the spaghetti approach

I am really enjoying some of my work at the moment.  Kids are communicating.  Teachers are GETTING it.  And I heard these words come out of my mouth

'I am a spaghetti kind of speech pathologist'.

Needless to say the teacher who I was talking with looked at me a little askance.

I continued:
'Well I just like to throw everything at the wall like spaghetti and see what sticks.  Symbols, signs, talking, gestures, technology - let's put it all out there.'

I think she got me.

I have been looking more and more for the moment.  The moment of communication where I am connecting with these kids.  I'll set up all sorts of craziness with millions of props, and be very dramatic, and quiet, and expectant, and long for the moment.  All the theory about stages of communication is bubbling away in the back of my head, and I have a loose plan for the session but I follow the child or group's lead, and I am modelling their PODD book or their communication device or intensively interacting with them - but mostly I am aiming for the smile and the 'a-ha you're here with me and let's have fun together'.

Then we can start a conversation.

Possibly about spaghetti.