Gardening aids in speech therapy: a primer

1. Look at your treatment plan, the blueprint for what needs changing with therapy.
2. Example: "the patient will name on demand, ten of ten objects common to her/his environment, with vocal/gestural/tactile/olfactory cues provided 100% of the time".
TELL ME THE NAME OF THIS!

3. That is treatment at the level of IMPAIRMENT of bodily function. When you see significant improvement of that behavior, you want to help the person take this skill set back to real life. Gardening allows the client to ease back into real life, or the PARTICIPATION level of function.
4. So, when it comes to identifying summer annuals that must be removed from garden beds, one needs to name these plants.
5. Your client will practice naming these summer plants:
A. Tomato

B. Zucchini
C. Cucumber
D. Eggplant
E. Marigold

F. Basil
G. Pole Bean
H. Cowpea

I. Bell Pepper
J. Corn
6. If the client does not spontaneously say the name of the plant when seeing it, a card can be produced which has a COLOR PHOTO of the plant, the PLANT's NAME written in BOLD PRINT adjacent, and some general information on the plant's LIFE CYCLE below.
7. The client can match the photo to the plant, or -
8. The client can imitate your naming of the plant. 
9. Successive experiences in the garden allow you opportunity to increase the client's skill level, to meet the goal set in the treatment plan.
10. Dig we must!