Author: Caroline Vance MS CCC SLP

Occupying a child with special needs on a long road trip requires planning and creativity to ensure their comfort and engagement throughout the journey. Here are some strategies you can consider: Prepare a Travel Kit: Pack a travel bag with familiar items that provide comfort and entertainment for your child. Include favorite toys, books, sensory items, and comfort objects such as blankets or stuffed animals. Create a Visual Schedule: Use visual aids, such as a schedule or checklist, to help your child understand the sequence of events during the trip. This can provide a sense of predictability and reduce anxiety. Plan Regular Breaks: Schedule frequent stops along the route to allow your child to stretch their legs, use the restroom,

  January National Birth Defects Month January 4- World Braille Day January 20- International Day of Acceptance January 24- Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day February Turner Syndrome Awareness Month February 15- International Angelman Day February 28- Rare Disease Day March Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Kidney Awareness Month Multiple Sclerosis Month Social Work Awareness Month Trisomy Awareness Month March 1- Self-Injury Day March 1- International Wheelchair Day March 21- World Down Syndrome Day March 26- Purple Day for Epilepsy April April 2- World Autism Awareness Day May Better Hearing and Speech Month Ehlers-Danlos Awareness Month Mental Health Awareness Month National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month Prader Willi Syndrome Awareness Month Williams Syndrome Awareness Month May 1- Global Developmental

@speechsisters -A great resource for parents of early learners! These SLP sisters provide easy tips and tools for parents and caregivers to use in daily routines. @weetalkers -Carly and Katie are SLPs who provide doable tips and encouragement for parents looking to increase and improve their child’s communication skills. They provide communicative milestones, book recommendations, activities, and crafts to aid in increasing language output. @jenya_cma_lab -Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel MS. CCC-SLP is a professor at Marquette University and director of the Communication, Movement, and Learning Lab.  She specializes in diagnosis and treatment of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and developmental language disorder. She is a great resource for parents and SLPs working with children who are diagnosed with CAS. @grahamspeechtherapy -Amy Graham

As the holiday season approaches, check out some of these fun treats to make at home or during therapy sessions! Working together to make treats can address a variety of skills: following directions, expressive language, speech targets, executive functioning to name a few. Strawberry Santa Hats: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/strawberry-santa/ No Bake Christmas Tree Cookies https://www.thereciperebel.com/bake-christmas-tree-cookies/ Melting Snowman Cookies: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/melted-snowman-sugar-cookies/91c4a274-78a1-4cba-b890-52563d6cd670 Candy Dreidels https://toriavey.com/candy-dreidels/ Kwanza Rice Krispies https://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/recipes/kwanzaa-treats-recipe.html New Years Clock Cookies https://everydaydishes.com/holiday/new-years-eve-clock-sugar-cookie-recipe/

Ms. Rachel is a YouTube phenomenon.  Children love her for her super animated and fun videos. What I love about her is how she engages children in an exciting way but also uses/includes speech and language targets for toddlers.  They are a great substitute (instead of watching Cocomelon) during TV/tablet time for children that are speech and language delayed or new language learners! Below are a few links to some of my favorite Ms. Rachel clips.  Check her page out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1DYsiKC7b4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7siu3eOW1VQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R0xRT2y7Uo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOHrqPI9bVk

Looking for a way to support children with special needs and get a sweet treat for your pup? Look no further than Gravitate Queen City! Based in Waxhaw, North Carolina, the non-profit company’s mission is to create an inclusive community and empower young adults with different abilities.  They specialize in vocational training while making dog treats.  While working at Gravitate, these young individuals are able to make meaningful friendships and engage with peers in a variety of environments.  As a community, it is very important to support these inclusive companies that strive to empower and set individuals up for independence and success.  If you or someone you know has a furry friend, consider purchasing treats from a company that has a

There has been room for debate on whether or not doodling can contribute to an increase in focus, memory, and concentration.  This article introduces a few studies that have been tested to assess this theory.   Within the studies, participants who doodled while engaging in simple retrieval tasks were 30% more likely to recall the information than the participants who were told not to doodle. It is not recommended to doodle during more complex, challenging tasks as this can be more of a distraction.  The question is why is doodling linked to higher focus and concentration? You will have to read the short article to find out! https://www.spring.org.uk/2023/01/doodling.php

  Attached are a few resources to learn some early signs with your toddler.  When teaching signs, I always begin teaching the following signs first and then building up from here.  These specific signs can be found on the PDF document attached below: “Hi”, “Bye”, “More”, “Done”, “Me”, “Help”, “Open”, “Eat”, “Stop”, “Play”, “Jump”, “Go”.  I might begin first by choosing 1-2 target signs to focus on in the initial session.  From here, I will consistently model and demonstrate the sign paired with the verbalization of the sign while engaging in play based tasks.  My expressions and motor movements will likely be dramatic and aim to excite and engage the toddler with my actions.  Once I am engaged in a

As the holiday season quickly approaches look out for some of these recommended toys on Amazon! Here is a list along with some speech/language targets to be utilized at home: https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Laugh-Stages-Amazon-Exclusive/dp/B00OZAI56M/ref=sr_1_2?crid=29CBTRJ4CXNYH&keywords=piggy+bank+game&qid=1666710133&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjQzIiwicXNhIjoiMi4xMyIsInFzcCI6IjEuNTcifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=piggy+bank+gam%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-2 Piggy Bank: requesting, turn taking, expanding utterance length , identification/labeling qualitative (color)/quantitative (numerical) concepts, following directions https://www.amazon.com/B-Critter-Clinic-Toy-Play/dp/B00B16U50C/ref=sr_1_2?crid=XCV4FUUXNI98&keywords=animal+hospital+toy+with+keys&qid=1666710316&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjUwIiwicXNhIjoiMi41NiIsInFzcCI6IjEuOTcifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=animal+hos%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-2 Critter Clinic: understanding concepts (open/close), identification/labeling vocabulary (hiding animals/food/objects inside the doors), categorization of vocabulary (variety of objects in the doors and sort into each category once opened). https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Pig-Bigger-Belly-Busting-Burgers/dp/B091DSN2XG/ref=sr_1_3_mod_primary_new?crid=3MWBX4JZY67FC&keywords=pop%2Bthe%2Bpig&qid=1666710389&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjQ4IiwicXNhIjoiMy42OSIsInFzcCI6IjMuNTIifQ%3D%3D&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=pop%2Bthe%2Bpi%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-3&th=1 Pop the Pig: turn taking, following multi-step directions involving qualitative and quantitative concepts, functional language, language expansion, production of bilabials (pop, pig, big, more, me)   https://ganbino.com/product/john-deere-gearation-magnetic-board/ TOMY Gear Magnretic Toy: understanding concepts/following directions involving stop/go, on/off, fast/slow, more/all done, production of s-blends (spin, stop, start, smile,

Recently children have been prone to excessive screen time use due to greater accessibility from tablets and smartphones.  It is understandable parents are busy and need rest time themselves, however, excessive use can be damaging to a child’s growth and socialization.  Here are some recommendations on how to use screen time appropriately and reduce potential damage that excessive screens may be causing your child. How to cut down on screen time: Lead by example Children follow what they see.  If the child’s caregiver is scrolling on their phone while the family is at the dinner table, the child is watching and may internalize this as acceptable behavior. Have designated times and places where screen time is restricted If possible, try