The Importance of Home Practice

No one wants to feel like they are in school again, but that's exactly how it feels for some people in speech therapy. They have HOMEWORK! Most people with whom I have worked have accepted that home practice is an important part of their therapy and take time to do their home program, but others have admitted that they do not enjoy it or do not have time for it. Between their "new normal", doctor appointments, other therapy visits and exercises, eating, sleeping, and down time, I understand it can be very difficult to find the time to do your "speech homework". But...

Therapy is like anything else you do; you get out of it what you put into it. If you make the time to do at least some part of your home practice on a regular basis, you have a much better chance to see changes and improvements. I recommend that people schedule it into their day at a specific time, like an appointment, so they are not leaving it as the last task of the day. No one wants to sit down and do memory, swallowing, or reading exercises after they have had a long busy day. Find the time of day when you feel sharpest and set aside 15-30 minutes to work on your home practice program. If you want to do more, even better, but consistency is key!