Top 5 Apps Travel SLPs Use to Engage Students Across Age Groups
Travel speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a critical role in helping students develop communication skills, often working across different age groups and settings. One challenge that many travel SLPs face is maintaining engagement during sessions, especially when dealing with a wide variety of developmental needs.
Luckily, technology offers several tools to make sessions interactive, effective, and enjoyable. Below, we highlight the top five apps travel SLPs use to engage their students and enhance learning outcomes.
1. Articulation Station
Best for: Pre-K to early elementary students
Articulation Station is a go-to app among travel speech pathologists for improving articulation and phonology in young learners. This interactive tool allows students to practice speech sounds in a variety of contexts, including words, phrases, sentences, and stories. The colorful visuals and game-like activities make it especially appealing to younger children.
What makes it even better for a travel SLP is its portability and ease of use. Whether you’re working in a school, clinic, or home setting, Articulation Station ensures consistent, evidence-based practice. It’s available for iOS devices, and its intuitive interface makes it simple to integrate into any therapy session.
2. Speech Blubs
Best for: Toddlers and young children
Traveling speech-language pathologists often work with toddlers, which can be a tricky age group to engage. That’s where Speech Blubs comes in handy. This app uses fun video modeling combined with interactive features to encourage imitation, speech sound development, and listening skills.
Speech Blubs has highly engaging activities like tongue twisters, puzzles, and imitation exercises that adapt to a child’s progress. Because of its versatility, it’s perfect for use across different speech pathology positions, whether at schools, early intervention programs, or private settings.
3. Proloquo2Go
Best for: Students with non-verbal or limited verbal communication
For travel SLPs working with non-verbal students or those with limited verbal skills, Proloquo2Go is an invaluable tool. This augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app empowers students to communicate using a customizable grid of symbols, pictures, and text.
Its flexibility is ideal for travel speech pathologists who serve diverse populations, as it can be fully personalized to meet individual student needs. Proloquo2Go also supports multiple languages, making it a fantastic resource for inclusive and multilingual settings. Assistive technology like this improves engagement while giving students the ability to express themselves effectively.
4. Toca Boca Apps
Best for: Elementary to middle school students
Toca Boca’s suite of apps is a hit with school-age children, offering a playful way to practice language skills during therapy sessions. Apps such as Toca Kitchen or Toca Builders encourage storytelling, problem-solving, and creativity.
These apps can easily be tailored to target specific goals such as vocabulary building, sentence structure practice, or social interactions. Since many travel SLPs move between multiple students and settings, Toca Boca’s flexibility makes it an excellent addition to your virtual therapy toolkit.
5. Kahoot
Best for: Middle school to high school students
When working with older students, keeping sessions engaging can be particularly challenging. Kahoot, a popular game-based learning platform, is a travel SLP favorite for students in middle and high school. This app lets you create fun, interactive quizzes on topics such as social language, grammar, and listening comprehension.
One of its standout features for travel SLPs is the ability to host live quizzes remotely, making it perfect for teletherapy or online sessions. Plus, engaging older students with interactive learning boosts confidence while targeting essential communication skills needed for academic and social success.
Take the Next Step in Your Travel SLP Career
Using the right apps can make therapy sessions more engaging and impactful for students across age groups, but having the right job is just as important for a travel speech-language pathologist. Whether you’re looking to explore speech pathology positions, boost your traveling SLP salary, or find your next assignment, AMN Healthcare can help.
We specialize in connecting professionals with travel SLP positions that align with their goals. With personalized support, competitive salaries, and a network of life-changing opportunities, we’re here to help you thrive in your career.
