In the spirit of July 4th, I wanted to write a post about functional therapy activities for adults related to the upcoming holiday. This will provide greater insight into the “meat” of what I might actually target in a speech therapy session with adults. Below are several ideas, all of which I have implemented with real clients:

• For a client with MS, TBI, or post-concussion syndrome, review use of pacing strategies such as the “rule of 3’s” to plan for breaks if symptoms flare up in overstimulating environments (such as going to a Fourth of July party with a large group of people and increased environmental stimulation such as bright lights, fireworks, and heat)
• Review a client’s schedule/routine and modify activities as needed since plans may differ the week of a holiday due to traveling, vacation, having family members in town, increase in events or outings, etc.
• For a client with PD, target vocal loudness by practicing key words/phrases they will be saying out loud this week such as “Fourth of July,” “Fireworks,” “Hot Dogs,” “Stars,” and “Flag”
• Review internal memory strategies such as association, verbal rehearsal, or chunking to use in conversations with friends or family for optimal recall 
• For a client with aphasia, target expressive language by brainstorming important words/phrases they would like to be able to communicate related to July 4th whether this is through speaking, writing, or using a communication device 
• For a client who is hosting family or a Fourth of July party, target organization skills by planning a grocery list, food and drink menu, list of household chores to accomplish before guests arrive, etc.
• Review self-advocacy strategies that clients can use in social settings such as asking someone to repeat what they said, moving to a quieter space at a party to optimize processing and attention, requesting clarification, etc. 

Although therapy activities certainly don’t have to be themed, if Fourth of July events are relevant to a client’s life, I advocate for absolutely incorporating that into speech therapy sessions. The more functional the session activities are, the better!