Year: 2020

The pandemic has affected all of us in different ways. Virtual learning has presented a host of challenges pragmatically for all students, especially for individuals with social-pragmatic language difficulties. Social groups over Zoom are currently being conducted at Wee Speech focusing on peer relationships, recognizing body language/facial expressions, and interpreting non-verbal cues. These groups have been successful with bringing peers together during a difficult time! We know our students miss interacting and socializing with others. Virtual social groups have been crucial for our clients since they have reduced opportunity for social interaction due to the pandemic. As we head into the winter months, consider planning some virtual play dates for your child. Talk to your child’s treating therapist about ways

Reading is a complex process and is often a challenging undertaking for children. Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s Reading Rope is an excellent infographic that depicts the necessary sub-skills needed for accurate, skilled, and fluent reading. The Reading Rope is comprised of two main strands. The upper strand encompasses language comprehension or what is often referred to as reading comprehension. Within this main strand are smaller individual pieces of rope representing background knowledge (this refers to knowledge of content, facts, concepts, etc.), vocabulary (word meaning, multiple meaning words, shades of meaning, etc.), language structures (sentence structure and grammar), verbal reasoning (inference generation, figurative language, etc.), and literacy knowledge (genres, print concepts, story grammar, etc.). The lower strand of the Reading Rope involves

Have you ever woken up and tried to talk, but no sound came out or your voice sounded “funny”? Initially, this can be a scary experience, however, there are several preventative measures you can take to reduce the chances of this happening to you. Just like any other part of the body, it is important to protect your voice. Your voice is produced by air coming up from the lungs through the vocal folds causing them to vibrate together to produce sound. When you do not properly take care of your voice, vocal abuse can occur. Vocal abuse can happen for a variety of reasons, such as prolonged yelling or screaming, dehydration, and/or a variety of environmental factors. As a

In order to see extended family over the holidays, many families are opting for video chat platforms in order to stay in touch. While technology can help connect with those that are far, it can add challenges that have not been experienced before. Diane Paul, PhD, CCC-SLP and Regina Escano Zappi, AuD, CCC-A discuss in their article “Keeping Conversation Going During Virtual Holiday Gatherings”, several tips to improve communication across these platforms and keep traditions alive. The 5 main tips they provide are as follows: -Set expectations: Give specific start and end time and set a plan of what is going to happen on the video chat. This allows everyone know what is going on and what expected of them during

Research shows that newborn infants begin attending to faces in the hours following delivery. Facial expressions are said to be one of the most important social elements for human interaction and are said to be an effective tool for promoting infant learning. Research also shows that newborn infants will gaze toward faces for longer periods of time than they will toward objects and that infants as early as 8-12 months, begin using information communicated through facial expressions (especially from their mother and father) to understand situations, read emotion, detect danger, and form bonds. It is reported that early in development, infants detect differences in facial features from person to person. Infants learn the characteristics of people they see such as

In the article “How Can We Make Social Groups Work Online”, author Mary Ann O’Connell discusses social language group treatment via telehealth sessions. During these sessions, she found it beneficial to adjust the pace and set-up of sessions. Currently, many children may be experiencing heightened and more intense emotions in relation to COVID-19. Establishing a routine for group sessions can be helpful for regulating clients. At Wee Speech, several of our therapists and their clients have participated in social groups online. We have found great success in these groups. Group rules such as refraining from using the keyboard unless instructed to use, waiting until a peer has finished speaking, and minimizing external distractions (clear workspace, quiet environment) have increased the

Shared reading has many benefits, including increasing your child’s interest in books, building the relationship between oral language and printed language, and promoting story comprehension. A recent study suggests that daily shared reading may be more important now than ever before. A study released in September 2020 utilized data from kindergarteners’ reading scores over summer break to estimate the impact of COVID-19 school closures. Their model estimated that these children may have lost one-third of the reading skills they would have learned in school. The authors did acknowledge that this model does not account for the possible impact of remote learning on reading gains. The good news is, the Boston researchers also found that children who are read to daily

Additude Magazine explains that ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral disorder in children. In 2011, research first showed that indicators of attention challenges could be identified in children as early as 3-4 years with some diagnoses of ADHD given as young at 4-5 years. Research from the CHADD- a nonprofit organization serving Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder suggests that 3-year-old children who show early symptoms of ADHD are more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD by age 13.  Early challenges with attention are not commonly reported to disappear with age, rather they typically become larger hurdles in the learning process. Often, challenges with attention are shown to be first reported in preschool-kindergarten. They are often first reported

Music can be used effectively to help your child develop their language and speech skills.  It is motivating, familiar, rhythmic and just plain fun!  It can also stimulate motor and social skills. Music can have a regulating effect on your child, making them more receptive to listening, attending and learning.  By incorporating gestures along with the lyrics, you can support learning and encourage your child’s active participation. If your child is not yet verbal or is minimally verbal, music can help teach gestural imitation skills. By incorporating gestures along with the lyrics, you can reinforce concepts and encourage your child’s active participation. The simple and repetitive nature of songs is an excellent way to reinforce first words. Songs that have