not intended as medical or therapeutic advice and does not replace a comprehensive evaluation by a licensed speech-language pathologist or other qualified professional. Reading this content does not establish a provider-client relationship. Any external organizations or programs mentioned are shared as informational resources only and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation.