A look into the story behind the fanny pack, and how it has come to mean more than just 90s nostalgia.
Why the fanny pack? The whole story behind how this all began is probably for another time. The short version boils down to the fact that Mara and I first bonded over 90s nostalgia when we met at work, and have tried to incorporate 90s nuggets into all of our programs and presentations since. Think memes, GIFs, and puns at our ASHA presentations that only about 1/3 of the audience even picked up on, while we were laughing to ourselves.
We are also just really into low-prep, high-quality therapy. Earlier this year, we were chatting out the crazy amount of materials, toys, and equipment therapists seemed to be carrying around in their enormous therapy bags. Are their backs and shoulders OK? Is it even possible that they are using everything in that bag in their treatment sessions? Do they even know what is in their bag? The truth is, I was that therapist as a new grad...and I go through phases now where I purchase the coolest new thing to use in a session, and after one use it sits at the bottom of my bag for months.
While we were discussing this, I remembered my mom talking to me as a kid about buying a new purse. She was telling me about how she needed a new, smaller purse because if she bought a big one like she was using now, it was going fill up with stuff she didn't need. No matter size of the bag, we will fill it. How do you simplify and only carry and use what you really need? Get a smaller bag. Get a fanny pack.
“The truth is, I was that therapist as a new grad...and I go through phases now where I purchase the coolest new thing to use in a session, and after one use it sits at the bottom of my bag for months.”
So we thought...what if we do this in therapy? If you carry less stuff, won't you be forced to be more creative, rely on your therapeutic use of self, and engage more intentionally with your clients? Don't get me wrong, you need equipment to provide quality therapy. AAC and AT pretty much depend on it, but that doesn't mean we can't pair down what we use and still provide quality intervention.
The Problem
We observed so many therapists (ourselves included!) carrying huge therapy bags fulled with materials, toys, equipment, and pre-made printables. Not only were out bags hurting our shoulders, but we were rarely using everything that we packed in there! So we thought, how can we change this?
The Solution
What if we challenges ourselves to do a day of treatment of every kid on our caseload, with nothing more than the materials we could carry in a fanny pack? How would this change our treatment? How would this challenge us to use clinical judgement, therapeutic use of self, and child-driven activities before reaching for pre-made materials created to target a specific goal?
The Challenge
Join the fanny pack! Follow us each week as we discuss strategies for improving flexibility of thinking, decreasing our prep time and stress, and doing more with less. You are the most therapeutic thing you can provide to your clients!
lylas!
annabeth & mara