Do your word finders have a difficult times remembering the names of their classmates or their teachers? It happens to all of us (especially as we age). But I have had kids on my caseload who are repeatedly embarrassed because they struggle to retrieve important names.
This morning I listened to a podcast on BottomLineInc featuring Dr. Cynthia Green, PhD. The host described her as “one of American’s foremost memory fitness and brain health experts.” This blog is focused on children with word finding issues. However, I think Dr. Green made some important points that we can apply to our word finders. I have added some editorial comments of my own.
Dr. Green stated that forgetting names is the #1 memory complaint of adults. She reminded her audience about the overall tips that can boost attention and memory: look at your lifestyle. What is challenging to memory? Lack of sleep, anxiety (certainly a possibility with children), alcohol and excessive caffeine (hopefully not an issue with children!), and sugar intake. Regular exercise is also important! We aren’t often in control of the lifestyle of the kids on our caseloads, but we can inform parents of the importance of a good night’s sleep and the role anxiety can play.
But since we usually don’t get the a new name to begin with, what strategies can we use to remember and retrieve names? Dr. Green calls this the “A.M. principle”: wake up your memory and prime it to get ready to remember. Pay attention and give the name meaning. She suggested a number of strategies, all of which can be adapted to help the kids on your caseload. There is nothing new here for SLPs! These are principles we use in our therapy every day. Consider this a reminder that we can take ideas from different disciplines to inform our own practice.
The repetition strategy: Use the name several times as you are introduced. As the conversation proceeds, you can weave the name into your comments and questions. Slow down introductions – “be a politician” and try to connect with each person individually.
The association strategy: Connect the new name with someone you already know. It can be your cousin, the name of the bully that you can’t get out of your mind, or a famous person. You can make the association verbally or visually. Dr. Green gave the example of a person named Robin – make a snapshot in your mind with the red-breasted bird, or even Robin Hood! You can even visualize the name spelled out, but this might be hard for children with language difficulties.
Higher level complex associations: Make up a little story using the name. For Cynthia Green: “Cynthia turned green with envy.” This can also be visual: Remember when we didn’t know how to pronounce our new vice president’s first name? We associated a comma with Kamala. So I visualized a comma in her luxuriant hair. I often tell the kids on my caseload to make a video in their imaginations. Dr. Green gave the example of visualizing frankfurters marching over a hill to remember “Frank Hill.”
Perhaps the most important message was to find the strategy that works for you. And don’t be hard on yourself: We all forget names! It’s OK to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.” Chances are, they’ve forgotten your name as well!
Here is the link for the entire podcast: https://bottomlineinc.com/health/brain-health/cant-remember-names-this-is-for-you?utm_campaign=2021-02-05_HL_NL%20%28QZLHWH%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Blinc%20Seedlist&_ke=eyJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIkhneHk1cyIsICJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJiZW5uZXR0OTVAY29tY2FzdC5uZXQifQ%3D%3D. It is also available on Apple Podcasts.