I smiled. “Does that meanyoucan help me?”
Lucas nodded. “It’s l-look.”
“That’s right. We should look at three things around us, right?”
“Uh, huh.”
“What’s the second one?”
“L-Listen!”
Nodding, I replied, “Yes, we should listen to three things around us.”
“L-Like the s-sound of the f-fishes in your t-tank.”
With a laugh, I replied, “That’s right. My aquarium is noisy, isn’t it?”
At Lucas’s nod, I said, “Now I remember that the last one starts with an M. Is it moo three times like a cow?”
He giggled. “N-No. You n-name t-three p-parts of your b-body you c-can m-move.”
I playfully smacked my forehead. “Oops, it wasmove, not moo.”
The timer on my desk dinged, signaling the end of our session. “Our playtime is over for today. You did such an amazing job that you get to pick a toy out of the reward bin.”
His tiny brows shot up in surprise. “I d-do?”
“Yes, sir.”
After launching himself out of the chair, he ran to the giant box of toys I had in the corner of my office. As he decided on just the right toy, I pulled Polly Positive off my hand and discarded her on the table.
When I first entered college with the intention of becoming a speech-language pathologist, I never imagined I’d one day be using puppets as a part of my practice. Polly Positive was just one of the ones I used to help children stop stuttering or correct speech impediments. They were used in conjunction with CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
In my practice, I used CBT to help kids who stuttered by showing them how to manage their emotions and behaviors. Sometimes that came through play like with Polly Positive, or sometimes it came through acting out real-life scenarios. There was nothing more rewarding than helping to change a child’s negative thoughts and fears about speaking.
After rising out of my chair, I joined Lucas at the toy box. “Find one?”
He waved a Batman car at me, which immediately made me think of my Batman-obsessed younger brother. “T-This one.”
“That looks like a great choice.”
Taking him by the hand, I then led him out of my office and down the hallway. As Lucas bounded into the waiting room with a happy shriek, his parents, the Greens, popped out of their chairs, their faces etched with concern. Over the years, I’d seen that same expression written on hundreds of parents’ faces after their child’s first session.
With a reassuring smile, I said, “He responded well.”
As relief replaced the concern, Lucas bounced on the balls of his feet. “D-Dr. S-Sarah has p-puppets!”
Mr. Green smiled as he ruffled Lucas’s hair. “That’s awesome, buddy.”
I handed his mother the folder of practice activities. “Here is his homework. Next week, I’d like to work with the three of you.”
Mrs. Green’s auburn brows rose in surprise. “All of us?”
With a nod, I replied, “It will help you to understand the strategies that we’re working on.”
She smiled at me before turning her attention to Lucas. “Did you hear that? Mommy and Daddy have therapy with you next week?”
“Yeah!” Lucas shouted as he danced around his parents.
