Early Intervention Teletherapy: Sensory Bins

This post on using sensory bins wraps up my series on Early Intervention Teletherapy.  I hope that you found these suggestions to be helpful not only for virtual speech and language sessions, but also for in-person appointments.  The key component is to work as a coach, guiding parents and caregivers on naturalistic ways to elicit and expand communication through play.  Through coaching parents, you are ensuring carryover of strategies into daily routines, which in turn means more practice and ultimately, progress.

As with previous posts, the SLP only needs a web camera.  For this activity, families need a bin, preferably one with a cover to foster having children make requests as opposed to reaching into an open bin and taking desired items.  Families also need something to use as a fill.  Some of my favorite, sensory bin fills are:

• Assorted, dry pasta
• Straws cut into thirds
• Decorative straw typically used in gift bags
• Dried beans
• Cotton balls
• Sand
• Play dough

Note that I did not include rice as a preferred fill.  It makes too much of a hot mess for my liking and is a pain to clean up later.  If the intent is to pull together a fun activity with easy clean-up, then I would advise reserving rice for meals only.

Sensory bins are a F A N T A S T I C way to liven just about any play task, such as puzzles, mini objects, Mr. Potato Heads, blocks, pretend play, and flashcards.  As with other coaching sessions, SLPs should consult with families at least a week ahead of the appointment in order to give parents time to create and fill the sensory bin.  Below is a breakdown on the speech and language targets you can address with targeted play tasks:

1. Matching object to picture with puzzles:  There's just something exciting about searching for puzzle pieces hidden in a sensory bin rather than just dumping the parts onto a table.
2. Answering basic questions with mini objects:  Mini objects are everywhere at home!  Families could use doll house figures;  Fisher Price play set items; wind-up toys; or a variety of matchbox/ pull back vehicles.  In this sensory bin, I would suggest partially hiding items to allow for visible answer choices and coaching parents to ask: "Where is the car?" or "What can we drive?"  
3. Mr. Potato Head: Target identifying or expressing body parts with this classic toy.  Again, you can suggest partially hiding objects for visible, answer choices.  
4. Blocks: Duplos, Legos, or wooden blocks will work just fine in a sensory bin.  Address color recognition/ naming; early prepositions like "up", "on", "off", or following directions.  
5. Pretend play: I have used beans and mini work trucks to create a construction truck bin or garden for planting fake flowers into mini pots.  Make some suggestions for families or have them brainstorm something based on their child's likes and interests.  
6. Flashcards: I don't know about you, but I would MUCH rather dig flashcards out of a sensory bin to work on building expressive vocabulary and/or speech sound targets than just setting up a drill practice!  Families could use flashcards that they have at home and/or you could refer them to links on Teachers Pay Teachers for purchasing and printing decks.  For functional vocabulary, I have suggested cutting out pictures on cardboard, food containers or toy boxes and using these items in a sensory bin.  

At the end of the day, fostering a emotionally-charged, fun play experience will support retention of communicative skills.  All of this planning ahead of sessions takes time, but the rewards are certainly worth the efforts!