From Screen to Real Life: Integrating Video Games and Role-Play into Therapy

Discover how video games and video game-inspired activities can transform speech-language therapy! This workshop provides practical strategies to enhance language development, social communication, and problem-solving skills in school-aged children and adolescents. Learn to bridge digital and real-world experiences through engaging role-play and creative video editing, all while aligning therapy with clients’ unique interests and strengths.

Explore Course

This course was live Monday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. ET. Replays are available now through Jan. 31, 2025.

This interactive workshop explores the integration of video games and video game-inspired experiences into speech-language therapy for school-aged children and adolescents. Participants will learn evidence-based strategies for using video games to enhance receptive and expressive language development, foster social communication, and build problem-solving skills. Beyond gameplay, the workshop demonstrates how role-play and video editing can engage clients in creating and refining narratives, organizing thoughts, and collaborating with peers. Attendees will leave with practical, client-centered approaches for structuring therapy sessions around digital and real-world activities, inspiring creativity and fostering meaningful communication outcomes.

Presenters

Erik X. Raj
Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Dr. Erik X. Raj holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a practicing speech-language pathologist who works with children and adults. He's an associate professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, where he also directs the Meaningful Digital Experiences Research Lab.

Learning Objectives

Identify video games and video game-inspired activities that are appropriate for use in speech and language therapy with school-aged children and adolescents.
Summarize strategies for using video games to enhance receptive and expressive language development, social communication, and problem-solving skills in therapy.
Demonstrate how to incorporate role-play and video editing inspired by video games to foster narrative skills, collaboration, and meaningful dialogue in therapy activities.

Agenda

5 minutes	Introduction: Overview of workshop goals and relevance of video games in speech-language therapy.
10 minutes	Identifying Appropriate Video Games: Criteria for selecting games and examples of their therapeutic potential (Objective 1).
15 minutes	Strategies for Language Development: Using video games to enhance language, social communication, and problem-solving skills (Objective 2).
15 minutes	Role-Play and Video Editing: Demonstrating role-play activities and simple video editing for therapy (Objective 3).
5 minutes	Q&A: Participant questions and discussion.
10 minutes	Wrap-Up: Key takeaways and resources for implementation.

Disclosures

Financial Disclosures:	Dr. Erik X. Raj is an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Monmouth University. He is also the Founder of SLPVideoGames.com.
Non-financial Disclosures:	Dr. Erik X. Raj is the director of the Meaningful Digital Experiences Research Lab
Content Disclosures:	Dr. Erik X. Raj has no additional content information to disclose.

ASHA

This course is offered for .1 ASHA CEUs, Intermediate Level, Professional Area

To earn ASHA CEUs you must complete the courses by viewing them, provide course feedback, pass the exams with a score of 80 or more, provide your ASHA credentials, and confirm submission.