Speech Therapy Hedbanz

Flexible, High-Engagement Speech & Language Activities

Speech therapy Hedbanz is one of my most-used games in therapy—and not because I play it the “official” way.

I use Hedbanz because it is:

• Highly motivating
• Easy to adapt in the moment
• Effective across ages and goals
• Ideal for generating a lot of meaningful practice

I use this game with students ages 1 through adulthood. Seriously. When adapted intentionally, Hedbanz works for articulation, language, executive functioning, and social communication.

This page is not about how to play Hedbanz as written.
It’s about how to use Hedbanz as a therapy tool.

Why Speech Therapy Hedbanz Works

Hedbanz works so well in therapy because:

• The structure stays the same
• The language demand changes
• Students stay engaged without novelty overload
• You can adjust cues and complexity instantly

This makes it a perfect fit for real-time therapy, where sessions are never scripted and students are unpredictable.

Speech Therapy Hedbanz by Age & Goal

Toddlers & Late Talkers

These speech therapy Hedbanz ideas work well for children who:

• Are not talking yet
• Need to increase vocabulary
• Are working on labeling
• Need support with turn-taking
• Are beginning to combine words

Activity Ideas

1. Feed the Toy

• Pull out food cards
• “Feed” a stuffed animal or toy

Targets:

• First words (labeling)
• Verbs (eat)
• Early descriptors (yummy)
• Turn-taking

2. Find the Picture

• Place 3–4 cards face down
• Take turns flipping to find a target picture

Targets:

• Receptive identification
• Expressive labeling
• Joint attention

Preschool Language Goals

Speech therapy Hedbanz is excellent for preschoolers working on:

• Categorization
• Expressive and receptive vocabulary
• Following directions
• Early grammar

Category Match Game

• Turn over 8–10 cards
• Choose a category (e.g., animals)
• Students decide if a card belongs

Targets:

• Categorization
• Vocabulary naming
• Following directions (turn over, flip back)
• Sentence formulation

You control the complexity based on the student’s goal.

Elementary-Age Language Goals

For elementary students, I pair speech therapy Hedbanz with structured describing frameworks (many clinicians will recognize this style of support).

How It Works

• One player draws a card (kept hidden)
• The player describes the item using:
  • Category
  • Function
  • Appearance
  • Parts
  • Location
  • Background knowledge

Other players guess the card.

Targets:

• Defining vocabulary
• Word retrieval
• Oral grammar
• Categorization
• Listening comprehension

Speech Therapy Hedbanz for Articulation

Hedbanz is also a powerful articulation tool when you embed target sounds into predictable phrases.

How to Use It

• Choose the student’s target sound
• Create a consistent carrier phrase
• Require accurate production before each turn

Examples

• /s/: “Is my something…?”
• /th/: “Is my thing…?”
• /n/: “No.”

This structure supports:

• High repetitions
• Motor planning
• Practice across phrase → sentence → connected speech

Why Hedbanz Fits My Therapy Philosophy

My approach to articulation and language therapy is simple:

I need materials, cues, and strategies at my fingertips so I can adjust therapy in real time.

Speech therapy Hedbanz allows me to:

• Maintain connection with students
• Increase repetitions without drill fatigue
• Pivot instantly when something isn’t working
• Keep therapy engaging but intentional

Everything You See Here Is Inside the Membership

All of these speech therapy Hedbanz adaptations—and hundreds more like them—are part of Speech Therapy Talk Membership.

Inside the membership, you’ll find:

• Adaptable game ideas
• Sound-specific articulation supports
• Language frameworks
• Carryover strategies
• Low-prep tools you can actually use

Everything is designed to support:

• High-repetition practice
• Flexible therapy
• Real families and real caseloads

Try the Membership—Free

Not ready to join yet? Start here.

When you sign up, you’ll receive one free speech or language material each month—no pressure, no commitment.

It’s an easy way to experience:

• My approach
• The quality of materials
• How therapy can feel simpler and more effective

Buy Hedbanz

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Free /s/ Packet for Speech Therapy

Need an easy way to target /s/? This free packet provides ready-to-use materials that support repeated practice and flexible use across sessions.