Year: 2018

App of the Month

App of the Month Learn to Read with Tommy Turtle By: Intellijoy Educational Games This adorable app helps your child with early literacy in a fun, game style format. Focusing on sound blending, word families and spelling, this app reinforces precursors to reading and language. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.intellijoy.android.reading.free

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Vocabulary Development

Vocabulary Podcast Series Outline 1. Introduction to vocabularya. Importance of vocabularyi. Impacts oral expression, written expression, & language comprehension in allacademic disciplinesb. Types of vocabulary/Tier Systemi. Receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabularyii. Tier system requires incidental learning and direction instruction2. Strategies to enhance vocabularya. Create a positive learning environment around vocabularyb. Multiple meaning wordsc. Word Walld. Word Sorte. Word gameshttp://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asha.org%2FEvents%2Fconvention%2Fhandouts%2F2007%2F1757_Montgomery_Judy.htm&ei=5SA4VOSwGMTbsASmq4D4CQ&usg=AFQjCNEXNQ8VtX67AvzuYvhn485Qp7B1yA&bvm=bv.77161500,d.eXYhttp://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/182_VocabularyTiers.pdfhttp://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/activities-projects/think-hink-pinks30651.htmlhttp://www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/vocabulary#do_kids

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Augmentative Alternative Communication

Augmentative and Assistive Communication(AAC)How do you know AAC is appropriate?When determining if an individual is in need of Augmentative and Alternative Communication I being with asking caregivers 4 essential questions:1. Does the person have a functional communication system currently in place? That is, can the person make his/her wants/needs known to others?2. Do others understand the messages he/she tries to communicate consistently; including those he/she interacts with infrequently?3. Are the language structures the person currently uses as complex and sophisticated as they need to be? In other words, are the messages this person conveys sufficient to cover all of the specifics that may be important for him/her? 4. Under what conditions does this person communicate? Spontaneous, responsive or imitative? Any functional

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Dyslexia

DyslexiaWelcome to the Wee Speech Parent Podcast Series. This series is designed to aid parents understanding of communication development, treatment and other topics related to speech and language.My name is Kate Connolly. I am an ASHA certified pediatric speech and language pathologist. During this podcast segment I will be addressing how dyslexia impacts children in school. It is important to start with the reminder that dyslexia is a disability that is neurologically based and wasn’t caused by anything. There is absolutely no correlation to intelligence or cognition –kids with dyslexia are just as bright as their peers.That said, reading is something your brain has to really work at because there is so much required all at once. The brain has

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Dear SLP

I am a second grade teacher at a local elementary school.  I’ve had a couple kids in my classroom with IEPs and 504 plans. I’m having particular difficulty with my students with language disorders. Are there some recommendations you can give me to help support these students so they can reach their full academic potential? Sincerely, Tricks for the Teacher Dear Tricks for the Teacher, Thank you so much for reaching out. It really shows you are putting your student’s well-being first and foremost – I’d be happy to share a few ideas for supporting a child with a language impairment in the classroom. There are several areas to consider when providing recommendations. First, consider the context of the student’s

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Word Wall

What is a Word Wall? A Word Wall is a collection of words posted on an interactive wall that can be used to teach vocabulary and concepts. The Wee Speech Word Wall is updated monthly and has printable books, activities and coloring pages related to the vocabulary. Check out our Wall in the clinic waiting room. Have fun with words! This Months Words Campfire: An outdoor fire for warmth, cooking or both. Fish, hot dogs and marshmallows are foods you can cook over a campfire. Caravan: Any group traveling in a specific mode of transportation, as pack animals or motor vehicles. We went camping with a caravan of friends last year.  Embark: To board a ship, aircraft or other vehicle as if going on a journey.

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Headphone Use Linked to Hearing Loss in Children

A recent study found that children who listen to audio via headphones have a significantly higher risk of noise-induced hearing loss compared to children who do not. As children begin to use technology more frequently (e.g. games on phones, tablets, video games, etc.), they may want to use headphones in order to play independently. However, it was found that children who use headphones were twice as likely to have hearing loss compared to children who did not use headphones at all, noting the significance of noise exposure at a young age. The study indicated that limiting the amount of time using headphones and lowering the volume may only eliminate the risk marginally. Noise-related hearing loss presents itself as muffled sounds

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Early ear infections and speech and language development

Ear infections are one of the most common illnesses in young children. Otitis media (OME) is the term for inflammation and fluid build-up within the middle ear. The accumulation of fluid causes the bones in the middle ear to not function properly and conduct sound effectively. Research indicates that OME poses disadvantages on hearing sensitivity and speech perception in children (Cai and McPherson, 2017). Speech sounds that are most affected by mild hearing loss are those high frequency sounds S, F, or SH. For more moderate hearing loss, a child may not be able to hear additional speech sounds or word-endings. It is important to identify and treat ear infections in young children to reduce these lapses in hearing sensitivity.

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Communication Development and Screen Time

Technology is a part of our everyday lives. It is important to set boundaries and limits to children’s screen time so that their communication skills do not fall behind. In a poll of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologist, the biggest concerns with children’s frequent screen time use include fewer opportunities for social interactions, delays in social development, delays in speech and/or language skills, and academic challenges. These concerns are present because children have fewer opportunities to hear language modeled by parents/peers and to practice their language, articulation, and social skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has established screen time guidelines to help parents balance technology and real-world experiences. They recommend no screen time (video chatting excluded) for the first

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